HAuing heretofore, by the gracious as­sistance of the Almighty, finished my Exposition vpon the first and second Chapters of this Prophesie of Amos, I doe now aduenture vp­on the third, in a sure hope and con­fidence, of the continuance of the same assistance vnto me, not doubt­ing, but that the Lord will enable me to goe forward in this course, if he shall see it to be to his glory, and to the good of his Church.

This third Chapter is Amos his second Sermon against the [Page 2] Kingdome of the ten Tribes, the Kingdome of Israel. It was made, as it seemeth, when their then King, Ieroboam sonne of Ioash, the thirteenth King of Israel, though wicked for his life, yet happy in warre, had vanquished and subdued many of the Syrians, and had recouered the coast of Israel from the2 King. 14.25. entring of Hamath, vnto the Sea of the plaine; and had takenVers 28. Damascus and Hamath. Then the people of Israel, growne insolent with victories, and rich with spoiles, became lasciuient and wanton, and spurned at the preaching of the Word of God. It was now high time for Amos to bestirre himselfe, and to remember them of the fickle estate wherein now they were. Hee was their Prophet, peculiarly sent to them from God; and it lay vpon him, to call vpon them. He doth it in this his second Sermon.

The parts are three:

• 1 An Exordium, or an entrance into the Sermon, vers. 1.
• 2 A Proposition, containing the summe of that whereof he admonisheth them, vers. 2.
• 3 An Enarration, a Declaration, an Exposition, or an Expolition of the matter in hand, from the third vers. to the end of the Chapter.

We are to beginne with the Exordium or entrance to the Sermon. It is an inuitation to attention: and containeth cer­taine arguments of perswasion. Three they are; all of weight, and in themselues auaileable.

The first is taken from the authority of the Word, to the hearing whereof they are inuited. It is Verbum Iehouae, the Word of Iohouah, the onely true and euerliuing God. Heare this Word, non meum somnium, not any dreame of mine, not my word, nor the word of any mortall wight, but the Word of the Lord, Heare this Word, that the Lord hath spoken.

The second is taken from the quality of the parties inuited. They are Filij Israel, the children of Israel. By this compella­tion they are put in minde of their stocke and linage that they were sprung form, and came out of the loines of Iacob, whose name was changed toGen. 32.28. & 35.10. Israel; whereby they may well be admonished, either to insist in the steps of that holy Pa­triarch, [Page 3] or like disobedient and degenerate children to expect punishment from the Lord: Heare this Word that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of Israel.

The third is taken from the memory of their greatest deli­uerance, their deliuerance out of Aegypt. By this benefit, had there beene nothing else, were the Israelites deepely ob­liged to giue care to the Word of the Lord their Redeemer and deliuerer. Heare this Word, that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought vp from the land of Aegypt, saying.

In the handling of these words, I purpose to hold this course: first, to expound the words; and then to obserue out of them such instructions as they naturally offer vnto vs, and may be for our good.

Heare, Listen vnto it, not onely with the outward sense of your eares, but yeeld vnto it also willing assent in your minds. Heare it interiori auditu: so Albertus Magnus ex­pounds it, Heare with your inward hearing. In the phrase of the Gospell, it is Audite & intelligite, Matth. 15.10. Heare and vnderstand.

Heare this Word] This word is with Castalio, dictum, a say­ing; with Albertus it is, something signified by voice, which remaineth in the heart of the hearer, after the voice is gone. It may bee the decree of God and his ordinance, touching that he will doe vnto Israel; and so Ionathan in his Chaldee paraphrase seemes to take it; Heare this Word, that the Lord hath decreed. In the Ʋulgar Latine I read, Audite verbum, quod locus us est Dominus; Heare the Word that the Lord hath spoken. Our now English is right: Heare this Word that the Lord hath spoken.

Hath spoken! To, or against whom? [...] Hhalceem, To you, or against you: so Drusius. The originall is, Super vos, ouer you or vpon you: Drusius well renders it, to you, or against you; and Petrus Lusitanus not amisse, contra vos, vel de vobis, against you, or concerning you.

You children of Israel. The Hebrew is [...] Benei [Page 4] Iischrael, sonnes of Israel. Children of Israel, or sonnes of Israel, the Israelites are meant. Each phrase may be paralleld in the Greeke tongue. First, the children of Israel, for the Israelites: So speake the Greekes,Herod. l. 3. [...], the chil­dren of the Aethiopians, for Aethiopians themselues. [...], the children of Philosophers, for Philosophers them­selues. [...], the children of Physitians, for Physiti­ans themselues. Againe, the sonnes of Israel, for the Israe­lites. And so speake the Greekes, [...], the sonnes of the Grecians, for the Grecians themselues. Its very frequent inJliad. & 162.237 240.276.368. &c. Homer. I meet with one place in the Greeke Bible, where­with I will for the present content my selfe. It is Ioel 3 6. The words are [...]; the sonnes of Iuda, and the sonnes of Ierusalem, ye sold to the sonnes of the Grecians; where the sonnes of Iuda are put for the people of Iuda, and the sonnes of Ierusalem for the inhabitants of Ierusalem, and the sonnes of the Grecians for the Grecians themselues: iust, as it is here, the sonnes of Israel for the Israelites themselues.

Sonnes of Israel] It is an Hebrew Prouerbe;Drusius Adag. Hebruir. Druuia. 2 8. ex R. Heuna. Filij filiorum ecce sunt vt filij; Sonnes sonnes, behold they are as sonnes. You may vnderstand thus: The sonnes of sonnes are accoun­ted of as sonnes; or, they are truly sonnes; sonnes not in name only, but in very deed.

In the name of sonne, sometime the Nephew is to be vn­derstood. So it is, Haggai 1.1. Zerubbabel is there called the sonne of Shealtiel; whose sonne hee was not, but Ne­phew, for hee was sonne ofChron. 3.19. Pedaiah, and Pedaiah sonne of Schealtiel. And so is it Ezra 5.1. Zechariah the Prophet is there called the sonne of Iddo, whose sonne he was not; but Nephew; for he was the sonne of Barachiah, andZachar. 1.1. Bara­chiah the sonne of Iddo. Now as a sonne is sometimes put for a Nephew, so are sonnes for a posterity; So in my Text, the sonnes of Israel are put for the posterity of Israel. The sonnes of Is­rael, Secundum carnem, non secundū spiritum, as Petrus à Figu­eiro speaketh; the sonnes of Israel after the flesh, not after the spirit. Sonnes of Israel, such as were lineally descended from [Page 5] the loines of Iacob, who was surnamed Israel. These sonnes or children of Israel are here further described to be that whole family which the Lord brought vp from the land of Aegypt. Heare this Word, that the Lord hath spoken against you, O chil­dren of Israel, against the whole family, which I brought vp from the land of Aegypt.

Against the whole family] The Hebrew word here is [...] Mischpachah, and signifieth a family. So its trans­lated by Brentius, and Caluin, and Drusius, and Gnalter, and Iunius, and Piscator: and so is it in our newest English; against the whole family. A family, to speake properly, is of them that are contained in one and the same house: it is a houshold con­sisting of persons of diuers sexes, ages, statures, strengths, and abilities. But this narrow signification of a family will not serue for this place. For it was not onely a houshold that the Lord brought out of Aegypt, it was more than so.

The Author of the Vulgar Latine giues here a larger scope. Familia contents him not; Cognatio is his word. Not a fa­mily, but a kindred must serue his turne. His reading is Super omnem cognationem. Is pleaseth Luther, and Mercer, and Vatablus. Against all the kindred. A kindred wee know may containe many families: and many were the families which the Lord brought vp from the Land of Aegypt; yet is not this word kindred of extent sufficient to comprehend the great multitude that was brought vp from the land of Aegypt.

Nation is a fitter word with Castalio: Heare this word, that the Lord pronounceth to you, to the whole Nation, which I brought vp from the land of Aegypt. It was indeed a Nation that the Lord brought vp. A Nation, and therefore many kindreds, and more families. Yet need wee not refuse either the word kindred or family as vnfit for this place; for each of them may well bee vsed to signifie a Nation. The reason whereof Kimhi giueth, quia ab initio gentes singulae ab vno aliquo viro defluxerunt; because at first Nations had their be­ginning from some one man that was head of a family or kindred.

A Family for a Nation you haue, Mic. 2.3. Behold, saith [Page 6] the Lord; behold, against this family doe I deuise an euill. Against this family, that is, against this Nation of the Israelites. So haue you, Ierem. 8.3. Death shall be chosen rather than life, by all the residue of them that remaine of this euill family. This euill family is the nation of the Iewes. I read of the family of Aegypt, Zach. 14.18. and there the family of Aegypt, is the nation of the Aegyptians. Such is the signification of the word family in my Text; against the whole family, that is, against the whole nation of the Israelites.

By this whole family of the children of Israel, some doe vn­derstand all the people which the Lord brought vp from Aegypt, which afterward was rent into two Kingdomes, the Kingdome of Iudah, and the Kingdome of Israel. So Saint Hierome, and Remigius, and Hugo, and Lyra, and Dionysius. Some by the children of Israel doe vnderstand the King­dome of Israel, the Kingdome of the ten Tribes, and in the whole family brought vp from the land of Aegypt, they will haue included the Kingdome of Iudah, the other two Tribes; the Tribes of Benjamin and Iudah. So Theodoret, and Alber­tus, and Montanus, & Quadratus, and Christophorus à Castro.

Petrus à Figueiro takes this whole family to be here vsed Ap­positoriè, by Apposition, to expresse what is meant by the children of Israel. The children of Israel, that is, the whole fa­mily, kindred, or nation of the Israelites which the Lord brought vp from the land of Aegypt. The like doth Tauer­ner in his English Bible; his Translation runnes thus: Heare what the Lord speaketh vnto you, O ye children of Israel, namely vnto all the Tribes whom I brought out of Aegypt.

I take them to be in the right, who by the children of Israel, doe vnderstand the Kingdome of the ten Tribes, and by the whole family brought vp from Aegypt, the other two Tribes: the Tribes of Iudah and Benjamin: to this sense, Heare this word, this sentence, that the Lord pronounceth against you, O children of Israel, and not against you alone, but euen against all those whom I brought vp from the land of Aegypt. All that are in the same fault doe well deserue the same punishment. If Iudah sinne as well as Israel, Iudah shall bee punished as [Page 7] well as Israel. Heare therefore this word, not only you of Israel, but you of Iudah too, all you whom I brought vp from the land of Aegypt.

All, which I brought vp from the land of Aegypt?] How can this bee? Of those which the Lord brought vp out of Aegypt, all that were ofNumb. 14.30. & 32.11, 12. twenty yeeres old and vpward, all saue two, Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh, and Ioshua the sonne of Nun, died in the Wildernesse. They died there, and therefore they came not into the Holy Land.

Againe, the deliuerance of Israel out of Aegypt was aboutAn. M. 2454. seuen hundred yeeres before theWhich was An. M. 3158. time that this Prophesie came by the ministery of Amos vnto Israel.

What? Seuen hundred yeeres before this time! Its then to be presumed, that all, which so long before were brought vp from Aegypt, were long ere this time dead. And so out of doubt they were. How then is it, that here so long after it is said to the children of Israel from the Lord, Eduxi, I brought you, your whole family, vp from the Land of Ae­gypt? The Israelites, to whom this speech is, had for the place of their natiuity and habitation the land of Iudaea. Ne­uer had they beene in the land of Aegypt, and yet may there be a good construction of what is here said vnto them; E­duxi, I brought you, your whole family, vp from the land of Aegypt. Albertus makes the construction; I brought you vp, vos in patribus, you in your Fathers. So doth Petrus Lusitanus; I brought you vp, vos vti (que) in parentibus, you in your parents. And so Piscator, I brought you vp, vos in maioribus, you in your Ancestours. You, in your Fathers, in your Parents, in your Ancestours, I brought you vp from the land of Aegypt.

I brought vp from the land of Aegypt] The words we met with before, Chap. 2.10. There they were by me expoun­ded; and haply you will not thinke it fit, I should say the same againe vnto you. Wherefore for a full exposition of these words, and the profit to be taken by them, I referre you to my fifteenth Lecture vpon the second Chapter of this Pro­phesie of Amos.

Hitherto haue I dwelt vpon the opening of the words of [Page 8] my present Text. I gather vp all in briefe. Heare] not only with the outward eare, but also with the assent of minde; heare and vnderstand, —this word] this thing, this sentence, this decree, —that the Lord] Iehouah, the onely true euer­lasting and Almighty God — hath spoken] hath pronounced —ouer you] vpon you, to you, against you; against you O children of Israel] yee the sonnes, the posterity of Iacob, and not against you onely, but also —against the whole family] the whole Nation of you, them of Iudah too, against you all, whose Fathers, Parents, and Ancestours — I brought vp] and deliuered with a mighty hand and out-stretched arme—from the land of Aegypt] that land, wherein they liued in great sla­uery and bondage, —saying] after this manner as it followeth, vers. 2. You only haue I knowne, &c.

The words you see are expounded. It remaineth now, that we gather from hence such obseruations as are here na­turally offered vnto vs, and may be for our instruction.

Of the three perswasory arguments here vsed by Amos to moue the Israelites to attention, the first is taken from the authority of the Word to the hearing whereof they are inui­ted, it is verbum Iehouae; Heare this word, non meum somni­um, not any dreame of mine, not my word, nor the word of any mortall wight, but verbum Iehouae, the Word of Iehouah, the onely true and euerliuing God. Heare this word that the Lord speaketh against you. My obseruation is: ‘The Word of the Lord is diligently to be hearkned vnto.’

Were it not so, neuer would the holy Prophets haue beene so frequent in that their inuitation;Esa. 1.10. & 28 14. Ierem. 2.4. 7.1. 9 20. 10.1. 27.20. 19.3. 21.11. 29.20. 31.10. Audite verbum Iehouae, Heare ye the Word of the Lord. That same generall Procla­mation, Mat. 11.15. Whosoeuer hath eares to heare, let him heare; repeated inMatth. 13 93. Mark. 7.91. & 23. Luk. 8.8. 13.35. Reuel. 2.7, 11.17.29. 3.6, 13 22. sundry others places of the New Testa­ment, what else implieth it, but that all are bound to heare? The voice that spake out of the cloud at the time of Christ his transfiguration, Matth. 17.5. it said no more but this, This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased, heare ye him. Heare him, saith that voice, as if in hearing were comprised all the duties of man. Christ Iesus in the tenth of [Page 9] Luke, the nine and thirtieth verse, speaking of one thing that is necessary, speakes of nothing but of hearing the word. Martha, Martha, thou art carefull, and troubled about many things: But one thing is necessary, and Mary hath chosen that good part. One thing necessary, and Mary hath chosen it! what is that? She sitting at Iesus feet did heare his Word. See now, to heare the Word of God is so necessary a thing, that all other necessities should giue place vnto it.

It makes much for this necessity of hearing, that the Word of God is called meat, Heb. 5.12. and the want of this word, a famine, Amos 8.11. What can from hence be collected, but, that it is as necessary for vs to heare the word of God, as it is to eat?

Much more might be spoken to shew the necessity of this duty of hearing the word of God; but I haue said enough for the confirmation of my doctrine: ‘The word of the Lord is diligently to be hearkned vnto.’

One reason to enforce this duty, I take from the person of him, from whom this duty is inioyned vs. He is in my Text called Iehouah, the Lord: Heare this word that Iehouah the Lord speaketh. Iehouah, he is ourDeut. 32.18. Creator, wee are his crea­tures; hee is ourPsal. 23.1. Shepherd, wee are his Sheepe; hee is ourMal. 1.6. Master, we are his Seruants; hee is our Father, wee are his children; he is ourPsal 44.4. King, we are his Subiects. Say now, is not the creature bound to obey his Creator, the sheepe his Shepheard, the seruant his Master, the child his Father, the subiect his King? The Scripture sheweth it: yea nature tea­cheth it. If then the Lord speake vnto vs, we are to heare him.

A second reason to enforce this duty, I take from the great value and high price of obedient hearing. Obedience in this kinde is better worth than any sacrifice, yea than all the sa­crifices that can be offered. Samuel auoucheth it, 1 Sam. 15.22, 23. where he that reproueth Saul to his face: Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as when the voice of the Lord is obeyed? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice: and to hearken, than the fat of Rammes. For re­bellion is as the sinne of witchcraft, and stubbornnesse is as ini­quity [Page 10] and idolatry. See here how elegantly Samuel deciphe­reth two contraries, Obedience and disobedience? He maketh the one to be better than sacrifice; the other to bee as witch­craft and idolatry. Obedience is better than sacrifice: for hee that offereth a Sacrifice,Greg. Moral. lib. 35. c. 10. offereth the flesh of some beast: but he that obeyeth offereth his owne will, as a quicke and reaso­nable sacrifice, which the Lord well accepteth. Disobedience is as witchcraft and Idolatry. If, when the Lord imposeth some duty vpon vs, we then conferre with our owne hearts, as1 Sam. 28.7. Saul consulted with the woman of Endor, or as2 Reg 1.2. Aha­ziah with Beelzebub, whether wee shall hearken vnto the voice of the Lord, or not; this is disobedience, and disobedi­ence in a high degree; as prodigious as witchcraft and idola­try. Now this second reason I thus frame. God liketh of obedience, and preferreth it before sacrifice; he hateth disobe­dience as he doth witchcraft and idolatry; therefore it is our duty, refusing this, to embrace that: and when the Lord shall speake vnto vs, to hearken vnto him, and obey his Word.

A third reason to enforce this duty of hearing the Word of God, I take from the consideration of the punishment that shall betide the disobedient. The disobedient shall be sure to be punished. Our warrant for this we haue, Deut. 28.15. If thou wilt not hearken vnto the voice of the Lord thy God, to obserue and to doe all his Commandements and his Statutes which he commandeth thee; then shall all these curses come vpon thee, and ouertake thee. Cursed shalt thou beDeut. 28.16. in the City, and cursed in the field: Cursed in thy basket, and cursed in thy store: Cursed in the fruit of thy body, in the fruit of thy land, in the increase of thy kine, and in the flocks of thy sheep: Cursed when thou commest in, and cursed when thou goest out. With these and the like curses, how sly soeuer thou be, thou shalt alwaies be enuironed, it will not boot thee to seeke starting holes. If thou goe into thine house, and shut the doore, and double barre it, yet shall theAmos 5.19. serpent come in and sting thee there. If thou goe into the field, and seeke meanes to escape, thou shalt meet with a Lion vpon the way: if thou slip aside [Page 11] from the Lion, a Beare shall meet thee. Be thou assured, God hath his storehouse full of rods, not of three or foure sorts only, but of infinite to pay thee home, if thou wilt not hearken vnto his voice.

But if thou wilt hearken vnto the voice of the Lord thy God, Deut. 28.1. to obserue and to doe all his Commandements which he com­mandeth thee, then shall blessings come as thicke vpon thee. Blessed shalt thou be in the City, and blessed in the field: bles­sed in thy basket, and blessed in thy store: blessed in the fruit of thy body, in the fruit of thy ground, in the fruit of thy Cattell, in the increase of thy kine; and in the flocks of thy sheepe: blessed when thou commest in, and blessed when thou goest out. With these and other like blessings shalt thou bee compassed about, if thou giue eare vnto the voice of the Lord thy God.

Now this third reason I frame thus: If the obedient shall be blessed and rewarded for hearing, and the disobedient cur­sed and punished for not hearing the voice of the Lord our God, then it behoueth vs with all diligence to giue eare vnto his holy Word.

From the reasons enforcing the duty of hearing the Word of God, I come now to make some vse of the doctrine de­liuered.

It may serue first for reproofe. For the reproofe of such as refuse to heare the Word of God. Such, as if they had no soule to saue, yea, as if they beleeued, that there is neither God nor Deuill, neither Heauen nor Hell, doe stop their eares, that they may not heare. Very desperate is their dis­ease. The Mat. 12.42. Queene of the South shall rise vp in iudgement and condemne them. She thought it worthy her labour, to make a long iourney to heare the wisdome of Salomon; and yet, behold, more than Salomon is here. Here, not farre hence, in this place, and present with you is Christ our Lord. Salomon, a man. Christ is God. Salomon a mortall King, of the King­dome of Christ there is no end. Salomon a King by humane succession, Christ by diuine eternity. Salomon a sinner in­wrapped in the allurements of lasciuiousnesse, Christ 1 Pet. 2.22. with­out [Page 12] sinne, without guile,Heb. 7.26. harmelesse and vndefiled. Salo­mon gaue his Parables onely in Hierusalem; Christ giues his voice thorowout the Christian world, hee giues it vs in our streets, in our Temples, in this his house wherein now I stand.

Inexcusable therefore art thou O man, O woman, O childe of vnderstanding, whosoeuer thou art that refusest to heare the word of Christ, thy Lord and God. For such your refusall you shall be sure to giue an account at the great day of Gods vengeance. Against such refusall the voice of wisdome cry­eth out, Prou. 1.24. Because I haue called, and yee refused; I haue stretched out mine hand and no man regarded, I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mocke when your feare com­meth.

Parallel to this is that, Esa. 65.12. There thus saith the Lord; Because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not heare; but did euill before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not, therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow downe to the slaughter.

Hereunto may that be added, Ierem. 7.13. Because I spake vnto you, rising vp early and speaking, but ye heard not, and I called you, but ye answered not, therefore will I doe vnto you thus, and thus: I will cast you out of my sight: I will powre out mine anger and my fury vpon the place of your habitation, vpon man, and vpon beast, and vpon the trees of the field, and vpon the fruit of the ground: I will cause to cease from your streets the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladnesse, the voice of the bridegroome, and the voice of the bride. Thus and thus shall it befall them, that refuse to heare, when the Lord speaketh; theIer. 14.12, 16. famine shall pinch them, theIer. 15.3. sword shall slay them, theIer. 21.9. Ezech. 6.11. & 7.15. pestilence shall waste them, Ierem. 15.3. dogges shall teare them, wilde beasts shall destroy them, and the Fowles of Heauen shall deuoure them. You haue the first vse.

The second vse may be for reproofe too; for the reproofe of such as come to heare, but heare not as they should. I haue read of a generation of such hearers.

Some, saith my Author, hearken after newes; If the Prea­cher [Page 13] say any thing of beyond Sea matters, or of court affaires at home, that is his lure.

Some hearken whether any thing be said, that may bee wrested to be spoken against persons in high place, that they may accuse the Preacher.

Some smacke of eloquence, and gape for a phrase, that when they come abroad in company, they may haue a fine word to grace their talke.

Some sit, as Male-contents, till the Preacher come to gird some, whom they spight: then pricke they vp their eares to li­sten, and it shall goe hard, if they remember not something of what is spoken.

Some come to gaze about the Church: their eyes are euill eyes, they are wanton eyes, they are euermore looking vpon that, from which holy Iob turned his eyes away.

Some sit musing all the Sermon time, some of their Law-suits, some of their bargaines, some of their iourneyes, some of some other imployments. The Sermon is ended before these men thinke where they are.

Some that come to heare, so soone as the Prayer is done, or soone after, fall fast asleepe; as though they had beene brought into the Church for corpses, and the Preacher should preach at their funeralls.

You see now a generation of hearers: seuen sorts of them; not one of them heareth as he should. If they come to the Church, and doe remaine there for the Sermon time, they thinke their duty well and sufficiently discharged. But much more than so is required at their hands. Outward seruice without inward obedience is but Hypocrisie. The naked hearing of the Word of God, is but an halting with God. If thou keepe from him thy heart, he cares not for thy presence, nor for thy tongue, nor for thy eare.

Cares he not for our presence, nor for our tongue, nor for our eare, vnlesse he haue our heart too? Then may that Ca­ueat, which Christ giueth his Disciples, Luk. 8.18. when he had expounded vnto them the parable of the Sower, be a sea­sonable caueat for vs. The Caueat is, Take heed how ye heare. [Page 14] This same take heed, euer goeth before some danger. Some danger there is in hearing: for you may easily heare amisse. You may easily heare amisse, and therefore take heed. Take heed how you heare. When you sow your seed in the field, you will take heed how you sow, lest your seed should bee lost. Your care herein is commendable. Let not your care be lesse to further the growth of Gods seed. Gods seed! it is immortall seed, euen his holy Word; O take heed how you heare, that none of this seed be lost. No seed groweth so fast as this, if it be receiued in good ground, in anLuk. 8.15. honest and good heart: for so it groweth in a moment as high as Hea­uen. Take heed therefore how ye heare.

Would ye now know how ye should heare? The Prophet Ieremy shall teach you, Chap. 13.15. Heare and giue eare. So shall Esay, Chap. 28.23. Giue ye eare and heare, hearken and heare. Heare, giue eare and hearken! Why is this mul­tiplying of words, but to teach you, that you are to heare and m [...]re than heare? More than heare! What is that to say? It is to heare interiori auditu, with the inward hearing, as before I noted out of Albertus. It is audire & intelligere, to heare and vnderstand, as in the phrase of the Gospell alrea­dy alleaged. It is to heare for the after time, as Esay speaketh, Chap. 42.23. It is to marke, and vnderstand, and remember, and beleeue, and follow that which you heare.

This duty of hearing as we should, we shall the better per­forme, if as Moses at the commandement of the Lord did put off his shooes, the shooes from off his feet, because the place whereon he stood was holy ground, Exod. 3.5. so shall we, as oft as we come to this or the like holy place, the House of God, to heare his Word read and preached vnto vs, put off our shooes too; not our shooes from off our feet; but our much fouler shooes, our lusts, our thoughts, our cares, our fancies, our businesses, euen all that corruption and sinne wherewith in this life we are clogged: which, as the dust to the shooe, and the shooe to the foot, cleaues fast to vs.

If thus prepared we come to heare the Word of God, wee shall be sure of a blessing. When the woman said to Christ, [Page 15] Blessed is the wombe that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked, Christ replyed, Luk. 11.18. Yea, rather blessed are they that heare the Word of God, and keepe it. By this his reply, he sheweth that his Disciples were more blessed for hea­ring him, than his Mother for bearing him. Yet hereby hee denieth not his Mother to haue beene blessed euen for bearing him: but insinuates onely that she was more blessed in being his childe, than in being his Mother. Saint Austine, De Sancta Virginitate, cap. 3. well expresseth it; Beatior percipi­endo fidem Christi, quàm concipiendo carnem Christi; The bles­sed Virgin, the Mother of Christ, was more blessed by recei­uing the faith of Christ, then by conceiuing the flesh of Christ.

Christ said vnto his Disciples, Matth. 13.16. Blessed are your eares for you heare; shewing, that they were more blessed than all the world besides, because they had this one blessing to heare the truth. This is the blessing which you come hi­ther for. God in the abundance of his goodnesse brings it home vnto you. And well may you call it a blessing. For the word which we bring vnto you is verbum regni, Mat. 13.19. The word of a Kingdome; it bring a Kingdome with it: It is verbum vitae, Ioh. 6.68. the word of life: it brings life with it. It is not onely a word of authority, to command and bind the conscience, nor onely a word of wisdome to direct you, nor onely a word of power to conuert you, nor onely a word of grace to comfort and vphold you, but the word of a neuer-fading Kingdome, and of eternall life to make you perfectly and for euer blessed.

Thus farre hath my first Doctrine carried mee. The Do­ctrine was deliuered in these words: ‘The word of the Lord is diligently to be hearkened vnto.’

It was grounded vpon the first branch of my Text, where­in is contained the first perswasory argument of attention drawne from the authority of the word to be hearkned vnto. Heare this word that the Lord speaketh against you.

The next argument of perswasion to enforce attention in the hearer, is drawne from the persons of them who are here inuited to giue eare. They are Filij Israel, the children, the [Page 14] [...] [Page 15] [...] [Page 16] sonnes, the posterity of Israel; a people descended from the holy Patriarke Iacob, chosen aboue all other nations to bee Gods peculiar people, with whom God had made a couenant, and had on his part most absolutely performed it, preseruing them from their enemies, and multiplying vpon them all his benefits. So graciously did God deale with these sonnes of Israel, not onely whilst they loued him, kept their con­iugall faith with him, and serued him according to his word, but euen then too, when they had despised him, and forsaken him, had violated their faith with him, and committed spi­rituall whoredome with false gods. Yet, when those their impieties, disobediences, and rebellions were growne to the height, God was resolued to come against them in iudgement, and to punish them. This his resolution appeareth in the ma­ny menaces and threats, which from time to time the Lord sent vnto them by his holy Prophets. One of which is in my Text, Heare this word that the Lord speaketh against you, O children of Israel; Against you, to punish you, O children of Israel, euen you. My obseruation here is: ‘God will not spare to smite his dearest children, when they sinne against him.’

One reason hereof may bee, that the Lord may declare himselfe an aduersary to sinne in all men without partiality.

A second is, that the Lord may reduce his children from running on headlong to perdition with the wicked.

And the vses may be two: One to teach vs to magnifie the righteousnesse of God, as generally in all his workes, so par­ticularly in the afflictions of his people.

The other to admonish vs, that we looke not for any cer­taine earthly peace, though we are by faith the children of Is­rael, but that we prepare our selues for a continuall succession of crosses and calamities.

The third argument of perswasion to moue attention in these children of Israel, is taken from the commemoration of their greatest deliuerance, their deliuerance out of Aegypt; Heare this word that the Lord speaketh against you, O children of Israel; against the whole family, which I brought vp from the land of Aegypt. My obseruation is: [Page 17] ‘The temporall benefits and manifold deliuerances, which the Lord bestoweth vpon his people, are euer to be had in remem­brance, and in thankefull acknowledgement.’

This very doctrine for the substance of it, I haue heretofore in your hearing propounded and proued, in my fifteenth Le­cture vpon the second chapter of this booke, occasioned there­unto by the tenth verse, wherein this great deliuerance out of Aegypt is mentioned. I will not therefore at this time stand to inlarge it. Onely let me now tell you, that this deliuery of the Israelites out of Aegypt, is not appropriate onely vnto them, but that in some sort it appertaineth to the Church of God in all ages: for as much as it was a type of a more sur­passing deliuery from that fearefull Kingdome of sinne and darknesse. It appertaineth euen vnto vs, whom God of his infinite goodnesse and mercy, through the precious bloud of his Sonne, and our Sauiour, Christ Iesus, hath deliuered from this spirituall Aegypt, the Kingdome of sinne and darknesse, and will in his good time giue vs safe passage from hence, to that heauenly Canaan, the true Country and Inheritance of all Saints. Whither, most gracious God, vouchsafe to bring vs all. Amen.

THis second verse is the second part of Amos his second Sermon concerning the King­dome of the ten Tribes, the Kingdome of Israel. It is the proposition, and contai­neth the very substance of the whole Ser­mon: which is to let the Israelites under­stand, that, for as much as the Lord hath beene good vnto them aboue all the Nations of the earth, and they haue returned vnto him nothing but vnthankfulnesse, the Lord will surely punish them for all their iniquities.

The parts are two:

• 1 A Commemoration.
• 2. A Commination.

The Commemoration is of benefits, the Commination is of punishment. The Commemoration is for words short, yet for matter very copious. It hath reference to the many singu­lar [Page 19] and exceeding great benefits, which the Lord hath be­stowed vpon his people, Israel. You onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth.

The Commination is sharpe, but very iust. It may serue thus farre to instruct the Israelites, that if the Lord should at any time with his strong hand Iob 30.21. oppose himselfe against them, and make theirVers. 15. welfare to passe away as a cloud, and lay terrors vpon them, yet they should not calumniate, andIob 1.22. charge God with folly, but should lay the whole blame thereof vpon them­selues and their owne deseruings. Therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities. Of both in their order.

First, of the Commemoration. ‘You onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth.’

You onely! Onely you! How can this be so? Did not the knowledge of God extend it selfe to other Nations, as well as to the Israelites? It may not be denied. It extends it selfe, not to men only, but to whatsoeuer else is in the world.

You may consider it two manner of waies: either in it selfe, or as it hath reference to things knowne. If it be considered in it selfe, it is most certaine, and is euer the same: as necessa­ry and immutable, as is the very diuine Essence; from which it differeth not indeed, but onely consideration. For that axiome of the Schooles is true, Quicquid est in Deo, est ipsa Dei Essentia; Whatsoeuer is in God, is Gods owne Essence. And therefore the knowledge of God is his diuine Essence, and God is his owne knowledge. Whence it followeth, that where­soeuer God is and his holy-Essence, there is his knowledge. Now God is euery where, his Essence is euery where: his knowledge therefore must be euery where. Its impossible that any thing should be concealed from it.

Againe, the knowledge of God may be considered, as it hath reference to things knowne: and so also nothing can bee hid from it. For it knoweth it selfe, and euery thing else. Things vniuersall and singular; things past, present, and to come; things which neither are, nor haue beene, nor euer shall bee; things necessary and contingent, naturall and voluntary, good and euill, atchieued and thought vpon, finite and infinite, [Page 20] all, are knowne vnto him. So saith the Apostle, Heb. 4.13. There is no creature that is not manifest in the sight of God. No creature! Nay, vnto his eyes all things are naked and open. All things! How then is it, that here he saith to the Israelites, You onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth?

For the cleering of this doubt, we are to note, that know­ledge attributed vnto God in holy Scripture, doth not euer betoken a bare and naked knowledge, but sometimes his loue, his fauour, his care, his prouidence, his choice, his approbation, his allowance, his acceptance, or the like. As Psal. 1.6. The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous. Hee knoweth, that is, he loueth, he approueth, he accepteth, he is well pleased with, and graciously directeth, the way of the righteous. And so are we to expound that of the 37. Psal. Vers. 18. The Lord knoweth the daies of the vpright. He knoweth, that is, He doth not onely foresee, but also he alloweth, he careth and prouideth for the life of the vpright. So I vnderstand that branch of Dauids prayer which he made in the caue, Psal. 142.3. When my spirit was ouer-whelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. Thou knewest, that is, thou didst approue and allow of the order of my life, and innocent conuersation.

In the booke of Exodus, Chap. 33.17. the Lord said vnto Moses, Thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. I know thee by name, that is, I haue respect vnto thee, I approue thee, I care and prouide for thee. In the first Chap­ter of the Prophesie of Nahum, vers. 7. it is said of the Lord, that he knoweth them that trust in him. And there to know, is to loue, to defend, to approue, to regard. Them that trust in him he knoweth, he suffers them not to perish. In the second Epistle to Timothy, Chap. 2.19. we reade of a foundation, a foundation of God, a sure foundation, the seale whereof is, Nouit Dominus, qui sunt ejus: The Lord knoweth those that are his. The Lord knoweth; vnderstand not onely a know­ledge in generall, but a speciall knowledge; such a knowledge as is ioyned cum applicatione cordis ac voluntatis [...], as a learned Diuine well speaketh, such a knowledge as is associ­ated with the applying of the heart, and will, and good plea­sure [Page 21] of the Lord. The Lord knoweth who are his: He so knowes them, as that theyIoan. 10.28. shall neuer perish, neither shall any man plucke them out of his hand.

Other like places I could produce yet further, to shew this idiotisme of the holy tongue, that verba notitiae, words of knowledge, doe not euer betoken a bare and naked knowledge, but sometime such aMat. 7.23. Luk. 13.27. Mat. 25.12. Rom. 7.15. knowledge, as is ioyned with someVorstius amica Duplicat. cap. 4. pag 225. de­cree of him that knoweth, with some action of his will, with his approbation. But I shall not neede to doe it. From the Texts of Scripture before alleaged, ariseth a distinction of the Schoolemen: their distinction of the knowledge of God. The knowledge of God, say they, is two-fold: the one is the know­ledge of hisAquin. 2^a. 2ae. qu. 188. 5. 1. apprehension; the other, the knowledge of hisRipa in 1. Th. qu. 14. Art. 13. Dub. 4. cap. 4. fol. 83. col. 3. & Wendalin. Suppl. in 4. Sentent. Dist. 50. qu. 1. approbation. That they call his absolute and speculatiue knowledge; this his speciall, and practicall: and this, not that, is the knowledge to bee vnderstood in the places euen now by me expounded. And this, not that, is the knowledge in­tended in my Text.

Thus is the doubt resolued. The doubt was; How it is here said; that the Lord onely knew the Israelites aboue all the Nations of the Earth? The answer is: Hee knew them, not onely as he knew other Nations, by his absolute and spe­culatiue knowledge, but also by his speciall and practicall; not onely by the knowledge of his apprehension, but also by the knowledge of his approbation.

Some there are, that by knowledge here, doe vnderstand a poss [...]ssion. To know, say they, is to possesse, to haue in our power, to inioy as our owne. For proofe whereof they bring that, Psal. 50.11. I know all the fowles of the mountaines, and the wild beasts of the field are mine. The words are the words of God vnto his people Israel. Heare, O my people, and I will speake, O Israel. I am God euen thy God. I know all the fowles of the Mountaines. I know them, I so know them, that I can count them, and call them when I list; they are in my po­wer, I enioy them as mine owne, they are mine owne pos­session.

And so they expound my Text: You onely haue I knowne [Page 22] of all the families of the earth. I haue knowne you onely. Vos tantummodò mihi in viros cultores assumpsi, aut possedi, saith Illy­ricus. You only haue I taken to be the men for my worship: you alone haue I possessed.

For I haue knowne you, the Chaldee Paraphrast hath, I haue chosen you. I haue chosen you. Not amisse: if by this choice, you vnderstand not, that speciall election Ephes. 1.4. and choise of God, by which he hath ordained to life eternall those, whom of his free good will and pleasure he hath decreed to endow with a celestiall inheritance. For its not to bee denied, but that among the people of Israel, there were many, that had no part in this eternall election and choice of God. Many of them had no part in it, and therefore this election and choice is not here to be vnderstood.

But there is another election and choice of God, an election and choice more generall; an election, a choice, whereby God preferreth some one Nation aboue others, graciously to ma­nifest himselfe, and to reueale his sauing word vnto them. And thus may God be said only to haue elected and chosen the people of Israel. You only haue I chosen of all the families of the earth.

That the people of Israel were alone thus elected and cho­sen of God, Moses confesseth, Deut. 4.7, 8. What nation, saith he, is there so great, who hath God so nigh vnto them, as the Lord our God is in all things, that wee call vpon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and iudge­ments so righteous, as all this Law is, which is set before vs this day? It is as if he had thus said: Let vs bee compared with the rest of the Nations of the world, and we shall finde that God is good and gracious vnto vs aboue them all. As soone as we pray vnto our God, and resort vnto him, we feele him neere vs by and by. It is not so with other Nations. Againe, we haue his Lawes and Statutes, and righteous Ordinances: other Nations haue not so.

This doth the same Moses more plainly deliuer, in sundry places of the same booke of Deuteronomy, Chap. 7.6. Chap. 10.15. Chap. 14.2. Chap. 26.18. In all which places his purpose [Page 23] is to fasten it in the memories of the people of Israel, that they were an holy people vnto the Lord their God: that the Lord their God had chosen them to be a peculiar people vnto him­selfe aboue all people that were vpon the face of the earth. In the three first places is expresly said, that the Lord did chuse Israel to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe aboue all the Nations that are vpon the earth: in the fourth, that the Lord auouched them to be his peculiar people. He chose them, he auouched them to be his peculiar people; and all for his promise sake.

The promise is, Exod. 19.5. Ye shall be a peculiar or chiefe treasure vnto me aboue all people, though all the earth be mine. A peculiar, or a chiefe treasure! The Hebrew word is [...] Segullah, which signifieth ones owne proper good, which he loueth and keepeth in store for himselfe, and for speciall vse.

You shall bee [...] Segullah, a peculiar, a chiefe treasure vnto me aboue all people. The meaning of this promise is, that, although the whole earth be the Lords by the right of creation, yet this people, the people of Israel, should aboue all other haue a speciall interest in him. Or the meaning is, that the Lord would commit vnto this people, his people Israel, as a chiefe and principall treasure, his Lawes and Sta­tutes, which he would not doe to any other people in the world besides. So much is acknowledged, Psal. 147.19, 20. He sheweth his word vnto Iacob, his statutes and ordinances vnto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any Nation. Certainly here­by the Lord sheweth how deare and how precious the people of Israel were in his eyes; and what prerogatiues they [...] haue aboue other people.

A chiefe prerogatiue of theirs, is, that the Oracles of God were committed vnto them. Saint Paul affirmes it, Rom. 3.1, 2. What all [...] together hath the [...] what profit [...] of circumcision? Much euery way: chiefly, because [...] them were committed the Oracles of God.

Many other, and very excellent prerogatiues had they. They are helped vp together, Rom. 9.4. They were Israe­lites; to them perish [...], and [...] and this couenants, and the giuing of the Law, and the seruice of God, [Page 24] and the promises: Theirs were the Fathers, and of them as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is ouer all, God blessed for euer.

So many preeminences, are so many euidences and demon­strations, that of all the nations of the Earth, the Israelites were knowne of God, were chosen by him, and were his possession. They were knowne of him by the knowledge of his approbation: they were chosen by him, and were separated from among all the people of the earth to be his inheritance. So Salomon con­fesseth, 1 King. 8.53. and the Lord himselfe here in my Text auoucheth: You onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth.

Your will now confesse with me, that these words are, as in the beginning I said they were, a Commemoration of Gods benefits vpon Israel. Euery prerogatiue of theirs was a bene­fit, a blessing of God vpon them. It was Gods blessing vp­on them, that to them were committed the Oracles of God. It was Gods blessing vpon them that they were Israelites, that to them pertained the adoption, and the glory, and the Coue­nants, and the giuing of the Law, and the seruice of God, and the promises. It was Gods blessing vpon them, that theirs were the Fathers, and that of them, concerning the flesh, Christ came.

These great benefits, these blessings of God vpon the Isra­elites, Albertus Magnus in his Enarration vpon the words of my Text, reduceth to the number of fiue. Thus: You onely haue I knowne of all the families of the Earth, per bene­placitum. Onely you of all the families of the Earth haue I knowne by my good pleasure: Quia me vobis reuelani, legem vobis posui, promissiones adhibui, praemiis remuneraui, prophe­tiis illuminani. I haue reuealed my selfe vnto you, I haue gi­uen you the Law, I haue made to you the promises, I haue recompenced you with rewards, I haue illuminated you with Prophesies. Then addes he that of the Psalme, Non taliter fecit omni nationi: Hee hath not dealt so with euery Na­tion. With euery Nation! Nay hee hath not so with any Nation.

Vpon this first part of my Text; this Commemoration of Gods benefits bestowed vpon Israel, I grounded my first ob­seruation. It is this: ‘It is an excellent priuilege to bee knowne of God by the knowledge of his approbation; to be chosen of him to be his peo­ple, to be in his loue and fauour; to be vnder his care and pro­uidence.’

The excellency of this priuilege appeareth in this, that the Lord here calls Israel to the remembrance of it, saying, You onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth. This excel­lent priuilege, the true seruice of the liuing God thorow the free vse of his holy Word and Sacraments wheresoeuer it is found among any people, is a sure pledge that the Lord knoweth that people with the knowledge of his approbation, that he hath chosen them to be his peculiar people, that they are in his loue and fauour, and that he careth and prouideth for them.

How much then (Beloued) how much are we indebted to the Maiesty and bounty of Almighty God, who hath graced vs with so excellent a blessing as is the Ministery of his holy Word? His holy Word! It is a Iewell, than which nothing is more precious; to which any thing compared is but drosse; by which whatsoeuer is tried, will bee found lighter than vanity.

The true estimate of this Iewell may be had out of the 19. Psalme. At the 7. vers. it is Perfect, nothing may be added to it, without marring of it: it conuerteth the soule, and turneth it from euill to good. It is sure; you may build vpon the truth of it, as well for the promises of mercy, as for the threat­nings of iudgement. It giueth wisdome, the wisdome of the spirit, euen vnto the simple, to the humble and lowly of minde. At the eighth verse, It is right, without any iniustice or cor­ruption. It reioyceth the heart, with true and sound ioy. It is pure, pure in all points, and giueth light to the eyes, the eyes of the minde, that we may securely trace the way to Heauen. At the ninth verse, It is cleane, without spot or shew of euill, and endureth for euer without alteration or change. It is truth without falshood, and is righteous all together, there is no er­ror in it.

Is your desire for profit, or for pleasure? This Iewell yeelds you both. At the tenth verse; for profit, it is compared to Gold, for pleasure to Honey. For profit it is more to bee desired than gold, yea than much fine gold: for pleasure, it is sweeter than honey or the hony combe.

Moreouer, at the tenth verse. It will make you circumspect; it will shew you the danger of sinne, and will teach you how to auoid it, and may encourage you to obedience, for as much as in the keeping of it, there is great reward. Great reward; yet through Gods mercy, and not of your merit.

Now dearely beloued, is the holy Word of God a Iewell so precious? of such an estimate? Then giue eare to the ex­hortation of wisdome; Prou. 23.23. Buy it, and sell it not. Buy it, what ere it cost you, seeke by all meanes to obtaine it; and when you haue gotten it, sell it not at any hand: depart not from it for any price, for any cause. But let it (according to the exhortation, that Saint Paul made to the Colossians, Chap. 3.16. Let it dwell in you plenteously in all wisdome. It is, as one wittily speaketh, Gods best friend, and the Kings best friend, and the Courts best friend, and the Cities best friend, and the Countries best friend, and euery mans best friend. Giue it therefore entertainment, not as to a forreiner or stran­ger, but as to your familiar, as to your best friend, let it dwell in you. And sith it comes not empty, but brings with it, as well pleasure, as profit, as you haue already heard, Let it dwell in you plenteously. Plenteously; Yet in all wisdome. Let vs heare it in all wisdome, reade it in all wisdome, meditate vpon it in all wisdome, speake of it in all wisdome, and preach it in all wis­dome; not only in wisdome, but in all wisdome, that the words of our mouthes, and the meditations of our hearts may euer be acceptable in the sight of the Lord our strength and our Re­deemer.

Thus farre of my first obseruation, grounded vpon the Commemoration of Gods blessings vpon Israel; You onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth.

You only! My second obseruation is: that, this great bles­sing of the true seruice of God, and the free vse of his holy Word, [Page 27] was in the daies before Christ appropriate to the people of the Iewes.

This appeareth by some of those places before alleaged, Deut. 4.7, 8 and Psal. 147.19, 20. for the further illustra­tion of the point, that of the 76. Psalme, vers. 1, 2. may well serue: In Iudah is God knowne, his name is great in Israel, in Salem is his tabernacle, and his dwelling in Sion. In which words, the Psalmist giueth vnto the land of Iudah and Israel this prerogatiue aboue the rest of the Nations of the whole earth, that there God was knowne, and his name was great, but especially in Salem, that is, in Hierusalem, and in Mount Sion, the place which he desired for his habitation.Psal. 132.13. There was God knowne; his name was great there. Elsewhere it was not so. It was not so among the Nations. For (as Barnabas and Paul told the men of Lystra, Acts 14.16.) in times past God suf­fered all Nations to walke in their owne waies. The way of God they then knew not.

The then state of the Nations Saint Paul, Ephes. 2.12. ele­gantly decyphereth in fiue circumstances. Hee bids them re­member what they were in time past: as that first, they were without Christ; secondly, they were aliens from the common wealth of Israel; thirdly, they were strangers from the coue­nants of promise; fourthly, they were without hope; fiftly, they were without God in the world. Enough is said for the confir­mation of my second obseruation, which was, that in time of old, in time past, in the daies before Christ his comming in the flesh, the true seruice of God, and the exercise of his holy word was appropriate to the people of the Iewes, to the children of Israel.

Now the reasons of this appropriation, are two. One is, Gods vndeserued and speciall loue; the other is, the truth of his promise. Both are expressed, Deut. 7. At the seuenth verse the false cause is remoued; at the eighth the true is put. The Lord did not set his loue vpon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people: for ye were the fewest of all people. There the false cause is remoued. The true cause is put in the words following: But because the Lord loued [Page 28] you, and because he would keepe the oath, which hee swore vnto your fathers, therefore hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh King of Aegypt: and hath giuen you the rich treasure of his true seruice and holy Word. To you onely hath he beene so gracious, not for any dignity or worth of yours, but for his owne loues sake, and for his pro­mise sake.

One vse of this obseruation may be to shew, that heretofore Grace was not so vniuersall, as Papists now would haue it to be. The knowledge of the meanes of saluation was denied to the Nations.

A second vse may be, to admonish vs, that we hold it for a singular blessing, that the Lord hath reserued vs for these last daies, wherein the word of God of old time limited to the coasts of Iudaea and Palaestina, Ephes. 2.13. is now published vnto vs of the Gentiles. Now in Christ Iesus, wee who were sometimes farre off, are made nigh by the bloud of Christ. Now there­fore we are no more strangers and forreiners, Psal. 107.8. but fellow-heires with the Saints, and of the houshold of God. Of that we would therefore praise the Lord for this his goodnesse, and declare this wonder that he hath done for vs.

It is time, that from the Commemoration, wee descend to the Commination. The Commination is in these words: ‘Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.’

Therefore! Why? Because the Lord hath knowne Israel aboue all the families of the earth, will he therefore punish them for all their iniquities? Is not the sequell absurd, You onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth, therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities? Were it not better thus; You onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth, therefore I will spare you, I will pardon you, I will not punish you for all your iniquities.

Deut. 5.2.For remouing of this scruple, wee must haue recourse to that Couenant which the Lord made with Israel in Horeb. The forme of the Couenant is extant, Exod. 19.5. If you will obey my voice indeed, and keepe my Couenant, then yee shall bee [Page 29] a peculiar treasure vnto me aboue all people. This Couenant is more at large described in Deut. 7. and 28. The summe of it is: If thou wilt hearken diligently to the voice of the Lord thy God, to obserue and to doe all his Commandements which hee commandeth thee, then blessed shalt thou be; but if thou wilt not, accursed shalt thou be.

The Couenant you see is vpon a condition. If the condi­tion be broken on Israels part, God is no longer on his part tied to any performance. This sequell then may be good: I haue chosen you by Couenant aboue all the nations of the earth, that ye should keepe my Law; but you haue failed in the condi­tion; you haue not kept my Law. Therefore I will punish you; and will punish you for all your iniquities.

Therefore] because you hauing beene graciously receiued by me into fauour, doe runne headlong into all iniquity, I will punish you: therefore I will punish you. In the Hebrew it is Ʋisitabo super vos, or contra vos, I will visit vpon you, or against you. The Vulgar Latine hath Visitabo super vos, I will visit vpon you all your iniquities.

I will visit.] To visit, is sometimes in the holy Scripture taken in the euill part, for to visit in anger or dispeasure, whence by a Synecdoche of the Genus for the Species, it beto­keneth to punish. So is God said to visit, when with some sudden, and vnlooked for scourge or calamity, hee taketh vengeance vpon men for those sinnes, which for a long time he seemed to take no notice of.

In that part of Dauids Prayer, Psal. 59.5. O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake thou to visit the heathen, to visit is to visit in anger, it is to corroct, it is to punish. In the 89. Psal. vers. 32. to such as depart from the Law of the Lord, and from that rule of righteousnesse which it prescribeth them to walke in, the Lord threatneth, that hee will visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. And there to visit, must needs be to visit in anger, for as much as it brings a rod and stripes with it. It is to correct, it is to punish. In the thir­teetnh of Esay, vers. 11. the Lord saith, I will visit the world for their euill, and the wicked for their iniquity. And there [Page 28] [...] [Page 29] [...] [Page 30] also to visit, is to visit in anger: it is to correct, it is to punish.

Now as to visit signifieth in the now alleaged places, so doth it in my Text, I will visit you, I will visit you in mine anger: it is to correct, it is to punish.

Now as to visit signifieth in the now alleaged places, so doth it in my Text, I will visit you, I will visit you in mine anger, I will correct you, I will punish you. But for what? It followeth, ‘For all your iniquities.’

For all, either vniuersall, or indefinitely. For all vniuersally; so the glosse takes it, so Albertus the Bishop of Ratisbone; so Rupertus the Abbot of Tuitium. I will punish you for all, Vt sit nihil impunitum, that nothing be vnpunished. I will pu­nish you for all, Instante judicio, remotâ misericordiâ, summâ cum seueritate; with instant iudgement, without mercy, with greatest seuerity. I will punish you for all. For it is a iust thing euen with men, that he that makes a Law, should pu­nish according to the Law.

Or, All, may here be taken indefinitely, for some of all. It is Drusius his obseruation; Omnes dixit, pro omne genus, vel plerasque. All, he hath said for all sorts, or for the most part. I will punish you for all your iniquities; that is, for the sorts of your iniquities, or for the most part of them. For the Lord of his clemency and mercy remitteth vnto his some of their iniquities.

Of these two expositions for this place I preferre the for­mer. So shall this second branch of my Text beare with it this vnderstanding; Therefore I will visit vpon you all your iniquities. Therefore] because you, hauing beene respected by me, and receiued into my fauour aboue all the Nations of the earth, haue notwithstanding forsaken my Lawes, and corrupted my seruice, I will visit vpon you all your iniquities. I will punish you for all; for all, vniuersally; for all your ini­quities; not one of them shall escape vnpunished. I will punish you for all your iniquities. I] there is the Agent. Will punish] there is the Action. You] there is the Patient. For all your ini­quities] there is the Cause. I wil punish you for all your iniquities.

From the Agent and his Action, ariseth this obseruation; ‘Whatsoeuer punishment befalleth any one in this life, it is from the Lord.’

The Lord! He is [...], he is efficiens primarum, he is the primary and principall actor in all punishments. He is a sure reuenger of all impiety, as he is the maintainer of his holy Law.

This office of punishing, the Lord assumeth to himselfe, Esay 45.7. I am the Lord, and there is none else: I forme the light, and create darknesse: I make peace, and create euill: I the Lord doe all these things. I create euill. In this place, by Euill, we are not to vnderstand malum culpae, [...], not robbery, not couetousnesse, nor any like wicked­nesse; but malum poene, [...], as Saint Chrysostome speaketh, Homily 23. vpon Matthew, the stripes or wounds that we receiue from aboue. Gasper Sanchius doth here reckon vp, whatsoeuer disturbeth our tranquillity or quiet, whatsoeuer externall or domesticall vexation we haue, whatsoeuer taketh from vs the faculty and opportunity of those things that are necessary for our life; as warre, and exile, and depredation, and seruitude, and want, and the like. Of all these it may be truly affirmed, that the Lord cre­ateth them; the Lord doth them all.

Of such euils is that also to be vnderstood, which our Pro­phet Amos hath in the sixt verse of this Chapter: Shall there be euill in a City, and the Lord hath not done it? The interro­gation is vsed, the more to vrge the point. Shall there be euill in a City, and the Lord hath not done it? There shall be none. No euill of punishment, no calamity, no misery, no crosse, no affliction shall bee in any City, or in any other place of the world, but the Lord is the actor of it: he doth it.

Hereof was holy Iob well aduised. The checke hee giues his Wife shewes it. Shee seeing him all smitten ouer with sore biles from the sole of his foot vnto the crowne of his head, falls a tempting him: Doest thou yet retaine thine integrity? Curse God and die. Iobs reply vnto her is, Chap. 2.10. Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh: What? Shall wee [Page 32] receiue good at the hand of God, and shall we not receiue Euill? Shall we not receiue Euill? By Euill hee meaneth the Euill not of sinne, but of punishment: as calamities, miseries, crosses, afflictions, and the like: which he calleth euill, not because they are so indeed, but because many thinke them so to bee. For things may be tearmed Euill in a two-fold vnderstand­ing. Some are indeed Euill; such are our sinnes, and of them God is not the cause. Some are not indeed Euill, but onely in regard of vs, in regard of our sense, of our feeling, of our apprehension, of our estimation. Such are the punishments, the calamities, the miseries, the afflictions, whereto we are in this life subiect: and of these God is the cause. This is it which Iob acknowledgeth in the reproofe of his wiues folly; Shall we receiue good at the hand of God, and shall wee not receiue Euill? and it fitly serueth for the establishment of my doctrine.

The reason hereof is: because the Lord is the principall doer of all things. He is the primary agent, the chiefest actor in all things, and therefore in all the punishments which doe befall vs in this life.

The vses of this obseruation are two:

One is to reproue some Philosophers of old, and some igno­rant people now adaies, for a vaine opinion of theirs, where­by they attribute to accident, chance, and fortune, all those their afflictions, from the least to the greatest, whereof they fee not any apparant cause.

The other is, to admonish vs, that when any affliction is vpon vs, we take it patiently as coming from the Lord; and repine not at the instruments, by whom we are afflicted. They without him could doe nothing against vs. Whatsoeuer they doe, they doe it by his permission. The hand of his par­ticular prouidence is with them to appoint the beginning, and end, and measure, and continuance of all our afflictions. Wherefore in all our afflictions let our practise be, as holy Dauids was, Psal. 39.9. euen to hold our peace, and say no­thing, because the Lord hath done it.

From the Agent and his Action, I passe to the Patient: You. I will punish You. Y [...]u, mine owne possession; You, my peculiar treasure; You, my chosen people aboue all the Nations of the earth, I will punish you. My obseruation from hence is: ‘The Lord doth punish his seruants in this life aboue others.’

This truth I further proue out of Saint Peter, Epist. 1. Chap. 4. Vers. 17. He there saith, The time is come, that iudge­ment must beginne at the house of God. At the house of God it must beginne. His seruants therefore must haue the first taste of it: and the time is come for them to haue it. Is the time now come? Was it not before? Yes; it was euer. Na­dab and Abihu, two of Aarons sonnes, they offer strange fire before the Lord: and a fire comes out from the Lord, and deuoures. This is it, that the Lord spake saying, In propin­quis meis sanctificabor, Leuit. 10.3. I will be sanctified in them, that come nigh me. If they that come nigh vnto me trans­gresse my lawes I will not spare them; they, euen they shall feele the heauinesse of my hand.

So saith the Lord, Ierem. 25.29. Loe, I beginne to bring euill on the City, in which my name is called vpon. And there you see: It is not the seruice of God, not the calling vpon his holy Name, that can exempt a place from punishment if it be polluted with iniquity.

Beginne at my Sanctuary. It is the Lords direction for the punishment of Ierusalem, Ezech. 9.6. Goe thorow the City, and smite, Let not your eye spare, neither haue yee pity: Slay v [...]terly old and young: yea, maids and little children, and wo­men. But come not neere any man vpon whom is the marke; the rest slay vtterly old and young, Spare not, Pity not, and beginne at my Sanctuary.

Now lay we all this together: Beginne with them, that are nigh vnto me: beginne at my City, at my house, at my Sanctuary, spare none; pity none, smite all. You see my ob­seruation made good: ‘The Lord doth punish his seruants in this life aboue others.’

I say in this life.

One reason hereof may bee; because the Lord, out of [Page 34] his loue to his seruants, will not suffer them to goe on in sinne.

A second may be; eternall punishments are prepared for the wicked hereafter, and therefore here in this life are they the lesse punished.

And the vses may be two:

One, to lessen vs, that in the multitude and the greatnesse of our afflictions, we acknowledge Gods great mercy, and endeuour to beare them all with patience and contentment. Whensoeuer Gods hand shall be vpon vs, in iudgement for our sinnes; let that of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 11.32. be our com­fort, When we are iudged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

A second vse may be, to shew vnto vs, how fearefull their case is, who passe all their time here in this world without any touch of affliction. Affliction! it is the badge of euery sonne of God. Whosoeuer hath no part herein, he is a ba­stard, he is no sonne. So saith the Apostle, Heb. 12.8.

I haue done with the Patient; with the parties punished. Now a word or two of the cause of their punishment, which is the last circumstance, in these words; For all your iniquites. I will punish you for all your iniquities; for all your sins; for all, not onely originall, but also actuall: and for all actuall, not onely of commission, but also of omission; not onely of know­ledge, but also of ignorance; not onely of presumption, but also of infirmity: I will punish you for all your sinnes. For all. The obseruation is: ‘The Lord will not suffer any sinne to escape vnpunished.’

Sinne! It is causa [...], it is the impulsiue cause of punishment. It plucks downe vengeance from the Maiestie of Heauen. Its true of euery sinne, euen of the least sinne: Cog­natum, immò innatum omni scoleri, scelaris supplicium. The wages of sinne is death. As the worke is ready, so the pay is present. Nec aufertur, nec differtur. If impiety, no impunity. Its impossible, any sinne should be without punishment. Im­possible. The reasons are two:

One is taken from the iustice of God. It is a part of Gods [Page 35] iustice to punish sinne, and therefore he cannot but punish it.

The other is taken from the truth of God. God who is euer true, hath threatned to punish sinne, and therefore he will not leaue any sinne vnpunished.

The consideration of this point, Beloued, should be vnto vs a barre to keepe vs in, that we be not too secure, too pre­sumptuous of our owne estate. We cannot bee ignorant, for we haue learned it out of Gods Word, that wee haue whole armies of enemies to encounter withall, not only out of vs, in the world abroad, but also within vs lurking within our owne flesh, euen our sinnes. These sinnes of ours are our cru­elest enemies. They are euer burring vs on to punishment. Wherefore let vs be at vtter defiance with them; and vse wee all holy meanes to get the victory ouer them, by the daily ex­ercises of prayer and repentance, and by a continuall practise of new obedience to Gods most holy Will, according to that measure of grace which wee haue receiued. So shall our sinnes, all our sinnes, lye drowned in the most pre­cious bloud of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ, as in a bottomlesse Sea, from which they shall neuer be able to rise vp against vs for our hurt.

OF the three parts, which heretofore I haue ob­serued in this third Chapter and second Ser­mon of Amos concerning the kingdome of the ten Tribes, this is the third, and is conti­nued from this third verse to the end of this Chapter. I termed it an Enarration, a Decla­ration, an Exposition, an Expolition. Call you it as you will. Here shall you finde the Proposition, whereof you heard in my last Lecture, powerfully and elegantly made good. The sub­stance of the Proposition was; God hauing beene good and gra­cious [Page 37] to a people, if he be repaid with vnthankfulnesse, will assu­redly visit that people, and punish them for all their iniquities.

For the polishing and adorning hereof we haue here diuers similitudes, by diuers Interpreters, diuersly expounded. I finde among them fiue different expositions.

Some will haue all these similitudes, all six, to be brought to proue one and the same thing; namely: That no euill can be­fall any citie, except the Lord command it. Of this exposition Saint Hierome makes mention. It is the exposition of Theo­doret, and Remigius: and may runne thus. As it cannot be, that two should walke together, except they be agreed; or that a Lion should roare in the forrest, when he hath no prey; or, that a Lions whelpe should cry out of his den, if he haue gotten no­thing; or, that a bird should fall in a snare vpon the earth, where no gin is for him; or, that a Fowler should take vp his snare from the ground, before he haue taken somewhat; or, that the Trumpet should sound an Alarum in the City, and the people not feare: so it cannot be, that there should be any euill, any euill of punishment, any plague in a Citie, except the Lord command it so to be.

Some there are that expound these similitudes, of Gods agreement with his Prophets for the denouncing of some euill that is eminent and neare at hand. Lyra, Hugo, and Dionysius, doe so expound them. Their exposition runnes thus: As it cannot be, that two should walke together for the dispatch of a businesse, except they be first agreed; or, that a Lion should roare in the forrest when he hath no prey, and so forth of the rest; So it cannot be, that Gods Prophets should forewarne vs of any iudgement that shall befall vs, except they be first agreed with God, and God speake in them. This exposition Christo­phorus à Castro takes for good, because it is said vers. 7. of this Chapter, Surely, the Lord God will doe nothing, but he reuealeth his secret vnto his seruants the Prophets. By his seruants, the Prophets, the Lord roareth as a Lion, he layeth his snares as a Fowler, he soundeth an alarum as with a trumpet, and pro­claimeth euill to a Citie.

Others there are, that referre these similitudes to the disa­greement [Page 38] that is betweene God and Israel. Albertus, Ruper­tus; and Isidore, doe so referre them. Their exposition may runne thus: as it cannot be, that two should walke together, ex­cept they be agreed; so it cannot be, that God should walke with Israel. The time indeed was, when God walked with his peo­ple Israel, and Israel with God. It was then, when they of Is­rael were desirous to please God, to doe his holy will, and to depend vpon him. But afterward, when they forsooke God, and betooke themselues to the seruice of strange gods, Idoll-gods, Deuils, it could not be, that God should walke any lon­ger with them, or they with God. No maruell then, if vpon this disagreement, the Lord by his Prophets doe roare at Is­rael, as a Lion roareth at his prey: nor maruell, if he lay a snare for them, as a Fowler doth for birds: no maruell, if he sound an alarum as with a Trumpet, and proclaime against them.

There is yet a fourth exposition; the exposition of Arias Montanus. He vnderstands these similitudes of the disagree­ment, that was betweene the two peoples, of Israel and Iudah. Notorious was the reuolt of Israel from Iudah: notorious the rent of the ten Tribes from the other two. By this reuolt, or rent, of one kingdome were made two: the kingdome of Is­rael, and the kingdome of Iudah. Here was much a doe, much contention, which kingdome should be the chiefe, which should haue the preeminence. Notwithstanding this their va­riance, yet was there a concord betweene them: a concord, to forsake the Law of the Lord and his holy worship: a concord to tread the pathes of superstition, and to embrace the seruice of Idols. Herein they were agreed. Agreed among them­selues, but not with God. The more they were agreed among themselues, the further off they were from any agreement with God. Now this exposition is: As it cannot be, that two should walke together, except they be agreed: so it cannot be that God should walke either with Israel or Iudah: As well Iudah, as Israel, being at oddes with God, as hauing left his holy Law, and polluted themselues with superstition, must taste of the se­uerity of Gods displeasure. God will be vnto them as a Lion that roareth at his prey; and as a snare that is spred by the [Page 39] Fowler; he will cause an alarum to be heard among them, and will summon them to battell, whereby their ruine shall be wrought: ruine vpon Israel through Salmanasser, and ruine vpon Iudah through Nabuchodonosor.

I cannot passe by a fifth exposition. I haue it from Saint Hieroms relation; from his reading Legi in cuiusdam commen­tario, rem difficilem persuadere cupientis, I haue read, saith he, in a Commentary of one, that is willing to perswade a hard mat­ter; that here are eight comminations, answering to eight pre­cedent impieties. Those eight impieties are these: the first of Damascus; the second of Gaza, and other Cities of Palaesti­na; the third of Tyre; the fourth of Idumaea or Edom; the fift of the children of Ammon; the sixt of Moab; the seuenth of Iudah, or of the two Tribes; the eight of Israel, or, of the ten Tribes. Fiue of them are discouered in the first Chapter, the other three in the second. To these eight impieties, eight com­minations are here rendred; to the first, the first; to the se­cond, the second; to the rest, the rest in their order. Quod vtrum rerum sit, nouerit ipse, qui scripsit: But whether this be so, or not, let him that wrote it, looke to it. So doth Saint Hierome put by this fifth exposition: neither doe I see any reason to ad­mit it.

The foure former are more pertinent to this place, and of them the two first are most of all, as Castrus supposeth. But which is indeed the most pertinent, it will appeare by the par­ticular consideration of each similitude in its order. I begin with the first. The first similitude is taken from way-faring men, from trauellers: vers. 3.

Can two walke together, except they be agreed? [...]. So Saint Cyrill begins his exposition of this verse. We haue here a profound riddle, and an obscure saying; [...], yet will wee speake of it, wee will expound it, as we may.

Can two walke together, except they be agreed?] The trans­lation of the Septuagint is, [...], Will two walke wholly to the same purpose, [...], vnlesse they know one the other? The Vulgar Latine hath Nun­quid [Page 40] ambulabunt duo pariter, Will two walke together, nisi conuenerit eis, vnlesse they be agreed? Tremelius and Iunius, and Piscator; their translation is; An ambulaturi essent duo vnà, Would two walke together, nisi conuenirent, vnlesse they could agree? Drusius he reades: An ibunt duo simul, Will two goe together, nisi conuenerint, vnlesse they meet in some cer­taine place? Tauerner, an ancient English Translator, he hath, May twaine walke together, except they be agreed among them­selues. Will two, Would two, May twaine, Can two walke or goe together, vnlesse they know one the other, vnlesse they be agreed, vnlesse they could agree, vnlesse they meet together, ex­cept they be agreed among themselues? Some difference you see there is in the translations, but the vnderstanding of the place is not thereby much varied. I follow our newest and best approued English.

Can two walke together, except they be agreed?] Can they? The answer must be negatiue; No. They cannot. Can they not? How so? Carthusian sayes they may. For a man may be compelled to walke with another. And its plaine by that, which our Sauiour in his Sermon, in the Mount, sayes to his Auditors, Mat. 5.41. Whosoeuer shall compell thee to goe a mile, goe with him twaine. Now where compulsion is, there is no agreement: and therefore may two walke together, though they be not agreed. May they so? To what end then serues this Interrogation; Can two walke together, except they be agreed?

I answer with Carthusian, that our Prophet here speaketh, secundum communem cursum, according to the common course: and communiter verum esse, that it is commonly true, that two cannot walke together, except they be agreed. Commonly it is true, yet not euer so. Drusius hath a Solent, to expresse the meaning with: Can two walke together, except they be agreed? Mirime solent, they vse not so to doe. Mercerus hath likewise his Solet, Can two walke together, except they be agreed? Ferè fieri non solet: it is not vsuall they should doe so: For the most part they doe it not. This is it, that Paulus de Palatio hath: Solent, qui volunt iter simul facere, priùs secum de eo itinere co [...] ­uenire; [Page 41] they who vndertake any iourney together, doe vse first to agree vpon it. Should they not first agree, how could they come together, how walke together? Commonly and for the most part they could not.

You see now what answer is to be made to the interrogati­on here; Can two walke together, except they be agreed? The answer is, They cannot, Commonly they cannot, for the most part they cannot; vsually they cannot. They cannot walke together, except they be agreed.

It is a knowne rule: Interrogatio quando (que) vim habet nogan­di: An Interrogation hath sometimes the force of a Negation. So hath it, Gen. 18.14. Is any thing too hard for the Lord? The answer must be, No; there is nothing too hard for him. The Angell Gabriel well renders it, Luke 1.37. With God nothing shall be vnpossible.

In the seuenth Chapter of Saint Matthew, vers. 9, 10. you haue a two-fold Interrogation: What man is there of you, whom if his sonne aske bread, will he giue him a stone? or if he aske a fish, will he giue him a serpent? The answer must be, No. You will not giue any sonne of yours, a stone in stead of bread, or a serpent in stead of fish. You will not. You know how to giue good gifts vnto your children.

In the same Chapter, vers. 16. the Interrogation is, Doe men gather grapes of thornes, or figges of thistles? The answer must be, No. They doe not. It is against the course of na­ture, that either thornes should bring forth grapes, or thistles figges.

Such is the Interrogation here: It hath the force of a Nega­tion. Can two walke together, except they be agreed? The an­swer must be, No. They cannot. Two cannot walke toge­ther, except they be agreed.

Hitherto you haue had the [...], the proposition of this first similitude; now followeth the [...], the reddition of it. Hitherto hath beene rei extraria consideratio, now followeth rei praesentis accommodatio: hitherto the explication of the for­mer part; now, the application of the latter. Thus,

As it cannot be, that two should walke together, except they [Page 42] be agreed: so it cannot be, that the Prophets of the Lord should forewarne vs of any iudgement, that shall befall vs, ex­cept they be first agreed with God, and God speake in them. This is the second of those fiue expositions, whereof you heard in the beginning of this exercise. It was the exposition of Ly­ra, Hugo, and Dionysius: and is embraced by later Expositors; by Paulas de Palatio, Marthurinus Quadratus, and Christo­phorus à Castro, by Brentius, and Winckleman, by Caluin and Mercer. The obseruation is: ‘The Prophets of the Lord cannot forewarne vs of any iudge­ment that shall befall vs, except they be first agreed with God, and God speake in them.’

This truth Saint Peter expresly deliuereth, Ep. 2. Chap. 1. vers. 20, 21. No prophecie of the Scripture is of any priuate interpretation: for the prophecie came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake, as they were moued by the holy Ghost. The Prophets of the Lord spake not of their owne heads; God spake in them.

Prophets! They are criers: and criers speake nothing, but what is put into their mouthes. Esay is a cryer. He makes a noise after the manner of a cryer, Esay 55.1. Hoe, euery one that thirsteth, come yee to the waters. The Lord bids him cry, Esay 40.6. and he saith, What shall I cry? Then are the words put into his mouth: All flesh is grasse, and all the goodlinesse thereof is as the flower of the field. Iohn Baptist is a cryer. So he stiles himselfe, Ioh. 1.23. I am the voice of a cryer in the wil­dernesse. And how crieth he? Euen as the words are put into his mouth: Prepare yee the way of the Lord, make his pathes strait.

Prophets! They are Trumpeters. Their voice is like a Trum­pet. Esay 58.1. Crie aloud, spare not, Lift vp thy voice like a trumpet, shew my people their transgression, and the house of Ia­cob their sinnes. They must set the trumpet to their mouthes. Hos. 8.1. They must blow the trumpet, Ioel 2.1. But they must blow it with the breath of the Lord: Otherwise it giueth but an vncertaine sound, and a false alarum.

Prophets! They are Watch-men. Their office is, to heare [Page 43] the Word at the Lords mouth, and then to warne the people. The charge is giuen them, Ezech. 3.17. Sonne of man, I haue made thee a watch-man vnto the house of Israel: therefore heare the Word at my mouth, and giue them warning from me. This their charge is reiterated, Ezeck. 33.7. O sonne of man, I haue set thee a watch-man vnto the house of Israel: therefore thou shalt heare the Word at my mouth, and warne them from me. You see; they are not to speake a word, but they haue it from the Lord, and accordingly must they warne the people.

Ieremie, a Prophet. He eats the words of the Lord, Chap. 15.16. and is thereby fitted to his function.

Ezechiel, a Prophet. A hand is sent vnto him, and loe, a roule of a booke therein. The roule is spread before him, and is written within and without. Within is written, Lamentations, and mournings, and woe. This roule he is commanded to eat. He eats it. So he goes and speakes vnto the house of Israel, Ezech. 3.3.

Saint Iohn the Diuine a Prophet too. He sees an Angell with a little booke in his hand, and begs the booke. The Angell giues it him, and bids him eat it. He takes it and eats it. Then is he fit to prophesie before many peoples, and nations, and Kings, and tongues, Reuel. 10 11.

The Prophets professe of themselues, that they speake no­thing besides the pure word of God. Ioshua, he saith to the children of Israel: Come hither and heare the Word of the Lord your God, Chap. 3.9. The words which I shall deliuer vnto you concerning what shall come to passe hereafter, they are not my words; they are the words of the Lord your God. Esay calls vpon Heauen and Earth to heare, Chap. 1.2. Heare O Heauens, and giue eare, O Earth, for the Lord hath spoken. The words, which I now speake vnto you, they are not my words, they are the words of the Lord. Amos our Prophet: he like­wise calleth vpon the children of Israel in the beginning of this Chapter. Heare this word that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of Israel. Heare it. It is not my word, it is the word of the Lord; the Lord hath spoken it.

What more familiar in the writings of the Prophets, than [Page 44] these formes of speech, Thus saith the Lord, Saith the Lord, the burthen of the Word of the Lord; the Word of the Lord came vnto me? They all make for the authority of the Pro­phets of old, and their prophesies.

From hence, as also from that they are Eaters of the Word of God, and are Watchmen, and are Trumpeters, and are Cry­ers, its euident, their prophesies were not of their owne wils: they spake not of their owne heads; God spake in them.

Thus the truth of my Doctrine stands inuiolable: ‘The Prophets of the Lord cannot forewarne vs of any iudge­ment that shall befall vs, except they be first agreed with God, and God speake in them.’

Here first is a lesson for vs, who succeed the Prophets in the Ministery of the Church. We may not deliuer any thing vnto you, but what wee haue gathered out of the Word of God. Euery Minister of the New Testament, should bee as Moses was of the Old. Moses his charge was not to conceale any thing, but to speake all, Exod. 7.2. Thou shalt speake all that I command thee. It is our part to doe the like. It is our part to speake in the Name of God, and in his Name alone, to feed the flocke of Christ with his pure word, and with his word alone: and to doe it as learnedly, as faithfully, as sincerely, as constantly as we may; leauing the successe of all to him that hath sent vs, and disposeth of all mens hearts at his pleasure. So running our race; we shall one day be at rest in eternall com­fort, fully deliuered from this vile world, from wicked men, from euill natures: from such, who are euer ready to take our best endeuours in the worst sense, and to requite our honest affections with their foule disgraces.

Here secondly is a lesson for you. For you, Beloued: for all such as are the Auditors and hearers of the Word of God. This duty of hearing is to be put in practice; not dully, but with diligence; not heauily, but with chearefulnesse, as to the Lord. There is a generation of hearers, that would seeme desirous to beare the Word preached, but they would haue it of free cost: they like not the charges it bringeth with it. O let not any such repiner, any such grudger be found in [Page 45] the assembly of the Saints. Such, if they conferre any thing to the maintenance of the Ministery, they doe it not for con­science sake, but of necessity; not for any loue they beare vnto the Word preached, but by compulsion of Law: not as a free will offering to God for the recompence of his King­dome among them, but as a taxation, which they cannot resist. To such the preaching of the Word is not a benefit, but a burthen. So farre are they from taking any delight therein, as that by their good wills they would wholly shake and shift it off. Carnally minded men, carelesse and prodigall of the saluation of their owne soules. The horse-keeper that dres­seth their horses, the shepheard that watcheth their sheepe, the heardman that looketh to their swine, the Cobler that clou­teth their shooes, shall willingly be considered for their paines: but the Minister or Pastor that breaketh vnto them the bread of life, shall haue no supply from them to the releefe of his ne­cessities. No supply! Nay, well were he if he could hold his owne, euen that portion of maintenance, which is allotted to him by the Word of God.

But I hope there cannot be found in this assembly, any one so sacrilegiously affected. I haue good reason to be perswaded much better of you all. Yet you, as well affected as you are in this behalfe, are to be admonished, that to these exercises of our religion ye come willingly and ioyfully. Willingly for you owne duties sake, and ioyfully, because from hence you may carry home with you a Iewell of an inualuable price, euen the precious Word of God: wherein quicquid docetur, veri­tas; quicquid praecipitur, bonitas; quicquid promittitur, felici­tas est, as Hugo lib. 3. de Anima speaketh: Whatsoeuer is taught, its truth; whatsoeuer is commanded, its goodnesse; whatsoeuer is promised, its happinesse. Nam Deus veritas est, sine fallaciâ; bonitas, sine malitiâ; felicitas, sine miseriâ: for Gods is truth, without falshood; goodnesse, without malice; happinesse, without misery.

O come ye then hither, as willingly for your duties sake, so also ioyfully for your profits sake. Willingly, and ioyfully. It is somewhat, I grant, to come hither, to this house of God to [Page 46] diuine seruice; but to come willingly and ioyfully, it is a dou­ble vertue, and that which giueth life vnto your comming. If you come vnwillingly or grudgingly, if you be drawne hi­ther, either for shame of the world, or through feare of Law, you come as men more than halfe dead, without either ope­ration of the spirit, or desire of profit, or feeling of comfort, or increase of faith, or bettering of obedience.

Wherefore, dearely Beloued, let your care be, euer wil­lingly and ioyfully to present your selues in these Courts of the Lord, in his holy Temple. Be ye well assured, that as hee is accursed that doth the worke of the Lord negligently; so is hee also accursed that commeth into the house of the Lord either vnwillingly or grudgingly, as if he were discouraged with the tediousnesse either of the way, or of the word.

It is recorded of the people of God, Psal. 84. that they tra­uelling towards the place of Gods worship, passed through many dangers, endured much heat, suffered wants in the wil­dernesse, and all for the delight they tooke in his seruice. The delight that they tooke in the seruice of God, did swal­low vp all their wants, their trauell, their labour, and their paines. It made them say; A day in thy courts is better than a thousand. And, I had rather be a doore-keeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickednesse. A day in thy courts is better than a thousand.] A day] one day onely, and no more, in thy courts] in the courts of God, in his Temple, and the publike meetings and assemblies there, is better] is more sweet, more comfortable, more profitable, than a thou­sand] elsewhere, yea, though the place bee neuer so full of pleasure. And, I had rather be a doore-keeper in the house of my God] I had rather be of the meanest account in the Church, the place where my God, the onely true and euerliuing God is serued; than to dwell in the tents of wickednesse] than to make my abode in most stately and gorgeous Palaces, where­in wickednesse is practised and professed. O! how amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!

How excellent was this zeale of Gods people? how great their forwardnesse to doe him seruice? We would be accoun­ted [Page 47] Gods people, as well as they. But where is our zeale? Were ours as theirs was, certainly neither blasts of wind, nor feare of raine, nor heat of Summer, nor cold of Winter, nor a Lion in the way, nor any like trifle should stop vs from comming to the house of God, his Temple, the place where by his Ministers he speaketh to his people.

Thus farre by the occasion of my first obseruation, which was grounded vpon the second of those fiue expositions, whereof you heard in the beginning of this exercise. My obseruation was: ‘The Prophets of the Lord cannot forewarne vs of any iudge­ments that shall befall vs, except they be first agreed with God, and God speake in them. I proceed.’

A second application of this first similitude to the matter here intended by the Holy Ghost, may be thus: As it cannot be, that two should walke together, except they be agreed; So it cannot be that God should walke with Israel, for as much as there is a disagreement betweene them. The time indeed was, when God walked with Israel, and Israel with God. Then it was, when the people of Israel were desirous to please God, to doe his holy will, and to depend vpon him. But afterward, when rebelliously they forsooke God, and applied themselues to the seruice of false gods, it could not be, that God should any longer walke with them, or they with God. This is the third of those fiue expositions, whereof euen now you heard. It was the exposition of Albertus, Rupertus, and Isidere; and is embraced by later Expositors, by Pranciscus Ribera, by Petrus Lusitanus, by Occolampadius, Danaeus, Gualter, Tre­mellius, and Iunius, and Piscator. The obseruation is: ‘When man through his euill courses leaueth off to walke with God, or forsaketh him; then will God no longer walke with man, but will also forsake him.’

To walke with God is louingly to adhere vnto him, and to please him. So is the phrase vsed in the Prophesie of Micah, Chap. 6.8. What doth the Lord require of thee. O man, but to doe iustly, and to loue mercy, and to hu [...] thy selfe to walke with thy God. To walke with thy God, that is, Ionathan trans­lates [Page 48] it, to walke in the worship and feare of God. Petrus Lusi­tanus saith, it is to liue according to the Law and will of God. And this doubtlesse is to please God.

It is said of Enoch, Gen. 5.22, 24. that he walked with God. He walked with God, that is, hee pleased God. So doth the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes expound the place, chap. 11.5. Enoch before his translation, had this testimony, that hee pleased God. The testimony which he had was, that he wal­ked with God; and therefore to walke with God, is to please God. Syracides in the 44. of his Ecclesiasticus, vers. 16. saith to the same effect. Enoch pleased the Lord, and was translated, being an example of repentance to all generations. Enoch pleased the Lord, saith Ecclesiasticus; in Genesis it is, Enoch walked with God: and therefore to walke with God is to please God. On­kelos saith it is, to liue in the feare of God; surely he that so liueth pleaseth God.

It is said of Noah, Gen. 6.9. that he walked with God: No­ah was a iust man, perfect in his generations, and walked with God. He walked with God, Whats that? He liued a solitary life, and professed Monkery? No: He left the concourse of the world, and got him aside into some wildernesse? Nor so. He lead a single life, and therefore no maruell if hee pleased God? Nor this. What is it then, he walked with God? It is this: He serued God, as was fit he should, in his vocation; he liued piously, and without blame: hee composed himselfe, not to mans b [...]cke, to mans example, to mans applause, but wholly to the holy Will of God: in a word, he led a life ac­ceptable and pleasing vnto God; and so he walked with God.

That which God saith to Abram, Gen. 17.1. Walke before me, and be thou perfect, is all one, as if he had said, Walke with me, and be thou perfect. To walke with God, or to walke be­fore God, is all one. It is not Foris simulare pietatem, hypocri­tarum more; it is not to make outwardly a shew of piety, as Hypocrites vse to doe; but it is Syncere Deo fidere; it is to trust in God sincerely, to depend vpon him wholly, to serue him alone, and to obey him according to his will. Such are those seruants of the Lord, of whom Salomon speaketh, 2 Chron. [Page 49] 6.14. that walke before the Lord with all their hearts. Such are they that walke in the Law of God, Exod. 16.4. Such they, that walke after the Lord their God, Deut. 13.4. where they are further described to feare the Lord, to keepe his Comman­dements, to obey his voice, to serue him, and to cleane vnto him. In the language of Canaan you see it is all one, to walke in the Law of God, to walke before God, to walke after God, and to walke with God. The Metaphore is very elegant: and may serue thus farre to instruct vs; that, as when we walke, we stand not still, but are euer in motion, and doe goe forward: so in the way of piety, in the course of godlinesse, when wee walke either in the Law of God, or after God, or before God, or with God, we are not to stand still, but are euer to bee in motion, in a spirituall motion, and to goe forward: to goe for­ward, as Origen speaketh in his twelfth Homily vpon Genesis, De vita ad vitam, de actu ad actum, de bonis ad meliora, de vtilibus ad vtiliora, de sanctis ad sanctiora. Our going for­ward must be from life to life, from action to action, from good to better, from profitable to more profitable, from san­ctified actions to more sanctified: and all this must bee, Non passibus pedum, sed mentis profectibus, not with the steps of our feet, but with the profit of our vnderstanding. Our mo­tion in this our walke must be perpetuall. Hominis, quâ Chri­stianus est, proprium est, non quiescere: it is the propriety of a man, as he is a Christian, not to be at quiet, not to rest, not to stand still, not to be at a stay. For in Schola Christi non pro­gredi est regredi: in the Schoole of Christ, not to goe forward, is indeed to goe backward. Saint Bernard in his 341. Epistle thus expresseth it; In the Schoole of Christ, Non proficere, sine dubio deficere est: not to proceed and profit, without doubt it is to retire and to faint. And therefore let no man say, Satis est, sic volo manere, sufficit mihi esse, sicut heri & nudius tertius: It is enough for me; thus will I abide; its sufficient for me that I am as I was yesterday and the day before. Let no man say thus with himselfe. In viâ residet, qui huiusmodi est; he that is such a one sits him downe in the way. He goes not forward: he walkes not, as he should, either in the Law of God, [Page 50] or before God, or after God, or with God. Thus farre hath this Metaphor of walking led me. Yet may I now leaue it without giuing some rule of it. The rule is: Solet Scriptura verbo Ambulandi consensionem animorum explicare: it is the custome of the Scripture, by this word of walking to expresse the agree­ment and consent of minds.

It is the voice of wisdome to her sonne, Prouerb. 1.15. My sonne, if sinners shall say vnto thee, Come with vs, cast in thy lot among vs, let vs all haue one purse, Walke not thou in the way with them; refraine thy foot from their path. Walke thou not in the way with them, that is, ne acquiescas eis, ne illis assen­tiaris, yeeld not to them, agree not with them. This exposi­tion is good by that, vers. 10. My sonne, if sinners intise thee, consent thou not.

Syracides in his Ecclesiasticus, Chap. 7.38. according to the vulgar saith, Non desis plorantibus in consolatione, & cum lugentibus ambula. Faile not to be a comfort to them that weepe, and walke with them that mourne. Walke with them that mourne, that is, Idem sentito, quod illi, thinke as they thinke; Eo animo esto, ac si tua essent illa mala: be thou affected, as if their losses were thine.

The Psalmist, Psal. 1.1. pronounceth the man blessed, that walketh not in the counsell of the wicked. There is therefore a walking in the counsell of the wicked. But what is it so to walke? To walke in the counsell of the wicked, is to yeeld thine assent, to agree vnto, to ioyne thy selfe in naughty practises with the wicked. Blessed is the man that so walketh not.

Enough for the rule. The rule was: It is the custome of the Scripture by this word of Walking to expresse the agreement and consent of mindes. Its iustified by my Text: Can two walke together except they be agreed? and may conclude the truth of my obseruation: ‘When man through his euill courses leaueth off to walke with God, then will God no longer walke with him. When man forsaketh God, then will God also forsake him.’

Then, and not before. The ancient Fathers are frequent in auowing this truth. Saint Augustine in his booke, De bono [Page 51] Perseuerantiae, cap. 6. giues it for granted; Voluntate suâ quem­que deserere Deum, vt meritò deseratur à Deo; that a man of his owne will first forsakes God, that God may well forsake him. The same Father in his 88. Sermon De Tempore, ex­horts his then Auditors, faithfully and firmely to beleeue, that God neuer forsakes man, nisi prius deseratur ab homine, vnlesse he be first forsaken of man. In his Soliloquies, cap. 14. he brings in the soule in her priuate talke with God acknow­ledging as much: Quocunque iero, tu me Domine non deseris, nisi prior ego te deseram: O my Lord, goe I whither I will, thou wilt neuer forsake me, vnlesse I forsake thee first.

To this purpose writeth Saint Prosper in his answer to the obiections of the French, his sentence vpon the seuenth ob­iection: Although the omnipotency of God could haue giuen to them that would fall, strength to stand, Gratia tamen eius non prius eos deseruit, quàm ab eis desereretur; Yet did not God forsake them, before hee was forsaken of them.

Saint Bernard in his deuoutest Meditations, cap. 7. speakes home to this point. God! fidelis socius est, hee is a faithfull companion; nec deserit sperantes in se, nisi ipse prior deseratur, and forsakes not them that trust in him, vnlesse he be first for­saken of them.

Neither the time, nor your patience will suffer me to al­leage, whatHom. 4. in 1. cap ad Rom. Chrysostome, whatHom. 4. Qui deficiunt à Deo, ab eo deseruntur. Macarius, what others of the ancient haue in their bookes deliuered concerning the point in hand. Sufficient hath beene said already, not onely for the confirmation, but also for the illustration of my se­cond obseruation; which was, ‘When man, through his euill courses, leaueth off to walke with God, then will God no longer walke with him. When man forsaketh God, then will God also forsake him.’

But why is it thus? Why is it, that man first leaues off to walke with God, ere God leaues off to walke with man? Why is it, that man first forsakes God, ere God forsake him?

The reason hereof may bee taken from the promise of [Page 52] God. His promise is to Ioshuah, chap. 1.5. I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee. Not to Ioshuah alone is this promise made, but to all; to all the godly. The Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes so applies it, chap. 13.5. I will neuer leaue thee nor forsake thee. He brings it for a motiue against Coue­tousnesse; against the vnsatiable greedinesse after the Mam­mon of this world, which is to many their delight, their loue, their solace, and to some their God. Let your conuersation bee without Couetousnesse, and be content with such things as you haue. For hee hath said, God hath said it, I will neuer leaue it, I will neuer leaue thee nor forsake thee. God is euer as good as his word. Hee hath said it, I will neuer leaue thee nor forsake thee. Nor will he. Looke what care hee had of Ioshuah, the like he hath of all that trust in him. Hee will neuer leaue them, hee will not forsake them. If they leaue God, if they leaue off to walke with him, if they forsake him, so it is: the fault is their owne, God is no way to bee blamed.

Now lets make some vse of my second obseruation: I can but point at it.

If it be thus, Beloued. If God leaues not off to walke with vs, till we leaue off to walke with him; if he forsake not vs, till wee forsake him: O then let it be our care, neuer to leaue off to walke with him, neuer to forsake him. Our sinnes they are, that breake off our walke with God, and cause vs to forsake him. To what purpose make wee a shew of wal­king with him, of delighting in him, if in the meane time wee hold fast by those funes peccatorum ofProu. 5.22. Salomon, the cords of sinne, those vincula plaustri ofCap. 5.18. Esay, the Cart­ropes of sinne, and so driue God from vs? If by our sinnes, our drunkennesse, our luxury, our vncleannesse, our coue­tousnesse, our oppression, our vncharitablenesse, and other our sinnes no lesse odious, which indeed are the very diet and dainties of the Deuill, we feast the foule fiends of Hell, wee driue God from vs. He can no longer walke with vs, he can­not but forsake vs.

What shall wee then doe, Beloued? What? Certainly, Ne Deum moueamus, vt nos deserat, opus est vt inter nos & ipsum conueniat: that wee cause not God to forsake vs, there must bee betweene him and vs an agreement. Agree­ment there can bee none, if wee goe on still to prouoke him with our impieties. Wherefore that there may bee be­tweene vs an agreement, tread wee the way scored out vn­to vs by Saint Paul, Titus the second Chapter and the twelfth Verse, which is, that, denying vngodlinesse and worldly lusts, we liue for the time to come soberly, righteously, and godlily in this present world, looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Sauiour Iesus Christ. So doing, wee shall bee at agreement with God and walke with him.

But here, Beloued, Magna custodia tibi necessaria est, as Bernard speaketh in the sixth Chapter of his Medita­tions: Its necessary that thou keepe a diligent watch and ward ouer thy selfe, that thou neither doe, nor say, nor thinke any thing that is vnlawfull, and may offend. For thou liuest before the eyes of the Iudge that seeth all things. Cum illo tamen semper es securus, yet with him, with so all-seeing a Iudge, thou art secure and safe, if thou so behaue thy selfe, that hee may vouchsafe to bee with thee. What said I? So behaue thy selfe that hee may vouchsafe to bee with thee? Nay howeuer thou behaue thy selfe, hee will not faile to bee with thee. Si tecum non est per gratiam, ad­est per vindictam; if he be not with thee by his gracious fa­uour, he will assuredly be with thee in vengeance, to pay thee home for thy mis-doings. Sed vae tibi, si ita tecum est: but woe is thee, if he be so with thee.

What then remaineth for thee, for mee, for euery one of vs, but that we all endeuour so to spend the residue of the daies of our pilgrimage here in this life, in all righteous­nesse and true holinesse, that God, our good God, bee not at any time prouoked to bee with vs, per vindictam, by his vengeance, who is euer most willing to be with vs per [Page 54] gratiam, by his gracious fauour. So hauing finished our course here, in this mortality, wee shall bee aduanced to a state immortall in the Paradise of Heauen, where wee shall with all Saints sing perpetually Hallelujah, Saluation, and Honour, and Glory, and Power, vnto the Lord our God. To this state immortall, the immortall, inuisible, and onely wise God vouchsafe to bring vs all, for Iesus Christ his sake. Amen.

THat a people, chosen by God himselfe to be his peculiar, aboue all the Nations vpon the earth, honoured with many singular and super-eminent priuileges, aduanced to the custody of Gods holiest Oracles, should be so stif-necked, so vncircumcised of hearts and eares, so disobedient, so re­bellious, as to set at nought the threatnings of the Lord, to account them vaine, to esteeme of them as of sports, could it euer be imagined? Yet thus stood the case with the people of the ten Tribes, the children of Israel, with whom this our Prophet Amos was to deale.

Amos, to meet with such their grosse stupidity, and to re­forme their erronious conceits of those fearefull threatnings; which the Almighty by the mouth of his holy Prophets vseth to giue forth against sinners and wicked men, instructeth them by similitudes. The similitudes which here he bringeth, [Page 56] are in number six. They are all taken from vulgar experi­ence, and such as is incident to a Shepherds walke. Of the first, taken from way-faring men, from two trauellers vpon the way, I spake in my last exercise, occasioned thereunto by the third verse of this Chapter.

This fourth verse, now read vnto you, will yeeld vs two other, taken from the custome of Lions, old and young. From the custome of the old Lion in these words; Will a Lion roare in the forest, when he hath no prey? From the custome of the young Lion, in these; Will a young Lion cry out of his den, if he haue taken nothing at all? Of both in their order: and first of the old Lion.

Will a LIon roare in the forest, when he hath no prey?] The answer should be negatiue; No; he will not. Will he not? It seemes he will. Else how may that bee vnderstood which is spoken of our aduersary, the Deuill, 1 Pet. 5.8. that he, as a roaring Lion walketh about, seeking whom he may deuoure? There it seemes the Lion roareth before hee haue his prey. That he doth so, many of the Ancient haue affirmed it. Its affirmed by R. Dauid, he saith; When the beasts of the for­rest heare the Lions voice, they by and by through feare stand still, and the Lion taketh for his prey, which of them hee will. So saith Lyra; Ad rugitum Leonis prada sequitur; the Lion roareth, and then he takes his prey. So Dionysius the Carthusian; Leo cum famem patitur, mox vt bestiam vide­rit, rugitum dat, quo audito territa bestia gradum figit, & ca­pitur. The Lion, saith he, when he is hungry, if he see a beast, roareth: the beast, terrified with the Lions voice, stands still and is taken. Saint Basil saies as much for substance. His words are in his ninth Homily vpon the Hexaëmeron: Na­ture hath bestowed vpon the Lion, such organs or instru­ments for his voice, that oftentimes beasts farre swifter than the Lion are taken, [...], onely by the roaring of the Lion. The Lion roares; the beast stoopes, and is taken.

Saint Cyril likewise, he that was Archbishop of Alexan­dria, he hath the like obseruation, and he takes it from those, who with much curiosity and diligence haue sought into [Page 57] the nature of wild beasts. The obseruation is, that the hungry Lion, espying some beast fit for his food, through his hide­ous and vncouth roaring seizeth vpon it for his prey. Now if a Lion will roare before he haue taken his prey, as by the now produced authorities it seemes he will, to what end serues this interrogation, Will a Lion roare in the forrest, when he hath no prey?

I must answer as I did out of Carthusian to the former simi­litude, that Amos here speaketh, secundum communem cur­sum, according to the commong course, and communiter ve­rum esse, that its commonly true that a Lion will not roare in the forrest, when he hath no prey. Commonly it is true, yet not euer so. Mercerus hath a Solet to expresse the meaning with: Will a Lion roare in the forrest, when he hath no prey? Non solet haud dubiè; Without doubt he vseth not so to doe. Drusius hath likewise a Solent for the saluing of this question; Leones non solent rugire, nisi praedam ceperint, capturine sint; Lions, they vse not to roare, vnlesse they haue taken some prey, or are ready to take it. They vse it not, though it may be sometime they doe it.

But why will a Lion roare when he hath gotten his prey? Should he not then rather be quiet, and fall to the deuouring of his prey? Plutarch in a treatise of his, concerning this question, Which creatures haue more reason, they that line on the earth, or they that in the water? thus speaketh of the Lion: The Lion, when he hath gotten a prey vseth to roare, thereby to call his fellow-lions to be his partakers in the prey. But I will not now diue into the secrets of nature. Why the Lion roa­reth when he hath his prey, it much skilleth not: it is plaine, he roareth.

It is plaine by the 22. Psalme, where Dauid complaining of the cruelty of his enemies vnder the name of the Bulls of Bashan, saith of them, vers. 13. They gaped vpon mee with their mouthes, as a rauening and a roaring Lion. It is likewise plaine by the 31. of Esay. At the fourth verse of that Chap­ter, you may see the Lion roaring on his prey. In the 22. of Eze­chiel, verse 25. you may behold in Ierusalem a conspiracy of [Page 58] Prophets like a roaring Lion, rauening the prey. Well then is it demanded by Amos in my Text, Will a Lion roare in the for­rest, when he hath no prey? Thus farre of the old Lion. It fol­loweth of the young.

Will a young Lion cry out of his den, if he haue taken nothing?

This young Lion in the originall is [...] Chephir, Leo-iu­uenis, leunculus; in the Septuagint, he is [...]: in the Vulgar, Catulus Leonis, the Lions whelpe. The property of this young Lion or Lions whelpe is, to lie close in his den without ma­king any noise at all, till such time as the old Lion brings him a booty for his food; then doth this whelpe rouze vp him­selfe, giues forth his voice, cryeth and roareth. It is Saint Cyrils obseruation. Petrus Lusitanus likes it well. Hee thus deliuers it: Leunculus in latibulo suo jacens, tacet; The Lions whelpe couching in his den makes no noise: at vbi praedam à Leone adductam ceperit, tunc vocem dat, & exultat; but when he hath taken his prey, brought vnto him by the old Lion, then for ioy he leapeth, then he giues forth his voice, cryeth and roareth.

Now to the question, as it is made by Tauerner, Cryeth a Lions whelpe out of his den, except he haue gotten some thing? or as it is in our newest English, Will a young Lion cry, or giue forth his voice out of his den, if he haue taken nothing? My answer must be, as it was to that of the old Lion, and out of Mercer too, Non solet hand dubiè, Out of doubt, the young Lion, or Lions whelpe vseth not, as he lieth in his den, to giue forth his voice, to cry or roare except hee haue gotten somewhat. Hee vseth not so to doe.

Some Expositors there are, that will haue these two bran­ches of the Lion, and the Lions whelpe to be all one; and the latter to be but a repetition of the former, mutatis verbis, in others words. So R. Dauid, and Lyranus. But Saint Cyril is of opinion, they are not all one, but are different; So is Saint Hierome. So R. Abraham. So Albertus, Rupertus, Carthu­sian, and others: and with these accordeth our present ex­position.

The exposition thus giuen, descend we to the application, [Page 59] that we may vnderstand what this Lion is, and what the Lions whelpe.

The Lion is God, the forest the world, the prey of the Lion the people of the world, the roaring of the Lion Gods threat­nings by his Prophets. You may thus apply it: As a Lion will not roare in the forest, vnlesse he haue a prey; So neither will God by his Prophets threaten any euill, vnlesse he bee thereunto vrged by the sinnes of the people. Such commonly is the application of this second similitude.

With Rupertus likewise this Lion is God; but the Lions prey is omnis electus, euery one of the Elect: who, whereso­euer he be, because he is predestinate vnto life, ab ipso Deo re­quiritur, is sought for of God himselfe, that at his voice, whe­ther it be vttered by an Angell, or by a Prophet, or by the Scriptures, he may tremble, may be humbled, may repent him of his sinnes, and be saued. The application which he maketh is after this manner: Nunquid rugiet Leo in saltu, nisi habuerit praedam? Will a Lion roare in the forest, vnlesse he hath a prey? Idem est, ac si dicet, It is as if he said, Is it wor­thy of God, there to speake, or thither to send a Prophet, where he knoweth there is none worthy of eternall life? Is it seemely, is it any way fit, that God should there vtter his voice, or send his Messengers thither, where hee knoweth, there is not any one ordained vnto saluation? By all congru­ity of reason the answer must be negatiue; No, its altogether vnseemly; its not any way fit. The Lion in the forest roares not, vnlesse he haue his prey. This exposition of Rupertus is by Ribera mentioned with some approbation: but Petrus à Figueiro saith, it is nimis violenta, too violent, too far fetched. And well may it be so.

Arias Montanus by this Lion, and Lions whelpe, vnder­standeth Sennacherib and Nabuchodonozor, two Assyrian Kings, two mighty enemies to the state of the Kingdome of Iudah. According to him thus must the application be: As a prey, that is betweene the Lions teeth, or within his pawes, cannot escape away; so shall not the people of Iudah escape [Page 60] from out the hands of Sennacherib, or Nabuchodonozor. Bur this application of his is not so fit for this place, because what­soeuer is here spoken, it is spoken not to the people of Iudah, but the people of the ten Tribes.

If great Albert must be followed, this Lion must be vel Deus comminans, vel meliùs inimi us inuadens, vel homo, vel Diabolus. This Lion must be either God threatning, or ra­ther some enemy inuading, be he man or Deuill.

The Deuill must be this Lion in the construction of di­uers, as Carthusian hath obserued, for as much as the Deuill like a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may de­uoure, Semperque sitit animarum damnationem, & rugit vt eas deglutiat, and euer thirsteth of the damnation of the soules of men, and roareth that he may swallow them vp. I may not deny, but that the Deuill for his extreme fiercenesse and cruelty ioyned with force and hurt to annoy mankind, is by Saint Peter likened to a Lion, to a roaring Lion; yet I can­not thinke that he is the Lion in my Text; no, though this in my Text be a roaring Lion.

But may not some man, an enemy, a tyrant, an oppressor, one or more, be meant by this Lion, this roaring Lion in my Text? Its not to be doubted, but that such are diuers times in the holy Scriptures compared to Lions. The wicked man, who is euermore an enemy to the godly, is likened to a Lion, Psal. 10.9. He lieth in wait secretly as a Lion in his den; he lieth in wait to catch the poore. Dauids enemies are as Lions; He so speakes of them, Psal. 22.13. They gaped vpon mee with their mouthes, as a rauening and a roaring Lion. Tyrants and oppressors of the Church are as Lions. Such a one was Nero, Saint Paul calls him a Lion, 2 Tim. 4.17. I was, saith hee, deliuered out of the mouth of the Lion. The Lion, not the De­uill, as Ambrose saith; nor Festus the President of Iudaea, as Primasius affirmeth: but Nero, proud and cruell Nero, per­secuting Nero, as its expounded by Chrysostome, Theodoret, Theophylact, Oecumenius, Aquinas, and Eusebius, Hist. Eccles. lib. 2. cap. 22. Be it then granted, that Men, enemies to the godly, Tyranas and oppressors are in holy Scripture some­times [Page 61] compared to Lions; yet can it not thence be inferred, that therefore by this roaring Lion in my Text, Men are to be vnderstood.

It remaineth then, that God either solely or principally be here intended. Sic communiter omnes intelligunt, saith Chri­stophorus à Castro. So doe all Expositors commonly vnder­stand this Text: that God should be this Lion. And not only the old Lion, but the young one too. God is compared to both, as wel to the young Lion as to the old. To both he is compared, Hos. 5.14. There thus saith the Lord: I will be vnto Ephraim as a Lion, and as a young Lion to the house of Iudah. I, euen I will teare and goe away: I will take away, and none shall rescue him. So likewise, Esay 31.4. Thus hath the Lord spoken: Like as the Lion and the young Lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of Shepherds is called forth against him, hee will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himselfe for the noise of them: so shall the Lord of hosts come downe to fight for mount Sion and for the hill thereof. In both places you see, God is compa­red not onely to the old Lion, but to the young one too, to the Lions whelpe. So is he here in this Text of mine. Now the meaning is; As a Lion will not roare in the forest, except hee hath a prey, nor the young Lion cry out of his denne, except he hath gotten somewhat: No more will Almighty God roare from Sion, or vtter his voice from Ierusalem, except there be a prey ready for him: He will not by his Prophets and Ministers giue forth his threatnings, except there be iust cause for him, to be auenged vpon a people for their sinnes. My obseruation is: ‘If by our sinnes we prouoke Gods wrath against vs, wee shall finde that his threatning of vs will not be in vaine.’

The threatnings of God, they are not vana dunt axat puero­rum simplicisque rusticitatis terricula, as Quadratus hath well noted, they are not onely as scar-crowes or bugs for the terrifying of little children and the ruder sort of people; but are certaine euidences of Gods resolution for the punishment of sinne. Neuer are they in vaine.

Of two sorts they are: for either they concerne a spirituall and eternall punishment; or a punishment, that is temporary and corporall.

Of the first sort is that commination, Deut. 27.26. Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to doe them. The punishment there threatned is spirituall, it is eternall. Saint Paul so expounds it, Gal. 3.10. where he saith: As many as are of the workes of the Law, are vnder the curse: for it is written, Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Booke of the Law to doe them. The curse there spoken of is no temporall, no corporall matter, it is spirituall, it is eternall. The reason is, because the curse is opposed to the blessing. Now to bee blessed with faithfull Abraham, is to be iustified, to bee absolued from sinne and death, to be in fauour with God, to obtaine eternall salua­tion, and therefore to be accursed, is to be condemned for sinne, to be cast out from God, to be adiudged to euerlasting death and Hell. The blessing is spirituall and eternall, and therefore must the curse also be spirituall and eternall.

Comminations of the second sort are in holy Writ more frequent and obuious. If you will not hearken to the Lord your God to doe his Commandements, but will despight his statutes and abhorre his iudgements, then will the Lord doe thus and thus vnto you. In the 26. of Leuit. vers. 16. he will visit you with vexations, consumptions, and burning agues, that shall consume your eyes, and cause you sorrow of heart. Ʋers. 17. he will set his face against you, and ye shall bee slaine before your enemies: they that hate you shall reigne ouer you, and ye shall flee when none pursueth you. Vers. 19. Hee will breake the pride of your power, and will make your Heauen as iron, and your Earth as brasse: and your strength shall be spent in vaine; for, neither shall your land yeeld her encrease, nor your trees their fruits. Vers. 32. Hee will send wilde beasts among you which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattell, and make you few in number. These and other like threatnings against the wilfull contemners of Gods holy Will you may better read of in the now alleaged 26. Chapter of Leuiticus, and 28. Chapter. of Deuteronomy, and other places of holy Scripture, than I can at this time stand vpon to relate them. They are many: they are fearefull. Many and fearefull [Page 63] are the punishments, though but temporary and corporall, which the Lord threatneth to the wilfull contemners of his holy Will.

Thus you see, Gods threatnings are of two sorts; either of spirituall and eternall punishments, or punishments that are temporary and corporall. These threatnings of punishments, corporall or spirituall, temporary or eternall, are by the Lord himselfe accomplished at times certaine and vnchangeable.

When the old world in the daies of Noah had growne to much impiety and wickednesse, the Lord appointed a cer­taine space, the space of 120. yeeres for their repentance and conuersion, Gen. 6.3. My spirit shall not alwaies striue with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his daies shall be an hundred and twenty yeeres. Though he saw, that the wickednesse of man was great in the earth, and that euery imagination of the thoughts of his heart was euill, was onely euill, was euill con­tinually, so that with great iustice he might forth with haue swallowed them vp with a floud, yet would hee not, but would yet forbeare longer, and looke for their amendment. A hundred and twenty yeeres yet would he giue them, to see if they would returne and auoid his wrath. But they would not returne, and therefore at the very end and terme of those hundred and twenty yeeres he brought the floud vpon them. Then, then, and not before, he brought the floud vpon them. For compare we the particular circumstances of time noted, Gen. 7.3, 6, 11. with that which Saint Peter writeth in his first Epistle, chap. 3.20. we shall finde, that the inundation of waters came vpon the earth at the very point of time be­fore determined.

Memorable is that commination of the Lord against the Iewes, Ierem. 25.11. Because you haue not heard my voice, be­hold I will take from you the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladnesse, the voice of the bridegroome, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the Milstones, and the light of the candle: you shall be a desolation, and an astonishment, & shall serue the King of Babylon seuenty yeeres. The summe of the Commination is, that the Iewes for their sins should be led captiue, & serue the [Page 64] King of Babylon seuenty yeeres. Now if we take the iust com­putation of time, it will appeare that so soone as those yeeres, those seuenty yeeres were expired, the foresaid threat was ac­complished. And therefore Daniel alluding to this prophesie of Ieremie, exactly setteth it downe, Chap. 5.30. saying, The same night was Belshazzar King of the Chaldeans slaine, the same night, the very night wherein those seuenty yeeres came to their full period, was Belshazzar King of the Chalde­ans slaine.

To these fearefull examples of Noahs floud, and the carry­ing away of the Iewes into Babylon, may be added the bur­ning of Sodome by fire and brimstone, the destruction of the ten Tribes, the ruine of Ierusalem, and the Kingdome of Iudah, the desolation of the seuen Churches of Asia; all which, besides many other calamities vpon many other pla­ces, and persons, accomplished and come to passe according to the threatnings of the Lord, may well assure vs, that what­soeuer he hath threatned, will certainly take effect. And cer­tainly, if we by serious and true repentance doe not preuent the execution of his threats, he will not faile to preuent vs, and take vs away suddenly. Thus is my obseruation made good; ‘If by our sinnes we prouoke Gods wrath against vs, wee shall finde that his threatning of vs will not be in vaine.’

No, it will not. If God threaten, and no repentance follow­eth, then certainly the threatnings pronounced will come to passe. Hee threatens not in vaine; hee terrifies not without cause; no more than the Lion roareth when he hath no prey, or the Lions whelpe cryeth out of his denne if he haue gotten nothing.

Is it thus, Beloued? Shall we finde that Gods threatnings will be effectuall and powerfull against vs, if we by our sinnes goe on still to prouoke him to displeasure? It seemes then, that if we repent vs of our sinnes, and cease any further to grieue Gods holy Spirit, his threatnings will bee vaine and without effect. Vnderstand wee therefore, that the threat­nings and denuntiations of Gods iudgements are either [Page 65] absolute or conditionall. If absolute, then are they irreuocable, and must take effect: but if conditionall, then vpon humilia­tion and repentance they will bee changed, they will bee altered.

Absolute was the denunciation that concerned the eating of the forbidden fruit, Gen. 2.17. In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. This threatning was absolute and peremptory, not to be reuoked. If Adam had prayed all his life long that he might not die, but returne to his former condition, yet the sentence of God had not beene reuersed.

Peremptory and absolute was that threatning of the Lord against Moses and Aaron, Numb. 20.12. Because yee beleeue me not to sanctifie me in the eyes of the children of Israel, there­fore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I haue giuen them. Moses and Aaron, both are threatned that they shall neuer enter into the land of Canaan. Moses vnder­standing the threat conditionally, besought the Lord that hee might goe ouer Iordan into that good land. But the Lord was wroth with him, and would not heare him; but said vnto him, Deut. 3.26. Let it suffice thee, speake no more vnto me of this matter. Speake no more: the sentence was peremp­tory and might not be reuersed.

As absolute and peremptory was that threatning by Nathan from the Lord vnto Dauid, 2. Sam. 12.14. Because by thine adultery thou hast giuen great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the childe also that is borne vnto thee shall surely dye. The childe shall surely die. Dauids hope was, that this threat was but conditionall, and therefore with fasting, weeping, and prayer he besought God for the child, and said; Who can tell whether God will be gracious vnto mee, that the child may liue? Yet, as the Prophet had denounced, the child died. So peremptory was the sentence, and not to be reuersed. So then its euident, that some of Gods iudgements denoun­ced against the sonnes of men are absolute and peremptory, not to be reuersed.

Others are conditionall, to be vnderstood with this excep­tion, except they repent and amend. The condition is some­times [Page 66] expressed; sometimes it is not. The condition is expres­sed, Ierem. 18.7, 8. At what instant I shall speake concerning a nation, and concerning a Kingdome, to plucke vp and to pull downe, and to destroy it: If that Nation against whom I haue pronounced, turne from their euill, I will repent of the euill that I thought to doe vnto them. It is likewise expressed, Ezech. 33.14, 15. When I say vnto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turne from his sinne, and doe that which is lawfull and right, he shall surely liue, he shall not die. Each of these Com­minations is with an expresse condition. The first was: Such a Nation, such a Kingdome, I will plucke vp, I will pull downe, I will destroy. The Nation, the Kingdome performes the condition; repenteth and turnes from euill, and God reuer­seth his sentence; I will not plucke vp, I will not pull downe, I will not destroy it. The second was; The wicked man shall surely die. The wicked man performes the condition, repen­teth, and turnes from euill, and God reuerseth his sentence; He shall surely liue, he shall not die.

Sometimes the condition is not expressed, but onely to be vnderstood. So it is, Ierem. 26.18. There we reade of Mi­cah the Morushite, that he in the daies of Hezekiah King of Iudah, prophesied and spake to all the people of Iudah say­ing, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Ierusalem shall become heapes, and the mountaine of the house, the high places of a forest. Fearefull is the Com­mination; it threatens ruine to their Temple, desolation to their City, the vtter ouerthrow of their whole Kingdome. How did the King and his people hereupon behaue them­selues? Did they fall into desperation? No, they did not. Did they conclude an impossibility of obtaining pardon? Nor did they so. How then? They conceiuing aright of the commination, as fearefull as it was, that it was vnto them a Sermon of repentance, they feared the Lord, they besought the Lord: and the Lord repented him of the euill which hee had pronounced against them. So was the Commination conditionall, though the condition was not expressed.

The like we meet with, Esay 38.1. There is a commina­tory [Page 67] message from the Lord vnto the but-now-named Heze­kiah; Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not liue. The good King conceiues aright of the message, that it was no otherwise vnto him, than as a Sermon of repentance; and therefore he turnes his face vnto the wall, prayes, and weepes sorely: and the Lord repented him of the message he had sent; and sends him a new message, vers. 5. Goe and say to Heze­kiah: Thus saith the Lord, the God of Dauid thy father; I haue heard thy prayer, I haue seene thy teares: behold, I will adde vnto thy daies fifteene yeeres. And so was the commination conditionall, though the condition was not expressed.

And such is that in the Prophesie of Ionah, Chap. 3.4. Yet forty daies, and Nineueh shall be ouerthrowne. The King of Nineueh, though an heathen and an idolatrous King, yet conceiues aright of this threat, that it was to him and his peo­ple, no otherwise than a Sermon of repentance. The King therefore touched with repentance, vnseateth himselfe, vn­throneth himselfe, commeth as low as the meanest, strips himselfe of his kingly robes, puts on sack-cloth, sits in ashes; causeth it to be proclaimed and published through Niniueh, that there be a generall fast kept by man and beast, that man and beast be couered with sack-cloth, and cry mightily vnto God, and turne euery one from his euill way, and from the vio­lence that is in their hands: for, saith the King, Who can tell, if God will turne and repent, and turne away from his fierce an­ger, that we perish not? Who can tell? And God saw their workes, that they turned from their euill way, and God repented of the euill that he had said that he would doe vnto them, and he did it not. So also was this commination conditionall, though the condition was not expressed.

But why are these and many other threatnings of the Lord against sinners conditionall? Why are they with condition of amendment? Why is the condition either expressed, or sup­pressed and only inclusiuely vnderstood?

Its thus. First, because Repentance, if it follow after Gods comminatory sentence pronounced against sinners, it procu­reth forgiuenesse of sin, and taketh away the cause of punish­ment. [Page 68] The cause of punishment is sinne; remoue the cause, and the effect must cease. Let sinne be washed away with the teares of vnfained repentance, and punishment shall neuer hurt vs. This is it, which but euen now you heard out of Ezech. chap. 33.14 15. They were the words of the Lord; When I say vnto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die, if he turne from his sinne, and doe that which is lawfull and right; if he restore the pledge, and giue againe that he hath robbed, and walke in the statutes of life without committing iniquitie, he shall surely liue, he shall not die.

Secondly, the threatnings of God against sinners are for the most part conditionall, because he is a God of mercies, a gracious Psal. 86.15. [...] 34.6. Numb. 14.18. [...] 103.8. Psal. 145.8. God, a God of long suffering, and much patience, a God of vnspeakable kindnesse, euer ready to receiue vs to mercy, as soone as we returne vnto him. This is it that the Lord commandeth to be proclaimed by Ieremy, chap. 3.12. Returne thou back-sliding Israel, saith the Lord, and I will not cause mine anger to fall vpon you, for I am mercifull, saith the Lord, and I will not keepe mine anger for euer.

Thirdly, the threatnings of God against sinners are euer­more conditionall, because in his threatnings God aimeth not at the destruction of them that are threatned, but at their amendment. Their amendment is the thing he aimeth at. Its plaine by that, Ezech. 18.23. Haue I any pleasure at all, that the wicked should die, saith the Lord God? and not, that he should returne from his waies and liue? This by way of question. But its out of question and confirmed by oath, Ezech. 23.11. As I liue, saith the Lord God, I haue no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turne from his way and liue: turne ye, turne ye from your euill waies, for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Why will ye die? Returne and liue, I take no pleasure in your death.

Hitherto you haue heard of Gods threatnings, that they are of punishments either corporall or spirituall; either temporall or eternall: and that they are either absolute or conditionall; and if conditionall, that then the condition is either expressed or only vnderstood; Expressed or vnderstood, and that for three rea­sons: [Page 69] first, because repentance washes away sinne, the cause of punishment: secondly, because God is mercifull, and will not keepe his wrath for euer: thirdly, because he aimeth espe­cially at the amendment of the wicked. It is now time that we make some profitable vse hereof.

Our first vse may be, to consider that in the greatest and most fearefull threatnings of Gods heauy iudgements there is comfort remaining, hope of grace and mercy to be found, life in death, and health in sicknesse, if we repent and amend. Thus did the Princes of Iudah profit by the threatnings of Ieremy. Ieremie, chap. 26.6. comes vnto them with a threat­ning from the Lords owne mouth: I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth. He threatned desolation to the Lords house, and de­struction to their city: and therefore the Priests and the peo­ple would haue put him to death. But the Princes of Iudah were better aduised: they pleaded the practise and example of King Hezekiah for the comfort of himselfe and the people of his time; and thereby stirred vp themselues to feare the Lord, and to turne from their euill waies. And thus did the same King Hezekiah profit at the threatning of Esay, and the King of Nineueh at the threatning of Ionah, as you haue al­ready heard. They repented of their euill waies, and God re­pented of the euils which he threatned to bring vpon them; and he brought them not vpon them.

Here we are to meet with an obiection. The obiection is: If God threaten one thing, and doth another, if he threaten to bring euill vpon any one, and repents him of the euill, it may seeme his will is changeable, or he hath two wills.

For answer I say, The will of God is euer one and the same, as God is one: but for our capacities and for the weaknesse of our vnderstandings, who cannot conceiue how God doth after a diuers manner will and not will the same thing; the will of God is called sometimes secret or hidden, and sometimes reuealed, as the Church is called sometimes visible, Deut. 29.29. and some­times inuisible, yet is but one Church. The secret will of God is of things hidden in himselfe, and not manifested in his [Page 70] word: the reuealed is of things made knowne in the Scrip­tures, or by daily experience. The secret will is without con­dition;Rom. 9.19. its absolute, its peremptory, its alwaies fulfilled; no man hindreth it, no man stoppeth it: the very reprobate, yea the Deuils themselues are subiect vnto it. His reuealed will is with condition; and therefore for the most part is ioy­ned with exhortation, admonition, instruction, and repre­hension. Now to the obiection, my answer is: Though God threaten one thing and doth another, though he threaten to bring euill vpon any one, and repents him of the euill, yet is not his will therefore changeable, nor hath he two wils: but his will is euer one and the same. The same will is in diuers respects hidden and reuealed: Its secret at first before it be re­uealed: but as it is made knowne to vs either by the written Word of God, or by the continuall successe of things, so it is called the reuealed will of God. Our duty in regard of the will of God, as it is secret or hidden, is not curiously to pry into it, but reuerently to adore it. Whatsoeuer this secret, this hid­den will of God is concerning vs, whether to liue or die, to be rich or poore, to be of high estimation or of meane account in this world, it is our part to rest in the same, and to be con­tented, and giue leaue to him that made vs to doe with vs and dispose of vs at his pleasure; and then afterwards, when by the continuall successe of things it shall be reuealed vnto vs, what our lot, our portion, our expectation here must bee; much more are we to be therewith contented, and to giue thankes to God, howsoeuer it fareth with vs.

The obiection thus answered, our recourse should be to the profit, that is yet further to be made by the threatnings of Gods iudgements. You haue heard that in the greatest and most fearefull, there is comfort remaining, hope of grace and mercy to be found; health in sicknesse, and life in death, if we repent and amend. I proceed to a second vse.

It concernes the duty of the Minister. Its our duty to pro­pound vnto you the threatnings of the Lord with condition. Should we propound them without condition, we should be, as if we went about to bring you to despaire, and to take from [Page 71] you all hope of mercy and forgiuenesse. We therefore pro­pound them with condition, with condition of repentance and amendment of life: and doe offer vnto you grace and mercy, to as many of you as be humble and broken-hearted. Thus we preach not onely the Law, but also with the Law the Gospell: thus we bind and loose, Mat. 16.19. thus we reteine and forgiue sins. We preach, and by our preaching we shut vp the King­dome of Heauen against the obstinate sinner, but doe open the same to euery one that is truly penitent. The third followeth.

It concerneth you, You Beloued, you and euery one that hath this grace and fauour with God, to be a hearer of his ho­ly Word. Its your duty whensoeuer you heare the threat­nings of Gods iudgements against sinners, to stirre vp your selues to repentance and to the amendment of your liues. So shall you preuent his wrath and stay his iudgements. O! take heed beloued, that you rush not on, as the horse in the day of battell, to your owne destruction. If the Lord God from out of Sion shall roare, as a Lion roareth in the forest when he hath taken a prey; if he shall vtter his voice from Hierusalem, as a young Lion couching in his denne, cryeth out when he hath got­ten somewhat; will it not then be too late for vs to returne vnto him? Neuer is it too late to returne to God, so it be done truly, seriously, and from the ground of the heart. But this be we well assured of, that if there be no change in vs, it will be in vaine for vs to looke for a change from God. Its certaine, God will neuer change his threatnings, except we change our liues and conuersations.

Wherefore (dearely beloued) suffer we a word of exhorta­tion for conclusion of all. I will deliuer it in the Lords owne words, his words to Israel in Ieremy chap. 4.1, 4. If thou wilt returne, saith the Lord, returne vnto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remoue. Circumcise your selues to the Lord, and take away the fore-skinnes of your hearts, lest my fury come forth like fire, and burne that none can quench it, because of the euill of your doings. Wash thine heart from wickednesse, that thou maist be saued; how long shall thy vaine though lodge within thee?

O come, see and taste, how good and gracious the Lord is vnto vs, how seriously he exhorteth vs, how sweetly he inui­teth vs to turne vnto him, how louingly he calls vs to repent, and amend our liues that we may be saued. Beloued, nothing is wanting, but what is wanting on our parts: and that is the reall performance of true and vnfained repentance through a liuely faith in Christ Iesus: Concerning which let me giue you a rule, a rule that is grounded and infallible; Without repentance there is no saluation, without sorrow for sinne there is no repentance; without earnest prayer there is no sorrow, no godly sorrow, and without a due feeling of the Lords wrath, there is no prayer that can pierce the skie or moue the Lord. O therefore let vs pray for repentance, let vs sue for repentance, let vs worke for repentance, let vs bestow all wee haue vpon repentance. All we haue! Its nothing to thee, O Lord. We feele, O Lord, such a benummednesse in our hearts, such a dulnesse in our soules, that albeit we see our sinnes, and know them to be exceeding great, yet cannot we so bemone them, so lament them, so grieue at them, so detest them as we should. Smite, O gracious God, smite we beseech thee, our flinty hearts, make them euen to melt within vs at the sight of our owne transgressions, that so being clean­sed from the filthinesse of sin, we may grow vp vnto full holinesse in thy feare through Iesus Christ our Lord and Sauiour.

THat the comminations, the menacies, and threats, which the Almighty by the ministery of his holy Word giueth forth against the sonnes of men for their impious and euill courses in their peregrination here vpon the earth, are not in vaine, like scar-crowes and bugges, for the terrifying of little children, and the ruder sort of people, but are certaine euidences of Gods resolution for the punishment of sinne, I haue heretofore out of the for­mer verse made plaine vnto you by a two-fold similitude ta­ken from the custome of Lions; the old Lion and the young. This fifth verse yeeldeth vs two other to the like effect: and these are taken from the manner of fowlers or birders, whose practise is to lay snares, and set ginnes, and spread nets to catch birds with. The first is in the first branch, the second in the se­cond. [Page 74] In the first there is an adumbration of the prouidence of God, by which he ruleth all things: In the second there is an illustration of the certainty, the stability, the efficacie of his iudgements, which hee fore-sheweth and fore-telleth by his Prophets. Of both in their order.

The first is: Can a bird fall in asnare vpon the earth, where no ginne is for him? Can he fall? The Vulgar Latine is, Nur­quid cadet, shal he fall? So reade the Septuagint, so the Chaldee Paraphrast. Nunquid cadit, doth he fall? So Winckleman, and so our Country-man Tauerner in his English translation, An casura esset, could shee fall? So Iunius.

Can a bird, could a bird, shall a bird, doth a bird fall [...] hal pach haaretz, in laqueumterrae, word for word, in­to a snare of the earth: so is it in the old Latine. This laqueus terrae, is with Iunius laqueus humilis, a snare lying low by the ground; with Mercer and Vatablus it is laqueus in terrâ disposi­tus, a snare placed on the ground. Albertus Magnus expounds it to be laqueus in terrâ absconditus, a snare hidden on the ground.

Into such a snare can a bird fall, where no ginne is for him? [...] Vmokesch ein lah. This same mokesch is by some taken for a ginne. With Iunius and Drusius it is tendicu­la; with Mercer it is offendiculum; with Vatablus it is laqueus. These, as our late Translators, take mokesch for a ginne. Others take it for him that layeth the ginne, for the fowler. So doe the Septuagint; so doth the Author of the Vulgar Latine, so doth Saint Hierome take it. With the Septuagint this mokesch is [...], a birder, one that catcheth birds with birdlime; with the author of the Vulgar Latine and Saint Hierome it is Auceps, a Fowler. So is it with Tauerner in his translation; Doth a bird fall in a snare vpon the earth, where no fowler is? Be it a ginne, or he that layeth the ginne, the birder, the fowler, it much skil­leth not: for both readings haue their warrant: as well this, where no ginne is for him, as that, where no fowler is.

Now to the interrogation, Can a bird fall in a snare vpon the earth, where no ginne is for him, or where no fowler is? The an­swer must be negatiue; No, hee cannot. And so is the answer [Page 75] made by Nicolaus de Lyra, and the Author of the Interlineary Glosse. So is it by Petrus Lusitanus; so by Mercerus, so by others. Can a bird fall? No; it cannot be that a bird should fall in a snare vpon the earth, where by the fowlers art no ginne is set for him.

O quàm vilium similitudines rerum, quam pretiosum praedi­cant sacramentum! O, saith Rupertus, how vile are the things from which similitudes may be taken, and how precious the mysteries, that may thereby be published! This our Prophet de pastoralibus assumptus, once a shepherd, now called to be a dispenser of the secrets of God, is content to dispense them, by drawing similitudes from such things, as he was wont to ob­serue in his shepherds walke. Such is that in the first Chapter, vers. 2. The Lord will roare from Zion: and that in the same verse, the habitations of the shepherds shall mourne; and that in the verse before my text, will a Lion roare in the forrest, when he hath no prey; and this in my text, Can a bird fall in a snare vp­on the ground, where no ginne is for him? All you see are pasto­rall. Sufficiunt coelesti magisterio res non solùm piscatorum, ve­rùm etiam pastorum, vt per corum similitudines docti sint & do­ceant conuenienter gloriam rerum caelestium. Things that fall within the knowledge not only of fishers, but also of shepherds, are auaileable to diuine instruction, that by the similitudes of both, fishers, and shepherds, the glory of things celestiall may be manifested.

Such is this pastorall similitude: this similitude of birds not falling into a snare vpon the earth, vnlesse by the fowlers art some ginne be set for him. It serueth for the adumbration of Gods wonderfull prouidence: thus. As snares, wherewith birds are catched, fall not on the ground at all aduentures and by chance; but are laid by the skill, industry and fore-sight of the fowler: so the calamities and miseries of this life, where­with men are vsually taken and snared, come not by chance, but are sent among vs by the certaine counsell of God, by his iust iudgement, by his diuine prouidence.

I know that this similitude is by others otherwise applied. Saint Hierome will haue it to belong to the punishment of [Page 76] such as liu [...] in discord and variance; to this sence: They who through charitie are as birds, and doe fly aloft in the libertie of the holy Spirit, through discord doe lose their wings, fall downe vpon the earth and are a prey vnto the fowler. Did they still soare aloft with the wings of loue; they should not need to scare the fowlers snares. For as Salomon saith, Prou. 1.17. Sure­ly in vaine the n [...]t is spread in the eyes of euery thing that hath a wing. Keepe then thy selfe aboue in the aire, as if thou hadest the wings of a doue, and thou art from danger: but if through variance, through strife, through hatred, and other like impie­ties thou be ouer-burdened and pressed downe, downe thou fallest to the ground, and art by thine owne default ensnared. Iusta enim est ruina peccatorum: for iust is the fall of sinners.

Two Hebrew Rabbins, Abraham and Dauid, apply this si­militude to the execution of the decree of God and his sentence: thus: If men whose dwellings are vpon the earth, can by their cunning and industry cause the birds of the aire to descend vp­on the earth, and so fall into their snares, from whence there is no euasion for them: how much more shall I, I the Lord, who haue my habitation in the Heauen of Heauens, bring men themselues within the snare of my decree and sentence, that there shall be no escaping for them?

Some so apply this similitude, that by this bird they vnder­stand a sinner, and by the snare his sinne. Their explication is: As a bird shall not fall into a snare vpon the earth, vnlesse some ginne be laid for him; so shall not sinners fall into punishment, vnlesse they themselues make snares of their owne sinnes to catch themselues withall. So may they quickly doe; and so saith Salomon, Pro. 5.22. The wickednesse of the vngodly shall catch himselfe, and with the snares of his owne sinnes, shall he be trapped. What then? Vis non capi laqueo? wouldest thou not be taken with the snare? rumpe ac frange laqueum: the aduice is good; teare and breake the snare. But how? Tolle peccatum, & fregisti laqueum; take away the sinne, and thou hast broken the snare.

Rupertus so vnderstands this similitude, that he will haue the grace of God herein to be commended. With him this fow­ler [Page 77] shall be God; his snare the word of God, the bird to be cat­ched, the soule of man. His conceit runnes thus: As that a bird falls into a snare vpon the earth, it is to be attributed to the care and diligence of the fowler, that laid the snare; so, that the soule of man commeth to be ensnared in the word of salua­tion, which it neither can resist, nor is willing so to doe, it is wholly to be attributed to the grace of God. For God alone so spreadeth the snare of his good word, that this little bird, this wandring and restlesse bird, the soule of man, is caught and brought into the hands of the Lord her God, and so escapeth the lawes of the Deuill.

This his exposition well meeteth with the Arminians, with those new Prophets, who at this day pretending a more mo­derate diuinity, then ours is, as if they came out of Coelestius his Schoole, haue with their sophismes and subtilties much disquieted the State of the Belgicke Churches, chiefly for the point of diuine Predestination and the appendices thereof.

Their fourth Thesis is, touching the operation of the grace of of God in Christ, Collat. Hug. Brand. pag. 216. whether it be resistable or not. The grace of God, say they, is resistable. Rupertus here saith, it cannot be resisted. He is in the right, and with him we ioyne; and thus we explaine our meaning: Man is to be considered in a two-fold respect; in respect of himselfe, and in respect of God. If he be considered in respect of himselfe, as he is vnregenerate, and according to his inbred prauitie, so is grace by him too too re­sistable: for as much as man of himselfe, in his pure naturals, gouerned only by nature, reason and sense, without grace, with­out the Spirit of God, cannot only resist, but also cannot but re­sist the grace of God. So saith Saint Paul, 1 Cor. 2.14. [...], the naturall man receiueth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishnesse vnto him: neither can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned. To the like purpose the same Apostle, Rom. 8.7. [...]: the wisdome of the flesh is enmitie against God: for it is not subiect to the Law of God, neither indeed can be. It is true: the Grace of God is resistable; it is too easily resisted, ex parte hominis, by man in respect of himselfe.

But ex parte Dei it is otherwise. In respect of God, and his good pleasure, it may well be said to be irresistible. I speake of that grace of God, which is his mouing and effectuall grace, against which there is no resistance. For to say, that the effectu­all grace of God can be resisted, is to deny it to be effectuall. It implieth a contradiction, and it is blasphemie to affirme, that God with his effectuall grace is subiect to mans resistance.

That of Saint Paul, Rom. 9.19. Who hath resisted the will of God? being an Interrogation of a denier, implying that no man hath or can resist it, is in very reason it selfe most certaine. For the superiour cause can neuer suffer of the inferiour: there­fore if mans will should goe about to resist or frustrate the will of God, it were euen against reason it selfe: for then should Gods will suffer of mans will; which is an impossibilitie.

Saint Augustine hath a fit saying for the establishing of this truth: It is in his booke Decorrept. & grat [...] cap. 14. Deo vo­lenti salnum facere, nullum hominum resistit arbitrium; If God be willing to saue a man, no will of man can resist him. Sic enim velle & nolle in volentis aut nolentis est potestate, vt diuinam vo­luntatem non impediat, nec superet potestatem; for to will, or not to will, is so in the power of him that willeth or willeth not, that it neither hindreth the will of God, nor ouer-commeth his power.

Thus much by occasion of Rupertus his exposition. Let vs goe on. Can a bird] Dionysius the Carthusian will tell you, that this fowler, according to the Expositors, is either the De­uill, or man, or God: and that their snares are either Laquaei cul­pae, or Laquaeipoena; either snares of sinne, or snares of punish­ment.

That the Deuill is in holy Scripture compared vnto a fow­ler, I deny not: for I reade of his wiles, Ephes. 6.11. where we are aduised to put on the whole armour of God, that wee may be able to stand against the wiles of the Deuill. I reade likewise of the snares, 1 Tim. 3.7. & 2 Tim. 2.26. His snares are the snares of sinne, by which he entrappeth men, and leads them cap­tiue. But that the Deuill is the fowler in my text, I af­firme not.

Nor may it be denied, but that man also is in holy Scripture compared to a fowler. To a fowler he is compared in a two-fold respect, in respect of others, and in respect of himselfe.

Man is a fowler in respect of others. Hee hath snares, and cords, and nets, and grinnes to catch others with. Such fow­lers were King Dauids enemies, his proud enemies, Saul and Doeg, of whom, Psal. 140 5. he thus complaineth: They haue hid a snare for me, and cords, they haue spread a net by the waies side, they haue set ginnes for me. And such are they, those wic­ked men, Ierem. 5. 26. They lay wait, as he that setteth snares, they set a trap, they catch men. And such are they, of whom the complaint of the faithfull is, Lament. 3. 52. Mine enemies cha­sed me sore like a bird, without cause. They chased me like a bird. It is true then, Men are fowlers in respect of others; fowlers they are to catch others.

Yea: and fowlers they are in respect of themselues, euen to catch themselues. Such a one is he, Psal. 7.15. He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. And he, Psal. 9.15, 16. In the net which he hid, is his owne foot taken: he is snared in the worke of his owne hands. And he, Prou. 5.22. His owne iniquities shall take himselfe, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sinnes. Not amisse then hath Carthusian affir­med, that men sometimes doe fall, in laqueum culpae, into the snare of sinne, by their owne inclination, or naughtinesse. For as Origen witnesseth; Quamuis non essent Diaboli, adhuc homi­nes concupiscentijs pulsarentur: though there were no Deuils at all, yet should men be ensnared with their owne lusts.

Thus we see, Man is a fowler; a fowler to catch others, and a fowler to catch himselfe: and his snares are laquei culpae, the snares of sinne. Yet, that man is the fowler in my text, I af­firme not.

It remaineth then that by this fowler God must be intended. For God is a fowler too; and he hath snares too: but his snares are laquei poenae, they are snares of punishment. Of snares of this kinde hee hath no want. He powres them forth like raine. This is that we reade, Psal. 11.6. Vpon the wicked shall the Lord raine snares, fire and brimstone, and a burning tempest: this [Page 80] shall be the portion of their cup. Behold a raine of snares vpon the wicked. King Dauid deuoting his enemies to destruction, Psal. 69.22. Wisheth their table to become a snare vnto them, and that which should be for their welfare to become a trap vnto them. The place Saint Paul alleageth with some little diffe­rence, Rom. 11.9. Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling blocke, and a recempence vnto them. And here behold, a mans owne table, and that which should yeeld him much comfort, becomes a snare and a trap for God to entan­gle, and catch the wicked with.

Remarkable is that of the Prophet Esay chap. 8.14. where it is said of the Lord of Hostes himselfe, that to both the houses of Israel he shall be for a stone of stumbling, and for a rocke of offences; and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for a ginne and for a snare: and that many of them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken. And here againe behold: The Lord of Hosts, he that is euer to the faithfull a rocke of re­fuge and saluation, he is to the wicked and the vnbeleeuing a ginne and snare to ensnare and take them with. It is not to be denied, but that God may very well be resembled to a fowler. And him I take to be the fowler in my text. Now the resem­blance betweene God and a fowler stands thus: As snares wherewith birds are catched, fall not on the ground at all ad­uentures, and by chance, but are laid of purpose by the skill, in­dustrie, and fore-sight of the fowler: so the calamities and mi­series of this life, wherewith men are vsually taken and snared, come not by chance, but are sent among vs by the prouidence of God. So this text is, as before I intimated, an adumbration of the prouidence of God, by which he ruleth all things.

The point of doctrine which from hence I would com­mend vnto you, is this, Nihil accidere, nisi à Deo prouisum, that nothing falleth out in this life, no calamitie, no misery, nothing, good or euill, but by Gods prouidence.

Aquinas 1. quaest. 22. art. 2. makes this demand; Ʋtrum omnia sint subiecta diuinae prouidentiae? whether all things are subiect to the prouidence of God? For the resolution whereof his conclusion is: Sith God is of all things the prime cause, and [Page 81] knoweth all things in particular, it is of necessitie that all things are subiect to his prouidence, not tantùm in vniuersali, sed etiam in singulari; nor only in generall, but also in particular. I speake not now of the prouidence of God, as it is potentialis, & imma­nens; but as it is actualis, & transiens; not as it is the internall action of God, but as it is externall; not as it is his decree of gouerning the world, but as it is the execution of that decree.

This prouidence of God, this his actuall and transient proui­dence, this his externall action, and the execution of his inward and eternall decree, is nothing else than a perpetuall and vn­changeable disposition and administration of all things: or to speake with Aquinas, it is nothing else, than ratio ordinis rerum ad finem; it is nothing else, than the course which God perpetually holdeth for the ordering of the things of the world to some certaine end.

Such is the prouidence of God, whereof I am now to speake: w^ch is by some diuided into a generall, and a speciall prouidence: by others into an vniuersal, a special, & a particular prouidence.

Gods vniuersall or generall prouidence, I call that, by which he doth not only direct al creatures according to that secret in­stinct, or inward vertue, which he hath giuen to euery one of them, at the time of their creation, but doth also preserue them in their ordinary course of nature.

Of this vniuersall or generall prouidence of God, Theodoret Bishop of Cyrus, in his first Sermon concerning this argument, discourseth copiously and elegantly: You that say in your hearts there is no prouidence of God, consider the things that are visible, and are obuious to your eies, consider their nature, their site, their order, their state, their motion, their agreement, their harmony, their comlinesse, their beautie, their magnitude, their vse, their delight, their variety, their alteration, their con­tinuance; and then, if you can, deny Gods prouidence. Gods prouidence is manifest in euery worke of creation: you may be­hold it in the Heauen, and in the lights thereof, the Sunne, the Moone, and the Starres. You may behold it in the aire, in the clouds, in the earth, in the sea, in plants, in hearbs, in seeds. You may behold it in euery other creature, euery liuing creature, [Page 82] reasonable, or vnreasonable, man or beast: and in euery beast, whether it goeth, or flieth, or swimmeth, or creepeth. There is not any thing, but it may serue to magnifie the prouidence of God.

But why runne I to the Fathers for the illustration of a point, wherein the holy Scriptures are so plentifull, so elo­quent? The 104. Psalme containeth an egregious description hereof, a faire and goodly picture, and a liuely portraiture of this prouidence of God, drawne with the pencill of the holy Ghost. I see therein the aire, and clouds, and winds, and water, and the earth, and the like, so ruled and ordered by the imme­diate hand of God, that, should he remoue his hand but for a moment, this whole vniuerse would totter, and fall, and come to nothing.

I goe on to the 147. Psalme; There I see God numbering the starres, and calling them by name: I see him couering the Heauens with clouds preparing raine for the earth, giuing snow like wooll, scattering the hoare frost like ashes, casting forth his ice like morsells, making grasse to grow vpon the mountaines, giuing food to beasts, to Rauens: all this I see, and cannot but acknow­ledge his vniuersall prouidence.

I looke backe to the booke of Iob, and Chap. 9. I finde God remouing mountaines, and ouer-turning them; I finde him shaking the earth out of her place, and commanding the Sunne to stand still: I finde him alone spreading out the heauens, and treading vpon the waues of the sea: I finde him making Ar­cturus, Orion, Pleiades, and the chambers of the South: I finde him doing great things past finding out, yea, and wonders without number. All this I finde, and cannot but admire his vniuersall prouidence.

Infinite are the testimonies which I might produce out of the old Testament for this point: but I passe them ouer, con­tenting my selfe with only two out of the new.

That of our Sauiour Christ, Iohn 5.17. My Father worketh hitherto, and I worke, is fit to my purpose. The words are an answer to the Iewes, who persecuted our Sauiour and sought to slay him, for doing a cure on the Sabbath day, vpon one that [Page 83] had beene diseased 38. yeares. They held it to be vnlawfull to doe any worke vpon the Sabbath day: Christ affirmes it to be lawfull. The ground of their opinion was; God the Father rested the seuenth day from all his workes. This Christ denieth not, but explicates the meaning of it. Its true; My Father re­sted the seuenth day from all his workes: yet true also it is, Pa­ter meus vs (que) modò operatur; My Father worketh hitherto.

He rested the seuenth day from all his workes, and yet he wor­keth; how can this be so? It is thus according to Aquinas: He rested the seuenth day â nouis creaturis condendis, from ma­king any new creatures; yet notwithstanding hee euer wor­keth, creaturas in esse conseruando, preseruing his creatures in their being. It may be thus enlarged: Requieuit die septimo, God rested the seuenth day from creating any new world, or from making any new kinds of creatures, but nor then rested he, nor at any time since hath he rested from prouiding for, and ca­ring for, and ruling, and gouerning, and sustaining the world. Neuer resteth he, but causeth his creatures to breed and bring forth after their kinds, and restoreth things decaying, and pre­serueth things subsisting to his good pleasure▪ This is that say­ing of our Sauiours, Pater meus vs (que) modò operatur, my Father worketh hitherto.

My Father worketh hitherto! Hom. 37. in Ioan. 5. Saint Chry sostome well dis­courseth thereupon. If, saith he, thou shouldest aske; How is it, that the Father yet worketh, sith he rested the seuenth day from all his workes? I tell thee, [...]. He prouideth for, and vpholdeth all things, that he hath made. Be­hold the Sunne rising, and the Moone running, and pooles of wa­ter, and springs, and riuers, and raine, [...], and the course of nature in seeds, and in the bodies of man and beast; behold, and consider these, and all other things, whereof [...], this vniuerse consisteth, and thou wilt not deny the perpetuall operation of the Father, but wilt breake forth into the praises of his vniuersall prouidence.

That branch of Saint Pauls Sermon to the Athenians, Act. 17.28. In him we liue, and moue, and haue our being; is also fit to the point we haue in hand. In him, that was to the Athenians [Page 84] the vnknowne God, but is indeed the only true and euer-liuing God, we liue, we moue, we haue our being. Saint Ambrose in his booke De bono montis cap. 12. thus descants vpon the words, In Deo moremur, quasi in viâ, sumus quasi in veritate, vinimus quasi in vitâ aeternâ: In him we moue as in the way, we haue our being as in the truth, we liue as in the life eternall. S. Cyprian, or whosoeuer was the Author of that Treatise de Baptismo Chri­sti, thus: In Patre sumus, in Filio vinimus, in Spiritu Sancto mo­nemur & proficimus: We haue our being in the Father, we liue in the Son, we moue in the Holy Ghost. S. Hilary in his Enarrat, vpon Psal. 13. seemeth to assigne all these to the holy Ghost: S. Cyril. lib. 2. in Iohan. cap. 74. ascribes them all to the Sonne. S. Augustine lib. 14. de Trinit. cap. 12. refers them to the whole Trinity. Of the whole Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, he will haue it to be true, that in him we liue, and moue, and haue our being: and he giues for a reason hereof, that, Rom. 11.36. because of him, and through him, and in him are all things. All things are of him, and through him, and in him, and there­fore in him we liue, and moue, and haue our being.

Homil. 38. in Act. Apost.See, saith S. Chrysostome, how all things are his; [...], prouidence is his, [...], and preseruation is his; [...], our being is from him, [...], our actiuity is from him; [...], and from him it is that we perish not. In him we haue whatsoeuer we haue, in him we liue, in him we moue, in him we haue our being. Who heares this, and stands not in admiration of the vniuersall prouidence of God?

From this vniuersall or generall prouidence of God, I des­cend to his speciall prouidence. The speciall prouidence of God, is that, by which he ruleth euery part of the world, and all things in euery part, euen the things that seeme most vile and abiect; all their actions, all their euents. Euery part of Hea­uen he ruleth: Not so much as a little cloud ariseth, or moueth, or changeth, or vanisheth, but nutu Dei, by the pleasure and ap­pointment of God.

Euery part of the earth he ruleth. There is not the man, that either is conceiued, or is borne, or liueth, or is preserued, or mo­ueth, or doth any thing, or dieth, nisi ex nutu & voluntate Dei, [Page 85] but by the will, pleasure, and appointment of God. There is not so much as animalculum, not any the least liuing creature, nor beast, nor flie, nor worme, that is ingendred, or fed, or sustei­ned, nisià Deo, but by God. There is not so much as herbula, not any the least flower or grasse, that either springeth, or blos­someth, or withereth, sine manu Dei, but by the hand of God. Gods speciall prouidence is ouer all his workes; but more pe­culiarly is it ouer his Church.

His peculiar prouidence ouer his Church appeareth in the wonderfull preseruation thereof from its first beginning, but more euidently from the time that Noahs Arke floated vpon the waters vntill these our dayes. But of all most famous, and to be admired, was that his preseruation, his protection of the Church among the people of Israel; when they,Gen. 15.13. Act. 7.6. soiourning in a strange land, in the Land of Aegypt, were for foure hundred and thirty yeares held in slauery and bondage, and were very ill intreated. Then, then at the time appointed God sentAct. 7.35. Mo­ses to be their ruler and deliuerer, who led them from out of Aegypt into the wildernesse. In the wildernesse, a place of deso­lation, could their necessities be supplied? They could be, and were supplied. When they needed guide, God went be­fore them; He went before themExod. 13.21. in a pillar of a cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night. So day and night was God their guide. When they wanted bread, flesh, or drinke, mercy and miracle did concurre for their supply.Psal. 78.24. Heauen gaue them bread, theVers. 26. wind quailes, theVers. 15. rocke waters. Of apparell they felt no want: forDeut. 29.5. forty years together neither the cloaths vpon their backes, nor the shooes on their feet, were waxen old. For the di­rection of their consciencesExo. 20.2. &c. a Law was giuen them from mount Sinai; and for the resolution of their doubts, they had the oracles of God, from betweene theExod. 25.22. Cherubins. They nee­ded not to feare the force and fury of their enemies: for they found by experience that theIos. 10.13. Sun and Moone, andExod. 9.23. Psal. 105.32. fire from Heauen, and vapours from the clouds, andExod. 7.20. water, andExod. 8.6. Psal. 105.30. frogs, andPsal. 105.31. lice, and flies, andVers. 34. locusts, and caterpillers tooke their parts. Yea, the Lord himselfeExod. 14.14.25. Deut. 1.30. fought for them. Very speciall was the prouidence of God, for his Church in Israel.

As speciall is his prouidence for his Church among vs. Here should I set the mercies of our Land to run along with Israels; we should win ground of them, we should out-run them. Be it that in Gods actuall and outward mercies they might out­strip vs; yet in his spirituall and sauing health, they come short of vs. For, as one well saith, they had the shadow, we the sub­stance; they the candle-light, we the noone-day; they the break­fast of the Law, fit for the morning of the world, we the dinner of the Gospel, fit for the high-noone thereof. They had a glimpse of the Sunne, we haue him in the full strength: they saw per fe­nestram, we sine medio. They had the Paschall lambe, to expiate sins ceremonially; we haue the Lambe of God to satisfie for vs really. Vnthankfull we, thrise vnthankfull are we, if we ac­knowledge not the prouidence of God ouer his Church among vs to be very speciall.

Now followeth the particular or singular prouidence of God. It is that by which he prouideth for euery particular creature. That there wasIonah 1.4. sent out a great wind into the sea to raise a tem­pest against a ship that was going to Tarshish; that there was a preparation of a great fish Vers. 17. to swallow vp Ionah, and of a Gourd Ionah 4 6. to be a shadow ouer his head against the Sun-beames, and of a worme Vers. 7. to smite that Gourd, it was wholly from the particu­lar prouidence of God. From the same prouidence it is, that the Sunne riseth on the euill and the good, and that the raine falleth on the iust and on the vniust, Mat. 5.45. From the same it is, that the Lilies of the field are so arayed, as Solomon in all his glory was not so, Mat. 6.28. From the same it is, that the haires of our head are all numbred, Mat. 10.30. What? Are the haires of our head numbred? Serm. de Mar­tyr. Are they all numbred? Quid timebo, saith Saint Augustine, quid timebo damna membrorum, quando securitatem accipio capillorum? Surely I that haue security for the haires of my head, will not feare the losse of any member I haue. Yet if it shall please God to smite me in any member I haue, in arme, or in legge, Psal. 22.14. or in all, so that I be, as if all my bones were out of ioynt; I shall euer acknowledge the hand of God, and his particular prouidence, without w^ch not so much as a little sparrow falleth on the ground, as it is testified by our Sauiour Christ, Mat. 10.30. So true is my propounded doctrine, [Page 87] ‘Nihil accidere, nisi à Deo prouisum: that nothing falleth out in this life, no calamity, no misery, nothing, good or euill, but by the prouidence of God.’

The obiections, that are by the ignorant cast out against this holy and comfortable doctrine, I cannot now stand to re­fute: they may, if God will, be the ground-worke of some o­ther meditation. For the present, that I be not ouer-trouble­some vnto you, I will adde but a word of vse, and application.

The first vse may be, to stirre vs vp to glorifie God for all his mercies. For sith we know, that whatsoeuer befalleth vs in this life, it is by the prouidence of God, what should come out of our mouthes, and hearts, but that of holy Iob, Blessed, Blessed be the name of the Lord for it? In the time of our prosperity, when the face of the Lord shineth most cheerefully vpon vs, what should pierce the inward parts of a childe of God, but these or the like motions? O Lord! Lord! that the hearts of these men my righteous friends or others, are turned vnto me, it is of thee alone. Of thee alone it is, that I haue their loue, their fauour, their benefits▪ thou alone art the fountaine, they are but the in­struments. Thy instruments they are, such as next after thee I will thankfully regard, but neuer before thee, nor without thee. Also what any other creature yeeldeth me of comfort, profit, or good any way, the power, the strength, and the means thereof is from thee alone, from thee my God, my strength, my hope, and my stay for euer.

A second vse may be to worke patience in vs, euen through our whole life, and in our greatest afflictions. For sith wee know, that whatsoeuer befalleth vs in this life, be it to the flesh neuer so sowre, it commeth to passe by the prouidence of God; why should any one that is the childe of God murmure or re­pine, when he is fed with the bread of teares? O then!Psal. 80.5. when wee are pinched with aduersity, let vs not imagine, that God is our enemy; beleeue we rather, that, of his good and fatherly purpose, he chasteneth vs for the remnant of sin, abi­ding in this corrupted nature of ours, thereby to stirre vs vp to the exercise of true Christian patience. Vpon this beleefe I am resolued neuer to looke so much at any ill, that shall be­tide [Page 88] me, as at the blessed hand, that shall be the guide thereof.

A third vse, which for this time shall be my last vse of the doctrine now deliuered, is to driue vs to our knees early and late, to begge and desire at this our good Gods hand, the con­tinuance of his euer sweet prouidence ouer vs, and for vs, that by his good guidance wee may quietly saile ouer the sea of this wicked world; and when his blessed will shall be, we may ar­riue in the hauen of eternall comfort, euen his blessed, and glorious, and euerlasting Kingdome; to which the Lord grant vs a happie comming, for his deare­ly beloued Sonne Iesus Christ his sake, to whom with the Father in the vni­tie of the holy Spirit be all praise and power.

Amen.

YOu may at the first blush thinke it a needlesse labor for me to stand vpon the exposition of this second branch of this fift verse, because it seemeth to be coincident with the former. It is true, that as well in this branch as in that, the similitude is taken from the manner of a fowler; yet I doubt not euen from hence to gather some good and profitable fruit for our instruction in the way of piety and godly liuing.

My custome hitherto requireth that first I cleare the rea­ding; and then proceed to some wholsome obseruation.

If the Hebrew be rendred word for word, it will sound thus: Nunquid ascendet laqueus è terrâ, & capiendo non capiet? Shall a snare ascend from the earth, and in taking shall it not take? So are the words translated by Mercerus, and by Vatablus, and by Drusius. Shall a snare ascend from the earth] To ascend in the Hebrew tongue, signifieth to be taken away, to be re­moued. [Page 88] [...] [Page 91] [...] [Page 92] Laqueus ascendit, quum tollitur: a snare ascendeth from the earth, when it is taken thence. For this same ascendet, the Septuagint haue [...]; Shall a snare be loosed from the earth, shall it be broken vpon the earth? Herewith agreeth the Chaldee Paraphrast. The Vulgar Latine hath Auferetur, Shall a snare be taken from the earth? Shall it be taken? By whom? By whom, but by a fowler? The fowler is expressed by Tremelius and Iunius, and by Caluin; the rest that expresse him not, must of necessity vnderstand him.

Shall a fowler remoue his snare from the earth, Et capiendo non capiet? and in taking shall he not take? It is an Hebraisme: for which the Greekes haue [...], without taking somewhat; the old Latine hath antequam quid ceperit, before he haue taken somewhat; Caluin and Brentius, priusquam cap­turam ceperit, before he hath taken a prey: Gualter, si omnino nihil cepe [...]it, If he hath taken nothing at all. Those hit the sense of our Prophet, though they leaue his Hebraisme: and herein I reprehend them not. For I dissent not from S. Hierome, Comment. in c. 1. ad Gal. who there saith, Non in verbis Scrip­turarum esse Euangelium, sed in sensu; non in superficie, sed in m [...] ­dulla, non in sermonum folijs, sed in radice rationis. His saying is, that the Gospell is not in the words of the Scriptures, but in the sense; not in the outside, but in the marrow; not in the leaues of the booke, but in the root of reason. Well then haue the Greekes, and the Vulgar Latine, and Caluin, and Brentius, and Gualter, left the word, to giue the sense. So hath our countryman Tauerner, whose reading is, Taketh a man his snare vp from the ground, afore he catch somewhat? The meaning he well expresseth. So doe our newest Transla­tors; but the better, by how much the neerer they cleaue vnto the words: Shall one take vp a snare from the earth, and haue taken nothing at all?

Shall be? To this interrogation, as to the former, the answer should be negatiue; No, he shall not. Shall hee not? How so? A fowler may be deceiued; hee may misse of his prey, and so may be driuen to take vp his snares, his ginnes, his nets, though he haue taken nothing.

Luther for the remouing of this scruple here respecteth the intention of the fowler, not his labour, nor the euent thereof. The fowler laies his snares, sets his ginnes, spreads his nets with an intent, with a minde to catch somewhat, though some­time it may fall out he catcheth nothing.

Petrus Lusitanus here obserueth it to bee the custome of fowlers, non facilè laqueos amouere, not willing to remoue their snares, till they catch somewhat. The like doth Mercerus, Hand sane id moris est, surely its not the custome, that a fow­ler should take vp his snares, if hee haue taken nothing. So doth Drusius: Non tollitur, A snare is not taken vp, before somewhat be catched. Non tollitur, that is, non t [...]lli solet com­muniter, [...], commonly and for the most part a snare vseth not to be taken vp, till somewhat bee catched. And so saith Carthusian: A net spread to catch birds, is not taken vp till some be catched; Hoc communiter it a est, so commonly it falls out.

It is now easie to giue answer to the interrogation. The in­terrogation is, Shall one, a man, a fowler, take vp his snare from the ground, and haue taken nothing at all? The answer is▪ Sure­ly no. Commonly, and for the most part he doth it not: hee vseth not, its not his custome to take vp his snare from the ground, if he haue taken nothing at all.

The reading is cleered, the interrogation is answered; and now let vs see whereto this similitude taken from this cu­stome of the fowler is appliable. It may serue, as in my for­mer Lecture I signified, for the illustration of the certainty, the stability and the efficacy of the iudgements of God, which he threatneth to bring vpon the wicked for their sins; thus. A fowler vseth not to take vp his snares, till he hath catched somewhat: no more is it Gods vse, when he maketh shew of his iudgements, to withdraw his hand, till he hath put them in execution. God giues not forth his threats in vaine, nor gathers he vp his nets, nor takes he vp his snares, till he hath taken what he would; till he hath effected what he threatned by his Prophets. The summe of all is; Verbum Dei non ca­dere fine efficacia. The word of God falleth not without its [Page 94] efficacy; what he speaketh, that he doth. Such is the appli­cation of this present similitude.

Saint Hierome applies it, as he doth the former. Hee ap­plies it to such as liue in discord and variance. Their punish­ment it is, vt capiantur laqueo, to be taken in a snare; in a snare, that is placed not in the aire but on the ground; from which whosoeuer is deliuered, good cause hath he to reioyce; and to say as it is, Psal. 124.7. Our soule is escaped, as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are deliuered. This is contritus ille laqueus, that same broken snare, whereof the Apostle speaketh, Rom. 16.20. Deus conteret Satanam sub pedibus vestris velociter; God shall bruise, he shall breake Satan vnder your feet shortly. And hitherto he bringeth that, Psa. 140.5. Iuxta semitam scandulum posuerunt mihi, they haue spred a net for me, by the way-side. By the way side haue they done it. For they are not able any other way to deceiue the simple, then by propounding vnto them the name of Christ, Vt dum putamus nos Christum inuenire, pergamus ad Antichri­stum: the while we thinke we are in the way to finde out Christ, we goe on the high way to Antichrist. Thus hath Saint Hierome applied this similitude: and he is followed by Strabus Fuldensis, the Author of the ordinary Glosse.

The doctrine which that good Father would from hence commend vnto vs is this; Discordiae poena, in laqueum inci­dere. It is the punishment of discord to fall into a snare. I thus explicate it. The man that liues in discord and variance shall fall into such calamities, out of which there is no esca­ping for him, as there is no escaping for a bird out of a snare.

Must calamity bee the guerdon, the recompence of the man that liueth in discord and variance? It must needs be so. The foulenesse, the leprosie of this sinne will not suffer it to be otherwise. How foule and leprous this sinne is, it may ap­peare, first by the detestation wherein God holdeth it. Six things there are which the Lord hateth, yea the seuenth his soule abhorreth. A proud looke, a dissembling tongue, hands that shed innocent bloud; an heart that deuiseth wicked imaginations; feet that be swift in running to mischiefe; a false witnesse, that [Page 95] speaketh lies: These are the six which the Lord hateth: the seuenth which his soule abhorreth is, Hee that soweth discord among brethren, Prou. 6.16. And no maruell is it, that hee should with his soule abhorre such a one. Non enim est dissen­tionis Deus, sed pacis, as the Apostle speaketh, 1 Cor. 14.33. For God, he is not a God of tumult, of vnquietnesse, of confu­sion, of dissention, of discord, but a God of peace.

Againe, this sinne appeareth to be very soule and leprous, in that it excludeth from the Kingdome of Heauen. That it doth so, Saint Paul proueth, Gal. 5.19. because it is a worke of the flesh: among which he numbreth, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, and seditions: and concludeth, that they which doe such things shall not inherit the Kingdome of God.

A third way to finde out the foulnesse and leprosie of this sinne, is, to take a view of the appellations, which in holy Scripture are giuen to this kinde of sinner. He is carnall, he is froward, he is proud, he is foolish.

First, he is Carnall. Saint Paul auoucheth it, 1 Cor. 3.3. Ye are yet Carnall. For whereas there is among you enuying, and strife, and diuisions, are ye not carnall and walke as men? Are ye not carnall? Deny it not. For you are carnall, and ye walke as men. You are carnall, you follow the force and prouoca­tion of your flesh, your sensuality, your concupiscence, and ye walke as men: Ye walke not after God, not after the Spirit, 1 Pet. 4.6. Rom. 8.4. Gal. 5.16. Colos. 1.10. not in the Spirit, not worthy of the Lord, not worthy of the Gospell; as long as there is among you e [...]uying, and strife, and diuisions.

Secondly, the sinner in this kinde is froward. So doth Sa­lomon stile him, P [...]ou. 16.28. A froward man soweth strife. This froward man, in the Hebrew, Vir peru [...]rsitatum, A man of frowardnesses; a man giuen altogether to frowardnesse, soweth strife betweene man and man, betweene neighbour and neighbour, and is a very batemaker. Wil you a fuller descripti­on of him? you may haue it, Prou. 6.12. There shall you find him to be a naughty person, a wicked man, one that walketh with a froward mouth, that winketh with his eyes, that speaketh [Page 96] with his feet, that teacheth with his fingers, that hath froward­nesse in his heart, that continually deuiseth mischiefe, that sow­eth discord. Beleeue it: it is a sure marke of a naughty, a wicked, a froward man, to be the Author of contentions and strife.

Thirdly, this kinde of sinner is a proud man. For, as it is, Prou. 13.10. Onely by pride commeth contention. Onely by pride? The meaning is not, that pride is the onely cause of contention, but one of the chiefest. So is that place by some expounded. But well may it without glosse or exposition passe for a truth, that onely by pride commeth contention, if Saint Augustine in his booke de Nat. & Grat. against the Pe­lagians bee not deceiued. Out of the 26. Chapter of that booke, I thus frame his argument. Euery contempt of God is pride; but euery sinne is a contempt of God; Therefore euery sinne is pride; according to that of Ecclesiasticus, chap. 10.15. Initium omnis peccati est superbia, The beginning of euery sinne is pride. Now if euery sinne, if the beginning of euery sinne be pride, then certaine it is, that contention, variance, strife, debate, and the like, are all from pride.

Fourthly, the sinner in this kinde is a foole. For a foole he is taken, Prou. 18.6. Where it is said; Labia stulti miscent se rixis, A fooles lips are euer brawling. The words which a foole vttereth with his lips, haue alwaies strife annexed vnto them, as an inseparable companion.

Thus you see the account wherein the Spirit of God hol­deth brawlers, make-bates, and sowers of discord, in that it stileth them carnall, and froward, and proud, and foolish. It was the third way, I propounded, to finde out the foulnesse and leprosie of this sinne.

There is yet a fourth way: and that is by the effects there­of, as Busaus the Iesuite in his Panary hath obserued.

One effect thereof is to increase our sinnes. Well then doth Ecclesiasticus exhort vs to abstaine from strife. His exhorta­tion is, Chap. 28.8. Abstaine from strife, [...], and thou shalt diminish thy sinnes. If by abstaining from strife we diminish our sinnes, then surely by liuing in strife we increase our sinnes.

A second effect of strife he maketh to be the subuersion of the bearers: according to that charge which Paul giueth to Timothy, 2 Epist. 2.14. Charge them before the Lord, that they striue not about words to no profit, but to the subuerting of the hearers.

A third effect is, that it disturbeth the quietnesse euen of a wise man, saith Salomon, Prou. 29.9 A wise man, if he contend with a foolish man, there is no quietnesse for him.

A fourth effect is, that it bringeth ruine, destruction, and desolation, not onely to houses or families, but to Cities also, yea to Countries, yea to Kingdomes. This our Sauiour Christ sheweth by a prouerbiall saying, Mat. 12.25. The saying is, Euery Kingdom diuided against it selfe is brought to desolation: and euery City, or house diuided against it selfe, shall not stand.

Such, Beloued, are the effects of this sinne of disc [...]rd, and may well discouer vnto you the foulnesse and leprosie of it. For if it increase our sinnes, if it be the subuersion of those that heare vs, if it disturbe our quietnesse, if it bring ruine, destru­ction, and desolation to all estates, then surely it is a foule and a leprous sinne.

And thus haue I led you in foure seuerall pathes to finde out the foulnesse, and leprosie of this sinne. The first was by Gods detestation of it. His soule abhorreth it. The se­cond was by the gates of Heauen fast shut against it; They that sinne this sinne shall not inherit the Kingdome of God. The third was by the titles giuen to those sinners; they are car­nall, and froward, and proud, and foolish. The fourth was by the effects which this sinne produceth: it increaseth our faults, it subuerteth our hearers, it disturbeth our quietnesse; it brings desolation vpon all, vpon family, vpon nation, vpon Kingdome.

You now see the foulnesse; you see the leprosie of this sin; and will yeeld your assents to the truth of my propounded doctrine: which was, ‘The man that liueth in discord and variance, shall fall into such calamities, out of which there is no escaping for him as there is no escaping for a bird out of a snare.’

Is it thus, Beloued? Must the man that liues in discord and variance fall into calamities, out of which there is no esca­ping for him? Must he? Our best way then will be, euer to beare about with vs, that same Antidote or preseruatiue which Saint Ambrose hath prescribed, Offic. lib. 1. cap. 21. Caueatur iracundia, aut si pracaueri non potest cohibeatur. Take heed of wrath, beware of discord, or if thou canst not before hand prouide against it, keepe it short, bridle it. But first, Caueatur, Beware, or take heed of it. This is the counsell which Paul giueth in his first booke concerning the remedy of loue;

Withstand beginnings; thy medicines may come too late, if thy disease be grown strong. And this is the third remedy pre­scribed by Busaeus against this malady: Resiste contentionum principijs, Resist the beginnings of discord. If thou bee to talke with any man, keepe vnder the first motions of thy minde, that they breake not forth into indignation; and so thou giue the occasion of discord.

Discord is a Serpent. This serpent, like Goliah, must bee smote dead in the1 Sam. 17.49. forehead, he must be crushed in the head, lest if he get in the head, as he did into2 Cor. 11.3. Eue, he bring in the whole body, and when sinne is finished, hee leaue from his taile, the1 Cor. 15.55. sting of death in our soules.

Discord is a Cockatrice. This Cockatrice must be crushed in theEsay 59.5. Egge; If we suffer it to be hatched, and to grow a Basi­liske, it will be our poyson.

Discord is a Fox. We must take this Fox,Cant. 2.15. this little Fox before he doe any hurt. If we let him grow till he be great, then likeLuk. 13.32. Herod the Fox, he will become bloud-thirsty and rauenous, or like Samsons Iudg. 15.4. Foxes, he will set all on fire.

Discord is as Leauen, whereof it is said,1 Cor. 5.6. Gal. 5.9. Paullulò fermenti tota massa fermentatur, If we purge not out this little leauen, it will sowre the whole lumpe.

Discord isNum. 3.18, 19 Aqua amaritudinis. We must giue this water of bitternesse no passage,Eccles. 25.25. no not a little, lest like that inCap. 47.3, 4, &c. Eze­chiel, [Page 99] it grow from the anckles to the knees, and from the knees to the loines, and proue a riuer that cannot bee passed ouer without drowning.

Discord is Parunlus Babylonis. Wee must betimes take this youngling of Babylon, andPsal. 137.9. dash him against the stones, lest after growth he should cry against vs, downe with them, downe with them euen vnto the ground.

Thus, and thus, are we to deale with this youngling of Ba­bylon, with this water of bitternesse, with this leuen, this little leauen, with this fox, this little fox, with this Cockatrice, with this serpent; we are to resist discord euen in the beginning. And this was Saint Ambrose his Caueatur; Caueatur iracun­dia, beware of discord, take heed of it. But if wee cannot be­fore hand prouide against it, then followes his Cohibeatur, Keepe it short, bridle it.

But how shall we keepe it short? how shall we bridle it? The same good Father will for this point instruct vs. Si prauenerit & praeoccupauerit mentem tuam iracundia, non relinquas locum tuum. If anger, if wrath shall preuent thee, and prepossesse thy minde, leaue not thou thy place. Thy place! Whats that? Locus tuus patientia est, locus tuus sapientia est, locus tuus ratio est, locus tuus sedatio indignationis est. Thy place is patience, thy place is wisdome, thy place is reason, thy place is the asswa­ging, the quieting of thine anger. By patience, by wisdome, by reason, thou maist asswage and quiet anger.

But my neighbour is so sullen, so froward, so selfe-willed, that I cannot chuse but be moued. In this case what shall I doe? The Fathers reply vnto thee is, Reprime linguam tuam, Restraine, keepe vnder, tame thy tongue. For so it is written, Psal. 34.13. Keepe thy tongue from euill, and thy lips that they speake no guile.

Restraine, keepe vnder, tame my tongue, keepe my tongue from euill. The aduice I confesse to be very good. But how shall I be able to follow it? S. Iames seemeth to imply an impossibility in this performance, Chap. 3.8. where he saith, The tongue can no man tame: it is an vnruly euill, full of deadly poison. No man can tame it: How then shall I? It is an vnruly euill; [Page 100] how shall I rule it. It is full of deadly poison; how shall I cleanse it?

It were blasphemy to gaine-say, what Saint Iames hath said. He hath said, the tongue is an vnruly euill; and so it is. It is an euill, and an euill of a wilde nature, it is an vnruly euill. An vnruly euill it is, Saint Bernard in his Treatise De triplici custodia, saith of it; facile volat, atque ideo facilè vio­lat; It flieth quickly, and therefore it woundeth quickly. Spee­dy is the pace it goeth, and therefore speedy is the mischiefe it doth. When all other members of the body are dull with age, this though it be but little, this tongue alone is quicke and nimble. An vnruly euill it is; an vnruly euill to our selues, an vnruly euill to our neighbours, an vnruly euill to all the world.

And it is full of deadly poison. Poison! What? is there poy­son in the tongue? Poyson, that is contrary to the nature of a man, is it in the tongue of a man? Yes. But it may be this poison is no mortall poyson, but such a poyson, whose venome may without much adoe be expelled. Nay, saith Saint Iames, it is mortall, it is a deadly poyson. Say it be a deadly poyson; per­aduenture there is but little of it, and so the danger is the lesse. Nay, saith Saint Iames, it is full of it; it is full of deadly poyson.

The tongue is an vnruly euill, full of deadly poyson; who can tame it? No man, saith the Apostle. No. Man hath no bri­dle, no cage of brasse, no barres of iron to tame the tongue withall. And yet you see, the Psalmographer calleth vpon vs to tame this tongue of ours, to keepe it from euill. Keepe thy tongue from euill, and thy lips that they speake no guile.

In this case what shall we doe, Beloued? Whether shall we haue recourse for helpe in this time of need? Whether but to the throne of grace, euen to him that sitteth thereon? He made the tongue, and he alone can tame the tongue. Hee that gaue man a tongue to speake, can giue him a tongue to speake well. Hee that placed that vnruly member in the mouth of man, can giue man a mouth to rule it. He can giue vs songs of Sion for loues-sonnets, and heauenly Psalmes [Page 101] for the Ballads of Hell. Wherefore let vs moue our tongues to entreat of him helpe for our tongues. Dauid hath scored out this way for vs, Psal. 141.3. Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, keepe the doore of my lips. Da Domine quod jubes, & jube quod vis, It was Saint Augustines petition, and be it ours. Giue Lord what thou commandest, and then command vs what thou wilt. Thou commandest that I keepe my tongue from euill, and my lips that they speake no guile: Lord keepe thou my tongue from euill, keepe thou my lips, and my lips shall speake no guile.

Yet Beloued, wee must not be idle ourselues. The diffi­culty of keeping our tongues from euill, should spurre vs on to a greater diligence. I know you would keepe your house from theeues, your garments from moths, your treasure from rust: See that ye be as carefull to keepe your tongues from euill. Giue not ouer your hearts vnto security, and your tongues will be the better. As farre as the heart is good, so farre will the tongue be good. If the heart beleeue,Rom. 10.10. the tongue will confesse. If the heart be meeke, the tongue will be gentle. But if the heart be angry, the tongue will be bitter.Iames 3.6. A tongue set on fire of Hell, to tell tales; to speake euill, to backe-bite, to slander, to curse, to brawle, to reuile, discouers a heart as foule, full of all maliciousnesse: according to that which our Sauiour told the Pharisees, Matth. 12.34. Out of the abun­dance of the heart the mouth speaketh. It is a polluted heart that maketh a foule mouth.

Wherefore, dearely Beloued, make cleane within, and all will be cleane: hate euill cogitations, and there will proceed from you no euill communication. Foster charity in your hearts; and your lips will bee like the Spouses lips in the Canticles; they will be like a thred of scarlet, Chap. 4.3. and your talke comely; the speech that proceeds from you will be gracious in it selfe, and such as may administer grace vnto the hearers, Ephes. 4.29. full of grauity, full of discretion, full of zeale, full of loue. So shall all bitternesse, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and euill speaking bee put away from you, with all malice. And ye will be kinde one to another, you will be tender-hearted one [Page 102] towards another, you will forgiue one another, euen as God for Christs sake hath forgiuen you. Happy are ye that are in such a case. You shall not need to feare any calamity that hangeth ouer the heads of such as liue in discord and vari­ance: concerning whom, my doctrine was: The man that liues in discord and variance shall fall into such calamities, out of which there is no escaping for him, as there is no escaping for a bird out of a snare.

I haue with some prolixity insisted vpon this argument of discord and variance, the rather being perswaded of the truth of that which S. Augustin. Serm. 57. de verbis Domini hath deliuered in these words, Non potest concordiam habere cum Christo, qui discors voluerit esse cum Christiano: It cannot be that he that is at variance with a Christian, should haue any agreement with Christ.

The motiue that now drew me to entreat of this argument, was Saint Hieroms application of my Text to such as liue in discord and variance, whereupon his collection was, Dis­cordiae poenam esse, in laqueum incidere, that it is the punish­ment of discord, to fall into a snare. Thus far I haue beene his. I must now leaue him, and looke backe to the other appli­cation of my Text, wherewith I acquainted you in the be­ginning of this exercise. My Text is:

Shall one take vp a snare from the earth, and haue taken no­thing at all. The application is:

A fowler vseth not to take vp his snares from the earth, till hee hath catched somewhat; No more is it Gods vse, when he maketh shew of his iudgements, to withdraw his hand, till he hath put them in execution. God giues not forth his threats in vaine, nor gathers hee vp his nets, nor takes he vp his snares, till hee hath taken what hee would, till he hath effected what he threatned by his Prophets. The summe of all is, Verbum Dei non cadere sine efficacia: The Word of God falleth not out without its efficacy. And it is the Doctrine, which I would now further commend vnto your Christian and deuout attentions.

I thus explicate it. The Word of God is a certaine, a sure, a faithfull word. All the prophesies, all the predictions of future things therein propounded, are wonderfully made good in their accomplishment and euent. All promises there­in made, all threats therein denounced are euer true in their performance.

That the prophesies, the predictions of future things pro­pounded in the Word of God are euer true, and haue their due accomplishment, I shall make plaine in few words.

In the daies of Noah the world was growne so foule with sinne, that God would needs wash it with a floud. With this his purpose to wash the world with a floud, hee ac­quainted Noah one hundred and twenty yeeres before hee sent the floud. When that time had its period, when those one hundred and twenty yeeres were expired, then, euen then, and not before, hee brought in the floud, as it appeareth by the collation of Genesis 7.6, 11. with 1 Peter 3.20.

In the fifteenth of Genesis, vers. 13. God saith vnto Abram: Know of a surety, that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serue them, and they shall afflict them foure hundred yeeres: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. Here is a prediction vnto Abram concer­ning his posterity; that they should goe into a strange land, should liue in thraldome, and should from thence be deli­uered at the end of foure hundred yeeres. According to this prediction it came to passe. But first I note here, that this time of foure hundred yeeres, must beginne at the birth of Isaak; though from hisAn. M. 2049. birth to the deliuerance of the chil­dren of Israel An. M. 2454. out of Aegypt were foure hundred and fiue yeeres, which few yeeres in so great a summe maketh no great difference. Againe, I note here, that by this land, not theirs, is meant not Aegypt onely, but Canaan too. And thirdly I note, that where the Text rehearseth these three, they shall be strangers, they shall serue, they shall be afflicted; we must iointly, not seuerally, apply them all to the time limited of foure hundred yeeres, that this whole time of foure hun­dred [Page 104] yeeres, they were either strangers, or serued, or were af­flicted. And so Saint Augustine, quaest. 47. in Exod. vnder­standeth this place. But you see the accomplishment of the prediction.

Christ the Messias, the Sauiour of mankind was promised to our first parents, euen vpon the beginning of the world, Gen. 3.15. where God tells the Serpent, that the seed of the woman should bruise his head. Hee was promised vnto A­bram, Genesis 12.3. In thee shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed. This promise vnto Abraham is seuen times rei­terated. The seuenth repetition of it is, Gen. 22.18. In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed. He was pro­mised vnto Isaack, Gen. 26.4. In thy seed shall all the Na­tions of the earth bee blessed. The time of his comming is noted by Iacob the Patriarch, Gen. 49.10. The Scepter shall not depart from Iudah, nor a Law-giuer from betweene his feet vntill Shiloh come. It is noted likewise by the Angell Ga­briel, Dan. 9.25. Who there wisheth Daniel to know and vnderstand, that from the going forth of the commandement to restore and to build Ierusalem, vnto the Messiah, the Prince shall be seuen weekes.

All these promises, prophesies, and predictions touching Christ, the Messias, the Sauiour of mankind, we beleeue and know, they haue had their due accomplishment.

I could here remember you of prophesies or predictions, wherein certaine persons were by name expressed long be­fore they were borne. Such is that, 1 King. 13.2. O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord, Behold a child shall be borne vnto the house of Dauid, Iosiah by name, and vpon thee shall he offer the Priests of the high places that burne incense vpon thee; and mens bones shall be burnt vpon thee. Iosiah, you see, is named: but it wasAn. M. 2971. three hundred and thirty three yeeres before Io­siah wasAn. M. 3304. borne, and before theAn. M. 3330. execution of this predi­ction three hundred fifty and nine yeeres. The execution of it we haue, 2 King. 22.15.

Such is that, Esa. 44.28. There thus saith the Lord of Cyrus, He is my shepheard and shall performe all my pleasure, [Page 105] euen saying to Ierusalem, Thou shalt be built, and to the Tem­ple, thy foundation shall be laid. The prediction is, that Cyrus should take order for the reedifying of the City of Ierusalem, and the Temple there. Cyrus is the man that must giue leaue for this great worke to be set on foot. Cyrus, Cyrus is named, and yet at this time Cyrus was not borne. Nor was he borne within one hundred yeeres after this time. Nay, saith Iose­phus, Antiq. Iudaic. lib. 11. cap. 1. the prophesie of Esay was written two hundred and ten yeeres before Cyrus his time. Yet was the truth of this ProphesieAn. M. 3426. fulfilled in Cyrus, as it appea­reth, 2 Chron. 36.22. and Ezra 1.1.

Thus haue I briefly, and in a few instances made it plaine, that the prophesies, the predictions of things to come, pro­pounded in the Word of God, are euer true, and haue their due accomplishment: that all the promises made therein, all the threats denounced therein, are euer true in their performance. So, true is my doctrine.

True; For God himselfe hath said it, Esay 55.10. As the raine commeth downe, and snow from Heauen, and re­turneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth, and bud, that it may giue seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not returne vnto mee void; but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. By this similitude taken from the raine and snow, the Lord giueth vs to vnderstand that his Word hath euer an effectiue power. It is euer working one way or other. It either mollifieth or hardeneth: it either conuerteth or conuinceth: it either cureth or killeth. None euer heard it, but they were either the better or the worse by it. Wee preach, saith Saint Paul, 1 Corinth. 1.23. We preach Christ crucified, vnto the Iewes a stumbling blocke, and vnto the Greekes foolishnesse: and these are the worse by the prea­ching of the Word. But vnto them which are called, both Iewes and Greekes, it is the power of God, and his wisdome; and these are the better by it.

After that heauenly Sermon made by our Sauiour, Ioh. 6. in the 66. verse, Some went backe and walked no more with him; these were the worse by his preaching. Others stucke more close, saying vers. 68. Lord, to whom shall we goe? Thou hast the words of eternall life: and we beleeue, and are sure, that thou art Christ, the Sonne of the liuing God: and these were the better by his preaching.

At Paphos in the Ile of Cyprus, Barnabas and Saul vpon the request of the Deputy preached the Word of God. By their preaching Sergius was conuerted, Elimas was the more ob­durate; the Deputy was the better by it: the Sorcerer much the worse, Act. 13.7, 8.

This word of God is called a sword, Heb. 4.12. [...], a double edged sword. It hath an edge, and an edge: alijs ad salutem, alijs ad perditionem. It hath an edge for some vnto saluation; an edge for others vnto perdition: an edge for receiuers vnto redemption, an edge for contemners vnto reie­ction. This is it that our Sauiour saith, Ioh. 12.48. He that re­iecteth me, and receiueth not my words, hath one that iudgeth him: the word that I haue spoken, the same shall iudge him at the last day. The word which he hath heard and contemned, the same shall be his Iudge.

Shall it be his Iudge? Tell vs then, Vbi nam iste talis judex sedebit? Where shall this Iudge, a Iudge of this nature, the Word of God, where shall it sit? Quali de solio suo voces aut sen­tentias indicij sui dabit? From what bench, from what tribunall shall it giue sentence?Lib. 10. Com. in Ioan. ad cap. 12. Rupertus shall make the answer: Propè aderit, intùs sedebit, in conscientiâ cujus que iustas sententias terribiliter personabit. It will be neere vnto thee, it will haue a seale within thee, euen in thy conscience: and there it will terribly pronounce iust iudgement against thee, if thou bee a contemner of the word of God.

Beleeue it, dearely Beloued beleeue it, The Word of God preached among vs, shall either saue vs or iudge vs. It shall bee either a copie of our pardon, or a bill of our indite­ment at the last day. For non cadit sine efficacia, as my do­ctrine goeth: The Word of God falleth not out without its [Page 107] efficacy: it effecteth whatsoeuer it promiseth, whatsoeuer it threatneth.

This is it which Saint Austin hath, Enarrat. in Psal. 94. Sicut verum est quod promisit, sic certum est quod minatur: As it is true what God in his holy Word hath promised, so cer­taine is it what therein he threatneth. And as thou shouldest be certainly assured of thy rest, of thy welfare, of thy felicity, of thine eternity, of thine immortality, if thou be obedient to this Word of God; so must thou be certainly assured of thy molestation, of thy vexation, of thy ruine, of thy burning in eternall fire, and of thy damnation with the deuils, if thou be disobedient hereunto.

Thus haue you as well the illustration, as the confirmation of my second doctrine; which was, ‘The Word of God falleth not out without its efficacy.’

The vses may be two. One for terrour, the other for com­fort. The terrour is for the wicked, the comfort for the godly. I can but point at them.

The first is terrour to the wicked. The wicked when hee shall consider, that the threatnings of God against sinners denounced in the Word of God, are euer true in their perfor­mance, and must therefore be performed vpon him, how shall he stand affected? Shall not a feare seize vpon him,Ier. 49.24. shall not anguish and sorrow enuiron him about? Shall not his heart be as the heart of a woman in her pangs? His agony will bee no lesse, than was Belshazzars, Dan. 5.6. His coun­tenance will be changed, his thoughts will be troubled, the ioints of his loines will bee loosed, his knees will smite one against the other. Such will bee his agony, when the threat­nings in Gods Word are brought home vnto him, and laid vnto his conscience: as that, Psal. 11.6. Vpon the wicked the Lord shall raine snares, fire, and brimstone, and a burning tem­pest; this shall be the portion of their cup. And that Rom. 2.9. Tribulation and anguish vpon euery soule of man that doth euill: And that Matth. 5.10. Euery tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewne downe and cast into the fire: And that Matth. 25.30. Cast ye the vnprofitable seruant into vtter dark­nesse, [Page 108] [...] [Page 109] [...] [Page 108] where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. O, what ter­rours shall affright the wicked when hee shall behold such an army of sorrowes comming on against him with due venge­ance from the Lord?

Those terrours that are vpon the wicked may be profitable vnto vs sundry waies.

First, they may teach vs rightly to poise the weight of our sinnes in the balance of the Sanctuary: and by the fearefull issue and after-claps that they bring, to iudge how hainous they are in the sight of God.

Secondly, they may rouse vs vp to a due consideration of our naturall misery.

Thirdly, they may prouoke within vs an appetite, euen to hunger and thirst after reconciliation by Christ.

Fourthly, they may deterre vs from the practise of sinne. And so passing from the terrors of the wicked, let vs haue an eye to the comforts of the godly.

The godly man, he that is the childe of God, when hee considereth that the promises of God made in his holy Word are euer true in their performance, and therefore will be performed in his particular, how great cause hath hee of exultation and reioycing? Sweet is that promise made by Christ, Matthew 11.28. Come vnto mee all yee that labour and are heavy laden, and I will giue you rest. As sweet is that, Iohn 6.35. Hee that beleeueth on me shall neuer thirst; and that, vers. 37. Him that commeth to mee, I will in no wise cast out. Turne but to the second Chapter of the E­pistle to the Romans, and there shall you finde a promise of glory, honour, peace, and eternall life, to such as with patience continue in well doing.

Rest from labour, the asswaging of spirituall thirst, an irreuocable admission into the fellowship of Christ, glory, honour, peace, and life eternall! Such is the issue of our obedience, the end of our well-doing. Of this issue, or end, to speake as it deserueth, what tongue of men or Angels is able? A very small quantity hereof here in life obtained, O, how passeth it all vnderstanding! And who is he that can [Page 109] vtter the sweetnesse of that peace of conscience, and spiri­tuall reioycing in God, which himselfe hath here in this life tasted? And if the beginning bee so sweet, how sweet shall the fulnesse bee? Of which fulnesse vouchsafe most gracious Father in thy good time to make vs all parta­kers, for Iesus Christ his sake.

OF the six similitudes here brought by Amos, this is the last. The first was from trauailers vp­on the way, Vers. 3. The second and third were from Lions, Vers. 4. The fourth and fifth, from Fowlers, Vers. 5. This, the sixth and the last is from Warriours, Vers. 6. All doe serue for the polishing and adorning of the proposition set downe in the se­cond Verse of this Chapter, the substance whereof is, God be­ing good and gracious to a people, if hee be repaid with vnthank­fulnesse, will assuredly visit that people, and punish them for all their iniquities. My method for the handling of this sixth si­militude shall be no other, then what it was for the other fiue. I will first cleare the reading, and then proceed to such obser­uation, as may be for the amendment of out liues.

For the reading first. Shall a trumpet be blowne in a citie, and the people not be afraid?

This Trumpet with the Vulgar Latine is Tuba, but with Tremelius and Iunius, with Mercerus and with Drusius it is Buccina. Tuba is the Hebrewes [...]. Io­seph. Antiq. Iu­daic. l. 3. cap. 11. Chatsotsrah; Buccina is theirSophar, Graecè [...]. Hier. Hos. 5.8. Schophar, and so are these two, Chatsotsrah and Schophar translated by the author of the Vulgar Latine, Hos. 5.8. Clan­gite buccinâ in Gabaâ, Tubâ in Româ. Saint Hierome vpon that place puts a difference betweene Buccina and Tuba. Buccina pastoralis est, & cornu recurno efficitur, Tuba autem de are effi­citur, vel argento. According to this distinction Buccina is the Cornet, and Tuba the Trumpet. So is that place Englished in our newest translation: Blow yee the Cornet in Gibeah, and the Trumpet in Romah. And so my text should speake of a Cor­net, not of a Trumpet. Shall a Cornet be blowne in a City, and the people not be afraid? Shall a Cornet be blowen? The He­brew is Schophar.

But this distinction of these two is not perpetually obserued. The old interpreters of the Bible doe sometime confound them: and doe render [...] Schophar by Tuba, the Trumpet, and [...] Chatsotsrah by Buccina, the Cornet. And therefore the rea­ding here will be indifferent either way, whether you reade Cornet, or Trumpet. But I take the Trumpet to be the fittest for vs now to follow; because the Translators of our new Church Bible, following the ancient Interpreters, doe preferre the Trumpet.

That which followeth, admitteth a two-fold reading: One is, Shall not the people be afraid? the other is, Shall not they run together? Each reading is commended vnto you by our late Translators: the first in the text; the second in the margent. The difference ariseth from the Hebrew word [...] Charadh, which signifieth either to be afraid, or, to run together. Shall a trumpet be blowne in a citie, and shall not the people either bePanere, ex­panescere. afraid, orProperè ac­currere. run together.

We shall the more easily vnderstand what this interrogati­on intendeth; and what answer is to be made vnto it, if wee consider what the ancient vse of Trumpets was.

The ancient vse of Trumpets is deliuered by a writer of grea­test antiquitie from Gods owne prescription. Moses in the [Page 108] [...] [Page 109] [...] [Page 110] [...] [Page 111] [...] [Page 112] tenth of Numbers is commanded to make two Trumpets of sil­uer, which were to be for present vse, and for vse in time to come. For the present they were to serueNumb. 10.2. for the calling of the assembly, and for the iourncying of the campes.

There is a double vse of them commanded for the time to come; one in time of warre, the other in time of peace. The vse of Trumpets in time of warre was, to assure them, that God would then remember them for good, and saue them from their enemies, Vers. 9. The vse of them in time of peace, was, for their times of ioy, and appointed festiuities. In the day of your gladnesse, and in your solemne dayes, and in the beginnings of your monthes, yee shall blow with the Trumpets ouer your burnt offerings, and ouer the sacrifices of your peace offerings, that they may be to you for a memoriall before your God, Vers. 10.

Of this double vse of the Trumpet Saint Hierome maketh mention, in his Comment vpon Hos. 5. Tubâ in bellis ac so­lonnitatibus concrepabant: they blew with the Trumpet in time of warre, and in their solemnities. So doth Isidore in the eleuenth booke of his Etymologies, chap. 20. Tuba adhibebatur, non solum in praefijs, sed in omnibus festis diebus: The Trumpet was vsed not onely in warre, but also vpon their feast-dayes. Whence is that, Psalm. 81.3. Blow vp the Trumpet in the new moone, in the time appointed, on our solemne feast-day.

And why was the Trumpet to be blowne vpon the solemne feast-day, but to call the people together to their holy assem­blies? So saith Drusius; Ad sonum buccinae accurrebat populus, cùm ad sacra vocaretur: At the sound of the Trumpet, the peo­ple met together for the hearing of diuine seruice. The Trum­pet then called them together, as now the Bells call vs.

This vse of the Trumpet was meerely Ecclesiasticall. There were also ciuill vses of it euen in the time of peace; as when the people were to be called together, to heare some charge giuen them; or to giue or take aduisement concerning the affaires of the Common-wealth.

These vses of the Trumpet, as well Ciuill as Ecclesiasticall, Drusius hath touched in his sacred obseruations, lib. 14. cap. 18. There he saith, that at the found of the Trumpet, the people [Page 113] were wont speedily to come together, Vel ad audiendum ali­quid, vel ad prandum, vel deni (que) ad agendum siue consultandum, de republicâ: they came together, either to heare somewhat, or to pray, or to deliberate and consult about publike matters.

You see, what anciently were the vses of the Trumpet. Now it will not be any hard matter for vs to giue an answer to the Interrogation, which way soeuer it be made. If it be made ac­cording to the reading in the margent, [Shall a Trumpet be blowne in a citie, and the people not runne together?] the answer must be negatiue, No; a Trumpet shall not be blowne in a ci­tie, but the people will run together. They will assemble them­selues, they will come together at the sound of the Trumpet, either to heare what shall be deliuered to them from the Ma­gistrate; or to enter into consultation about the affaires of the citie; or to prostrate themselues in deuotion before the Lord in his holy Temple. If the Trumpet be blowne, they will run together.

This our marginall reading, Tremelius and Iunius haue em­braced as the chiefest, yet so that they reiect not the other. Nay, so farre are they from reiecting the other, as that they ioyne both together. They make the interrogation to be thus: Shall a Trumpet be blowne in a city, and populus trepidè non accurre­rint? shall not the people tremblingly run together? The inter­rogation thus framed, may haue an answer affirmatiue: A Trumpet may be blowne in a city, and the people shall not need tremblingly to run together. For why should here be any trembling where there is no cause of feare?

There was a feast of Trumpets yearely to be obserued in the seuenth month, on the first day of the month, Leuit. 23.24. It was a dayNumb. 29.1. of blowing the Trumpets vnto the people. The Trumpets were blowne and the people ranne together, but without feare, without trembling.

There was a yeare of Iubile euery fiftieth yeare to be hal­lowed. Euery fiftieth yeare on the tenth day of the seuenth mo­neth, the Trumpet of Iubile was to sound, Leuit. 5.19. The Trumpet sounded; the people met, but without feare, with­out trembling.

You will say these were set times of festiuitie, times of ioy, and the blowing of Trumpets at these times was ordinary, and therefore the people now had no reason to be afraid at the sound of the Trumpets: but say, the sound of the Trumpets were extraordinary; would not the people then be afraid, and tremblingly runne together? No; not euer then.

Extraordinary was the sound of the Trumpets, when Da­uid with great solemnity fetched the Arke from Kiriath jea­rim. He brought vp the Arke from thence with songs and with Harpes, and with Psalteries, and with Timbrels, and with Cym­bals, and with Trumpets, 1 Chron. 13.8. The Trumpets were blowne. Here was much ioy expressed; here was no shew of feare at all.

Extraordinary was the sound of the Trumpets at the dedi­cation of Solomons Temple. Then besides the Leuites who had their Cymbals and Psalteries and Harpes, there were an hun­dred and twenty Priests sounding with Trumpets, 2 Chron. 5.12. The Trumpets were blowne; much ioy was thereby expressed, there was no shew of feare at all.

Extraordinary was the sound of the Trumpets at the restitu­tion of religion by Hezekiah King of Iudah; and then were the Leuites present with their Cymbals, their Psalteries, and their Harpes, and the Priests with their Trumpets, 2 Chron. 29.26. The Trumpets were blowne, ioy was expressed, no feare appeared.

Thus we see Trumpets haue been blowne, not only at ordi­nary times, but also at times extraordinary, and yet haue the people had no cause of feare. What shall we then say to this interrogation, as it is made by Tremelius and Iunius? Shall a Trumpet be blowne in a Citie, and shall not the people tremblingly with feare run together?

The interrogation thus framed, for the substance of it, well agreeth with our new translation; Shall a Trumpet be blowne in a City, and the people not be afraid? and therefore we may alike resolue for both.

Our resolution may be thus: This Trumpet must be blowne, not in time of peace when all is quiet; but in time of warre, [Page 115] when all is in combustion: and it must be blowne, not in the streets of the citie, but from the watch-tower: and it must be blowne not at an ordinary time, but when men least thinke of it, to giue warning of the sudden approach of the enemie vnto the citie. To this vnderstanding we are directed by Ionathan, the Chaldee Paraphrast, who addes vnto my text non suo tem­pore, to giue the meaning of it: Shall a Trumpet be blowne in a citie, non suo tempore, out of its ordinary time, and shall not the people be afraid?

So, our Prophet here speaketh de clangore buccina extraor­dinario, of an extraordinary blowing of the Trumpet; of its be­ing blowne alieno tempore, at a strange time. Such a blowing of the trumpet, at such a time, was euer a sure token, aduentan­tis hostis, that the enemie was not farre of: Vnde pauor & me­tus, saith Drusius; whence feare and trembling were vpon the people.

Now to the interrogation, Shall a trumpet be blowne in a ci­tie, and the people not be afraid; or, shall they not tremblingly runne together? Our answer is negatiue; No. It cannot be, that in time of warre a trumpet shall be blowne in a citie at an extra­ordinary, an vnusuall and a strange houre, but the people will be afraid, and will tremblingly run together.

Hitherto hath the reading beene cleared, and the interro­gation answered: and now let vs see whereto this sixth simi­litude taken from warriours is appliable. Saint Hierome ap­plies it, as he doth the former. He applies it to such as liue in discord and variance. He makes it to be their punishment; Ve in ciuitate Domini constituti, tubae sonitu terreantur: that being placed in the city of the Lord, they be terrified with the sound of the trumpet. By this city of the Lord, he meaneth the holy Catholike Church, and by this trumpet, the word of God soun­ding in the Church. For thus headdeth, Whatsoeuer is spo­ken in holy Scriptures, it is tuba comminans, a threatning trum­pet, that with a mighty voice penetrateth the eares of belee­uers. If we be righteous, this Trumpet of Christ calleth vs vn­to blessednesse; but if wicked, vnto torments. With the sound of this trumpet shall they be terrified that liue in discord, and [Page 116] variance. Of the foulenesse and leprosie of which sin, I spake at large in my last Sermon out of this place. Now therefore I leaue it, and proceed to some other application of this sixth si­militude.

Saint Cyril applies it to the Prophets of the Lord, and his Ministers, thus: If a trumpet be blowne in a citie, to giue war­ning of the approach of the enemy, who is there so without all sense of griefe, as not to conceiue exceeding feare of future euils? But you, you the people of Israel, are so void of all sense and feeling, that though my trumpets cease not continually to sound aloud in your eares, and to fore-warne you of euils, that shall come to passe, you receiue no profit thereby. Though you vnderstand by the sound of my trumpets, that your cities which are now inhabited,Ezech. 12.20. shall be laid waste, and your Land shall be desolate; yet you take courage to your selues against such terrours,Amos 6.3. you put far away from you the euill day, you say with­in your selues,Ezech. 12.27. the vision which this man seeth, is for many daies to come, and he prophefieth of the times that are far off. To this purpose Saint Cyril.

With him agree three great Rabbins, R. Dauid, R. Abra­ham, R. Selomo. They make the Lord here to speake after this manner: If a trumpet be blowne in a citie at an vnseasonable houre to giue warning that the enemie is comming, the peo­ple will exceedingly tremble and be afraid. Why then, are not you afraid? why tremble yee not at the voices of my Prophets? My Prophets are my trumpetors: by them I giue you warning of the euils that hang ouer your heads, and will ere long fall vpon you. Why are you not afraid? why tremble you not?

To this application of this sixth similitude, our new Expo­sitors for the most part haue subscribed. They vnderstand by this Citie the Church of God, by the Trumpet the Word of God, by the people the hearers of the Word: and so, thus stands the application: When a trumpet giueth a sudden signe by the sound of it out of a watch-tower, all the people harken, and are troubled, and prepare themselues this way or that way, accor­ding as the trumpet giueth the token: So at the voice of God sounding by his Ministers, we ought to giue eare and be atten­tiue, [Page 117] and be moued at the noise of it, and as he giueth warning, prepare our selues and looke about vs while it is time, left af­terward it be too late.

Now the lesson which we are to take from hence is this, The word of God vttered by his Ministers, deserueth more reuerence, feare, and trembling, then doth a trumpet sounding an alarme from a watch-tower.

For the word of God is a trumpet too, and a trumpet of a farre shriller sound. The blowers of this trumpet are the Ministers of the Word, who in this regard are called sometimes Tuba Dei, and sometimes Speculatores. They are Gods trumpet, and they are watch-men. They are Tuba Dei, Gods trumpet: and hereby are they put in minde of their dutie; euen to de­nounce perpetuall warre against the wicked; and to excite men, euen to fight against the Deuill, and to bid defiance vnto sinne. And they are Speculatores, they are Watch-men, placed by God in his holy Citie, the Church, Ʋolut in spe­culâ, as in a Watch-tower, to watch for the safetie of the peo­ple, and to blow the trumpet vnto them, when any danger is at hand.

Both appellations are met together in Ierem. 6.17. Consti­tui super vos speculatores; audite vocem tubae: I haue set ouer you watch-men: hearken to the sound of the trumpet. Bishops, Pastors, Ministers; they are these watch-men: and wee are to hearken to the sound of their trumpets.

Their trumpets? True. For Ministers haue trumpets. Their trumpets are two. One is Territoria, the other is Consolato­ria. One is a terrifying trumpet; the other trumpet is com­forting.

Of the former God speaketh by his Prophet Esay chap. 58.1. Crie aloud, spare not, lift vp thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Iacob their sinnes. So doth hee by Zephania, chap. 1.16. A day of the Trumpet and alarme against the fenced cities, and against the high towers: And I will bring distresse vpon men, that they shall walke like blinde men, because they haue sinned against the Lord. This trumpet you may call tubam legis, the trumpet [Page 118] of the Law: because by it the Minister denounceth the curses of the Law, the wrath of God, misery, and calamitie to euery vnrepentant sinner.

Of the other trumpet of the ministery, we may vnderstand that, Esay. 27.13. The great Trumpet shall be blowne, and they shall come, which were readie to perish in the Land of Assyria, and the out-casts in the Land of Aegypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy Mount at Ierusalem. This trumpet you may call tubam Euangelij, the trumpet of the Gospell: because by it the Minister pronounceth the blessings of the Gospell; the loue of God, a quiet conscience, and true felicity to euery true beleeuer.

These two trumpets, terrifying and comforting, that of the Law, this of the Gospell, are still of vse in the Church of Christ, the Minister sounding sometimes woe, sometimes weale, accor­ding as our sinnes shall giue him cause.

But why is it, that the ministery of the Word, and the prea­ching thereof, is compared to a trumpet? Hector Pintus in his Comment vpon the eight and fiftieth of Esay giueth hereof two reasons. One is, because, as the materiall trumpet calleth and encourageth vnto warre; so this spirituall trumpet, the preaching of the Word, calleth and encourageth vs to fight valiantly against the world, the flesh and the Deuill. The other is, because as the materiall trumpet is blowne at solem­nities to betoken ioy: so this spirituall trumpet, the preach­ing of the Word, should stirre vs vp ad laborem in praesenti, & ad gaudium in futuro: to labour in this life, and to ioy in that to come. For as he addeth, hic est locus vincendi, ibi triumphan­di: hic breuis laboris, illic sempiterna quietis: hic poenae transe­untis, ibi gloriae permanentis. Here is the place for ouercom­ming, there for the triumph: here of some little labour, there of eternall quiet: here of paine that passeth away, there of glory that endureth.

The comparison standing thus betweene the preaching of the Word, and a trumpet, warranteth the truth of the do­ctrine propounded; which was, ‘The word of God vttered by his Ministers deserueth more re­uerence, [Page 119] feare, and trembling, then doth a trumpet sounding an alarme from a watch-tower.’

This representation of the word of God by a trumpet should euer sound, and as it were, goe before vs, in all our actions, in warre, in peace, in all meetings and ioyfull feasts, that all our doings may be acceptable to the Lord our God.

The doctrine now deliuered, standing vpon the comparison that is betweene the preaching of the Word and a trumpet, may in termes absolute be thus; The preaching of the word of God is to be harkened vnto with all reuerence. It is the point I hand­led in my first Sermon vpon this third Chapter of Amos. My Thesis then was, The word of God is diligently to be harkened vnto. What proofes and reasons out of Scripture I then pro­duced for the confirmation of that truth, and what vse was made thereof, I now stand not to repeat. Nor need I so to doe. The holy Scripture being as the Ocean of waters which can neuer bee exhausted, yeeldeth vs great varietie of matter, though we speake againe and againe to the same point. I proceed then with my Thesis, as it is giuen in termes absolute, ‘The preaching of the word of God is to be harkened vnto with all reuerence.’

I vrge this dutie,

First, from the honour of him that speaketh.

Secondly, from the danger of him that heareth negli­gently.

Thirdly, from the profit of him that heareth with dili­gence.

First, the preaching of the word of God is to be harkened vnto with all reuerence for the honours sake of him that speaketh. For the honours sake of him that speaketh? Why? Who is he? Is he not some Prophet, some Apostle, some Priest, or Mini­ster; one whom wee know to be of meane descent, someAmos 1.1. Heard-man, someMatth 4.18. Fisher-man, some1 Thess 2.9. Act. 18.3. Tent-maker, someMatth. 13.55. Carpenters sonne. Is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren Iames and Ioses, and Simon, and Iudas? And his si­sters, are they not all with vs? How then is it that you vrge vs to [Page 120] giue eare with reuerence to the preaching of the Word, for the honours sake of him that speaketh?

Our blessed Sauiour Christ Iesus, vntieth this knot for me. He to comfort his Apostles against the time of persecution, thus saith vnto them, Matth. 10.19, 30. Take no thought how or what yee shall speake, for it shall be giuen you in the same houre what yee shall speake. For it is not yee that speake, but the Spirit of your Father, that speaketh in you. In the thirteenth of Marke, Verse 11. thus. It is not yee that speake, but the holy Ghost. In the twelfth of Luke, verse 12. thus. The holy Ghost shall teach you in the same houre what yee ought to say. Now see; It is the Spirit of your Father; the Spirit of God; the holy Ghost that speaketh in his Ministers. Why then, yee are with reuerence to giue eare to them, when they preach vnto you, for the honours sake of him that spea­keth.

Qui vos audit, me audit, saith Christ vnto his Disciples, Luke 10.16. Hee that heareth you, heareth mee; and hee that despiseth you, despiseth me. He that heareth you heareth mee! It is an admirable and gracious dispensation from God, to speake vnto man, not in his owne person, and by the voice of his thunders and lightnings, Exod. 20.18. or with the exceeding loud sound of a trumpet: but by Prophets, by Apostles, by Disciples, by Ministers; by men of our owne nature, flesh of our flesh, and bones of our bones, by men of our owne shape and lan­guage,Iames 5.17. by men subiect to the same passions, whereto wee are subiect. God is hee that speaketh from aboue, that blesseth and curseth, that bindeth and looseth, that exhorteth and dis­swadeth by the mouth of man. For this respect and relations sake betweene God and his Ministers, whom it hath pleased of his mercy in some sort to dignifie with the representation of his owne person here vpon the earth, the world hath euer held them in very reuerent estimation.

Remember the Galatians. Though Saint Paul preached the Gospell vnto them through infirmitie of the flesh, Galat. 4.13. without the honour, without the oftentation, without the pompe of this world, rather as one that studied to bring his person into [Page 121] contempt, than otherwise; yet were they so farre off from de­spising or reiecting him, that they rather receiued him as an Angell of God, yea, as Christ Iesus. And he bare them record, that if it had beene possible, they would haue plucked out their owne eyes, and haue giuen them to him. If it had beene pos­sible, that is, if Nature and the Law of God had not forbid­den it: or, if it had beene possible, that is, if they might haue done it sine suo dispendio, as Haymo and Remigius doe inter­pret it, if they might haue done it without their owne vtter vndoing: or if it had beene possible, that is, if it might haue beene ad Ecclesiae vtilitatem, so speake Aquinas and Gorran, if it might haue beene for the good of the Church, they would haue plucked out their owne eyes, and haue giuen them to Paul. Would they haue plucked out their owne eyes? Ni­hil habet quisquam charius oculis suis: There is nothing more deare vnto a man than are his eyes. And yet if it had beene possible, would the Galatians haue plucked out their owne eyes, and haue giuen them to Paul.

When the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, Moses said vnto them, Exod. 16.8. The Lord heareth your murmurings which yee murmure against him; and what are wee? Your murmurings are not against vs, but against the Lord. What are we, but Serui & Ministri, the Ser­uants and Ministers of the Lord? Your murmurings are not against vs, but against the Lord.

This is that, which the Lord saith concerning his Pro­phet, Deut. 18.19. Whosoeuer will not harken to the words which hee shall speake in my name, Ego vltor existam, I will require it of him, I will bee his auenger. Whereupon Didacus Stella: Hominom non debos aspicere, sod Deum, Enarrat. in cap. 10. Lucae. qui in eo loquitur; Looke not vpon man, se [...] not thy thoughts vpon him, but vpon God that speaketh in him. For the words which hee speaketh, hee speaketh in the name of God.

But say the Preacher bee a naughtie, a wicked man; what shall I then doe? Deum qui per ipsum loquitur, debes respicere. Thou must haue regard to God, that speaketh by [Page 122] him. God diuinâ & admirabili suâ virtute, God of his diuine and maruellous power, is able to bring to passe excellent and diuine workes by euill instruments.

God fed Elias by the ministery of Rauens. Rauens brought him bread and flesh in the morning; and bread and flesh in the euening, 1 King. 17.6. Did Rauens bring him food? Cur ita? Why so Lord? Couldest thou nor command Doues, and other cleane birds to feed thy Prophet, but thou must pro­uide for him by Rauens? Note here the mystery. God vseth many times to giue vnto his people the spirituall food of their soules, sound and wholesome doctrine, by euill and wic­ked men, as he gaue good bread and flesh to Elias by Rauens: tu vero comede, onely eat thou, and receiue thou from the hand of God what he sendeth: and be not curious to know, whether hee that brings thee thy soules meat, be a Rauen or a doue, a wicked or a good man, so the food hee bringeth thee be sound and come from God. By this time you see, you are to giue eare with reuerence to the preaching of the word of God for the honours sake of him that speaketh.

You are now in the second place to be vrged to the per­formance of this dutie, from the danger of him that heareth negligently. The danger is great. Saint Augustine disco­uers it by comparing the word of God for the estimation that is to be held of it, to the Body of Christ in the Eucha­rist. His words are in the six and twentieth of his fifty Ho­milies; Non minus reus erit, qui verbum Dei negligenter audierit, quàm qui Corpus Christi in terram cadere suâ negli­gentiâ permiserit: Whosoeuer shall heare the word of God negligently, shall bee no lesse guiltie, than hee that by his owne negligence shall suffer the Bodie of Christ to fall vp­on the ground. And therefore with what solicitude and care wee take heed that no part of Christs bodie which is giuen to vs by the Minister, doe fall vnto the ground; with the like wee should take heed, that no part of Gods word that is offe­red vnto vs by the Preacher, doe either by our wandering thoughts, or our irreuerent talking fall from out our hearts and perish.

But say, this solicitude and care be wanting in vs; what then? Then the danger is, our very prayers will be an abo­mination to the Lord. So saith the holy Ghost, Prou. 28.9. He that turneth away his eare from hearing the Law, euen his prayer shall bee an abomination: where by turning away the eare from hearing, hee meaneth not onely the open con­temning and despising of the word of God, but also eue­ry negligent, carelesse, and vnprofitable hearing thereof. And so it is true: Hee that turneth away his eare from hearing the Law, his prayer shall be an abomination to the Lord, the Lord will loath and abhorre the prayer he maketh, and will not heare him.

There is yet a further danger of our negligent hearing, and that is the losse of the word of God from among vs. Neg­ligent hearing deserues no lesse: for it is a rebellion against God, and God will tye the tongues of his seruants, that they shall not preach his Word to such. So tyed hee the tongue of Ezechiel, chap. 3.26. O sonne of man, I will make thy tongue cleaue to the roofe of thy mouth, that thou shalt bee dumbe, and shall not be to this people a reprouer, for they are a rebellious house. Whereupon Great Gregorie; Propter ma­los auditores bonis sermo doctoribus tollitur: for ill hearers God sometimes stoppeth the mouthes of good teachers. So stopped hee the mouth of Saint Paul, that hee should not teach in Ierusalem, Act. 22.18. Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Hierusalem, for they will not receiue thy testi­monie concerning mee. The Apostles that would haue prea­ched in Asia, could not, for the Spirit would not suffer them, Act. 16.7.

Christ forbids vs dare sanctum canibus, Matth. 7.6. Giue not that which is holy vnto dogges, neither cast yee your pearles before swine. Who are those dogges, who these swine, but men liuing in incurable impietie without all hope of amend­ment, and wallowing in the mire of vnbridled luxurie? who if they vouchsafe to come to this Watch-tower of the Lord to heare the sound of the Trumpet, they giue eare but neg­ligently, but vnprofitably, but contemptuously? Such are they [Page 124] whom this inhibition concerneth, Giue not that which is ho­ly vnto dogges, neither cast yee your pearles before swine. For what is this holy thing, that wee must not giue vnto them, what these pearles, but veritatis mysteria, the mysteries of truth inclosed within the profunditie of the Scriptures, as pearles within shell-fishes? These holy mysteries be kept backe from them, that will be negligent, vnprofitable and contemp­tuous hearers. And thus you see, you are to giue eare with re­uerence to the preaching of the word of God, for the dangers sake of him that heareth negligently.

You will now in the third place be perswaded to the per­formance of this dutie, for the profits sake of him that heareth diligently. Here is a three-fold profit for him.

• 1. His heart hereby shall be softned.
• 2. It shall be sweetned.
• 3. It shall be cleansed.

Enarrat. 1. Dom. 5. post. Trin. pag. 237.That the preaching of the Word softeneth the heart, Pe­trus de Palude would proue by the confession of the Spouse, Cant. 5.6. Anima mea liquefacta est, vt dilectus locutus est; As soone as my beloued spake, as soone as I heard the voice of my Sauiour, my soule euen melted. But fitter to our pur­pose is the example of Ahab, 1 King. 21. Elias comes vn­to him with the word of God in his mouth: In the place where dogges licked the bloud of Naboth, shall dogges licke thy bloud, euen thine, O King, vers. 19. and vers. 21. I will bring euill vpon thee, and will take away thy posteritie, all thy posteritie. Ahab hereupon rents his cloathes, puts sack-cloth vpon his flesh and lyes therein, fasteth, and goeth comfortlesse, vers. 27. See you not the heart of Ahab humbled, his hard heart softened by the word of God.

In the second Chapter of the booke of Iudges, a Messen­ger of the Lord comes vp from Gilgal to Bochim, with words of reproofe against the people of Israel, and saith, I made you to goe vp out of Aegypt, and haue brought you vnto the Land, which I sware vnto your Fathers, and I said, I will ne­uer breake my couenant with you; and yee shall make no league with the inhabitants of this Land; you shall throw downe their [Page 125] Altars: but yee haue not obeyed my voice; why haue yee done this? This was the word of God vnto them: they heard it, and cryed out, and wept. Their hearts were humbled: their hard hearts were softened. This is it that the Lord hath said, Ierem. 23.29. Is not my sword like fire? and like a hammer that breaketh the rocke in peeces? Yes Lord: thy Word is like fire, and like a hammer that breaketh the rocke in peeces: It mollifieth and softeneth the hard stonie and flin­tie heart.

A second profit that the Word preached bringeth vnto vs, is, that it sweetneth the heart. For the word of God is Man­na, habens in se omne delectamentum saporis, it is as the Ce­lestiall Manna, that Angells food, that bread from Heauen,Wisd. 16.20. very pleasant and well gusted. Dauid esteemes it to be swee­ter than Hony, and the dropping of the hony-combe, Psalm. 19.10. And Psal. 119.103. out of the admiration there­of, hee saith, O how sweet are thy words vnto my taste! yea sweeter are they than Hony to my mouth. Faum mellis verba composita, Prou. 16.24. Faire, pleasant, and well compo­sed words are as an Hony-combe, sweet to the soule, and health to the bones. Qua verba composita, dulcia sunt, si tua non sunt? So Claudius Aquauiua in his Meditations vpon the 119. Psalme: What faire, what pleasant, what well composed words are sweet, Lord, if thine bee not? Thy words, Lord, de melle coeli mellea, & de lumine tuo luminosa animam non dul­corant modò, sed dulcedine inebriant. Thy words, Lord, sweet as is the Hony of Heauen, and full of light through thy light, doe not only sweeten the soule, but doe euen inebriate it with sweetnesse.

The third profit that the Word preached bringeth vnto vs, is, that it cleanseth the heart. It maketh cleane the heart, according to that saying of Christ, Iohn 15.3. Now yee are cleane through the Word which I haue spoken vnto you. Cleane are yee, Non propter baptismum, quo loti estis, Not for the Baptisme wherewith you haue beene baptised, sed propter verbum quod locutus sum vobis, but for the Word which I [Page 126] haue spoken vnto you. You are cleane, not for your Bap­tisme, but for the Word. So Saint Augustine Tract. 80. in Iohannem, Detrahe verbum & quid est aqua nisi aqua? Ac­cedit verbum ad elementum & sit sacramentum: Take away the Word, and what is the water but water? the Word com­meth to the element, and it is made a Sacrament. You are cleane then, not by your Baptisme, but by the Word. And you are cleane by the Word, Non quia dicitur, sed quia cre­ditur. You are cleane by the Word, not because the Word is preached vnto you, but because you beleeue it when it is prea­ched. The Pharisees and other hypocrites did heare the Word of Christ, yet were they not thereby made cleane, be­cause they did not beleeue the Word of Christ. And so doth Rupertus expound these words. You are cleane. You are cleane, because you beleeue that which I haue said vnto you, concer­ning my death and resurrection, how I must die for your sinnes, and rise againe for your iustification, and goe away to prouide a place for you. You haue not only heard, but also haue belee­ued the Word which I haue spoken vnto you, and therefore are yee cleane.

The fruit then, and the profit, that ariseth vnto vs from our reuerent hearing of the Word preached is by our faith. It is faith that purifieth our hearts, saith Peter, Act. 15.9. Faith it is, by which we apprehend the bloud of the Lambe of God, and are thereby cleansed from all our sinnes.

But I may not hold you ouer-long with the prosecution of this point. Let it please you to be remembred, that wee haue hitherto beene moued to the performance of a holy du­tie, euen to the reuerent hearing of the word of God: and this, first for the honours sake of him that speaketh; secondly, for the dangers sake of him that heareth negligently; thirdly, for the profits sake of him that heareth diligently: and that wee vn­derstand this profit to be three-fold, that it softeneth our hard hearts, that it sweeteneth them, that it cleanseth them. What now remaineth, but that wee pray God to dismisse vs with a blessing?

Wee humbly beseech thee, most gracious God, so to open our hearts, and to vnlocke the eares of our vnderstan­ding, that now and euer hearing thy Word profitably, we may obserue, learne, and embrace such passages there­in, as are necessary to the confirming of our weake faith, and the Amendment of our sinfull liues. Grant this deare Father, for thy best beloued Sonne Iesus Christ. AMEN.

THis short sentence you may call the Con­clusion or the explication of the simili­tudes that went before. The similitudes were six; all taken from vulgar experi­ence, and such as is incident to a Shep­herds walke. The explication, as it is giuen by Theodoret and Remigius, stands thus: As it cannot be, that two should walke together, ex­cept they bee agreed; or that a Lion should roare in the forest, when he hath no prey; or that a lions whelpe should cry out of his denne, if he haue gotten nothing; or that a bird should fall in a snare vpon the earth, where no ginne is for him; or that a fowler should take vp his snare from the ground, before he haue taken somewhat; or that the Trumpet should sound an alarme in the City, and the people not feare: so it cannot be, that there should bee any euill in a City, except the Lord command it so to be. This dependance of these words vpon the former is approued by Christophorus à Castro in his Paraphrase.

Conrad Pellican and others, looke not so farre backe for the coherence of these words, but confine them within this sixth verse; thus: As a trumpet is not blowne in a City, but that the people thereof should be afraid, and runne together: so neither is there any euill sent by the Lord to any place, city, or country, but that the people thereof should repent and amend their liues.

The [...], the reddition, suiting with the [...], with the proposition of the similitude here drawne from the sound of the trumpet, should be thus: Shall a Prophet in the name of the Lord foreshew any future euill, and shall not the people bee afraid? But, because whatsoeuer euils a Prophet foretelleth, he foretelleth from the Lord; and the euils which he foretelleth, fall not out but by the Lord; therefore Amos here omitting the Antecedent, sets downe the consequent: Shall there be euill in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?

Shall there be euill, &c. Some yeeres haue passed away since I handled this Text in the chiefest assembly of this Dio­cesse. My then endeuours were to arme my selfe, and that deuout auditory with patience against the day of affliction. And because that day, is a day, which euery child of God must looke for, I was induced to publish what I then deliue­red, if it might be, for the comfort of such as then heard me not: and I did it, vnder the title of the hauen of the afflicted.

What need then is there, that I should at this time recom­mend the same Text vnto you? What the wise sonne of Syrach in the eighteenth of his Ecclesiasticus, vers. 6. saith of such as search into the workes of God, is true of vs, whose office is, to search into the words of God, Cum consummauerit ho­mo, tunc incipiet: When a man hath done what he can, hee must beginne againe. For as Saint Hierome hath well obser­ued in his Comment vpon the 90. Psalme, Singula verba Scripturarum, singula Sacramenta sunt: euery word in Scrip­ture is a Sacrament, and containeth a mystery. Euery word a Sacrament! The Rabbins stay not here: they say as much of euery letter; Nullum est iota in Scripturâ; à quo non pendeant montes doctrinarum: there is for an iota, any the least letter in [Page 130] the Scriptures, but thereon doe depend mountaines of do­ctrines. Saint Hierome in the second booke of his Commenta­ries vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians yet goes further; Sin­guli apices, singula puncta in diuinis Scripturis, plena sunt sen­sibus: there is not a tittle, not a point in the diuine Scriptures, bur its full of spirituall meaning; full of senses.

Not a word, but its a Sacrament! not a letter, but it yeelds mountaines of doctrines! not a point, but its full of senses! Well then may the words which I haue now read vnto you, yeeld variety of matter, fit for our deepest meditations a second time: and because they follow in course in this Chapter, the exposition whereof I haue for this place vndertaken, I may not in silence passe them ouer, but must take a reuiew of them, and recommend them to your Christian and deuout attentions.

Shall there be euill in a City, and the Lord hath not done it?

Herein obserue with me three circumstances; Quis, Quid, Vbi. Quis, the Agent; Quid, the Action; Vbi, the place of performance. The Agent, is the Lord; the Action, is a do­ing of euill; the place of performance is a City. Shall there bee euill in a City, and the Lord hath not done it?

You see the bounds of my present discourse. I will goe ouer them with as much breuity and perspicuity as I may, Gods holy grace assisting me, and your Christian and accusto­med patience giuing leaue.

The first point I am to handle is Quis: it is the Agent. His name in my Text is Iehouah, and it is the most proper name of God.

Is his name Iehouah? How then is it that Iacob the Patri­arch, Gen. 32.29. asking after the name of God, receiues an­swer in the Vulgar Latine, Cur quaris nomen meum, quod est mirabile? Wherfore is it, that thou doest aske after my name, seeing it is wonderfull? And how comes it to passe, that the like answer is giuen vnto Manoah, Iudges 13.18. Cur quaris nomen meum, quod est mirabile? Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret? And why doth Agur en­quire with admiration, Prou. 30.4. Who hath ascended vp [Page 131] into Heauen? or who hath come downe from thence? Who hath gathered the wind in his fist? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? Quod nomen eius? What is his name? Canst thou tell? as if it were impossible to finde out a fit name for God.

Much disputing is there in the Schooles about the name of God, which they reckon vp by a threefold diuinity. The first isSalmeron Disp. 4. in 1. Ephes. Tom. 15. pag. 187. Et in 1. Ioan. 1. Disp. 5. Tom. 16. pag. 170. Theologia affirmatiua, an affirmatiue Diuinity: the second is, Theologia mystica siue negatiua, a mysticall or negatiue diuinity: the third is, Theologia Symbolica, a symbolicall diuinity.

In the affirmatiue diuinity, God is called by such names as doe sound out his perfection, such as are,Gen. 17.1. Omnipotent, Gen. 21.33. Euerlasting, Good, Rom. 16.27. Wise, Apocal. 15.4. Holy, Deut. 32.4. Iust, andExod. 34.6. True.

In the mysticall or negatiue diuinity, no certaine name is giuen him, to describe him, what he is, but to shew what he is not. Such appellations are these,1 Tim. 1.17. Immortall, Inuisible, Rom. 1.23. Vncorruptible, Bernard. Ser. 6. Super Cantic. Incorporeall, Aug. Tom. 10. de verbis Apost. Serm. 1. Ineffable, Inestimable, Incom­prehensible, Infinite, Bernard. paru. Serm. 51. Immense, Vndiuided, Vnuariable, Vn­changeable.

In the symbolicall diuinity any name may be giuen him: he may be calledSalmeron. Disp. 5. in 1 Ioan. 1. To. 16. p. 170. a Lion, a Lambe, a Worme, a Calfe, Light, Heauen, a Starre, any thing else, byTrelcat. instit. lib. 1. pag. 20. Analogie or simili­tude, Nulla Salmeron. in Ephes. 1. Disp. 4. pag. 187. Apud. Aquin. 1. fiquidem res est, quae in aliquo Deum non re­ferat: for there is not any thing, but in somewhat it resem­bles God.

To the first of these three belongeth this name of God in my Text; his name Iehouah. Iehouah is among the affir­matiue names of God; and is of them the most princi­pall. So saith Damascene lib. 1. Orthodox. fides cap. 12. And well. For it comprehendeth totum, all in it selfe, Ve­lut quoddam pelagus, as a Sea of substance, infinite and in­determinate.

Iehouah! It is the essentiall name of God, the name of his essence, for three reasons. First, because God is of himselfe, not of any other. Secondly, because other things are from God, not from any thing else, nor from themselues. Thirdly, be­cause [Page 132] God giues Esse reale, a reall being to (and is euer true in) his promises, and his threats.

All this is confirmed, Esay 43.10. Yee are my witnesses, faith Iehouah, that yee may know and beleeue me, and vnder­stand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, euen I am Iehouah; and besides mee there is no Sauiour. Yea, before the day was, I am he; and there is none that can deliuer out of my hand: I will worke, and who shall let it? It is from hence plaine, that the Lord, Iehouah, is [...], [...], and [...], he is of himselfe alone, and euer of himselfe and of no other, the beginning and fountaine of all things else, that haue any being.

See then here his Essence, vers. 10. I am he, vers. 11. I, euen I, am the Lord, vers. 12. Ye are my witnesses, that I am God, vers. 13. I am he. See here his Eternity, vers. 10. Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there bee any after me: and vers. 13. Before the day was, I am. See also his Omnipotency, vers. 11. Beside me there is no Sauiour: vers. 13. There is none that can deliuer out of my hand. Againe in the same verse, I will worke; and who shall let it?

Great is the comfort that this name of God, his name Ie­houah, may administer vnto vs. Our God is Iehouah; of himselfe, eternall, and omnipotent: and therefore will not faile to giue vnto vs the good things which he hath promised in his holy Word.

Much too blame then are the Iewes, who through their vaine superstition, holding this name of God, this great name, [...] as they call it, to be [...], ineffable, and not to be pronounced, doe neither write it, nor reade it, nor speake it: but as oft as they meet with it in holy Scrip­ture, they either reade for it Elohim, or Adonai, or doe only name the foure letters of which it consisteth, Iod, He, Van, He: whereas yet God hath therefore made knowne this his name to men, that men might reade it, and pronounce it with a reuerent and an holy feare.

This our God the Lord, Iehouah, who is of himselfe alone, and giueth a reall being to all things else, who is euer true; [Page 133] true in himselfe, true in his workes, and true in his words: this our God is a good God. Good in himselfe, and good out of himselfe. Good in himselfe of his owne essence, and the highest degree of goodnesse.

He is suâ essentiâ bonus, good of his owne essence. For his goodnesse is not by participation of good from any other, but naturally of himselfe from euerlasting: nor is his goodnesse accidentall, but hee is suâ ipfius bonitas, Hee is his owne goodnesse.

And he is Summè bonus; he is good in the highest degree of goodnesse. For he is that same Summum Bonum, that same chiefest good, that is of all men to be sought for.

He is good also, Extrase, out of himselfe. For he is the Au­thor of all good, as well in making so many good creatures, as in doing good to them being made. And this his goodnesse is either generall or speciall.

His generall goodnesse extends it selfe to all his creatures: not onely to such as haue continued in that goodnesse, wherein they were created; but also to such as haue fallen away from their primigeniall goodnesse, euen to euill Angels, and to wic­ked men. Of this goodnesse I vnderstand that, Psal. 33.5. The earth is full of the goodnesse of the Lord.

His speciall goodnesse I call that, by which he doth good to the holy Angels, confirmed in grace, and to his elect children among the sonnes of men. Such is that, whereof wee reade, Psal. 73.1. Truly God is good to Israel, euen to such as are of a cleane heart. He is good, that is, hee is gracious, fauourable, and full of compassion to Israel, to his elect and holy people, his holy Church, yet militant vpon the earth, deliuering her from euill, and bestowing good vpon her.

Now if hony of its owne nature and essence sweet, hath no bitternesse in it; if the Sunne of its owne nature and essence light, hath no darknesse in it: then out of doubt it cannot be, that our God the Lord, Iehouah, who is euer good; good in se, and good, extrase; good of his owne nature and essence, and good towards all his creatures, should haue any euill in him. No, Lord, Wee confesse before thee with thy holy ser­uant [Page 134] Dauid; Psal. 5.4. Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wicked­nesse, neither shall euill dwell with thee.

Thus you see, Quis, who this Agent is. He is our God, the Lord, Iehouah. He, who is his owne being, and giueth a re­all being to all things else; He, who is absolutely good, good of his owne essence, and good to all his creatures; He, in whom there is no staine of euill. This is He, the Agent. Now followeth his Action, which seemeth to be a doing of euill, and is my second circumstance. For my Text is, ‘Shall there be euill in a City, and the Lord hath not done it?’

Mat. 7.18.It is an obseruation in Nature, that a good tree cannot bring forth euill fruit. And there is an axiome in Philosophy, Omne agens agit sibi sim [...] Euery Agent produceth the like vnto it selfe. God, the Agent here, being absolutely good; good in se, good extra se; good in himselfe, good to all his creatures, cannot but produce a like action, euen very good. How then is it, that here he is said to doe euill? For the vntying of this knot, I will produce a few distinctions; from them I will gather some conclusions; and the doubt will bee cleered.

My first distinction is; Things may bee termed euill two manner of waies: some are euill indeed, and of their owne na­ture: in this ranke we must place our sins: some are euill not indeed, and in their owne nature, but in regard of our sense, apprehension and estimation; and in this ranke we must place whatsoeuer affliction God layeth vpon vs in this life for our sinnes. This distinction is Saint Basils, in his Homily, wherein he proueth, that God is not the Author of euils.

The next distinction is out of Saint Augustine, chap. 26. against Adimantus the Manichee: There are two sorts of euils; there is malum, quod facit homo, and there is malum, quod patitur. There is an euill, which the wicked man doth; and there is an euill, which he suffereth. That is sinne; this, the punishment of sinne: In that, the wicked are Agents; in this, they are Patients: that, is done by them; this, is done vpon them. They offend Gods Iustice, and God in his Iustice offends them.

This is otherwise deliuered by the same Father, De fide ad Petrum, cap. 21. Geminum esse constat naturae rationalis ma­lum: vnum, quo voluntariè ipsa deficit à summo Bono, creatore suo: Alterum quo iuuita punietur ignis aeterni supplicio; illud passura iustè, quia hoc admisit iniuste. It is, saith he, manifest, that there is a two-fold euill of the reasonable nature, that is; of man. One, whereby man voluntarily forsaketh the chiefest good, God, his Creator: the other, whereby he shall against his will be punished in the flames of euerlasting fire. So shall he iustly suffer, that vniustly offended.

In his first Disputation against Fortunatus the Manichee, he speaketh yet more plainly. Sith, saith he, there are two kinds of euill Peccatum, & poena peccati; Sinne, and the punish­ment of sinne; the one, namely sinne, pertaines not vnto God: the other, the punishment of sinne belongs vnto him.

Tertullian lib. 2. contra Marcionem, cap. 14. more than a hundred yeeres before Saint Augustines time, deliuers this distinction with much perspicuity. There is malum delicti, and malum supplicij: or, there is malum culpae and malum poenae. There is an euill of sinne, and an euill of punishment: and of each part he nominateth the Author; Malorum quidem pec­cati & culpae, Diabolum; malorum verò supplicij & poenae De­um creatorem: Of the euils of sinne or default the Deuill is the Author: but of the euills of paine and punishment, hee ac­knowledgeth the hand of God, the Creator.

This second distinction of euills, Rupertus well expresseth in other termes: There is malum, quod est iniquitas, and there is malum, quod est Afflictio propter iniquitatem: There is an euill of Iniquity, and an euill of Affliction. So he agreeth with the ancient Fathers.

My third distinction is of the euills of punishment. Of these there are two sorts. Some are onely the punishments of sinne, either eternall in Hell, or temporall in this world: and some are so the punishments of sinne, that they are also sinnes and causes of sinnes.

My fourth distinction is, De malo culpae: it concernes the euill of sinne. The euill of sinne may bee considered three [Page 136] manner of waies. First, as it is a sinne repugnant to the Law of God; and so onely is it malum culpae, the euill of sinne. Secondly, as it is a punishment of some precedent sinne, for God vseth to punish sinne with sinne.

So did he punish it in the Gentiles, when hee gaue them ouer to a reprobate minde, Rom. 1.28. to vncleannesse, to the lusts of their owne hearts, to doe such things as were not conuenient, because when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, Rom. 1.12. Thirdly, as it is a cause of some subsequent sinne: such as was excoecatio in Iudaeis, whereof we reade, Esay 6.10. Ex­coeca cor populi huius, Make thou the heart of this people blind, or make it fat; make their cares heauy, and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes, and heare with their eares, and vnderstand with their hearts, and conuert, and be healed. This same excoecation or blindnesse in the Iewes, was the pu­nishment of a precedent sinne, namely, of their infidelity to­wards Christ; and it was a sinne, because euery ignorance of God is a sinne; and it was the cause of other sinnes: so Saint Augustine teacheth, lib. 5. cap. 3. contra Iulianum. And this distinction is found in Saint Greg. Moral. lib. 25. cap. 9.

My fifth distinction concerneth also the euill of sinne. In sinne there are two things to be obserued: there is Ens, and there is [...]; there is Actio, and there is Actionis malitia: or, there is Actio, and there is Actionis irrectitudo, which is, declinatio à rectitudine voluntatis Dei in lege reuelatae. In eue­ry sinne there is an entitie, being, or action; and there is of that entitie, being, or action, a crookednesse, obliquity, or naugh­tinesse. Euery entity, being, or action, as such is good from a good author,Act. 17.28. God Almighty, in whom we liue, moue, and haue our being. But the [...], the crookednesse, obliquity, and naughtinesse of our Actions, the swaruing of them from the line of Gods reuealed will, as such, is wicked, from a wicked Author,Gen. 6.5. mans decayed nature: All the imaginations of the thoughts of mans heart, are onely euill continually.

Thus haue you my distinctions. I promised to draw from them some conclusions.

The first is: God is the Author of euery euill of punishment. [Page 137] Euery such euill God willeth. The will of God is the primarie efficient cause thereof. It may thus be proued. Euery good thing is of God. Now euery euill of punishment, euery pu­nishment, is a good thing; for it is a worke of iustice, by which sinnes are punished, and so a iust worke; and therefore euery punishment is of God, and God willeth it.

The second conclusion: The euill of sinne, as it is a punish­ment of some former sinne, God willeth and inflicteth. This is that same receiued and much vsed axiome in Diuinty; God punisheth sinnes with sinnes. In so doing hee doth no more, then what becommeth a iust Iudge to doe. Hereof Saint Au­gust [...]ne, Contra aduersarium legis & Prophetarum lib. 1. cap. 24. thus speaketh: It is a fearefull iudgement, when God takes course, Vt crimina criminibus vindicantur, & supplicia peccantium non sunt tormenta, sed incrementa vitiorum. Feare­full is the iudgement, when God taketh course, that sinnes be reuenged with sinnes, and the punishment of euill doers bee no torment to them, but additions to their euill doings. O, this is a fearefull iudgement, which Saint Gregory, Moral. lib. 25. cap. 9. expresseth after this manner: Hoc quippe agitur, vt culpae culpis feriantur, quatenus suplicia fiant peccantium ipsa incrementa viti [...]rum: It is the most admirable iudgement of God, and most dreadfull of all other, when he taketh course that sinne be stricken with sinne, so as that the increase of sinne is the punishment of the sinner: it being ordered by disposition aboue, but yet by reason of the confusion of iniquity beneath, both that the former sinne is the cause of the latter, and the latter is the punishment of the former. This of all the iudge­ments of God is the most admirable, the most dreadfull.

My third conclusion, The euill of sinne as it is an Action God willeth; he worketh it, he doth it. For whatsoeuer God pro­perly willeth, the same he worketh, he doth it, either imme­diatly by himselfe; or Sua virtute, through his power, by others. Now if Quaecunque voluit, fecit, as it is Psal. 115.3. if God hath done whatsoeuer he hath willed, then surely, Quaecunque fecit, vult, whatsoeuer he doth, that hee willeth. And the truth is, not in Philosophy onely, also in the holy [Page 138] Scriptures, that God is the primary cause of all actions, what­soeuer they are, as farre forth as they are actions. This is that which Saint Paul affirmeth, 1 Cor. 12.6. God worketh all in all. For though he speaketh concerning the gifts of the holy Ghost, yet is his proposition generall, God worketh all in all: like to that, Rom. 11.36. God is he, of whom are all things, through whom are all things, and to whom are all things. All things? He meaneth not onely all substances, but also all the actions of all things. For as all actions are gouerned by him, and doe tend vnto him; so also are they all of him, as of the first mouer; according to that, Act. 17.28. In him we liue, and moue, and haue our being.

The fourth Conclusion: The euill of sinne, as it is sinne, God properly willeth not, neither indeed can he will it. For Sinne, as it is sinne, is that same [...] whereof I spake in my fifth distinction: it is the crookednesse, the obliquity, the naughti­nesse of an action; it is the swaruing of an action from the line of the will of God reuealed in his holy Word: whereof to make God a doer, or author, is execrable and blasphemous impiety. Non Deus volens iniquitatem tu es, Psal. 5 4. is a description of God according to his proper nature; God is not a God that willeth iniquity. It is proper vnto him Nolle inquitatem, Not to will iniquity. Habbakkuk auoucheth it, Chap. 1.13. O Lord my God mine holy one, thou art of purer eyes than to behold euill, and canst not looke on iniquity; Mundi sunt oculi tui, thine eyes are pure, free from all spot and vn­cleannesse; that thou canst not behold euill, to approue it; nor canst looke on iniquity, to allow it. So true is my fourth Conclusion: The euill of sinne, as it is sinne, God properly wil­leth not, neither indeed can he will it.

Now out of these conclusions, and the fore-alleaged di­stinctions, I frame the resolution to the doubt propounded. The doubt was, How is it that God absolutely good, good in Se, and good Extrase: good in himselfe, and good to all his creatures, is here in my Text said to doe euill? The resolution is: The euill in my Text is not malum culpae, delicti aut ini­quitatis; it is not the euill of default, the euill of sinne, or the [Page 139] euill of iniquity: but it is malum poenae supplicij sine afflictionis: It is the euill of paine, the euill of punishment, the euill of affliction. Not of that, but of this, is my Text to be vnder­stood. Shall there be euill in a City, and the Lord hath not done it? No there shall be no euill in a City; no euill of paine, punishment, or affliction, but the Lord hath done it.

And thus you are to vnderstand that Esay 45.7. I, the Lord, create euill. And that, Ierem. 18.11. I, the Lord, frame euill against you. I create euill; I frame euill. By euill in both places, Tertullian against Marcion, lib. 2. cap. 24. vn­derstandeth mala non peccatoria, sed vltoria; he vnderstan­deth, euill not of sinne, but of reuengement. So likewise are we to vnderstand by the name of euill in all those places of holy Scripture in which God either1 King. 9.9. Iudg. 9.56. 1 Sam. 6.9. Dan. 9.13. bringeth, or1 King. 14.10. 1 King. 21.21. 2 King. 21.12. 2 King. 22.16. threat­neth to bring euill vpon any. By euill in all such places as here in my Text, we are to vnderstand the euill of reuengement; the euill of paine, punishment, or affliction.

The euill of reuengement! The euill of paine, punish­ment, or affliction! But why euill? Surely euery reuenge­ment, euery paine, euery punishment, euery affliction that be-falleth vs in this life, is good. It is good. First, because it is laid vpon vs by God, who is of himselfe, and absolutely good. Secondly, because it is iust, and whatsoeuer is iust must needs be good. Thirdly, because it hath a good end; the glory of God and the saluation of the elect. For these reasons it can­not be denied, but that euery reuengement, paine, punish­ment, and affliction is good. Why then is it in my Text, and elsewhere called euill?

I answer according to my second distinction. Reuenge­ments, paines, punishments, and afflictions are called euils, not because they are euills indeed and of their owne nature, but only in regard of our sense, estimation and apprehension. The very torments of Hell, eternall fire, and outer darknesse are not indeed and of their nature euill: Mala sunt, his, qui incidunt in ea, saith Irenaeus aduersus haereses, lib. 4. cap. 77. they are euill to such as fall into them; but Bona, ex justitia Dei, good they are, as they are from Gods iustice.

What Irenaeus saith concerning Hell-torments, the same is true of the aduersities, the crosses, the scourges, the afflictions that befall men in this life. Euils they are called, and God is said to doe them. But how euils? Saint Hierome, lib. 4. Com. in Ierem. will tell vs how: they are called euills, non quòd per se mala sint, not because they are of themselues euill, sed quod patientibus mala esse videantur, but because they seeme euill to vs who suffer them.

With these two, Irenaeus and Saint Ierome, doe agreeContr. Adi­mantum Ma­nich. cap. 27. & contr. Epist. Ma­nich. c. 38. & lib. 1. contr. ad­uers. legis & Prophet. c. 23. Saint Augustine, Serm. 16. in Psal. 118. Saint Ambrose, Lib. 3. Moral. cap. 7. Gregory the Great,Lib. 1. in Gen. cap. 7. Eucherius Bishop of Lions, Cap. 4. de Di­uinis nominibus. Dionysius the Areopagite, Lib. 1. & 10. Recognit. Clemens the Ro­mane, In Dialogo & lib. de Monar­chia. Iustin Martyr, Homil. Quod Deus non sit au­tor malorum. Great Basil, andLib. 4. in Esai­am cap. 45. Cyril of Alexan­dria, euen all the ancient and Orthodoxall Fathers. All these with one consent doe teach, that the aduersities, the crosses, the scourges, the afflictions, which befall men in this life, though in the Scripture they are called Mala, Euils; yet in­deed they are not Mala, they are not euils suâ naturâ, simply & of their owne nature, but only are mala nobis, euill in respect of vs, euill in regard of our sense, estimation, and apprehen­sion. And such is the euill in my Text: improperly euill, but indeed good: good in its owne nature, but euill, only, as wee call euill, whatsoeuer liketh vs not, or is not for our ease.

I haue long stood vpon the second circumstance, the Quid, the Action, which was a doing of euill. I must be the shorter in the third, the Vbi, the place where this Action is perfor­med. In my Text its called a City.

Shall there be euill in a City;

In a Citie! In ciuitatibus, in Cities; So Nicolaus de Lyrâ expoundeth it. In ciuitaete aliquâ, in any City; So Mercerus. In habitatoribus ciuitatis; among the inhabitants of a City; So Petrus à Figueiro. In populi communitate, among the people of the world; So Albertus Magnus. I haue expoun­ded it, In ciuitate huius mundi, in the City of this world.

This vniuerse and admirable frame of nature, wherein Ie­houah, the Lord our God, the1 Tim. 6.15. King of KingsPsal. 97.1. & Psal. 99. reigneth, consisteth of two Cities, the one isAugustin. Re­tract. lib. 2. c. 43. Ciuitas Dei, the City of God, the other isIdem de Temp. Serm. 106. Ciuitas hujus mundi, the City of this [Page 141] world. The one isIdem de Ciui­tate Dei, lib. 14. cap. 28. celestiall, the other is terrene. The one is ofIdem de Ca­tech. Rud. lib. 1. cap 19. Saints, the other is of the wicked. The one isIdem in Psal. 61. Ierusalem, the other is Babylon.

In the first, that most glorious City, the City of God, and his Saints, the celestiall Ierusalem, all teares are wiped away from the eyes of the inhabitants; there they neither weepe nor la­ment; there is neither death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor paine; there is no euill there, no not the euill of affliction: So saith the Spirit, Reuel. 21.4. And therefore that City, cannot be the City in my Text.

In the other City, the City of this world, the terrene City, the City of the wicked, Babylon, great Babylon, the City of confusion, there is no sure repose for the godly there. There may they become a reproach to theirPsal. 44.13. & Psal. 79.4. neighbours: there may they bee a scorne and derision to them that are round about them: They may bee a by-wordPsal. 44.14. among the Heathen, a shaking of the head among the people. There they mayHebr. 11.37. be tempted, they may bee stoned, they may bee flaine with the sword, they may bee sawne asunder: There may they dailyPsal. 88.9. mourne by reason of affliction: For euen the godly, who areAugust. de Ciuit. Dei. lib. 15. cap. 1. by grace Ciues sursum, Citizens aboue, Citizens of the supernall and celestiall City of God; they are also by grace peregrini deorsum, pilgrims or strangers here below in this terrene City, the City of this world. Here they must bee cut,1 Pet. 2.5. hewne, and squared with sundry tribulations, sicknesses and diseases before they can be made fit, and as liuely stones for the Heauenly Ierusalem. And this is the City in my Text, my third circumstance, the Vbi, the circumstance of the place, where the Agent, Iehouah, performeth his Action, a doing of euill: Shall there be euill in a City, and the Lord hath not done it?

Thus is my Text for the vnderstanding thereof made easie; as thus: Shall there be euill] any euill of reuengement, paine, punishment, or affliction, In a City] in the terrene City, in the City of this world; Shall there bee any such euill, any where, and the Lord hath not done it? or as the Marginall rea­ding is, Shall not the Lord doe somewhat? The point of obser­uation is: [Page 142] ‘There is no affliction any where in the world, but its from the Lord, and either he doth it, or doth somewhat in it.’

By affliction in this my Thesis, I vnderstand the suffering of any thing, the sense or cogitation whereof our nature shunneth. Whatsoeuer is any way grievous or offensiue to our humane nature I call affliction. The temptations of the flesh, the world, and the Deuill; the diseases of the body; a froward husband or wife; rebellious children; vnthankfull friends; losse of goods; reproches, slanders, warre, pesti­lence, famine, imprisonment, death; euery crosse and passi­on, bodily and ghostly, proper to our selues, or pertaining to our kindred, priuate or publike, secret or manifest, either by our owne deserts gotten, or otherwise imposed vpon vs, I call afflictions. To be short, the miseries, the calamities, the vexations, the molestations of this life, from the least to the greatest, from the paine of the little finger to the very pangs of death, I call afflictions. Of euery such affliction, whatsoeuer it betideth any one in this life, God is [...], hee is the primary efficient cause thereof, he doth it, or doth somewhat in it.

Vpon the proofe of this point I haue now no time to spend: nor needs it any proofe, it is so firmely grounded vp­on my Text. Nor will I recount vnto you the many vses it affordeth. Let one suffice for the shutting vp of this exercise.

Is it true, Beloued. Is there no affliction that betideth any one any where in this world, but its from the Lord? Here then we haue wherewith to comfort our selues in the day of affli­ction. Whatsoeuer affliction shall befall vs, its from the Lord. The Lord whose name is Iehouah, who is himselfe and of none other, whose being is from all eternity, who only is om­nipotent, who is good in himselfe, and good to all his creatures, he will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our abilities, but will with the temptation also make away to escape that we may be able to beare it, Saint Paul is our warrant for it, 1 Cor. 10.13. And 2 Cor. 4 8. he sheweth it by his owne experience. We are troubled on euery side, yet are we distressed: We are per­plexed, yet are we not in despaire: We are persecuted, yet are [Page 143] we not forsaken: we are cast downe, yet are we not destroyed. In such a case was Saint Paul. What if we be in the like? If we be troubled, perplexed, persecuted, and cast downe, what shall we doe? We will support our selues with the confidence of Dauid, Psal. 23.4. Though we walke through the valley of the shadow of death, yet will we feare no euill; for thou, Lord, art with vs. Thou Lord, art with vs! Quis contra nos? Who shall be against vs? We will not feare, what man can doe vnto vs. I draw to a conclusion.

Sith there is no affliction, that betideth any one any where in this world, but its from the Lord; and as the Author to the Hebrewes speaketh, chap. 12.8. He is a bastard and not a sonne, that is not partaker of afflictions; let vs, as Saint Iames aduiseth, chap. 1.2. account it exceeding ioy, when wee are afflicted.

The Patriarches, the Prophets, the Euangelists, the Apostles, the holy Martyrs, haue found the way to Heauen, narrow, rugged, and bloudy, and shall we thinke that God will strew Carpets for our nice feet to walke thither?

He that is the doore and the way, our blessed Lord and Sa­uiour Iesus Chrīst, hath by his owne example taught vs, that we must through many afflictions enter into the Kingdome of Heauen. There is but one passage thither, and it is a streight one. If with much pressure we can get thorow, and leaue but our superfluous ragges as torne from vs in the throng, it will be our happinesse.

Wherefore whensoeuer any aduersity, crosse, calamity, mi­sery, or affliction shall befall vs, let vs with due regard to the hand of the Lord, that smiteth vs, receiue it with thankes, keepe it with patience, d [...]gest it in hope, apply it with wisdome, bury it in meditation, and the end there­of will be peace and glory: the peace of our consciences in this life, and eternall glory in the highest Heauens. Whereof God make vs all. partakers.

GOds dealing with his owne people, the people of Israel, was not as it was with other Nati­ons. Others he punished, and gaue them no fore-warning. The Idumaeans, the Ammonites, the Egyptians, the rest of the Heathen, dranke deepely of the viols of his wrath, though thereof they receiued no admonition by any Prophet of his. It was otherwise with the Israelites. If the rod of affliction were to light heauie vpon them, they were euer foretold thereof. God euer preuented them with his Word. Hee sent vnto them his seruants, Ierem. 35.14, 15. the Prophets: he rose early and sent them, with the soonest, to let them vnderstand of the euills which hung ouer their heads, that returning euery man from their euill wayes, and amending their doings, they might be recei­ued to grace and mercy. This difference betweene Gods care and prouidence, towards his owne people and other nations, is [Page 145] thus expressed, Psal. 147.19, 20. God! He sheweth his word vnto Iacob, his statutes and ordinances vnto Israel; He hath not dealt so with any Nation, neither haue the Heathen knowledge of his Lawes. Yet was hee knowne to the Heathen. Hee was knowne to them partly by his workes, by his creatures, in which the power and Deity of God shined: and partly by the light of Nature, and power of vnderstanding which God hath giuen them. Both wayes their Idolatry, their Atheisme, their disobedience were made before God vnexcusable.

But to his owne people, the people of Israel, was he knowne after another manner. To them pertained the adoption, and the glory, and the couenants, and the giuing of the Law, Rom. 9.4. and the ser­uice of God, and the promises. To them were committed the oracles of God. To them at sundry times, Rom. 3.2. Hebr. 1.1. and in diuers manners God spake by his Prophets. He gaue them time and space to re­pent them of their sinnes, and was ready to forgiue them, had they on their parts bin curable. Vncurable though they were, yet did God seldom or neuer, send among them any of his foure sore iudgements, either the sword, or the famine, Ezech. 14.21. or the noysome beast, or the pestilence, or any other, but he first made it knowne vnto his holy Prophets, and by them fore-warned the people. This our Prophet, Amos, here auoucheth.

The words according vnto some, are an Exegesis, and expo­sition, or a declaration of what was said before. Before it was said, There shall be no euill in a citie, but the Lord doth it; no euill of paine, punishment or affliction, but the Lord doth it. The Lord doth it, as well for that he sendeth iust punishments vpon men that are obstinate in their euill courses; as also for that he reuealeth those euils to his Prophets, that by them they may be published.

Or, the words are an Aitiologia, and doe conteine a reason of what was said before. Shall there be euill in a Citie, and the Lord hath not done it? Surely no; there shall be none. All euill of punishment is of the Lord. Yet will not the Lord oppresse his people vnawares; but long before with holy premoniti­ons [Page 146] he prouideth for them by his Prophets; and either by pro­mises he keepeth them in good courses, or by threats he recal­leth them from bad.

Be it [...] or [...], an exposition or a reason of what was said before, it is all one for the matter. But if we respect the forme of the sentence, as it standeth in our now-English translation: Surely the Lord God will doe nothing, but he reuea­leth his secret to his seruants the Prophets, it may be called [...], an Assoueration. For such it is: and is of a reuelation: concerning which three things are to be obserued,

• 1. Who is the Reuealer.
• 2. What is Reuealed.
• 3. To whom.

The Reuealer is the Lord God, His secret is the thing reuea­led. They to whom the reuelation is made are his seruants, the Prophets. Of those in their order.

The Reuealer is first, and is here set forth by two names of his: Adonai Iehouih, Lord God. The first place of Scripture, wherein these two names are ioyned together, is Gen. 15.2. in the complaint made by Abraham for want of an heire: Lord God, what wilt thou giue me, if I goe childlesse? Lord God.

Lord in Hebrew is Adonai, which signifieth My Lords; or my stayes, or pillars: implying in it a mystery of the holy Tri­nity. Matth. 11.25. It is one of the proper names of God, the Lord of Heauen and earth, who as a base sustaineth his faithfull children in all their infirmities. It is written here with kametz or long A in the end, and so is proper to God, hauing the vowels of Ieho­uah: when it is written with Patach or short A, it is applied to creatures. In the forme singular Adon, Lord or sustainer, is al­so ascribed vnto God, the Lord of all the earth, Psal. 97 5. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord: at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. The Lord of the whole earth, he is Adon, Adonim in the forme plurall is likewise ascribed vnto God; Malac. 1.6. If I be Adonim, If I be a Lord where is my feare?

The other name of God in this place is Iehouih. Iehouih? It is vsually so written when it is ioyned with Adonai: and it hath [Page 147] the consonant letters of Iehouah, and the vowels of Elohim. And where one Prophet writeth Adonai Iehouih, as in the prayer of Dauid, set downe, 2 Sam. 7.18. another writing of the same prayer, saith Iehouah Elohim, 1 Chron. 17.16. Say Iehouih or Iehouah, the signification is the same. But Iehouih, as Tremelius and Iunius haue noted vpon the 15, of Genesis, is the more patheticall, the fitter to moue affection: and is there­fore vsed in passionate speeches, and prayers that are very ear­nest, byGen. 15.2, 8. Abraham, byDeut. 3.24.9.26. Moses, byCap. 4.14. &c. Ezechiel, and others, as if they were sighing and sobbing. So writeth Amandus Po­lanus in his Commentary vpon Ezechiel, chap. 4.14. But Al­sted in his Theologicall Lexicon is of another minde: and thinks there is no more passion shewed in saying Iehouih, than in say­ing Iehouah. Yet may it be otherwise.

Adonai Iehouih, the Lord God. The first of these two names betokeneth his Maiestie, his sustentation of all things, and his dominion ouer all: the second, his Essence, his existing or being.

The first, Adonai. Grammarians deriue from Eden, which is as much as Basis or Stylobates, the base or foot-stoole of a pillar, the foundation thereof: giuing vs thereby to vnderstand, that the Lord our God is the sustainer, the maintainer, the vpholder of all things; that he is most properly, primarily, and of him­selfe Lord; that he is the only true prime and supreme Lord of all things, yea, the Lord of Lords; that he alone hath absolute, full, free, and eternall right ouer all things that are contained within the circuit of Heauen and Earth.

The second Iehouah, they deriue, as they doe Iehouah, from Hauah, which signifieth, He was. The force of this name is opened in the Reuelati [...]n of Saint Iohn, chap. 1.4. in that his salutation to the seuen Churches of Asia: Grace be vnto you and peace from Him, which is, and which was, and which is to come: that is, from God the Father, Iehouah; from him that is eternall, immortall, and vnchangeable; from him who hath his being of himselfe, and giueth being to all creatures.

In the same chap. vers. 8. I am Alpha and Omega, the begin­ning and the end, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and [Page 148] which is to come, the Almighty. The words are the conclusion or shutting vp of the fore-mentioned salutation, and are a con­firmation of that grace and peace that was to come vnto the seuen Churches from Iehouah God alone: from him who is the first and the last, our Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts, besides whom there is no God. Who was; who was before all, and gaue to euery creature the being. Who is to come; who is to come, continueth for euer, and supporteth all: euen the Al­mightie, who exerciseth his power and prouidence ouer all. This same who is, who was, and who is to come, as before in the distinguishing of the Persons of the Trinitie it was vsed to ex­presse God the Father; so here it is vsed to declare the vnion of substance in the whole three Persons, Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghost.

It is likewise vsed, Reu. 11.17. where those foure and twen­tie Elders which sate before God on their seats, fell vpon their faces and worshipped God, saying, Wee giue thee thankes O Lord Almightie, which art, and which wast, and which art to come.

So is it by the Angell of the waters, Reuel. 16.5. where he saith, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and which wast, and which shalt be.

Thus in the Holy Reuelation of Saint Iohn is the force of the name Iehouah, opened foure seuerall times, and implieth thus much: 1. That God hath his being or existence of himselfe before the world was.Esay 44.6. 2. That He giues being vnto all things. For as much as in him all things are and doe consist.Act. 17.25. Exod. 6.3. Esay 45.2. Ezech. 5.17. 3. That Hee giueth being to his Word, effecting whatsoeuer Hee speaketh.

We met with this name of God, Iehouah, in the first Chap­ter of this Booke nine times, in the second seuen times; and twice before in this: Now by the change of a vowell it is Ie­houih. This change of a vowell changeth not the name: Ie­houah, or Iehouih! the name is the same: the most proper name of God; of God, whose true Latitude is his Immensitie, whose true Longitude is his Eternitie; whose true Altitude is the Sublimitie of his Nature; whose true Profunditie being sine [Page 149] fundo, without bottome, is his incomprehensibility. Bernard in his fifth booke de Consideratione, cap. 13. hath a discourse to this very purpose, but with some variety. The question there propounded is, Quid est Deus? What is God? The answer is, Longitudo, Latitudo, Sublimitas, & Profundum: God, he is Length, Breadth, Height and Depth. He is Length for his Eter­nity; Breadth for his Charity; Height for his Maiestie, Depth for his Wisdome. Length He is for his Eternity. Dan. 7.9. Esay 57.15. Psal. 90.2. He is the An­cient of dayes, and inhabiteth Eternitie. Before the Mountaines were brought forth, or euer the earth and the world were for­med, euen from euerlasting to euerlasting. He is God.

Breadth he is for his Charitie, for his Loue. Wisd. 11.24. He loueth all the things that are, and abhorreth nothing which he hath made. Neither would he haue made any thing if he had hated it. He maketh his Sunne to rise on the euill and the good, Matth. 5.45. and sen­deth raine on the iust, and on the vniust. The Gulfe, or rather the Sea of this Loue of God is exceeding broad.

Height He is for his Maiesty. His Maiesty! Prou. 25.28. it is inestima­ble. He that searcheth into it, shall surely be oppressed with the glory thereof. From the glory of this Maiestie in the day of the Lord of Hosts, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth, Esay 2.19, 20. will the proud man, the loftie man, euery wicked man, seeke to hide himselfe in the clefts of the rockes, Psal. 72.19. and in the caues of the earth, but all in vaine: for all the earth shall be filled with his Maiesty. In regard of this his Maiesty, He isGen. 14.18. Iob 31.28. Psal. 7.18. & 9.2. &c. Psal. 147.5. often in holy Scripture stiled Altissimus, the most high. So for his Maiesty he is Height.

Depth he is for his wisdome. His wisdome! it is infinite; there is no end thereof; It is inuariable, incomprehensible, ineffable. Finding no fit words, to expresse it with, I betake my selfe to the Apostles exclamation, Rom. 11.33. [...], O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! How vnsearchable are his iudgements, and his wayes past finding out.

Thus farre of my first generall the Reueal [...]r [...] Adonai Iehouih, the Lord God. The Lord God will doe no­thing, but he reuealeth his secret to his seruants the Prophets.

He will doe nothing] The originall is, [...] Lo jahaseh dabar, he will not doe a word.

A word in the Hebrew tongue signifieth sometimes any thing or matter, that is either said or done.

In the 18. of Exodus, vers. 16. Moses in his reply to Iethro his Father in law, saith, when they haue [...] Dabar, a word, they come vnto me, and I iudge betweene them. [...] Dabar a word, with the Greekes it is [...], a controuersie; with the old Latine Interpreter it is Disceptatio, a contention; with Tre­melius it is Negotium, a businesse; with our late English Trans­lators, it is a matter. So Moses saith in effect thus much: If there h [...]ppen any businesse or matter of controuersie or conten­tion betweene a man and his neighbour, they come vnto me, and I iudge betweene them.

In the 24. of Exodus, vers. 14. Moses with his Minister Io­suah going vp to the Mount of God, saith vnto the Elders, Tary yee here for vs, vntill we come againe vnto you: and behold Aaron and Hur are with you [...] mi bahal debarim, who so is a master of words, let him come vnto them. And here words with the Greekes are [...], a iudgement, or controuersie; with the old interpreter, quaestio, a que­stion; in our now English, they are matters; if any man haue any matters to doe: The meaning is, who so hath any question or controuersie, let him come vnto Aaron and Hur for a resolution.

In the 39. of Esay, vers. 2. it is recorded of Hezechiah King of Iudah, that when Merodach Baladan, the son of Baladan King of Babylon, had sent messengers to visit him and to con­gratulate his recouery; Hee was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things, the siluer, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious oyntment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures. It is ad­ded in the end of the verse, Lo hajah dabar, there was not a word in his house, nor in all his dominions, that Hezechiah shewed them not. Not a word! A word for a thing according to the custome of the Hebrew. It is Saint Hieroms note vpon the place. It is well rendred in our new Bibles; There was no­thing [Page 151] in his house, nor in all his dominions, that Hezechiah shewed them not.

This Hebrew custome of putting verbum pro re, a word for a thing, frequent in the old, hath place likewise in the New Testament.

In the first of Luke, vers. 37. The Angell Gabriel tells the Virgin Mary that with God no word shall be impossible, [...], no word. His meaning is, with God no thing shall be impossible.

In the same Chapter vers. 65. The Euangelist hauing set downe what had passed concerning Elizabeth and her hus­band Zacharias, saith, [...], all these words were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Iudaea, [...], all these words, that is, all these things were diuulged and made knowne.

In the second of Luke vers. 15. When the Angels who re­lated to the shepherds Christs Natiuitie, were gone away from them into Heauen, the shepherds said one to another, Let vs now goe euen vnto Bethlehem and see [...], this word, that is, come to passe, which the Lord hath made knowne vnto vs. This word? that is, this thing, this whole businesse, whereof wee haue heard by the Angels. It is the Hebraisme which I haue hitherto obserued; whereby, that I may speake as Logicians doe, the Abstract is put for the Concret, taken ei­ther actiuely or passiuely: as Verbum pro re dictâ, a word for a thing that is spoken of. Or to speake as a Rhetorician would, it is Metonymia adiuncti; the Adiunct is put for the Subiect. Still it is Verbum pro re, a word for the thing or matter, where­of the speech is.

So it is in this text of mine; Surely the Lord God, non faciet verbum, he will not doe a word; that is, he will doe no thing; no such thing as the verse before speaketh of; no euill of paine, punishment, or affliction, He will doe no such thing, but hee reuealeth his secret to his seruants the Prophets.

He reuealeth his secret. I am come to my second generall, concerning the thing reuealed: it is the s [...]cret of the Lord.

[...] Sodho, his secret, [...], say the Septuagint, [Page 152] translated Eruditionem suam, his instruction or chastisement. Saint Hierome expounds it Correptionem suam: the Interlinea­rie Glosse, Correctionem suam, his reproofe or correction. Theo­dotio no ill Interpreter of old turned it, [...], his coun­sell: and Drusius seeth no cause, why it may not well be so tur­ned; for as much as the Hebrew word [...] Sodh signifieth as well consilium as secretum, as well counsell, as secret. But the current of Translators is for his secret.

His secret] By this secret of his, Albertus Magnus vnder­standeth praeordinationis diuinae absconditam voluntatem, the hidden will of Gods preordination. Arias Montanus expounds it to be, futurarum rerū cognitionem, the knowledge of things to come; so doth Mathurinus Quadratus. Such a knowledge they meane, whereof no Mathematician, no Astrologer, no Magician, no Chaldaean, no Wizard is made partaker. Only the holy Prophets, the seruants of our Lord God, haue the pri­uilege and prerogatiue thereof.

We may not deny that Gods counsels and decrees, things hid from the vnderstanding of all men, and knowne only vn­to God,Ierem. 25.9. are the secrets of God. But this secret of his whereof my text speaketh, is the decree and purpose of God to bring euill vpon a Land and the inhabitants thereof: to take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladnesse, the voice of the Bridegroome, and the voice of the Bride, the sound of the milstones, and the light of the candle; to make them an astonish­ment, and a hissing, and perpetuall desolations. The decree and purpose of God to punish a people for sinne is his secret; and this he euermore reuealeth. Yet not this alone. For of the secrets which God reuealeth there are three kinds.

One is of things supernaturall, such as are the mysteries of Religion, the incarnation of the Sonne of God, the resurrection of the dead, and the life to come. These are secrets, to the knowledge of which a man cannot attaine, vnlesse it be reuea­led vnto him from God.

The second is of those things, which are called arcana cor­dium, the secrets of the heart, such as are the proper actions of the will and vnderstanding: Secrets they are; and saue to the [Page 153] spirit of man, which is in man, are knowne to none, but God, 1 Cor. 2.11. Act. 1.24. who is, [...], and knoweth euery corner and creuise of the heart.

The third is of those things, which the Schooles doe call fu­tura contingentia, such things as are not, nor euer haue beene, but may hereafter be. And these are secrets, secrets indeed, on­ly manifest vnto him, by whom all things, past, present, and to come, are acted and gouerned.

Of these three kindes of secrets, the last is that whereof my text speaketh, the secret of things to come.

Surely the Lord God will doe nothing, but he reuealeth his se­cret to his seruants the Prophets. Hee reuealeth his secret] hee openeth it, he telleth it before hand, he makes it knowne be­fore it come to passe. The lesson to be taken from hence is, ‘God is the only reuealer of secrets.’

He only reuealeth things to come. This truth is auouched by the Prophet Daniel, in his second Chapter the 22. verse: his assertion is: God is He, that reuealeth the deepe and secret things. At the 28. verse he telleth King Nebuchadnezzar; Though the wise-men, the Astrologians, the Magicians, the Sooth-sayers, cannot shew vnto the King the secret which he demandeth, yet there is a God in Heauen that reuealeth secrets, and maketh knowne to the King what shall be in the latter dayes. He saith it againe, vers. 29. He that reuealeth secrets maketh knowne vnto thee, O King, what shall come to passe. Once more, vers. 45. The great God hath make knowne to the King, what shall come to passe hereafter. The King acknowledgeth as much; and there­upon saith, vers. 47. Of a truth, Daniel, your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of Kings, and a reuealer of secrets. It is true: God is the only reuealer of secrets.

Is it true? What shall we then say to sundry predictions in Gentilisme? What to those dreames which the Heathen often had? What to their Oracles? Hier. Comment. in Esai. 41. What to Apollo Delphicus and Loxias, and Delius, and Clarius? What to other their Idols, which made faire shew, as if they had the knowledge of things to come, and could reueale secrets?

Our answer is; they were meere shewes; no substance of [Page 154] truth was in them. Saint Hierome in his twelfth booke of his Comments vpon Esay at the 41. Chapter thus reasoneth against them: If they could fore-tell things to come, why foretold they nothing of Christ? Why nothing of the twelue Apostles? Why nothing of the ruine, and abolition of their owne Temples? If th [...]y could not foretell their owne destruction, how could they fore-tell either good or euill, that should betide others?

But you will say; many things were fore-told by the oracles of old. Know then, that from those oracles the Deuill, the Fa­ther of lyes, that he might not be reproued of falshood, did euermore giue his answers doubtfully, th [...]t you might expound them both wayes, either for good or euill. Such was his answer giuen to Pyrrhus K [...]ng of the Epirotes, when hee tooke part with the Tarentines against the Romans.

Cic. 2. de Diuin. ex Ennio. A [...]o te, Aeacida, Romanos vincere posse: I tell thee Pyrrhus, thou that art of the linage of Aeacus, I tell thee, te Romanos vincere posse: the words are ambiguous, and may be rendred, either for Pyrrhus; thou shalt ouercome the Romans: or against him, the Romans shall ouercome thee. The like answer was gi­uen vnto Croesus, when he consulted the Oracle at D [...]lphos, about his expedition into Persia, ‘Herodotus.Croesus perdet, H [...]lim transgressus, maxima regna.’ Croesus, when hee is past the riuer Halis, perdet maxima reg­na; the words are ambiguous, and may be rendred, either for Croesus, Hee shall destroy great kingdomes of his enemies; or against him, He shall lose great kingdomes of his owne. With such ambiguities the Deuill in those oracles of old, euermore deluded such as sought vnto him.

But you will say, those Oracles did sometimes take place; and as they fore-told, so things came to passe.

Be it so. Yet very few of them did hit; which might be by chance, and hap-hazzard, as we say, a few only of a great num­ber falling out; or the Deuill by the subtiltie of his nature, and quicknesse of his vnderstanding, might by some antecedent signes fore-see the effects and euents which should follow: or he might fore-tell such things, as by Gods permission, hee should effect himselfe.

Now to the dreames, which it is said the Heathen often had, whereby they knew things to come, wee say; many of them were deuised either by them, who affirmed they had such dreames; or by the writers to win the more credit thereby. Yet deny we not, but they had their dreames. Their dreames! Of what sort? There are three sorts of dreames. Some are [...] or [...], diuine dreames; some are [...] or naturall; some are [...] or Diabolicall.

The Heathen were not much troubled with the first sort, with diuine dreames: Gen. 41. Dan. 2. yet we reade that Pharaoh and Nabucho­donosor had such. Et Pharaoh & Nabuchodonosor in iudicium sui somnijs futura cognoscunt, & tamen Deum non intelligunt re­uelantem, saith S. Hierome vpon the first of Ionas: Both Pharaoh and Nabuchodonosor to their owne condemnation doe by their dreames know things to come, and yet they vnderstand not God the reuealer.

Dreames of the second sort are Naturall; and such, no doubt, the Heathen in their sleepe had, as wee in ours haue. But in these there is no diuination; no fore-knowing of things to come.

The third sort is of dreames diabolicall, Hieron. Cōment. in Esai. Distinct. 7 part. 2 art. 1. q. 3. lib. 2. such as the Gentiles sought for in the Temple of Aesculapius. Bonauenture calls them, Somnia, quae fiunt ex illusione Diabolicâ; Dreames which happen to men in time of sleepe by the illusion of the Deuill. Dreames of this sort, as they were euer vncertaine, so were they as vncertainly interpreted. Such was the Dreame that Darius had before he encountred with Alexander: Curtius lib. 3. some ex­pounded it to signifie the victory that he should haue against him: some gaue a contrary sense, Curtius lib. 3. Tully giues another instance. One going to the Olympicke games had a dreame, that he was turned into an Eagle. One Wiz [...]rd inter­preted it, that he should ouercome, because the Eagle is supreme to all other fowles: another turned it the contrary way, that hee should haue the worse, because the Eagle driuing other birds before her, commeth last of all.

Such dreames, as these, are well censured by Siracides in the 34. of his Ecclesiasticus, vers. 5. Diuinations, and sooth-sayings, [Page 156] and dreames are vaine. Dreames are vaine. If they be not sent from the most High in thy visitation, set not thy heart vpon them. For dreames haue deceiued many: and they haue failed, that put their trust in them. For who so regardeth dreames, is like him that catcheth at a shadow, and followeth after the winde.

Thus finding no sound ability either in the dreames of the Heathen, or in their Oracles, to reueale secrets, or foretell things to come: we must euer acknowledge it for a truth irre­fragable, and not to be gain-said, that God is the only reuealer of secrets: that he only foretelleth things to come.

And let this suffice to haue beene spoken of my second ge­nerall, the thing reuealed, the secret of God. The third follow­eth, and is of them, to whom the Reuelation is made: they are his seruants the Prophets. Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he reuealeth his secret to his seruants the Prophets.

The Prophets, that were the seruants of the Lord God, were of three sorts: Some were extraordinarily raised vp by God, for the gouernment of the Church in the infancie thereof. Their office was in the common necessities of the Church to consult God, as occasion should be giuen; and to giue answers concer­ning things to come. These from the inward counsell of God vttering oracles, were wont to be called1 Sam. 9.9. Amos 7.12. Seers.

Others extraordinarily also raised vp by God, were ordained for the instruction of the Church. Their office was to interpret and apply the Law, and to foreshew the sufferings and glory of Christ. These continued fromAct. 3.24. & 10.43. 1 Pet. 1.10.11. Samuel vnto Malachie. Ma­lachie was the last of them.

The third sort is of theEphes. 4.11. 1 Cor. 12.28. Prophets of the New Testament; such as were endued with a singular dexterity and readinesse, and wisdome to interpret the Scriptures of the Prophets, and to apply them. In this third ranke eueryLuke 4.24. 1 Cor. 14.32. true Minister of the Gospell hath a place.

Of all these Prophets Christ is the head, he is the chiefe of all. To himDeut. 18.15. Act. 3.22. & 7.37. Moses, yea and all the Prophets; all theAct. 3.24. Pro­phets from Samuel, and all those that follow after, as many as haue spoken, giue witnesse.

But the Prophets of which my text speaketh are of the two [Page 157] first sorts of Prophets, those whom God extraordinarily rai­sed vp, as well for the gouerning, as for the instruction of the Church. Both are here stiled the seruants of the Lord God.

His seruants] Not only because they serued God in the com­mon profession of godlinesse, but also because they serued him in their particular functions and callings. To be the seruants of the Lord God, it is certainly a notable dignity and prerogatiue. How doe men delight to shroud themselues vnder the liueries of great men? and how much doe they take themselues to be honoured thereby? How much more ought we to labour to approue our selues in the presence of the Lord our God, and to shew our selues euery man in his seuerall vocation and course of life to be his faithfull seruants.

And thus haue you the particular exposition of this my next; Surely the Lord God will doe no thing, but he reuealeth his secret to his seruants the Prophets.

I may not leaue vntouched the maine obseruation which this text affordeth. It is this.

God alwayes teacheth before hee punisheth: hee warneth before hee striketh. When hee was resolued to wash the World with a Deluge of waters for the sinne thereof, hee fore-told it vnto Noah, Gen. 6.13. Though the crie of So­dome and Gomorrah were great, and their sinne very grie­uous, yet would not God destroy them, till he had made knowne his purpose vnto Abraham, Gen. 18.17. and to Lot, Gen. 19.13. The seuen yeares of famine, that should consume the Land of Aegypt, seuen yeares before hee fore-told to Ioseph, Gen. 41.25. So hee reuealed the intended subuersion of Niniueh to Ionah; Ionah 3.1. the famine that should be in the dayes of Claudius Caesar vnto Agabus: Act. 11.28. the captiuitie of the ten Tribes to this our Prophet Amos. Amos in the full assurance of this truth, saith with boldnesse: Surely the Lord God will doe nothing, but he reuealeth his secret to his seruants the Prophets.

Will hee doe nothing, but hee reuealeth it? Wee may not so take it, that God reuealeth to his Prophets, all things which he hath a purpose to doe, all things simply, all his se­crets: But with a certaine limitation, that hee reuealeth om­nia vtilia nobis, as Hugo de S. Charo out of the Glosse hath obserued; that hee reuealeth all things profitable for vs: or, that hee reuealeth, Omnia, quae bonum communitatis concer­nunt, as Carthusian speaketh, that hee reuealeth all things, which concerne the common good. All things which either concerne the common good, or are profitable vnto vs, such as are the iudgements of God to be laid vpon a multitude or a priuate person, God reuealeth. This is the substance of the doctrine euen now deliuered.

The reasons hereof are two. One is in regard of the godly: the other in regard of the wicked.

The first is in regard of the godly. God is vnwilling at any time to take them at vnawares. He loueth them, and would not haue any of them to perish, but would haue them all come to repentance, as Saint Peter witnesseth, 2 Epist. 3.9. God would haue them all come to repentance, that so they might preuent his iudgements. And therefore he neuer striketh, but first he warneth.

The other reason is in regard of the wicked: namely that the wicked might be without excuse, their mouthes might be stopped, and the iustice of God cleared, they hauing no­thing to answer for themselues, or to accuse God of any vn­iust dealing. If I had not come, saith our Sauiour Christ Ie­sus, Ioh. 15.22. If I had not come, and spoken to them, they had not had sinne; but now they haue no cloake, nor excuse, for their sinne. Wherefore let these men, wicked men, learne, as oft as the rod of God lieth heauie vpon them, to accuse them­selues; because when God gaue them warning, they would not be warned: when God would haue healed them, they would not be healed.

You haue the reasons; The vses follow. I can but point at them: the time will not suffer any enlargement. Is it so, beloued? Doth God neuer bring any grieuous iudgement vpon any people or Nation, or any priuate person, but he al­wayes first fore-warneth the same and fore-telleth it? Here then acknowledge we Gods great mercie, and his wonderfull patience. Thus God needeth not to deale with vs. For vpon our owne perill we are bound to take heed of his iudgements before they come. Yet so good is our God, so louing, so mer­cifull, so patient, that he is desirous wee should preuent his iudgements before they fall, by sending our prayers vnto him as Embassadours, to treat of conditions of Peace with him. A subtill enemie would steale vpon vs at vnawares, and take vs at the aduantage: but God, our good God euer fore-war­neth before hee striketh. Hee doth so, saith Carthusian, Vt emendemur & ab imminentibus eripiamur tormentis: hee euer fore-warneth vs, that our liues may bee amended, and wee deliuered from the torments that hang ouer vs readie to fall vpon vs.

Againe, doth God neuer bring any grieuous iudgement vpon any people or Nation, or any priuate person, but he al­wayes first fore-warneth the same, and foretelleth it? Let vs then, whensoeuer wee see any ouertaken with any grieuous iudgement, confesse with Saint Augustine de verâ & falsâ poenitentiâ, cap. 7. Qui verus est in promittendo, verus etiam est in minando: that God is true, as in his promises, so also in his threatnings. If his desire were not, that wee should pre­uent his iudgements, doubtlesse he would neuer giue vs war­ning of them. If hee had a will and purpose to destroy vs, he would neuer tell before-hand, how wee should auoid his iudgements. Let no man say, that the silence of God, and the holding of his peace, is a cause of his securitie. No, it can­not be so. God neuer commeth with any iudgement, but he alwayes sendeth a warning peece before. He sendeth vnto vs his seruants the Prophets. Prophets we haue among vs; and Apostles we haue among vs: and God giueth vs his Ministers, Pastors, and Preachers, as it were to put life againe into the [Page 160] dead Prophets and Apostles, euen to open and declare vnto vs those things which they deliuered. Wherefore, when we shall be admonished by his Ministers, that such and such iudgements shall come; when they shall threaten plagues accor­ding to the generall directions, which they haue in the word of God, let vs not withstand the Spirit spea­king in them. It is the wonderfull goodnesse of God, that hee vouchsafeth to send them vnto vs, and to tell vs be­fore of his iudge­ments.