MAiestie in this Chapter seemes to parly euen with misery: God par­lies with man; and that the quar­rell of a gracious God, with an vnthankfull people, may appeare most iust, Heauen and earth, the dumbe creatures of God, which in the nineteeneth Psalme are stiled the silent Preachers of Gods glo­ry, & mercy, vnto man, are heere cited to be eare-witnesses of mans vnthankfulnes vnto God. For in the second verse, Heare ye, O Mountaines, and yee mightie foundations of the earth, the Lords quarrell against his people. The witnesses thus produc't, Rockes and Mountaines, to conuince the hard­nesse of mans heart, and height of rebellion a­gainst his God. God, he begins his plea, and shewes the ancient euidences of his loue: Verse 5 O my [Page 2]people, Verse 4 saith God, what haue I done vnto thee, or wher­in haue I grieued thee? testifie against me. Is it, be­cause I brought thee out of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of seruants, and led thee like a flocke, Verse 5 by the hand of Moses and Aaron? Is it, be­cause I turned Balaams curse into a blessing vnto you? Is it, because from Shittim vnto Gilgal, nay, from Egypt, vnto Canaan, I made knowne to you, my mercy, my power to your enemies? Is it this that ye lift vp the heele against mee? Is it this my kindnes, w^ch makes you thus vnkind vnto me? Re­member, O my people, these great mercies of your Sauiour, and so acknowledge the righteousnes of the Lord. This is Gods gracious plea with his vnthankefull people, which did so wound and a­bash their guiltie conscience, that they cry out in the sixt verse: Verse 7 In quo occurram? wherewith shall I come before the Lord? And now God, he shall haue burnt offerings; hee shall haue thousands of Rammes; nay, ten thousand Riuers of Oyle; nay, their first-borne child, the fruit of their body, for the sinne of their soule, And all this now if the Lord he will be but pleased. But this God, well he knowes, to be but crusted obedience; much like vnto a wound, which deceitfull skill gathers to a skin, while within 'tis putred and rankles to the bone: For so this seeming obedience, it doth of­ten palliate the rancour and malice of an euill heart: and therefore, indicauit tibi, O homo, God he shews thee, O man, in the 8. Verse, what is good, and what the Lord requireth of thee: Surely, to doe [Page 3]iustly, and to loue mercy, and to walke humbly with thy God, which is the full summe of the Decalogue, and the whole dutie of Man. And all burnt-offe­rings, thousands of Riuers of Oyle, the fruit of the body, for the sinne of the soule, they are all but splendida peccata, they are but glittering sinnes, if this be wanting, to doe iustly man with man, which is the one halse dutie of man, and to walke hum­bly with thy God, which is the other. This there­fore being the very life and soule of our obedi­ence, without which our obedience, like a dead carkase, stinkes in the nostrils of the Lord, that you may all of you take notice of it, and not content your selues with imperfect Comma's of obedi­ence, to doe some part of that which God com­mandeth: nor yet with imperfect Colons of o­bedience, to doe the one halfe of that which God commandeth: but that you may still endeuour to conclude all your actions with full Points of obe­dience, to doe all which God commandeth; not mans, but the Lords voice cryeth this in your eares; For the Lords voice cryeth vnto the Citie, and the man of wisedome shall see thy name. Heare ye the Rod, and who hath happainted it. Which Text of holy Scripture seemes to haue in it the composure of a Syllogisme. The Maior Proposition in these words: The Lords voice cryeth vnto the Citie. The Minor in these words: The man of wise dowe shall see thy name: that is, shall see and consider the glory of Gods name, his Maiestie, and his power, and so with reuerence attend vnto his voice. The illa­tion, [Page 4]or Conclusion, by way of exhortation, in these words: Heare ye therefore the Rod: He that is a man of wisedome amongst you, let him lend his eares and heart to heare of a Rod which the voice denounceth; vnlesse ye turne from the euill of your waies: which God hath appointed most certainely to bring vpon you; vnlesse you preuent his pu­nishments, with your penitence. In the Maior consider we,

• 1. Cuius hac vox, whose voice this is: it is the Lords voice.
• 2. Qualis, what manner of voice it is: It is a crying voice: The Lords voice cryeth.
• 3. The vbi, the place where it cryeth; and that is the Citie. The Lords voice cryeth vn­to the Citie.

In the Minor consider we:

• 1. Quibus, to whom this voice is directed: to men of wisedome: The man of wisedome shall see thy name.
• 2. The reason why the voice is directed onely vnto such: and that is, because they see Gods name: they haue an awefull feare and reuerence of the great Maiestie of God, which tunes their eares and hearts, and makes them tuneable to this voice, to attend with reuernce vnto the voice of so high a Maiestie.

In the Conclusion, consider we:

Quid clamat: What the voice cryeth: It tels vs louingly of a Rod from God: Heare yee the Rod, and who hath appointed it.

These be the parts of this Text, and you haue the Lords voice in the front of it, and the Lords Rodde, in the conclusion or shutting vp of it; to shew how that they who will not heare the Lords Voice at the first, shall be sure to feele his Rod at the last. Let vs therefore in the first place attend vnto that, which is first proposed: which is,Psal. 29. Vox Ie­houae, the Lords voice. The Lords voice (saith the Prophet Dauid) is a mighty voice, it makes Heauen and earth to shake: And so terrible is this voice to flesh and bloud, that in the 20. of Exodus, Verse 19 the children of Israel cry out vnto Moses: Speake thou with vs, and we will heare: but let not God speake with vs, lest we die.

Adam, before his fall, could well enough endure to heare the voice of God; but no sooner had hee transgrest, but as you reade, Genesis 3. when hee heares the voice of God, he is afraid: Verse 10 I heard thy voice in the Garden, and was afraid. And this is the condition of vs all, since the fall of our first Pa­rents, we are so afraid to heare the voice of God, that we cry out with the Israelites: Let man speake with vs, and wee will heare: but let not God speake with vs, lest we die. And therefore, though in my Text mention be made of the Lords voice, this voice, it is not the Lords voice, which ye are afraid [Page 6]to heare, lest ye dye: But the Lords Prophet is the Lords voice in this place, which if ye heare not, ye die: & this it is no new thing, for the Lords Pro­phet to bee stiled the Lords voice. For in the first Chapter of Saint Iohns Gospel, there is [...], the word, and [...], the voice Christ, he is the Word: Saint Iohn the Baptist Christs Herauld, hee is the voice to publish and proclaime this word. So that Saint Iohn, he was the Lords voice to proclaime vnto the Iewes verbū Dominum, the Word which is God. And our Prophet Micah in this place, he is the Lords voice to publish vnto the Iewes, ver­bum Domini, the Word of God, the Word of the Lord. Now it is not said to be the Prophets voice which publishes the message, but the Lords voice; because the people should attend with reuerence to the Prophets, Gods Ministers voice, euen as they would to the Lords owne voice: sith Gods Messenger, he is no other but vox Iehouae, the Lords voice. Man indeed is the voice, because wee are confounded when God himselfe doth speake: but not mans, but the Lords is the voice; because though man vtter them, yet wee should take the words as spoken from God, who else would speake the words vnto vs himselfe, but that our infirmitie cannot away with the Maiesty of the Speaker, who therefore makes man the voice, because man may well away to heare what man doth speake: and therefore though he make man the voice, yet will not haue the voice acknowledged to bee mans voice, but the Lords voice; because wee should [Page 7]attend to what is spoken, as spoken from God, and not from man, who is onely the Lords voice.

And thus now you see who is the Lords voice in this place: See we withall what instructions we haue by this: why, first we haue Gods mercy com­mended to vs, who vouchsafes to send a voice, be­fore a rodde: a voice to premonish, before a rod to punish: Secondly, wee haue Gods Ministers dutie set before vs, in that he is vox, in that he must be a voice. Thirdly and lastly, we see Gods Mini­sters dignitie, in that hee is vox Iehouae, the Lords voice. For the first, Gods mercy, in that he sends a voice to premonish, before a rodde to punish. And this mercy of God, it is euery where com­mended vnto vs in holy Writ; from the Alpha, to the Omega; from the beginning, to the end. The first man Adam, no sooner had hee lost himselfe, straying in forbidden pathes from his Gods com­mand; but the voice of mercy seekes him out in the third of Genesis: Vbies? Adam, where art thou? Wicked Cain, he murthers a righteous Abel: and the voice of mercy straight vpon the murther cals vpon him, to strike him with remorse for his sinne, Vbi est? VVhere is thy Brother Abel? Alas,Gen. 4. what hast thou done, that thy Brothers bloud cryes in mine eares for vengeance? The old world,1. Pet. 3.19, 20. though now euen drowned with the ouerflowings of vn­godlinesse, yet, it perished not by the floud, but it had first a voice to admonish it: righteous Noah was sent vnto it a preacher of righteousnes. Nine­ueh that great Citie, God, he had purposed to de­stroy [Page 8]it, for the Cry of their sinne, which came vp to Heauen: but a voice is first sent vnto them; Io­nah like a Doue is sent from before Gods Mercy-Seat, with the Oliue Branch of Peace in his mouth,Ionah 1. to flie to Nineueh with the siluer wings of mercy, offering them mercy, if they doe repent. And to come nigher home. Heere in my Text, you see Ierusalem; rebellious Ierusalem; a Citie so vn­thankfull to her God; yet she hath a voice first sent vnto her, the voice of mercy, to make her heare the rodde, before the hand of iustice is vpon her, to make her feele the rodde. And as the Citie Ierusa­lem was vouchsafed this voice of Mercy, to winne her home by repentance to her God: So this our Ierusalem, this Citie of ours, a Citie as vnkind to God, as euer was Ierusalem, yet hath it voices vpon voices sent vnto it; it is full of voices: & these voi­ces, with that voice of a Crier in the third of Ma­thew, forewarne vs to flee from the wrath to come. Some of these voices Cry vnto the Citie, to take heed how she harbours Drunkards, lest the Land spue out her Inhabitants, as a lothsome burthen to her stomacke. Some of these voices Cry vnto the Citie, to take heed how she deale with Pride, lest pride, like Samson, carrie away the gates of the Ci­tie vpon her back, and betray the strength of the Citie, whil'st with her ouer-curious cloathing she leaues the Citie bare, and like an Ague, hauing fashious for fits, shakes the Common-wealth, whilst shee makes her wealth too common for o­ther Nations, dearely buying at their hands, their [Page 9]strange fashions, and new deuices, till at last Pride get a trip and (if preuention step not in) lay the Cities honour in the dust. Some againe of these Voyces Cry vnto the Citie to take heed shee bee not too secure, for the Diuel is like the Vsurer, all is well with him, so long as he sees security.

Thus the Voyces, you see, they discharge like so many Warning-pieces vpon you, euen from God, to forewarne you to flee from the wrath to come: now if yee will not heare this voyce of Mercie, but like wel-fed Horses will fetch your full careeres in sinne, and seeme to spurne against the Decree of Heauen, disdaining to humble your selues in dust and ashes, and to come before God, in Fasting, Teares, and Prayer; if the rod of God, on the sudden smite any one,Dan. 5. with Belshazzer quaffing in his Cups; or priding it with Iezabel; 2. Reg. 9. or promising security to himselfe with Diues: let him not blame GOD for his seuerity;Luke 12. for God sent Voyces vpon Voyces to recall him, but he would not bee recalled: and therefore let him blame his owne stupid securitie, who would not bee wonne with the voyce of Mercie, vntill he feele the stroke of Iustice. For vs (Beloued) sith God thus in Mer­cie still vouchsafes a Voyce to premonish, before a Rod to punish; let vs heare and obey the Voyce of Mercie, that so wee may preuent the stroke of Iustice: for to bee all eare and heart, to heare and obey, is the Peoples dutie, as to bee all Voyce and Heart, to exhort and obey is the Ministers dutie, which wee haue in the second place commended [Page 10]vnto vs; in that, Gods Minister, he is vox, in that he is a voice. Gods Minister he must be a voice. For in the 28. of Exodus, verse 35. wee reade, that Aarons sound must be heard when he goeth into the Holy place, to minister before the Lord, that he dye not. Wherevpon saith venerable Beda, Sacerdos in­grediens, vel e­grediens, moritur si de eo sonitus non audiatur, quia iram contra se occulti Iudicis exigit, si sine prae­dicationis sonitu incedit. Beda de vest. Sacerd. 1. Cor. 9.16. Mar. 16.15. The Priest comming to minister before the Lord, he dyes for it, if his sound be not heard: and the Minister of the Gospell, hee stands guilty of death, if hee take vpon him to minister before the Lord, and haue not his sound heard in the sincere preaching of the Gospell. Gods Minister then needs must he be a voice. For wo vnto him if he be not a voice: Woe vnto me (saith the Apostle) if I preach not the Gospell; for their Commission is, [...], Preach the Gospell. This then commends the necessitie of preaching, against the common voice of the world, which holds a Para­doxe against the Schoole of Christ; that the more preaching, the lesse practifing; and, Neuer were there more golden times, then when there was lesse voycing it in the Pulpit, and more mumming and massing it at the Altar: This is a strange world, when the more we are taught to doe, the lesse we doe; and when mens eares are like the thin eares of Come, which Pharaoh saw in a dreame, in the 41. of Genesis; the thinne eares deuoured the full eares: For so our thinne eares, which scarce heard good instruction in time of Popery, deuoure our full eares, which now in the light of the Gospell are dayly fild with good instructions: for when [Page 11]we heard little, the boast is, we did much; and now we heare much, the cry is, wee doe iust nothing at all. And therefore if God should deale with vs in iustice, and not in mercy, rather then hee would suffer his voice thus to be wronged, to be thought the occasion of our seldome practice, and slacke performance, he would quite take his Voices from vs, and sith we will not be content to be brought to heauen, by the direction of his Voice, suffer vs to goe to hell, by the suggestion of the Diuell, but God pities our infirmitie: and though we (such is the weakenes & errour of our iudgement) think the voice cry too too often, yet God (such is the dead­nesse and dulnes of our hearts) thinkes the voice neuer to cry often enough. And therefore in the 58. of Isai. verse 1. saith God vnto his Voice, vnto his Prophet; Cry, Cry alowd, Spare not, but lift vp thy voice like a Trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and to the house of Iacob their sinne.

Now doth the voice of God say, Cry; the voice of man, needs must it cry, what the voice of God would haue it cry. And therefore all that be Voi­ces, let them not spare to cry, while they haue a voice to cry, let the world regard their often cry­ing as it please.

And as for those, who haue the calling of Voi­ces, who are called to be Vocales, but proue muti: who are called to be vocall, but proue mute: it were to be wished, they would a little straine their voice, to speake somewhat in Gods cause; that if not their voice, yet at leastwise their sound might [Page 12]be heard in Gods Temple, as Aarons was, whilst, though themselues be slow of Speech, as Moses was,Exod. 4. yet they procure some Aaron to bee their mouth, their sound vnto the people that they die not, if their sound bee not heard, and the peoples bloud which perish by their default, bee not one day required at their hands.

Now as this, it is for the Ministers duty, that he is a voice; so is it also for his dignitie, that he is vox Iehouae, the Lords voice: and this that hee is the Lords voice, it first reflects in a memento, to the Minister himselfe; and then secondly, to the peo­ple. For the Minister himselfe, in that hee is the Lords voice, it teaches him integritie, and humi­litie.

And first, integritie: for he, whom the God of Heauen makes choise of, to be his voice, need had he be,Luke 1. as was Zacharias the Priest, a man iust be­fore God, walking without reproofe. Gods Mini­ster then, he must not be a bare voice; but he must be, as was Saint Iohn the Baptist, [...], a voice, he must be more then a voice, and his heart must vtter workes of piety, when his tongue speakes words of pietie; his hands must deale workes of charitie, when his tongue deliuers words of chari­tie: nay, more then this, his modest cloathing, like Iohns garment of Camels hayre;Math. 3. this must bee a voice, & preach against the fashions of the times. His temperate dyet, like Iohns meat of Locusts, and wilde Honey; this must be a voice, and preach a­gainst the Ryot of our times: and thus must he be, [Page 13]not so much a speaking, as a walking voice; for he must approue himselfe to God, as did Saint Iohn: Iohn 5. not onely a shining, but a burning light: not one­ly a shining light, to lighten the dimme Candle of our vnderstāding, & to make vs to know God: but a burning light to inflame the fire of our loue, and to make vs to loue God. He must be a preaching voice wheresoeuer hee goes; as in the Temple, preaching words of Pietie; so out of the Temple, preaching works of pietie, that the sinceritie of his workes, may giue countenance to the veritie of his words. And this was signified in Aarons gar­ment; when as we reade in the 28. of Exodus, verse 34. vpon the skirts of Aarons cloathing, there was a golden Bell and a Pomegranate: a Bell, to signi­fie Gods Minister, he must be a sounding, a prea­ching voice: a golden Bell, to signifie the doctrine which he preaches, must be sincere and pure; pure as the gold tried seuen times in the fire: and with this golden Bel is ioined a Pomegranate, to signi­fie Gods Minister: he must not onely be a Bell to sound out the Gospell; nor onely a golden Bell, sound in the sincere preaching of the Gospel; but he must be also, a Pomegranat: as the Pomegranat is full of pleasant kernels, so must Gods Minister abound alwayes in the worke of the Lord; be full of good workes: vt omnia quae loquitur, Beda de vest. Sacerd. bonis confir­mentur operibus, saith Beda: That the confirmation of his doctrine, may be the conformation of his life vnto his Doctrine. Now if euer any Church in the world had in it this ring of golden Bels, it is the [Page 14]Church of England at this day. The church of Rome hath indeed a ring of Bels, but they be Tinne, they be Lattine Bels, & the Latine, often broken Latine too, which makes the ring so much the worse. For the Priests of Rome beat so altogether vpon Latine, in the seruices of their Church, that most of them (such is the ignorance of their Masse-Priests) doe often breake it: whereas our ring, it is altogether of golden Bels, sound and sincere Preachers of the Gospell; delightfull for their pleasant sound, and as delightfull for their pleasant sauour. For as they be golden Bels, for the purity of their doc­trine; so be they also Pomegranats, for their ver­tuous life. Now, if it so sometime chance to hap you meet with a golden Bel, without a Pomgranat; a good Preacher for his Doctrine, but not so good for his life; neuer the worse mislike the ring, but heare his doctrine, and beare with his life. For well saith a good Father;Chrysost. in Mat. 23. Si benè vixerint: The Ministers, if they liue well, the benefit is their own; Si benè docuerint, if they teach well, the benefit is yours; accipite igitur quod vestrum est, nolite discu­tere quod alienum est: receiue therefore, and skan their Doctrine, for that belongs to you: meddle not to skanne their life, for that belongs to God; for they are the Lords Voices, and they stand or fall vnto their owne Master: but (God be thanked) neuer were the Lords voices, these golden Bels, better tuned, for life and doctrine, then at this day: the Lord so continue them, who first vouch­saf't them to be his Voices, that these goldē Saint-Bels [Page 15]may ring all in, may winne all mis-led Christi­ans to ioyne with vs in our holy profession, while their light so shines before men, that men seeing their good workes, glorifie their Father, which is in Heauen.

Now in the second place, as the Minister sees his glory in this, that he is Gods Voice, so that he may not be proud of this, that he is so highly dig­nified to be the Lords voice, he must withall learne this point of humilitie, how that hee is but the voice, the Word, God puts it into his mouth what he shall fay, and he is but the Voice to publish it. And this we haue cōfirmed vnto vs out of the 40. of Esay, where at the sixt verse, saith God vnto the Prophet, Cry. Now the Prophet thus approued, to be Gods Voice to cry, he awaits his message from God, and in humilitie hee replyes to God, Quid clamabo? What shall I cry? Now God, he puts his word into his Prophets mouth, and bids him cry, All flesh is grasse, and the grace thereof is as the flower of the field. So that by this you see, though the Prophet be the Voice to publish the message, yet the Word, God puts it into his mouth what hee shall say. And therefore the Prophets beeing to deliuer their message from God, they shew their warrant, and still begin with this, Verbum Iehouae, the word of the Lord. For so begins our Prophet Micah this his Prophecie,Chap. 1.1. The Word of the Lord that came vnto Micah: as if Micah, and all other the Prophets, were but so many Voices, still ready at hand, awaiting and expecting to receiue the [Page 16]Word of the Lord, whensoeuer it came vnto them for to publish it.

Now, this being so, that Gods Minister, he is but the voice; the Word, God puts it into his mouth what hee shall say. Why then first, let no Messenger of the most High, no Minister of the Gospell, be any whit proud, or lifted vp with this, though hee farre surpasse all other in the gifts of the Spirit: for alas, he, who thinkes himselfe the best, and best furnished for the Ministerie, hee is but the Lords Voice; and not a word, not a tittle can he vtter of himselfe, but onely the Word which the Lord God putteth into his mouth: euen Balaam in the 22. of Numbers tels him as much; where hee tels vs, no not for a house full of gold and siluer, he can speake a word good or bad, but onely the Word, which GOD putteth into his mouth to speake; that, and no other can he speake. So that euery Minister of God, he must in humili­tie acknowledge and confesse, what Iohn the Bap­tist before him stood not vpon to vtter,Iohn 1.23. [...], I am but the voice of him that cryeth, of God that speaketh by mee: For that which was matter of pride in Herod, to heare the acclamation of the people, The Voice of God, and not of Man, must be matter of humilitie in the Ministers of God, when they heare (The Voice of God, and not of Man) sith they be but Gods Voices,Acts 12.22. & the Word, God puts it into their mouth what they shall say. And therefore in the second place, in that Gods Minister he is but the Lords Voice, the Word it is [Page 17]Gods Word, and hee is but the Voice to pub­lish it. This condemnes the great folly of the world which is so ready to taxe the Minister. And if his Doctrine, like the Arrow shot at per­aduenture, which smote wicked Ahab betweene the ioynts, light vpon some Ahab, 1. Reg. 22.34. some vngodly man entring thorow, as the Word of GOD is liuely, and mighty in operation,Heb. 4.12. to the di­uiding asunder of the soule, the Spirit, the ioynts and marrow: This wicked Ahab, 1. Reg. 22.8. this vngodly man, he will hate the Lords Michaiah for this, hee will hate the Lords Voice for this; because he pro­phecies, he preaches not good, but as he conceitsit euil vnto him; whereas sond man, he considers not with himself, how that the word it is Gods Word, and the Minister, he is but the Lords Voice to publish it, and the Voice neither can it vtter good or bad, but what the Lord God putteth into the mouth to say, as Micaiah told the Messenger of Ahab, who entised him to accord with the false prophets, and to bring in his omnia bene with the rest: Surely (saith Micaiah) as the Lord liueth, what­soeuer the Lord saith vnto me, be it good, or be it bad, 2. Reg. 22.14. that, and no other can I speake. And therefore as we blame not the Bow, if the Arrow hit vs, but rather the hand which directed toward vs: so let not men storme against the Voice, which carries but the word vnto our eares. But what then, shall we storme against the hand of God which aymes the Word directly vnto vs? Why, storme we; if we will: but Dauid tels vs in his second Psalme, wee [Page 18]rage and murmure but in vaine: & if our rage be not the sooner ouer, God shal vex vs in his displea­sure, and breake these vessels of Clay; these bodies of ours like a Potters Vessell: be we wise therefore, and be we learned in Gods feare, and take we heed henceforward how wee storme against Gods Voices as wee doe, Verse 39 lest as Gamaliel tels vs, Acts 3. we be found fighters against God. And take we heede withall how we censure Gods Voices, as we doe, bringing with vs cutious eares, which heare more to descant on the Minister, then to profit by his ministerie. For in that we censure the Minister of God, we seeme to censure God himselfe, such the Minister, he is but the Lords Voice, the Word it is Gods owne Word, and the Minister, he is but the voice to publish it. And therefore as Dauid tooke the indignities done to his Embassadours by the Princes of the children of Ammon, 2. Sam. 10. as done vnto himselfe, and so reuenged them: so though euen Princes, neuer so great ones of the world, wrong and abuse the Embassadours of the Lord, these Voices of the Lord; God he will take the abuse as done vnto himselfe, and will one day repay it home.

Henceforth then let the people take heed how they heare, sith it is Gods Word they heare, deli­uered onely by mans voice. And let the Minister also take heed how hee speake, since it is Gods Word, and not his owne, which hee is to speake, that so, there being this sweet harmony betweene the Hearer of Gods Word, and the Speaker, [Page 19]there may be more true deuotion in the heart, and lesse censuring prattle with the tongue. And so frō the Ministers dutie, proceed we onward to the Peoples. It is so, you see, that the Minister, he is the Lords Voice; and therefore as it is all our du­ties to reuerence the Lord, so is it also our duties to beare respect vnto his Voices. For the Church, it is Christs Spouse, and the Congregation of the faithfull: the Church of God cannot better ex­presse her loue to Christ her Husband, who is in Heauen, then by a due respect vnto his Voices, who are heere on earth. Now the due respect of a louing Wife vnto her Husband, consists in three maine duties. First, to loue him: Secondly, to che­rish him: Thirdly, to obey him. All which, the Church of God, and Congregation of the faith­full, because she is the Spouse of Christ, is bound to impart vnto his Voices, for they are Christs re­ceiuers heere ouearth, to receiue for him these pledges of our loue: And so also (saith our Saui­our) he that receiueth you, receiueth me. Math. 10.40.

Now we are first to loue Christs Voices: and this is the thing the Apostle beseecheth at our hands, to haue them all in singular loue,1. Thes. 5.12, 13. who la­bour amongst vs, who are ouer vs in the Lord, who admonish vs: to loue such, with a more then ordinarie, with a singular loue for their workes sake; and we are bound to loue them in two res­pects: First, because they are Christs, his Embassa­dours, sent vnto vs with an Ambassie of Peace, beseeching vs in Christs stead,2. Cor. 5.20. to bee reconciled [Page 20]vnto God. Now if we loue the Prince of Peace; needs must we loue these Embassadors of Peace: and if we loue CHRIST IESVS, who is [...], the Word, needs must we loue them, who are the Voices, to publish, and proclaime this Word. Se­condly, we are bound to loue them, because they loue vs, they watch ouer our soules; nay, they loue many a man, better then hee loues himselfe: for these Voices,Hier. 9.1. they oftentimes with Ieremy, carry a­bout with them, whole fountains of teares, in their head, and in their heart, & draw from these Wels, with the two Buckets of their eyes, such abundance of teares, that their eyes shead teares day and night, for their sinnes, who seldome, or neuer shead a teare for their owne sinnes: And therefore good reason haue we, to loue these Voices, or at least­wise not to hate them, as too too many doe, who little better esteeme of them,Gen. 16.12. then of Ish­mael: their hand against euery man, and euery mans band against them.

I will say thus much, to the honour, and com­mendation of this famous Citie; There is no Nati­on vnder heauen more respects these Voices, if they be the Lords Voices indeed, then the more graue, and discreeter Citizens: And as for the rest, they loue them too, but not with so good discreti­on: for they loue them in a manner, as the Ape doth her yong ones: they loue them so importu­nately, that they kill them. And therefore it were to be wisht, they would loue them a little more, in louing them a little lesse, while they giue the Voi­ces [Page 21]a breathing time, to follow the Apostles rule to his beloued Timothy: 1. Tim 4.13. To giue attendance to reading, and to exhortation, and to doctrine; that there may be a breathing while, for the Voices, to giue attendance to reading: as well as all to ex­hortation, and to doctrine: For the Voices, they will be so much the better able, to teach others by their doctrine, when they haue first taught them­selues by their reading.

Now as wee are bound, to loue the Lords Voi­ces; so can we not better expresse our loue vnto them, then in cherishing them. For farre bee it, that the Lords Voices should be fedde, like meere voyces indeed; onely with ayre: and that their maintenance should bee the peoples courtesie and beneuolence; for this, it were a dishonour vn­to God, and a great abasing to the Ministerie. The very Heathens tell vs as much.Ptut. Mor. For Plutarch tels vs of a Laconian, who seeing a Collector going a­bout, and gathering the peoples deuotions for the gods: O (saith he) I will now make no more rec­koning of the gods; so long as I see them goe a begging, and to bee poorer then my selfe. And would not, thinke you, many a churlish Nabal, and repining Laban of these dayes, bee ready to fall into the same disdaine of God, and of his Voices, if the Offals onely of their reuenues, and cruell mercies of their purse, were the stay, and mainte­nance of the Ministers life. This it were great pi­tie, it should be so; and hope suggests the best, that it wil neuer be. For were it so; as in the same Plu­tarch [Page 22]we reade,Plut. Mor. of one Philippus, a Priest amongst the Heathen, so poore, that hee beg'd for his li­uing, and yet hee would goe about, and tell how happy he should be. When (quoth one) will this be? When I am dead (saith he.) Why, (then poore fellow (quoth the other) thou art too blame, thou diest not quickly, that thou mayst be happy. Euen thus should the Lords poore Voices bee flouted of the world. The Lord is our portion, say the Voices, and wee shall bee happy; but when, saith the world, shall you haue this portion, that ye may be happy? When we dye, say the Voices. Why, then sayes the world; yee are too blame, ye dye not quickly, to be happy in Heauen, whom the world hath tooke an order with, neuer to bee happy on earth. But this, it is the voice of the sonnes of Belial, who haue euill will at Sion, and had rather put a Church into their purse, then empty their purse vpon the Church.

For you (beloued) the Lords Voices are per­swaded better things of you, how regardfull of them you haue alwayes beene, and how carefull you be,2. Reg. 4. not onely with the good Shunamite, to prouide them a Chāber, a Table, & a Stoole, when they turne in vnto you: but to send them away, as Ioseph did his Brethren;Gen. 42. with their Sacks full of Corne, and euery man his money in his Sacks mouth: meat for the belly, and money for the back. For which care of yours, in cherishing the Lords Voices; the blessing of Heauen, and the farnesse of the earth, be your great reward. And [Page 23]may they euer liue, registred in the Kalendar of Saints, who already haue, or hereafter shall, more like the Primitiues of old; then the hold-fast Pos­sessiues of these times, thus bring in part of their Possessions, and lay it downe at the Apostles feet, bringing an offering, to the worke of the Taber­nacle; to this so worthy a Worke. Now as wee are to loue, and cherish; so are wee also to obey the Lords Voices. And this is it the Apostle ex­horts you vnto, Heb. 13. Verse 17 Obey them which haue the ouer sight of you, and submit your selues: for they watch for your soules, as they that must giue account, for them vnto God, that they may doe it with ioy, and not with griefe: for that is vnprofitable for you. You are then to obey Gods Minister: because God hath set him, as a watchmā ouer your soules, & he must giue an account to God for your soules. Now if ye doe what hee commands you from God, his shall be the ioy; and yours the crowne. But if yet will be stiffenecked, and not obey; though his bee the griefe, to see his Ministerie take no better ef­fect amongst you, yours shall be the perill. For if hee giue vp his account of your soules, with griefe of heart, for your disobedience to the Gos­pell of Christ: this, it is vnprofitable, [...], for you, and not for him. And therefore, as you tender your soules, obey the Lords Voices, which watch ouer your soules. Giue an obedient eare to the Lords Voices, to heare them: and an obedient heart to the Lord himselfe, to feare him, that yee may be blessed. For in the 30. of Deuteronomie, Verse 20 [Page 24]there be three wayes set downe; the three rodes, by which we come to blessednes: the first is, by lo­uing the Lord thy God: the second, by obeying his Voice: and the third, by cleauing vnto him; so that, if thou loue the Lord, because he is thy Fa­ther; if thou cleaue vnto him, because he is thy Sa­niour; if thou obey his Voice, because hee is thy Lord: thou, and thy Seed, shall liue, and bee bles­sed vpon earth. For if thou obey diligently the Voice of the Lord, the Lord in the 28. of Deut. pronourices thee Blessed in the Citie, Verse. 3 and blessed in the field, Verse 4 blessed in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of the ground, Verse 6 blessed in thy comming in, and in thy going out, Verse 8 blessed in thy storehouses, blessed in all thou set'st thine hand vnto. Thus shall the man bee blessed, that obeyes the Voice of the Lord. And therefore all ye, who desire blessednes, heare, and obey, that yee may eate the good things of the Land. And thus now, you see, how, for the Lords sake, whose Spouse the Church is, you are to loue, to cherish, and to obey, the Lords Voices: Now let euery faithfull Christian, which is a member of the true Church, the Spouse of Christ, plight faith to Christ, the Husband of this Spouse, for the per­formance of this Christian dutie: which God so requires at our hands. And so from the Voice, come we to see the nature of the Voice. It is a cry­ing Voice: The Lords Voice Cryoth: and neede had the Voice be a Crying Voice: for it hath a Citie to Cry in, and a whispering still Voice is not for the Citie: for this, none could heare. Nay, an [Page 25]ordinarie speaking voice, is not for the Citie: for this few could heare. And therefore, the Voice, being sent vnto the Citie, it is a Crying Voice, that all might heare it. And thus doth God, by sending a Crying Voice vnto them, take away all colourable pretences, and excuses from the City. For, had a still voice, or an ordinarie speaking voice, come vnto them, their plea had been; non audiuimus: the Voice, it was so still, that, what, for the clamours of the Citie, wee heard it not. And therefore, the Voice, it is a Crying Voice: that all might heare it: and none might haue excuse, wherewith to cloke his finne. Now then the Voice, it is a Crying Voice: in three respects. First, it is a crying Voice, to make an out-cry a­gainst crying sins. Secondly, it is a crying Voice, to rouze and awake the Citie, dead asleepe in sinne: which no Voice, but a crying Voice could rouze. Thirdly, it is a crying Voice, to leaue the Citie without excuse: to take away all excuse from the Citie. For the first, the Voice, it is a crying Voice, to make an out cry against crying sinnes.

Sinne, it hath got a voice in the world: yea, and that a lowd crying Voice, in the eares of GOD. Cains sinne of murther, it had a crying Voice: for Abels bloud, in the fourth of Genesis, cryes in Gods eares for vengeance. The sinne of Sodome, it had a crying Voice: For in the 18. of Genesis, the cry of Sodome and Gomorrah, is said to be great in the eares of the Lord. And in these last, and worse dayes of the world, sinne hath more lift vp her [Page 26]voice then euer: for sinne hath got a roring voice: & now sin, which before did but cry to heauen for vengeance; it now roares for vengeance: Now that there be many roarers abroad in the world, who, because their father the Diuell, is stiled by Saint Peter, Verse 8 in the last Chapter of his first Epistle, a roaring Lyon; blush not to stile themselues, his roaring Whelpes, his roaring Boyes. And these roaring Boyes, send roaring out of their Pot-guns, in their drunken fits, nothing else, but fearefull blasphemies against the God of Heauen. Now then, since sinne hath not onely got a crying, but euen a roaring voice in the world; high time it is, God should haue at leastwise a crying Voice in the world, to make an out-cry against these crying, and these roaring sinnes: and that for two respects. The one, in respect of God; the other, in respect of man. First in respect of God; it is most necessarie, God should haue a crying Voice abroad in the world. For should sinne still goe a­bout in the world, thus vncontrouled, with a cry­ing, and a roaring voice, it would carry the whole world to hell with most voices: For the voice of blasphemie would quite drowne the voice of Pie­tie, and the voice of Prayer, it would bee turned into the voice of cursing; and where no voice were heard, but the crying voice of sinne, all men would learne to speake no language, but the lan­guage of the Diuell: all men would bee of one tongue: but that tongue dipt in boyling Brim­stone, to speake nothing but Blasphemie; the lan­guage [Page 27]of the damned; that tongue dipt in gall, to speake of nothing but cursednesse and bitter­nesse; that tongue dipt in bloud, to speake of nothing but bloud and slaughter; so aduancing it selfe, euen to the Throne of God: if it were possible, to pull God out of his Throne: one while crying out, Vbi est Deus? Where is God? another while crying out, Non respicit Deus; God regardeth not: yet another while flatly roa­ring out, Non est Deus, There is no GOD. This, and farre more worse then this, would bee the language of the world, were there no voyce heard in the world, but the crying voyce of sinne: God therefore, to stop the mouth of the Diuell, who thus goes about to deface his glory: scoming at his power, with Vbi est Deus? Where is God? deriding his prouidence, with, Non respicit Deus: God regardeth not: Nay more then this; seeking to pull God out of his Throne, with, Non est Deus: There is no God: God, hee also sends a crying Voyce into the world, to make an outcry against this Cry of sinne, and to drowne and confound this cursed language of the world, inuented in hell, & learned of the Deuil: which being of a far high­er reach, then euer Babel could possibly haue been, would towre vp higher then to Heauen; euen to the Throne of God, if it were possible, to dethrone that great Monarch of the world, with Non est Deus, There is no God. And now, that Gods crying voyce is heard in the world, the better part of the world hath learned the holy tongue, and [Page 28]words of piety, are now more often heard, then words of blasphemy; and the Voyce of prayer, is now more frequent, then the Voyce of cursing: So that now, no longer, Where is God? for, Ie­houa in coelis: Our God, he is in heauen; no longer now God regardeth not: for our God, as he is in heauen, so beholds hee all things that are done, both in heauen and earth, and his prouidence go­uernes all things.Wisd. 14. No longer now, Non est Deus, There is no God; for our God, he is, [...],Reu. 1.4. He, who is, who was, and is to come: our God, hee is from all eternity.

Now, as God thus sends a crying Voyce into the world, to vindicate his glory from the vnrigh­teousnesse of men,Rom. 1.18. who else would withhold the truth of God in vnrighteousnesse: So doth hee also, in great compassion vnto man, send his crying Voyce into the world, to outcry crying sinnes, lest crying sinnes, still crying in Gods eares for venge­ance, should pull downe the vials of Gods wrath, to consume man from off the face of the earth: for the crying voyce of sinne, is still importuning the hand of Iustice, with one plague or other, to cut off the sinner. And one while it cals for a second De­luge, to drowne the world, for the ouerflowings of vngodlinesse, which are in the world: yet another while, it calls for a famine, to punish the want and scarsity of good men: yet another while, it calls for pestilence and the sword, to punish our abuse of health and happinesse. And thus is the voyce of sinne still vrging the hand of Iustice, to write [Page 29]bitter things against the sinner: but the crying Voyce of mercy, which God, for the good of man, sends into the world, speakes better things both from God to man, and for man to God. And it first speakes from God to man, that man would preuent punishment by penitence, that man would preuent a second floud, to drowne the world for sinne, by first drowning his sinne in a floud of leares: leauing his crying sinnes, and falling a cry­ing for his sins. Now as this crying Voyce speaks mercy from God to man, so doth it also speake for mercy, vnto God for man: for in the second of Ioel, the Priests, these crying Voyces of the Lord, Verse 17 they weepe betweene the porch and the Altar, and cry to God; Spare thy people, O Lord, and giue not thine heritage ouer to reproch; and God in the 18. and 19. verses, to shew how much hee accepts the cry of his Voyces, the cryes and prayers of his Mi­nisters, which they powre before him for his peo­ple, himselfe vouchsafes a gracious reply, and makes the answer, how that at the cry of his Mini­sters, he cannot but be iealous ouer his Land, and spare his people, and giue them their hearts desire, corne, wine and oyle, and freedome from their enemies: such is the force of prayer for the peo­ple, in the Lords Ministers mouth, if it be feruent from the heart. Now then, ye people of the Lord, if ye haue any care, or regard at all of your soules, learne to distinguish betweene the cry of voyces, that knowing which cry against your soules good, and which cry for the good of your soules, you [Page 30]may be able to discerne, which you are to heare, and obey, which to shut your eares against, and to auoyd. You see heere there bee three crying voy­ces abroad in the world; The first is the crying, nay the roaring voyce of the Deuill, and this voyce cries vnto you to breathe defiance against Heauen, and to write your names in the earth, with the red inke of bloud, or the blacke inke of hellish villany: This voyce cries vnto you with wicked Kain, to murther a righteous Abel, it cries vnto you to play the traitor with Iudas, it cries vnto you to take away another mans possession with Ahab, it cries vnto you to steale a wedge of gold with Achan, it cries vnto you to play the drunken Sot with Nabal, it cries vnto you to play the vncharitable Miser with Diues, it cries vnto you to dye your soules of the Deuils hue, in the blacke deeds of darknesse and of wickednesse. Now the second crying voyce which is abroad in the world, is the crying voyce of sinne, and this cries to heauen for a punishment for sinners, it cries vnto the clowds to deny the sin­ner raine, it cries vnto the sunne to deny the sinner light, it cries vnto the earth to deny the sinner food, it cries to Mercy not to regard the sinner, it cries to Iustice to renounce the sinner, it cries to hell to receiue the sinner, and it cries for tortures to torment the sinner: this is the crying voyce of sinne, which is neuer with vs, but is still against vs. Now the third and last crying voyce, which is Gods crying Voyce of Mercy, this cries vnto you, not to play Kains part, and to kill, but to loue [Page 31]thy brother as thy selfe; not to play Iudas part, and betray, but to obey from the heart those which are set ouer you; not to play Ahabs part, and op­presse, but to giue to euery man his owne; not to play Achans part, and to steale, but to worke euery man with his own hands, & to eat his bread in the sweat of his browes; not to play Nabals part, and be drunke, but to be sober, to watch and to play; not to play Diues part, and to be miserable, but to doe good, to distribute, to bee to all men charita­ble; and then againe, it cries vnto you, as you would haue the clowds drop raine, so let your eyes drop teares for your sinnes; as you would haue the earth be fruitful, so to be fruitfull in good works as you would haue the sunne giue light, so to walke as children of light; as you would haue heauen, & e­scape hell, so to haue your conuersation in heauen, while ye liue on earth. This is the Voyce of mer­cy, which is euer with vs, and neuer is against vs.

Now chuse you which of these three voyces will you heare: the Deuils voyce, you see, how it comes vnto you with a word cloathed with death, and playes the Orator for hell, to gaine right to your soule through vnrighteous practices; and will you heare this voyce, to obey and follow it? Why, fol­low it you may; but know where it leades: it leads to the paths of death, & high-way to damnation. The crying voyce of sinne, this you heare, how it cries to, heauen against you, and still in the end proues a backward friend to those her vassals, who obey sinne in the lust thereof; though at first, the [Page 32]better to serue her turn, she fawne vpon them: and will you now bee wonne by the entising voyce of sinne, to follow and obey it in the lust thereof? why, follow it you may, but it threatens your destructiō; for sinne will one day pay her seruants their wages home, and will requite their euill life which was spent in her seruice, with euerlasting death, which is their wages for their seruice:Rom. 6. for, the wages of sinne is death; and therefore as you tender your soules, redeemed by Christs precious bloud from the power of sinne and Satan, captiuate not your soules againe, by listning to the entisements of sin, and prouocations of the Deuill; but lend your eares onely to the Lords crying Voyce of mercy, attend only this blessed Voyce which cryes abroad in the world, to bring sinners home againe to God by repentance: and if you shut your eares, the dores of your soule, against all other entising voy­ces of sinne and Satan, and open them onely to the Lords crying Voyce, to prepare a way for the King of glory to enter in: assure your selues, such shall be the peace and ioy of your soules, that you shall haue heauen in your soules in this life, and your soules shall haue heauen in another life. And so much for the first reason, why the Voyce, it is a crying Voyce.

Now secondly, the Voyce, it is a crying Voyce, to rouze and awake the dead & secure City: dead asleepe in sin, which no voyce but a crying Voyce could rouze: and this collection fitly arises from some variety of interpretation of the word in the [Page 33]Originall, which is here rendred a City; for (as Cal uin hath obserued it) some read it, Vox Iebouae ad ci­uit atem; some againe, Ad exper gefaciendum clamat. Some read it, The Voyce of the Lord crieth to the City. Some againe read it; The Voyce of the Lord crieth to rouze, & to awake: which implies the great deadness & security of the Citie, which could not be awaked without a crying Voyce; for as our bles­sed Sauior, being to raise dead Lazarus from death to life, is said to cry with a loud voyce, Clamauit vo­ce magna (saith the text) he cryed with a loud voyce,Iohn 11. Lazarus, come forth; so our blessed Sauior being to raise the dead sinner, dead in sins & trespasses, as it is Ephes. 2. he makes his Voyces crying Voyces, vers. 1 to cry vnto the sinner to come forth of the graue of sin: Surge qui dormis, Awake thou that sleepest, Ephes. 5.14. and stand vp from the dead, and Christ shall giue thee light.

Now as the City Hierusalem had need of this crying Voyce: euen so hath our Hierusalem, this City of ours. Our Citizens complaine, It is now a dead world, a dead time, and there is little stirring in the world, little trading; but they may more iustly complaine in another sense, that it is a dead world indeed, men carrying about with them li­uing bodies, but dead soules; and, There is little stirring in the world; for iniquity hath got the vp­per hand, and iets aboue honesty euery where; so that honesty stirres little abroad, for she hath little trading in the world: while wicked men, who make a trade of sinning by their euill customes, make the greater part of the world their customers: and [Page 34]therefore if euer the Lords crying Voyces cryed to dead mens eares, to heare the word of the Lord, now is the time; for the greater part of men, like the widow which liueth in pleasure,1. Tim. 5.6. are dead while they liue. And could you but euery weeke haue bils brought you in, to signifie within the City li­berties, and without, how many soules dye in a weeke; some of a surfet of drunkennesse, some of a swelling tympany of pride, some of the burning feauer of malice, some of the dropsie of couetous­nesse, some of one or other disease of the soule; you would blesse your selues, to see most mens bodies to be but liuing Sepulchers for dead soules: and you would pity the great taske which is imposed vpon the Lords crying Voyces, to heare them cry to dead mens eares, which hearing will not heare, and to dead mens harts, which will not vnderstand: and therefore blame we not the Lords Voyces, for their importunate crying in our eares, crying vnto vs in season and out of season, crying at all sea­sons; for they cry most vnto dead men.

And well saith Saint Augustine, Quam difficile sargit, quem mo­les male consue­tudinis premit: sed tamen surgit post vocem mag­nam, August. in Joan. tract. 49. Hard it is to awake a sinner, whom custome hardens in his sinne, and yet such a sinner, hee may bee wakened, if you often call vpon him for repen­tance. At much and often crying then, euen the dead shall heare the Voyce of the Sonne of God, and they that heare it; shall liue: Cry then still, yee Voyces of the Lord, whom God hath made the Cities Criers, to cry lost children home againe to him their heauenly Father, by repentance: and [Page 35]spare not to cry, whilest voyce and breath doe serue to cry: and though ye cry to dead mens eares, yet is not your labour in vaine in the Lord: for Truth it selfe hath said it in the fift of Iohn, for the com­fort of your labours: Verily, verily I say vnto you, Vers. 25 the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God, and they that heare it, shal liue. And this is also comfort for the sinner, that though he be dead in sinnes, nay with Lazarus, dead foure daies: Dead the first day by delight in sin, dead the second day by consent to sinne, dead the third day, by the act of sinne, dead the fourth day, by a customary sinning: so that it may bee said of him, as of Lazarus, [...] he now stinkes in the nostrils of the Lord: yet if this dead sinner will but heare the Voyces of the Lord, crying and crying againe, in precept vpon precept, exhortation vpon exhortation, [...] come forth thou sinner: how come forth? why, S. Angustine tels thee how; quando consiteris, procedis: August in John. ibid. when thou dost confesse thy sinne to God, thou commest forth of the graue of sinne. And if the sinner thus come forth, vomiting vp, as it were, his sinnes, which are a burthen to his conscience, the stomach of his soule, by an humble confession vn­to God; Truth it selfe hath said it, this dead sinner, he shall liue. And though hee come forth of the graue of sinne, bound like Lazarus, hand and foot, bound with the chaines of his sinnes: yet Christ shall giue his Ministers charge ouer him, [...], loose him from his sinnes, absolue him and let him goe in peace. And therefore to draw [Page 36]vp all vnto an end: Let not Gods Voyces despaire of doing good, though they cry most vnto dead men, because Truth hath said it for the comfort of their labour, The dead shall heare the Voyce of the Sonne of GOD: and let not dead men, men dead in sinnes and trespasses, if they heare the voyce of the Sonne of God, despaire of mercy; for Truth hath also said it, to their comfort, They that heare the Voyce of the Sonne of God, shall liue: they that heare Christs Surgite mortui, Arise ye dead in this life, and liue the life of Grace in this world: shall heare Christs Surgite mortui: Arise ye dead after this life, and liue the life of glory in the world to come. And so come we to the third and last Rea­son, why the Voyce, it is a crying Voyce, and that is to take away al excuse from the City, of Nunquā audiuimus, We neuer heard the voyce. For man, such is his folly, when once sin layes open his na­kednesse, he flatters himselfe, all is well, if hee haue but a cloake to cast vpon his sinne; for so our first Parents, no sooner had they sinned, but they seeke for a cloake to palliate their sinne;Gen 3. and Eue, shee must be the cloake for Adams sinne, and the Ser­pent the cloake for Eues sinne. And all we, Adams sinfull posterity, haue worne this cloake of excuse euen almost thred-bare by long vsage of it, in pal­liating of our sinnes: And we cloake Drunkenness with good fellowship; wee cloake Couetousnesse with good thriftinesse; wee cloake Pride with de­cency and comelinesse: there is no sinne but wee haue a cloake for it, or else, if wee want a cloake [Page 37]for our sinne, we are ready to fetch a cloake from heauen, and euen to accuse God himselfe, to ex­cuse our sinne: As S^r Thomas Moore tels vs of a prisoner at the Barre, who being conuict of felo­ny, pleads his pardon vpon this, how that God had so ordained him to be a Thiefe, and therefore he could no other doe but steale: For who euer re­sisted the will of God? But the Iudge answered him very well; If God hath ordained thee to bee a Thiefe and to steale, God hath also ordained mee to bee a Iudge, and to hang thee for thy theeuerie.

Now as we spare not, thus to accuse God, to ex­cuse our sinne: So are we most ready to excuse our selues, by accusing of Gods Word: and the whole world is set on this: And some Nations in the world, thinke it excuse sufficient for their sin, that they neuer had these crying Voices of the Lord, to sound his Word and precepts in their eares: but Saint Paul tels them: [...],Rom. 2.1. Thou art inexcusable O man, who makest this thy Plea. For thou hast a visible word, which, though it preach not to thine eares, yet doth it preach vnto thine eyes: and makes thy two eyes, the two witnesses of Gods glory and mercy to­wards thee. For the Sunne, which giues thee light, the ayre thou breathest in, the earth thou feedest on: these be dumbe Preachers,Rom. 1.19. and preach Gods mercy to thine eyes: and no Nation is there in the world, but it hath this kinde of preaching in it.Psal. 19.3. For there is no speech nor language (saith the Pro­phet) [Page 38]where the voice of these Preachers is not heard. And therefore this is enough to euince the worlds vnthankefulnes vnto God, for the ri­ches of his mercies, & to leaue the world (as the Apostle witnesseth) without excuse.Rom. 1.20. But yet God, he farther takes excuse from man (so loth hee is man should cast away his soule with excuses) and he writes the Notions of his Law, euen in the heart of euery man:Rom. 2.14. & 15. making euery mans consci­ence, to be his Accuser, or excuser before God: Nay, more then this: yet farther, to take excuse from Man; God, hee not onely giues a visible word to preach vnto our eyes, nor onely the No­tions of his Law, written in our hearts, but he sends an audible Word amongst vs, his Voices to cry and proclaime his Law in our eares, and to reuiue it in our hearts; so, that wee can plead no excuse at all for our selues: Our eyes are our witnesses, which dayly behold Gods mercies: our hearts are our witnesses,Rom. 2.15. which shew the effect of the Law written in the heart: and our eares are our wit­nesses, which dayly heare Gods crying Voices (and they cannot chuse but heare them, because they be crying Voices) still crying vnto vs, This is the way, walke in it. O let not vs then, sith God is so carefull to take excuse from vs, make excuses to our selues, to destroy our soules. Let vs not shut our eyes from beholding Gods mercie; let vs not shut our eares from listning to his iudgements; and let vs not harden our hearts against his feare, to disobey his Law, and dishonour his Name: but [Page 39]sith hee is so carefull to preach his Name to our eyes, to our hearts, and to our eares: let vs obey these diuers cals of mercy, that we may be saued: otherwise if we doe, no excuse you see will serue, but we must vtterly perish.

Now if any Nation in the world be left inexcu­sable in these respects: this little Goshen of ours, this little Iland of ours, is most without excuse, which (as speakes the Prophet Isaiah) in his 11. Chapter, is ful of the Knowledge of the Lord, Verse 9 euen as the waters couer the Sea: So that England is not so much enuironed with the waters of the Sea, as it is full of the Knowledge of the Lord, and of his Word: euery nooke and angle of our Land, hauing a plentifull increase of the Lords Voices in it, to cry & proclaime the Lords message in our eares. This famous Citie (more especially) it is so full of the Lords crying Voices, that some sticke not to complaine, They haue too much knowledge now adayes: but take they heed how they complaine, they haue too much, lest God for our vnthankefulnes punish vs, as he doth many other Nations, with little enough. And let vs know thus much, to make vs carefull, to make good vse of our knowledge: the more knowledge we haue, the lesse excuse wee haue for our sinne: And the more the Lords Voices cry amongst vs, the more shall be our punishments, if wee obey them not:Luke 12. [...]7. For the Seruant that knowes his Ma­sters will, and doth it not, shall be beaten with ma­ny stripes. And therefore, as you desire to secure [Page 40]the Citie from the Lords Rodde, and your owne soules from his consuming wrath: Sith God, to leaue you without excuse, sends crying Voices vnto you, in mercy to forewarne you: lend your eares, and hearts, to heare and obey that, which the Lords Voice cryeth to your Citie: For the Lords Voice cryeth to the Citie.

It is a great and publique taske for the Lords Voices to Cry vnto a Citie: And therefore, Io­nah beeing sent to Nineueh that great Citie, faine would he flie from the presence of the Lord, fea­ring to be the Lords Cryer in so great a Citie; till the Word of the Lord comes vnto him the se­cond time,Ion. 3.1. & 2. commanding him, Arise, and goe to Niniueh that great Citie, and preach vnto it the preaching that I bid thee. Now as it fared with Ionah, so it fares with most of the Lords Voices, but that the Lord is with them, and they preach the preaching which hee commands them, they would draw back, as fearing to cry vnto a Citie. And therefore when the Lords Voices, out of this and such like publike places, cry vnto your Citie, blame not the Voices, for the Voices, they of themselues are slow enough to Cry vnto a Ci­tie: but that the Lord in mercy to a Citie, com­pels them, as hee did Ionah, to arise and goe vnto the Citie, and preach the preaching hee com­mands them, which ye are the more willingly to heare; because they preach no other, but the preaching which God bids them preach. And therefore blame me not, though (who am I the [Page 41]meanest of Gods Voices) if I shew vnto you how the Lords quarrell with this Citie in my Text, agrees in some sort to this famous Citie. For let vs but paralell Gods benefits bestowed on both these Cities, and then see whether both Ci­ties haue beene so thankefull vnto God for these his benefits, as they ought to be. First, for Ierusa­lem, this Citie in my Text, saith God to her, in the fourth and fift verse of this present Chapter, Remember my louing kindnesses of old, how I brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, and deliuered thee out of the house of Seruants: nor onely so, but gaue thee Moses, Aaron and Miriam for thy guides. And hath not God done this, and much more for our Citie? Let vs remember his louing kindnesses of old, how God, he hath deliuered vs from Egypt, Romes tyrannie, which in the 11. of the Reuelation, is stiled to vs by the name of E­gypt, Verse 8 and hath freed vs from the house of Ser­uants, from the slauish and Egyptian bondage of an vsurning Pharaoh the Pope; who would still haue made both Prince and People, Seruants and Vassals to his painted holinesse: and who in one thing was more then a Pharaoh, in that he sought to destroy by cruell death, not onely all the Males, but Females too of the Stock of Sem; who profest themselues members of the true Church: nor onely this hath God done for vs; but hee hath also giuen vs a Moses; a most gracious King: As he also gaue vs a Miriam, Queene Elzabeth. a gracious Queene of happy memory, deare Sister to our gracious Mo­ses, [Page 42]both a nursing Father and Mother to our Church; and an Aaron, a holy and a learned Clergie, to guide and gouerne vs, euer since we set foote out of this blinde Egypt, in the way of peace and truth. Nor onely this did God for the people of the Iewes; but in the fift Verse, hee bids them remember, how Balak. King of Moab con­sulted their destruction; and how Balaams Curse, God, he turned it into a blessing vnto them. And hath not God done this & much more for our Ci­tie? For let vs but remember what in Eightie eight was consulted against vs; when Pope Bala­am was sent for to blesse the Nauie, and to curse Gods people: How the Lord turned Pope Bala­ams Curse into a Blessing vnto vs: let vs remem­ber these old louing kindnesses of the Lord, and so acknowledge the righteousnesse of the Lord, his faithfulnesse and his mercy to vs: these be the be­nefits, which God, hee would not haue his Citie Ierusalem, to forget paralell to the benefits be­stowed on vs: which farre bee it, this our Ieru­salem, this famous Citie of ours should once forget.

And thus we see, God, he is as kinde to vs, as e­uer hee was to his Hierusalem; but let vs see in the second place; whether we be not as vnthank­full vnto God for these his benefits, as euer Hieru­salem was. Hierusalem betrayed her vnthankfull heart to God two maner of wayes: openly, by her manie rebellions; and secretly, by her hypocrisie: for her open rebellions, they are set downe in the [Page 43]three next verses following my Text, where you shal find treasures of wickednes in the house of the wicked; scant measure, wicked balances, and a bag of deceitful weights, violence & oppression in the rich men, a deceitfull tongue in the mouth of all. Now God wondring at this, to see for all the mer­cies which he shewed to them, for all the crying & preaching of his Voyces, such grosse sinnes and enormities should raigne in such a City, a City so beloued, a City where his Word was so often preached, his Voyces still crying to the City, hee breakes forth in admiration of the thing, Adhuc an sunt? What, for all my mercies to you? What, for all the crying of my Voices to you? Adhuc an sunt? Is it possible? Are there yet the treasures of wicked­nes in the house of the wicked? scant measure, wic­ked balances, a deceitfull weight? And are yet the rich men full of violence, and euery mans tongue deceitfull in his mouth? why, if it be so, high time it is to punish; and sith mercy will not winne you, iudgement shall compell you. Wherupon in the very next verses, God, he proceeds to iudgement: Therefore I will make thee sicke in smiting thee, &c.

Now look we to it, whether this Cities rebelli­on be not the rebellion of our City, whether Hie­rusalems transgression be not the sin of our Hieru­salem; for first, are there not with vs the treasures of wickednesse in the house of the wicked? Why, search the coffers of Extortioners and griping op­pressours, there shall you finde the treasures of ini­quity; search the coffers of corrupt Patrons, there [Page 42] [...] [Page 43] [...] [Page 44]also shall you finde the treasures of iniquity; search most mens coffers, & more or lesse, you shall bee sure to find the treasures of iniquity: so that we can­not deny it, but with vs the treasures of wickednes do yet lodge in the house of the wicked. Now in the second place, to make a full purse, do not some amongst vs make a scant measure, & is there not with vs a scant measure, which is abominable, wic­ked balances and a bag of deceitfull weights? this must we needs confesse that it is so: but it is the care of this Honorable City, as much as may be, to re­dresse it, that it be not so, & might the delinquents in this kind smart for it, who bring Gods curse vpō the City, while they striue to get a pony by abomi­nation, by a scant measure, which in the tenth verse God hath pronounc'd abominable. The meaner sort of offendors in this kinde, they are often met with, & Iustice ouertakes them, but as Demetrius told Alexander, when Alexander cald him in questi­on for his pyracy, I indeed (saith he) play the Pyrate in two small Erigots, & am cald in question for it, but great Alexander, he roames about, & with two great armies robs the whole world, and no man dares to con­troll him for it: So many a petty Demetrius, who playes the false Marchant to get a penny or two by false balances and weights, is often most deserued­ly punished for it: But there is a great Alexander, a great man in the world, who dealing in whole sale, gets the gaine of whole pounds by false balan­ces and weights, and, as a sip vnder his full saile, cuts it away a maine; so these in their whole sale [Page 45]carry smoothly away the gain of whole hundreths, by false balances and weights, and no man regards it, but the God of heauen, who heere inueighs against it by his Prophet, and threatens a punish­ment to the City for it. Now in the third place, Hierusalems sinne was violence and oppression in her rich men, her rich men were full of violence; & what, is our Hierusalem free from this? if the cry of the poore and the oppressed will free the City, so much the happier is the City: but it may be fea­red, that as our Prophet complained of the rich inhabitants of Hierusalem, in the seuenth Chapter of this his Prophesie, Vers. 4 how that the best of them was a brier, and the most vpright, sharper then a thorne­hedge: So it may be feared, there be with vs many such briers and thorne-hedges, who if a poore sheep chance to fall into their hands, wil, like briers and thornes, make him leaue some of his fleece be­hinde him, and well it is many times, if they leaue him a whole skinne to sleepe in: but let these rich oppressours, if any such harbour within the City of God, hencesorward, take notice of it, that they are neither good friends to the City, nor to their owne soules: for these their vnlawfull practices bring a curse vpon the one and vpon the other.

Now in the fourth and last place, Hierusalems sinne was a lying and deceitfull tongue, for their tongue was deceitfull in their mouth. In their mouth, may some man say; what needs this addi­tion? for how can the tongue be deceitfull, but in the mouth? but this, it is most Emphaticall, their [Page 46]tongue is deceitfull in their mouth, that is, they no sooner open their mouth, but their tongue is ready to speake deceit: so that deceit, it not onely lurks in the closet of the heart for some assaies, but it lies lurking vnder the tongue, and is ready still in the porch of the mouth, to vent it selfe vpon all assaies. And this is it which the Prophet Ieremy speakes,Ierem. 9.5. They haue taught their tongues to speak lies, they need not study long for a deceitful answer, as occasiō serues; for they haue so well inured their tongues to a lye, that they haue it still ready at their tongues end. This lying and deceitfull tongue, it was Hierusa­lems sinne, and so common amongst them, that as the Prophet Ieremy speakes,Ierem. 9.4. Euery one was to take heed of his neighbour, and not to put trust in any bro­ther: for euery brother vsed deceit, and euery friend dealt deceitfully. And what, is our Hierusalem free from this? Plaine-dealing men, who haue to deale with nimble trades-men, will tell you no; for alas, how many trades-mens tongues with vs now-a-daies are deceitfull in their mouth, who are as skilfull in the trade of lying, as of selling, hauing words at will to bring a poore simplician to their price? And as they thus can teach their tongues to speake a lye, racking both credit and their ho­nesty, for the aduantage of their wares, vsing faw­ning termes which sound like musick in the buyers eares, and like a Syrens song deceiue the simpler sort: so doe they also teach their nimble hands to dance the measures, encroching on aduantage in their measure, to the defrauding of the buyers [Page 47]purse, if his eye be not still their ouerseer: so that now, if euer, the aduice holds good, Caueat emptor, let the buyer be wary, and take heed, for the world is full of nothing but deceit: and to say truth, most mens tongues are now-a-daies deceitfull in their mouth; for it is a nimble and a complementing world: and the world, like Naphthali, Gen. 49.21. giues goodly words; but it is not like Dorcas, full of good works:Acts 9.36. for, to speake in the Prophet Dauids phrase, you shall haue words as soft as butter,Psal. 55.21. but this butter will not sticke vpon your bread; for you shall haue words, but no deeds. So that we may cry to God with the Prophet Dauid in his 12. Psalm, for want of faithful dealing men; the Lord helpe vs, for they speak euery one deceitfully with his neighbor, flattering with their lips, and speake with a double heart. All this be­ing so, the rebellions of our Hierusalem being so nye of kinne to Hierusalems sinne, may not God as iustly complaine of vs, as of Hierusalem heere he doth? and may not he truely say to vs as to Hie­rusalem? What, for all my mercies in that I deli­uered you from Egypt, from Romes tyranny, and from the house of seruants, the slauery & bondage of an vsurping Pharaoh the Pope? What, for all this, that I haue giuen you a Moses and a Miriam, Kings and Queenes to be your nursing Fathers, and nursing Mothers, & holy Aarons for your Pastors? what, for al this, that I deliuerd you frō the euill in 88. was consulted against you, when I turned Pope Balaams curse into a blessing vnto you? what, for al this, that I daily send vnto you Voyces vpon Voy­ces, [Page 48]to cry and proclaime vnto your City what is the Lords will, and which is the way, that ye should walke in it: for all these mercies of mine, for all this crying and preaching of my Voyces, adhucan sunt? What, is it possible? Are there yet the trea­sures of wickednesse in the house of the wicked? Are there yet scant measures, false balances, and a bagge of deceitfull weights in the shoppe of the wicked? Is there yet Violence and Oppression in the heart of the wicked? And is there yet a de­ceitfull tongue in the mouth of the wicked? If thus it bee, and you will not bee wonne by my mercies; if thus it bee, and you will not bee cured by my menaces; thou City of God, as to Hierusa­lem, so must I say to thee, though my beloued City; Yet thou shalt be punished, and I will make thee as Hierusalem, sicke in smiting thee, because of thy sinnes, &c. And therefore, thou beloued Citie of God, sith God hath so blessed thee with his mercies, proue not thus vnkinde vnto thy God, do not so requite thy God for his mercies, as Hierusa­lem did, but remoue with speedy hand these thy sinnes wherewith thou art charged from the Lord, and repent thee of the euill of thy sinne, that God may repent him of the euill of punishment inten­ded against thee for thy sinne. Did not thy God loue thee, hee would not send thee Voyces vpon Voyces as he doth, to cry this in thine eares, that thou mayest preuent thy punishment by thy peni­tence; and therefore if thou be wise, bee thou war­ned by Hierusalem, and auert Gods iudgements [Page 49]from thee, by thy conuersion to thy God. And in thy conuersiō as thou art to shake off Hierusalems sinne, and manifest rebellions, so haue not to doe with her saultring and secret hypocrisie in thy con­uerérsion: for Hierusalem, as she had her open re­bellions, so had she also her lurking hypocrisie; for doe but behold her, and see her hypocrisie in the sixt verse of this chapter: wheras if now she meant to make a mends for all her rebellions, shee breakes forth in a straine, pleasing enough in the eare of man; but God, who sees the heart, knew it to be but glozing and hypocrisie. (Oh) saith she, in quo occurram, wherewith shall I come before the Lord? I will bring with mee my thousands of Rammes, my tenne thousand riuers of oyle. I will spare no cost to appease my God: nay, more then this; I will giue the fruit of my body for the sinne of my soule: And what? not all this yet as much as God requires? No (O) man, God he requires not so much of thee: for in the eight verse this onely is the thing the Lord requires; but to doe iustly, and to loue mercy, and to walke humbly with thy God.

And therfore, thou City of God, be thou farther instructed by Hierusalem, and as thou art to leaue Hierusalems sinne, that thou mayst escape Hieru­salems punishment: So in thy conuersion to thy God, play thou not the Hypocrite as Hierusalem did. Bring we not then our thousand Rams for an offering vnto God; but offer wee vp our selues, soule and body, a liuing sacrifice vnto God.Rom. 12.1. Bring we not our ten thousand riuers of oyle; but bring [Page 50]we with vs penitent hearts and eyes like holy Da­uids, to gush out riuers of teares, because we, none of vs keepe Gods Law. Bring we not the fruit of our body for the sinne of our soule, but good workes the fruit of our faith, for the sinne of our soule, the fruit of infidelity: and so doe wee that which God re­quires of vs; to doe iustly, to loue mercy, and to walke humbly with our God; for this is it which the Lords Voyce cryeth vnto the City, and let vs now seeke a man, a fit man, a man of wisedome, to heare what the Voyce cryeth: For the man of wisedome shall see thy name. It is easie to finde men, but it is hard to finde [...], a man: wee may goe vp and downe the City with Diogenes, & finde thousands of men, but not a man among a thousand. It is easie to find Adam, a man of earth, it is easie to finde Enosh, a man of infirmity; but to finde Ish, a man of wisedome and courage, this man is hard to finde; and yet no man is a fit man to heare the voyce of the Lord, but this man of wisedome: and therefore wee must seeke narrowly for this man of wisedome, whom we shall be bet­ter able to discern, if we distinguish men into three rankes, and place in the first ranke, men of folly, in the second, men of wisedome, but with this restri­ction, in suo genere, in their kind; in the third ranke, men of wisedome indeed, men sanctified from a­boue, wise vnto saluation, who are the onely fit men to heare the voyce of the Lord. For the first, men of folly: There bee at this day in the world, two sort of fooles, mad fooles, and golden fooles; [Page 51]and of the mad fooles holy Dauid speaks in his 53. Psalme, vers. 1. The foole hath said in his hart, There is no God: and doe but a while suruey the passages of his life, and you will say hee is a mad foole in­deed; for he hath no other God but his belly, for his belly is his god:Philip. 3.19. & neuer did those foolish Baby­lonians in that story, offer vp more daily to their Idol Bel, then he doth daily to his Idoll belly, to his god, his belly; his drinke-offerings are healths and carowses; the Incense which hee burnes, Indi­an smoake: his Church, none but a Play-house: the ordinary sermons which he hears, a Comedy: his funerall scrmons, a Tragedy: his Morning prayer, God damne mee: his Euening prayer, Deuill take body and soule. Now what a madde Bedlam is this, in such madde humors, to iest a­way his soule? But (O) that this man were wise, and would leaue this iouiall folly, to learne Iehouahs feare,Luk. 15.10. that the Angels in Heauen might reioyce at his conuersion, as the Diuels in hell now laugh at his folly and destruction!

Now the second sort of fooles are of Diues kin, who for all his riches,Luk. 12.20. is called in the Gospell but a foole: and these fooles, they say to the wedge of gold, Thou art our God: and the seruice of their God is in conotousnesse, which is idolatry; so that they bee idolaters,Col. 3.5. and delight in nothing more then in a masse, euen a masse of mony, which is all they care for; now preach to such [...], preach profit to them, and they heare you gladly; but preach vnto them [...], preach Christ vnto them, and they [Page 52]heare you not: These, though they be not so mad, yet they be as bad fools as the former: for though they will not abuse Gods blessings as the former, and empty their purse vpon their belly, yet (which is almost as bad) they will not vse Gods blessings at all, but empty their belly for their purse, where­as the golden meane it is, which commends the man. And therefore the man of wisdome, hee stands by, and sees the folly of both these, and learnes the instruction of wisdome by them both; so that hee is neither for the belly his god, nor yet for gold his god, but his onely request to God, is that of the Wise-man in the thirtieth of Prouerbs, Verse 8 Feed me (O Lord) with food conuenient for me. And thus now you see the madnesse of folly: See wee withall in the second place, the folly of some wis­dome:Iames 3.15. There is a wisdome which Saint Iames tells vs [...], is not from aboue; but it is earthly, sensuall and diuellish. It is first earthly, it studies only how to get lands and liuings on earth, it cares not at all for the Land of the liuing in Heauen: It is sensuall, all it mindes, is for the pleasure of the bo­dy, it mindes not at all the comforts of the soule: It is diuellish,2a. 2ae. Quaest. 45. art. 1. Diabolica (saith Aquinas) propter imi­tationē superbiae Diaboli, Diuellish, because it makes the man that hath it proud, and enuious as the Di­ueil. Now this Diuellish wisdome, it is in the Di­uels gift, and he hath bestowed it on the proud a­spiring Iesuit, who by this Diuellish wisdome, con­triuing the death of Princes, and downefall of States and Kingdomes, vpholds the sensuall wis­dome [Page 53]of the Priests in pleasure, and the earthly wisdome of the Pope in state and magnificence: but farre be this wisdome from vs, it makes vs sa­pientes, it makes vs wise,Ierem. 4.22. but (as saith the Prophet) wise onely to doe euill. And therefore take we heed of this wisdome; for it is diuellish, it is from the Diuell, and it fits vs for the Diuell, making vs the Diuels Apes, by imitation of his practices in this life, and the Diuels Heires, by partaking of his pu­nishments in hell fire. And therefore againe and againe take we heed of this diuellish wisdome, and let vs seeke for the true wisdome, which S. Iames tels vs, is from aboue, from the Father of lights, Iam. 1.5. & 6. who giueth the true wisdome to euery one that asketh of him, if hee aske in faith. Now this wisdome, which is from God aboue, and which onely truely denominates a man, a man of wisdome, hath two properties: For first, as Aquinas obserues,2a. 2ae. Quaest. 45. Art. 3. & Art. 6. it makes a man contemplari diuina, to fix his heart in con­templation vpon God. And then secondly it serues, regulare humanos actus, to regulate and di­rect our actions: For the first, the chiefe poynt of true wisdome is in the first place, to haue an eye to God and to his Lawes; so that though wee con­uerse with men on earth,Phil. 3.20. yet our conuersation may be with God in heauen: and this we haue prooued vnto vs out of the 4. of Deut. vers. 6. where (saith God) Keepe my Lawes and ordinances, and doe them: for, Haec est Sapientia, This is your wisdome: and if ye thus obserue and keep my statutes, the people round a­bout you shall say of you, Onely this people is wise, and of [Page 54]vnderstanding, and a great nation. By this then shall you discerne a man of wisdome, seest thou a man like Zachary and Elizabeth, iust and walking in the ordinances of his God? Seest thou a man like vnto Cornelius, a deuout man, and one that feareth God? Seest thou a man like vnto Nathaniel, a true Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile? Seest thou a man like vnto S. Paul, crucified to the world, and therefore held of the world but a foole for Christs sake? Bee bold to say it, Such a man as this, and none but such a man as this, is the man of wisdome, of whom we speake: For though the world be not so quick-sighted, as to pierce into the depth of this; How this can bee, that a man who forsakes the pleasures and vanities of the world, and liues in the world, dead to the world, as a man out of the world, whose conuersation is in Hea­uen; that this man, hee should bee the onely man of wisdom in the world: Though (I say) the world doth not easily attain to the reach of this, yet may the world soone be brought to confesse this truth, by the euidence of her owne iudgement in world­ly matters: For the world deemes him the onely wise man, who is prouident for after-times, and who with Ioseph can lay vp in time of plenty,Gen. 41.33. for the time of dearth: now who more prouident in this kind, then this man of wisdom, of whom we speak? who more laies vp for after-times then he? for he is stil conuersant in Gods book, which is a rich store­house for the soule, to furnish it with the Panoplie of a Christian;Ephes. 6. and therefore hee still hath re­course [Page 55]to this rich treasurie, to furnish his soule with all things needfull at all assayes for after­times; and in time of prosperitie, hee stores vp patience to help him in aduersitie; in time of health, he stores vp Gods mercies to refresh him in his sicknesse; in time of peace and quietnesse, he stores vp constancie and Christian resolution, to back him out in time of persecution. And as he is thus prouident for the good of his soule in this life; so is hee most of all prouident for his soules good after this life. For hee like a good Pilgrime-Traueller, because hee would not cum­ber his soule too much with the trash of this world, which might hinder his expedition in his iourney to Heauen, hee wisely sends his treasures to Heauen before him: some on poore mens backs, cloathing them; some in poore mens bel­lies, feeding them; and some in poore mens hands, liberally relieuing them, to meete him in Heauen, when himselfe comes thither, where his soule is sure to finde them, and a reward with them.

Now let the world speake truth; whether this so prouident a man, bee not the onely man of wisedome in the world. And I would to God all that haue soules to saue, would bee thus wise vnto saluation, and would bee as prouident for their soules, as they are carefull for their bodies, that wisedome might imbrace vs all for her children.

Now the second propertie of true wisedome is; [Page 56]it serues to regulate and rule out our actions, ma­king them goe in a straight and right line: for all our wayes are crooked wayes, till such time as wisedome make straight steps vnto our feete: and therefore Wisedome may well bee called the soules Controuler; and happy is the soule, where wisedome is controuler. For Wisedome or Folly is the Mistresse of all our actions, and folly is to our actions, as the Varlet Baud is to the Strumpet, to entise vs vnto sinne; but wisedome is to our actions, as the naturall Mother to her child, to winne vs vnto goodnesse. Folly saith to the yong heyre, Be prodigall now thou hast it, and let it flie in vanitie: but saith Wisedome vnto him, Liue honestly, now thou hast it, and vse it to sobri­etie. Saith Folly to the old Man, Bee couetous now thou hast it, and let it lye by thee. But saith Wisedome vnto him, Doe good while thou hast it, for therefore was it giuen thee. Folly, bids the angry man giue a stab for a wrong: but Wise­dome is for patience. Folly bids the ryotous man exceed in his Dyet: but Wisedome is for Tem­perance. Folly bids vs get it, no matter how: but Wisedome is for conscience. And thus doe Wisedome and Folly striue for our actions: and one while we yeeld to folly, and another while to wisedome: but happy hee, who when hee sees Wisedome and Folly thus plead pro and con for his actions, iudges wisely of the matter, and giues Wisedome but her due. For such a man, hee is a man of wisedome, a man in whom Wisedome [Page 57]delights: For the obedient eare, is wisedomes delight: And therefore this man, hee is the onely fit man to heare Gods Voice; because wisedome makes him to see Gods Name, while hee still beholds God in an holy contemplation, and still drawes neerer and neerer vnto God, in an hea­uenly conuersation. For the man of wisedome shall see thy Name: Videbit nomen, Shall see thy name. One would take it at first blush, to bee more na­turall in proprietie of speech, for the Prophet to haue said, Shall heare thy name, rather then Shall see thy name. But it is most significant as it is, The man of wisedome shall see thy name. For wee often heare Gods name, and we feare it not. For some, who heare it, blaspheme it: and most, who heare it, regard it not with that reuerence, as be­seemes the high Maiestie of so great and glori­ous a name. Whereas, did wee propose to our selues to see Gods name: did we see, and behold, with the eye of Faith, the holy Angels of Heauen still praising this name: Did wee see and behold the Diuels in hell trembling at this name: Did wee see and behold the Saints on earth adoring this name: Did wee see and behold all the crea­tures of God obeying this name, our hearts would tremble within vs, to take this holy name into our mouth, but with feare and reuerence: we would feare vainely to sweare by, and blaspheme as wee doe, this holy name, which the Angels in Hea­uen, with continuall. Halle-lu-iahs, praise & mag­nifie: and the Saints on earth, with all the deuo­tions [Page 58]of an humbled foule reuerence and adore: and wee would euen quake and tremble, sleightly, as too too commonly wee doe, vpon euery small occasion, to vse this holy name, at which euen the Diuels themselues doe tremble, and all the crea­tures of God stoope, and obey. And therefore, he that is a man of wisedome amongst vs, he will endeuour to see further then ordinarie; he will see Gods name: When he heares Gods name to be a name of Power; he will withall in the rare work­manship, and exquisite fabricke of Heauen and earth, see and acknowledge the Maiestie of this name: when he heares Gods name to be a name of glory and great renowne; he will withall, in the continuall praises of Saints and Angels, who day­ly sing Te Deums vnto God, see and acknowledge the glory of this name. To be briefe, hee that is a man of wisedome amongst vs, when hee heares Gods Name proclaimed in his Word; if this mooue him not, hee will ioyne his eyes vvith his eares, and see Gods name glorious in his works, which will strike him with astonishment. For wee are all of vs like the Queene of Saba, 1. King. 10. readier to be­leeue our eyes, then our eares: She heares of Sa­lomons wisedome; but shee credits not the report, till shee comes to be an eye-witnesse of Salomons glory, when shee is greatly astonied to see his wisedome, and the glory of his house: So wee, hearing of Gods wisedome, his glory, and his power preached vnto vs in his Word: though our tongues confesse not so much to the world, yet [Page 59]our hearts (such is the imagination of the heart, onely euill, and that continually) oftentimes fond­ly call in question the truth of what we heare, and doubts arise whether all bee true: But when once with our eyes wee see Gods wisedome, in the order and gouernance of his creatures, and his glo­ry and power in their excellency, we then beginne to stand astonied at the lustre of so high a Maiesty. And this is it which holy Iob confesseth: I haue heard of thee by the hearing of the eare, Iob 42.5, & 6. but now mine eye seeth thee, I abhorre my selfe, and repent in dust & ashes. And therefore againe and againe let mee vrge it to you, as you desire to approue your selues men of wisedome; haue this property of a wise man in you, to haue your eyes still in your head, ready vpon all assaies to see Gods name. And in your prosperity, see Gods gracious name, to praise him for his bounty; in your aduersity, see Gods powerfull name, to call vpon him for his helpe and mercy: see his name, a tower to defend you in dan­ger: see his name, a sweet oyntment to refresh you in sicknesse: see his name, a Sauiour to saue you frō your sins, that ye despaire not of mercy: and see his name, a Iudge to question you for you sinnes, that you presume not of mercy. To be briefe, set God alwaies before your eyes, and in all your actions see Gods name; in the beginning, to begin in the feare of his name, and see Gods name in the ending to conclude to the glory of his name, that your acti­ons being begun, continued, and ended in him, they may be crowned and accepted of him.

Thus, would we still but see Gods name for the direction of our actions, wee should not neede to feare Gods rodde wherewith he punishes the obli­quity of our actions: but because wee often, more for fashions sake then any true deuotion, presse to this and such like places; onely to heare Gods name, and yet prooue little better, because withall wee doe not propose vnto our selues to see Gods name, to feare Gods name, we, who will not vse our eyes to see Gods name, for this contempt are heere summoned by the Prophet to vse our eares, and to heare Gods rod: Heare ye the rod, and who hath appointed it: of which but in a word.

It is not beare ye the rodde, but onely audite, heare ye the rod: so that if ye heare the rodde, and preuent the stroke with penitence and teares, with fastings and with prayers, and all the true deuoti­ons of an humbled soule, it is in your owne choice whether or no ye feele the rod: For Niniueh that great City, when shee no sooner heard the rodde, Yet forty daies, and Niniueh shall be destroyed, but from the highest to the lowest,Ionah 3. they humbled themselues in sackcloth, and in ashes. This humi­liation of theirs, their fasting, their sackcloth, and their ashes, were as so many Orators to pleade for mercy for them in the eares of God, and God spa­red the City, and heard their cry: because they first heard the cry of his Voyce, Yet forty daies, and Niniuch shall be destroyed, and straight vpon it humbled themselues in dust and ashes. Now God, he cries the same in the eares of this City, as hee [Page 61]did to Niniueh, audite, heare ye the rod: and if ye now heare the rod as Niniueh did, & humble your selues with fastings and with prayers, nor onely so, but which is most memorable in Niniuchs humili­ation, as it is recorded in the 3. of Ionah, v. 8. If eue­ry man turne from the euill of his way, some from their swearing, some from their carowsing, some from their oppressing, all from their euill dealing: thou beloued City of God, vpon this thy humilia­tion, the rod shall much rather depart from thee, then it did from Niniueh: onely audite, heare ye on­ly, ye men of Israel, and wash thee, O Ierusalem, Ierem. 4. v. 14. from thy wickednesse, that thou maist be saued. Now as the comfort is, the rod, it comes not sodainly and vna­wares vpon vs, but with an audite, first heare yee it, which is as the word of peace offered to a Nation, before the sword be once vnsheathed for the bat­tell. So the comfort also is, that it is but virga, it is but a rod, it is not the axe in the 3. of Math. laid to the root of the tree, quite to cut downe euery tree that bringeth not forth good fruit. It is not virga ferrea, Gods iron rod in the 2. Psalm. to crush and breake in pieces these bodies of earth, like a Potters vessel: but it is onely virga, it is onely but a rod; and as the comfort is, that it is onely but a rod, so the com­fort also is, that it is a Deo, it is from God, God hath appointed it, who is our Father, to be a gen­tle correction for his children.

But let not now these comforts make vs care­lesse of the iudgement, and because God is slow to anger, and doth not straight punish, but often first [Page 62]call vpon vs for repentance, Heare ye the rod, & so amend: Let vs not wilfully mistake Gods mercy, and vpon this bee slow in our conuersion vnto God, because the punishment, when it comes, it is but a rod; let not vs slight the punishment, and seem carelesse of the iudgement, because the rod, when it is vpon vs, it is in a Fathers hand, who is most tender in his punishments; let not this en­courage vs in our sins, for though the rod be from God a Father, yet is it also from God a most seuere Iudge, though the rod come with an Audite, Heare yee it, and make delay? Why, the more delayes bee in the stroke, the more heauy is the stroke, and payes the homer when it comes: though the rod when it comes, be but a rod, yet a rod it is, and such a rod, which makes the whole world our ene­my; for the whole world, it is Gods rod, wherwith he scourges the rebellious nation. The fire, it was Gods rod, to consume the two Captaines of the King of Samaria and their followers, who came violently to surprize the Lords Prophet.2. Reg. 1. The earth,Numb. 16. it was Gods rod, to swallow vp Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, for their rebellion: The water, it was Gods rod, to drowne the old world, and to ouer­throw the host of Pharaoh: And, for a long while, the infected aire hath beene a rod vnto this City. Warre, it is Gods rod, to punish the vnthankfull abuse of peace: Famin, it is Gods rod to punish the vnthankfull abuse of his creatures: Pestilence, it is Gods rod, wherewith, for a long time, God hath punished this City, and now hee doth but strike a [Page 63]stroke or two with this rod, take away some one or two with his heauy plague; and that not often neither, but now and then, to see if this his gentle correction will make vs wise; now at last men of wisdome, to see his name, heare his rod, and feare his Maiesty, that the euill come not vpon vs for our sinnes.

And thus now you see, though it be but a rod which is heere menaced against vs, yet in that it is a rod, it is enough to set heauen and earth against vs: and therefore sith it is so, that euery creature of God, at the great Makers command, is a rod rea­dy at hand, to scourge the rebellious nation, this should teach vs to liue in an awfull feare of this rod, and when Satan tempts vs to sinne, to looke about vs, and thinke euery creature we see, an ene­my to vs, if wee sinne; for this will make vs ene­mies vnto sinne. Haue we then (if we be wise) still an eye to this rod, and so learne we to feare God, in whose hand it is, that while we liue in feare of God and of his rod, God may not feare vs with his rod: For, as for vs (Beloued) wee feare what our sinnes deserue, there is some rod, some iudge­ment or other houering ouer our heads: but let vs in time preuent the Iudgement, and heare the Lords Voyce from Heauen. Now hee doth premonish vs, that hee may take his rod from vs, and not punish vs, let vs come before God with tears in our eies, with Peccaui in our mouthes, with deuotion in our hearts, and with almes in our hands; that God seeing our penitence, may re­moue [Page 64]his punishments. It is an vsuall saying a­mongst vs, Euery good childe, he will go vnto his father, and keep his Mid-lent with his father. And let vs heerein approue our selues good children in­deed of God our heauenly Father, in going this day vnto him our Father, euery one of vs, who are so many Prodigals of Gods graces and mercies towards vs, following the good resolution of the Prodigall:Luke 15.18. goe we vnto our Father, and say vnto Him; Father, wee haue sinned against Heauen and a­gainst Thee, and are no more worthy to bee called thy sonnes: Accept vs, Holy Father, we beseech thee, and imbrace vs with the armes of thy mercy, now we come vnto thee: spare thy people, who turne vnto thee with fastings and with prayers, and all the true deuotions of an humbled and sanctified soule, and take thy rod from vs; for we will heare thy Voyce to obey it, and see thy name, to feare it and to praise it: Onely open our eyes, that we may see; and our eares, that wee may heare; and with­all, Open thou our mouthes, that our lips may speake thy praises: and so will we daily confesse, to the ho­nour of thy Name, vnto him that loued vs, and washed vs from our sinnes in his owne bloud, and hath made vs Kings and Priests to God his Fa­ther, euen to Iesus Christ, Reuel. 1. that faithfull Witnesse, the first Begotten of the dead, and prince of the Kings of the earth; vnto Him, and vnto Him alone, for the riches of his mercy vnto vs, be all glory and praise, from this time forth, and for euer. Amen.