FOr me to beginne with a large Discourse of this whole Booke by way of Preface, would be both tedious, and incommo­dious; neither pleasing, nor pro­fitable; especially too, sith they, who are acquainted with the Scriptures, or haue some little insight thereinto, cannot be ig­norant that this Booke hath God for the Author, Salomon for the Writer, Proverbs, or Divine Parables, for the Matter of the same.

This Chapter (asPiscator. Tituli rerum quae hoc capito proponuntur sunt isti, Fama, favor, &c. One obserueth) consisting of 29. ver­ses, hath thirtie seuerall, and sundry Subiects handled in it: Euery Subiect hath a proper Proverbe, most of which Pro­verbes are so handled, that very seldome doth one depend vpon another.

The partes of the Text.This Text conteineth a two-fold Subiect, and suteably con­sisteth, of two Proverbes. Agit locus de prudentibus & prouidis, de sim­plicibus ru [...]sū, & improvidis. Peltanus in Pro. pag. 325. The Branches of the 1. part. Here we haue, first, a Provident man, and a Proverb concerning him; [The prudent man fore­seeth the euill, and hideth himselfe]: Here we haue secondly, an Improvident man, and a Proverb concerning him [But the simple passe on, and are punished].

Touching the Provident man, in the first Proverb, we may note two things,

• 1. His Title.
• 2. His Taske.

Or if you will. His

• Stile.
• Practise.

His Title, or Stile, [A prudent man]. His Taske, or Practise [foreseeth the euill, and hideth himselfe].

1. Branch. Interpretati­on.I beginne with his Title [A prudent man]: or as some Bi­bles render [The Wise-man]: All's one in effect.

The word in the Originall is a Craftie, or Subtile man [...] *, comming of aGnarum, As­tutam, vel cal­lidum esse: As­tutè, vel calli­dè agere. word which signifies to be subtile, or to deale craftily. It is aMetaphora a [...] nudis tracta, qui se huc, illuc vers [...]nt. Cartw. ad loc. Metaphor borrowed from, naked per­sons, who turne themselues euery way, sometimes to this side, sometimes to that. Mee thinkes the Seventie Interpre­ters haue rendered it well; [...]. A man medling in euery busines, (that is to say) A man working towardes any thing, any change, any state, any calamitie [...]. Sylburg. Etym. [...]. Col. 651., &c. As if the wise man here should intend such a man as hath his wittes about him, or a person so politique, as that he knowes what to doe, and where to winde him­selfe whatsoeuer betideth.

Doubt.Now whether this prudent, or politique man here be taken in a good sense, or a bad, there is some doubt, because in the Hebrew Bible it is taken both waies.Solution. For the saluing where­of, howbeit,Beda and such as follow him. Some doe take it in a bad sense, and would vn­derstand one that isPro versuto & versi-pelli wickedly craftie; or (as the Apostle speaketh) wise to doe euill Rom. 16.19., subtile to fancy euery humour, a man for all companies, for all times, such as were some of theWhom Hierom, Lyranus, and others meane here. Rulers amongst the Iewes in the time of Christ, who were too craftie to professe themselues the Disciples of Christ; yet the very circumstances doth shew, thatPiscat. Callidas In bonam partem Ianse [...]. Sicut Callidus in hoc loco & alibi in hoc libro in bonam ac­cipi debet partem, Vise. Lauat. ad loc. Those In­terpreters [Page 3] hit more right, who take it in a good sense, for one that is religiously prudent, a godly Wise-man, politique accor­ding to pietie. Doct. 1 Whence obserue thus much; That Iustus nempe est sapiens. Ber. in Cant. Ser. 63. fol. 184 H. a good man is a wise man. A Christian is craftie. Not craftie asCalliditas autē & astuti [...], in mutis quoque animalibus sunt, vel cum insidiantur a­lijs, & dolo ca­piunt vt de vo­ren [...], vel cum i [...]sidias aliorum vario genere deludunt Lac­tant. de Iustit. l. 5. c. 18. circ. finem. Bruites be; as the Serpent was, who beguiled Eue; not craftie as Cheaters be, to circumvent their brethren to their hurt, either in gaming, trading, buying, selling, or the like; for these are mischieuously craftie; nor craftie as hypocrites bee to beguil [...] men with a shew of Religion, and indeed before God to be irreligious; for this is damnable craftines; But in­nocently craftie, craftie in the best sence, holily prudent, and wise. Hence it is that in Scripture wee shall finde a Christi­an often adorned with the stile of a Wise-man; especially in this Booke of the Proverbes Pro. 10.8.14. Ch. 17.2. Ch. 25.5.. To this purpose is that which Moses recordeth of Ioseph, Gen. 41. In the 18. verse of that Chapter, he is called a man in whom the spirit of God is; and in the 19. verse, it followeth; There is none so discreet, and wise as thou art. Who is a wise man? (saith Iames) let him shew out of a good conversation his workes with meekenes of wise­dome Iam. 3.13.: as if he should haue sayd; That man is a wise man, who doth wisely bring forth the fruits of Religion; And no maruaile, for why:Reasons.

1 First, Such an one is taught of God; But who, that is taught of God, is not wise?

2 Secondly, Such an one is ingrafted into Christ, and so Christ is made wisedome vnto him 1 Cor. 1.30..

3 Thirdly, the holy Ghost (whose office is to enlighten, to direct, and to endue with wisedome) dwelleth in his heart; it must therefore needs follow vpon these groundes, that a pious man is a prudent man.

Ʋse 1 This poynt in the first Vse doth meet full in the face with that horrible, and damnable sinne of casting the aspersions of folly in the face of Religion, and the professors of the same. A sinne too common amongst the sonnes of menSemper enim contra virtutē insanit malitia. Chrys: in Gen. c. 6. Hom. 22.. In the Court he is accounted a foole that will not swill, sweare, and goe to a Play. In the Countrey he is reputed a foole that will not take libertie to rob God of his Sabboths for his base [Page 4] pleasures and profits. In the Citie he is esteemed a foole that straynes at a lie, at an oath, at a false glosse to make his deceitfull wares goe off hand, to beguile buyers withall, and that makes any scruple of Vsury. Papists deeme the children of God, Hereticall fooles; Profane ones, iudge them Hypocri­ticall fooles: Ciuill ones, precise, and singular fooles. Ah (my brethren) what miserable times doe wee liue in? What vn­charitable opinions? cankred affections, doth our age afford? that cannot beteame Religion it selfe the name of wisedome; nor such as fauour, and sauour of Religion, the title of Wise men Prudentia non [...]n foro, non in [...]la [...]aeis, sed in Ecclesia possi­tetur Ambros. de Virgin. l 3. Tom. 1. p. 99. ▪ I would faine know where heauenly Prudence is to be found on earth, if not in thePrudentia non [...]n foro, non in [...]la [...]aeis, sed in Ecclesia possi­tetur Ambros. de Virgin. l 3. Tom. 1. p. 99. Church. It is the proper por­tion, and peculiar possession of the godly. How can a man be iust, and religious, if he be not truely wiseQuomodo est [...]n [...]s vera [...]us­ [...]itia [...]n quibus non est vera [...]a­ [...]enti [...]? A [...]g. Tom. 1. l. 4. contra Iulian c. 3 pag. 70.? Who haue a better insight into their estate of misery, into the meanes of their recouery, then the people of God haue? Who haue their wittes better exercised Heb. 5.14., to discerne of things that differ Phil. 1. then they? Who more cunning then they in making the best choices, and matches, in refusing the euill, and chusing the good, euen (with Dauid) selecting the way of truth Ps 119.30.? Who haue a better forecast, for vnmatchable honours, for dura­ble treasures, and vnspeakeable pleasures then they? And are such ones fooles? Where are mens eyes? What are mens iudgements? Were they not fooles themselues, had not ma­lice against God, and enmitie to the truth, blinded, besotted them; they could not chuse but needes confesse, that where such signes of wisedome be, there wisedome her selfe hath her seate. Let therefore all vnrighteous, and irreligious ones (be they of the profaner, or ciuiller sort) learne to repute the Children of God wiser then they haue done, and cease to befoole them, or else (I tell them) as the Preaching of the Crosse of Christ is to them that PERISH foolishnes 1 Cor. 1 18.; that is, as the accounting of Gods ordinance of Preaching a foolish thing is a marke of perishing▪ so the befooling of the members of Christ, (who are in this Text stiled prudent,) is a fearefull token of damnation. For saith Christ himselfe; Whosoeuer shall say to HIS brother (that is) to his neighbour, much more to [Page 5] Christ's brother, [...]. THOV FOOLE, shall be in danger of hell fire Mat. 5.22..

Ʋse 2 Secondly, Let the meditation of this poynt, keepe you that are the Children of God,Encourage­ment to the godly against reproch. from being discouraged at the be­fooling termes, wherewithall the Deuills Mimickes, and the worldes mock-gods, doe abuse you. It may be, both your persons and profession are brought forth in Showes and Stage-playes (where no Villany is wantingNihil sermè vel criminum, vel flagitiorum e [...]t, quod in spectatulis non sit Sal. de Prou. l 6.) and there by Satans-Apes, and Agents exposed to derision; It may bee, you are not admired, nor applauded of the men of the world (Impossibile e­nimest, vt qui a [...]gus ā, et arc­tā virtutis vi­amambulat, & mandata sequi­tur Christs, ab omnibus laude­tu [...], et in admi­rat [...]one sit. Chrys: in Gen. c 6. Hom. 22. for it is impossible you should) but rather exploded and disgraced, as though you were the veriest fooles that liue, yet this need not much trouble you, much disquiet you; So long as the Lord accountes you wise; So long as Hee, (who knowes you, both what you are, and what you doe, who teacheth you from heauen, who hath made you partakers of the wisedome of Christ, who hath put his spi­rit (the spirit of wisedome) into your inward parts) so long as HE (I say) hath adorned you with this Title of Dou [...] like providence, of harmeles policie; you for your partes are well e­nough: you haue honour enough, you haue renowne e­nough, whatsoeuer the world thinkes, or sayes of you. All their taunts with which they doe befoole you, cannot make a flaw in your Title, or be a blemish thereunto. Profit you they may by the vse you may make of them, hurt you they cannotQu [...]d damni d [...]core, hinc nas­citur viro, quod ab hominibus subsannatur, & irridetur, cū is qui finxit corda hominum, et in­telligit omnia opera eorum, praedica: eum, & corona? Chrys. in Gen. Hom. 22. Nihil autem prudentibus aufert, in ò potius consert merdax infamatio maliuolorum. Maxent. Dialog l. [...]. c. 1. in Or [...]had 684.Praeocerpatio. I know indeed, it isNeque p [...]ruum est despicer [...] irri [...]emes, & oppr [...]br [...]mes, & salibus i [...]ssentes Chrys sup. no [...]asie matter (especially to flesh and blood) to brooke, and set light by such taunts, such obloquies; Answ. Yet grace andT [...]ntum virtatio rebur, vt cum imp [...]gnatur, hostibus fi [...]t potentior Idem ibid vertue hath that power and strength, that it can beare, and breake through them all; andAnima fortis, & constantis est ocul [...]nt su [...]m intendere ad il [...]um insopitum oculum, & ab eo solam gloriam expectare & haec despicere, nulli­usque pili facere hu [...] anam la [...]dem [...]el con [...]icia, sed transire vt vmbras, & s [...]mnia. Chrysost. in Gen. Hom. 23. a couragious heart, and valorus spirit, which lookes at that All-seeing God, and expecteth prayse from him alone, can easily despise the speeches of euill men; not weighing ei­ther [Page 6] their prayses, or disprayses a rush, or an haire. Now wee for our partes, professe our selues to haue grace, to be vertu­ous; oh be wee then so couragious, as (with Noah, At iustus ille viz Noa) non antum decem & vigints ho­ [...]ines, sed & [...]unium homi­ [...]um naturam, & tot myriades [...]spexit: veri­mise enim erat [...]nnes eos ridere [...]prehendere, [...]bsannare & [...]bacchari, &c. Id. ibid. that iust one, who was not daunted at millions and myriads of repro­ches) to beate downe, and keepe vnder all such faynting thoughts, and fearefull conceites, as this consideration (that the world reputes vs fooles) may occasion in vs. I am sure,Dominus mi­ [...]ros vocat eos, [...]ui propter hu­ [...]anam laudē, [...]irtutem n [...]gli­ [...]unt. Id. ib. miserable would your case be, if for the shunning of this imputation, and for the gaining of mans applause, we should neglect holines: Better it is a thousand times, to be accoun­ted by the world fooles for Gods cause, then to haue the wise­dome of the world, then to be reputed wise in the world, and in the meane time to be fooles in Gods account, for being e­nemies vnto him. I know [...]his hath need of inforcing, be­cause there areMulti non fe­ [...]ntes conuicia ominū viginti [...]el decem, vel [...]iam paucorū [...]pplantantur, & ruunt. Chry. 1 Gen c, 6. Iom. 22. many (euen in the profession of Christia­nitie) whom a few such bugge wordes doe scare too much. But I must make hast to that which followeth.

The second Branch of the [...]rst part. Foreseeth the euill, and hideth himselfe.

The second Branch subdi­ [...]ided into two [...]articularsHere we haue the Prudent mans taske or Practise; in which consider, His

• Prevision,
• Provision,

or

• His foresight.
• The fruit of his foresight.

The former in these wordes [foreseeth the euill]. The latter in these, [And hideth himselfe].

The 1 parti­ [...]ular in the Branch.In the first of these, which must first be handled: two things offer themselues to our view,

• 1. An act.
• 2. The obiect of that act.

The Act [Foreseeth]. The obiect, or what he foreseeth; [The euill].

In the meaning I will ioyne both together. And albeit, (because euery Act is terminated, and limited by its ob­iect) the obiect might (and not inconueniently) be first o­pened, yet in regard of the order which the spirit of God here obserueth, I will explaine the wordes as they lye in the Text, the Act first, the Obiect last.

Interpretatiō. Foreseeth]. The word is in the Originall [Seeth] and so [Page 7] it is vsually translated in other Languages, sauing that the Septuagint doe turne Seeth into [...]. Seeing, and Piscator (among the Latines) foreseeth intoPraevidens. foreseeing; Both vsing a partici­ple in stead of the Verbe.

Doubt. But may some demand, if in the Originall it be (Seeth) why is it in our English Bibles translated (foreseeth)? Answ. I an­swer, forExplicationis ergò. explications sake, to shew what a kinde of seeing the Hebrew intendeth in this Text. For, inasmuch as the word See; hath divers constructions in the Booke of God, as viz. signifying sometimes (properly) to take a view of some out­ward obiect with the eye of the bodie Mat. 22.11. The King came in, to see the guests.; sometimes metaphori­cally to vnderstand Ioh 9.41. Now you say we see., with diligence to obserue, and marke Psal. 46.8. Come & see the workes of God., to receiue a thing from God by propheticall reuelation Isa. 2.1. The Word which I­saiah saw., to be­leeue Ioh. 6.40. This is the will of my Father, that eueryone that Sees the Sonne., sometimes to heare Apoc. 1.12. I turned to see the voice that spake., sometimes to beware, Apoc. 22.9. See thou doe it not. &c. Why may it not as well signifie to foresee: especially too, sith there can be no sure beleeuing, that a thing will happen, no provident bewaring of a thing that may happen without fore­sight, and no foresight without seeing, either with the eye of the body, or else with the eye of the minde. You haue the Act explained.

Now to the obiect [The euill]. It is well knowne that there is aMa­lum Delic­ti.Sup­plicij. Tertul. two fold euill

• Of sinne.
• Of punishment.

If we should here vnderstand the euill of sinne, the meaning would be this, that a wise Christian forseeth what may be to him an occasion of sinne, that he may shunne it. But leauing this; by euill here is meant the euill of punishment: For this meaning both the Septuagint will beare [...]. i. e. Malum vlciscens vel puniens, and Interpreters for the most part doe giueAs Vatablus, periculum. Piscator: Vidit in­gruere res aduersis. Lavat Ra [...]nah, a Ragnáh pascere, in malum sumitur, De pascere, arr [...]dere, frangere, affligere Dyonis [...]arth [...]sianus Damnum. And this euill of punishment, some restrayne to one thing, some to another: AsPeltan ad locum. some to places of preferment, either in the Church, or Common-wealth, as if this should be the meaningPrudentes expendentes quantum periculi positu [...] sit in magnis honoribus, amplis magistratibus, O [...]ulentis Sacerdo­tijs, &c.; A craftie Christian weigheth with himselfe how great danger, or perill, is in great honours, in high places of com­mand, in wealthy Priest-hoodes, and the like. SomeCartw. ad loc. other re­ferre [Page 8] it (in part) to great and grosse sinnes, as if the sense should be this; Incommoda, ex ebrietate, adul­terio, contentio­ne, ambitione, longè prospici­entes. A prudent man foreseeth what mischiefe comes by drunkennesse, adulterio, contention, ambition, and such like sins. But (because of the Particle The, it being termed rather THE euill, then euill, or, An euill) I rather extend it to some eminent danger that a people may be in, to some notable iudge­ment imminent, or hanging ouer a place: and so deliuer the meaning in these termes:

Paraphrase. A person that is piously prudent seeth before hand, or foreseeth eminent dangers, or calamities that may come vpon a place, vpon a people.

The Doctrines which hence I collect, are these two.

• 1. That it is possible for a people, where good men are, to be in great danger, eminent iudgements may hang ouer it.
• 2. That a wise Christian may haue a sight of that dange [...], a fore­sight of those iudgements. I straine not the Text for either of these poynts; therefore heavens-hand goe along with vs in handling the same.

The former I will be the briefer in, because (howsoeuer it affordeth matter of vse by it selfe) yet it is but an introduc­tion into the latter; and the chiefest vse which I shall put this branch of the Text vnto, doth after a sort arise from both these Doctrines now propounded, as they are ioyntly con­sidered.

Well, let vs beginne with the first, and handle it so farre forth as it is vsefull of it selfe.

1. Doct. From the 1. particu­lar in the 2. Branch of the 1. part. Euills may hang ouer pla­ces where God hath his Church. The Lordes wrath may breake out like fire, euen in the house of IOSEPH. Amos. 5.6. It is possible for some eminent euill, or iudgement to hang ouer a place, to be comming vpon a people where God hath his Church, where wise Christians are.

If I should distinguish the iudgements of God into three sortes, Eternall, Spirituall, and Temporall; I could demon­strate the truth of the poynt by each of them.

First, that Eternall iudgements (which are the shutting out of heauen, and the thrusting into hell) may hang ouer such a place (that is) ouer some in such a place; the horri­ble, and great sinnes that are there committed, doe mani­festly declare.

Secondly, for Spirituall iudgements, as namely, 1. A fa­mine of the Word, which is an heauie plague. 2. Generall hard­nesse of heart. 3. Generall defection from Religion, or falling away from God; which the Author to the Hebrewes, calls a [...]. de­parting from the LIVING God Heb. 3.12., or God of life; A drawing backe [...]. Heb. 10.39. to perdition: that such may hang ouer such a place, I could make good from the examples of the Israelites; A­mongst them good men were, yet the iudgement of a spiri­tuall famine and declining from God, which came to passe in Ieroboams time, did euen hang ouer the heads of the ten Tribes, in the latter end of Salomons reigne, when his wiues and Concubines drew him to Idolatry1 Kin. Com­pare 11. Ch. with the 12.: as likewise by the example of theIn the booke of Exodus. Aegyptians, and others. But these Eternall, and Spirituall iudgements I passe ouer, and chuse to insist on the Temporall, as more specially intended by the holy Ghost in this place.

Now that some such temporall iudgements may be com­ming against a people, whom Gods Children liue amongst, it is very euident by many testimonies. What an euill hung ouer the Men of the old world, amongst whom Noah liuedGen. 6.? ouer the Sodomites, amongst whom Lot wasCh. 19.? ouer Aegypt, and the Countries round about, where Ioseph, Iacob, and the Patriarchs liuedGen 41.25.26 &c.? What shall I speake of the famines 2 King. 6.25. Lam. 4.9.10., pesti­lences Num. 14.12. 2 Sam. 24.15. 2 Chron. 7.13. Ier. 21.6. Ezek. 14.21., inuasions by the enemies Iere. 32.24. Ezek. 38.22. Ezek. 11.3. Ch. 39.33. 2 Chro. 6.36., captiuities, and the like, so often mentioned in sacred Writ, that were imminent ouer the people of the Iewes? For in that such mischiefes fell vpon them, of necessitie they did hang ouer them ere they came. All the threatnings of grieuous plagues against that people, wheresoeuer you meete with them in the writings of the Prophets (great or small) you may well refer to this poynt, as vnanswerable proofes of the same. There is neuer a Chap­ter in the Lamentations of Ieremy, but you shall meete with some such sentence as this; IVDAH is gone into Captiui­tie Lam. 1.3.; the wayes of SION doe mourne; all HER gates are desolate, HER Priests sigh Vers. 4.; How hath the Lord couered the daughter of SION with a Cloud in his anger, and cast to the earth the beautie of ISRAEL Ch. 2.2.. The punishment of the ini­quitie [Page 10] of the daughter of MY PEOPLE, is greater then the punishment of the sinne of Sodom Chap. 4.6.: The Mountaine of SION is desolate, the Foxes walke vpon it Lam. 5.18.. Now in what place of the world were there better people then in Iudah, then in Si­on? It was the place where God himselfe did delight to dwell Psal. 9.12.68.17.132.14. 1 Kin. 6.13.: yet misery came vpon them; and therefore it did hang ouer them.

Reason. Neither is this any groundles Doctrine: for why, God may be greatly provoked by such a people, and so may come to loath them, and abhorre them, as he was provoked by the tongues, and doings of the old Israelites Isa. 3.8.; and did abhorre the excellencie of Iacob Amos. 6.8.. But a people which provoke God to anger, and whom the Lord abhorreth, heauie plagues may hang ouer; Ergo, &c.

Vse. How iustly doth this reproue a number of iesting, and careles people amongst vs, who, when they heare tell of the euill day, and that it is possible for our Land, for our King­dome to be punished, to be plagued with some grieuous scourge, or other, by the Almightie, they flout in the sleeue as at some scurilous, and ridiculous tale; much like the last-dayes Rebells, that Peter speakes of; Where is the promise of his comming 2 Pet. 3.3.; taking after the sonnes in Law of Lot, vnto whom (when he told them of the destruction of Sodom) he seemed to mocke Gen. 19.14.: as though this were a matter to be iested at, to be laughed at. I trow the Lord hath begunne with vs alreadie, if we could, yea, if we would see it. It is true (I confesse) our Land may be called the very excellencie of Iacob Amos. 6.8.: of all pla­ces in Christendome, none in priuiledges (especially in that Magna illa praerogatiua dominica reli­gionis. Salu. de Pro. l. 8. p. 271. great priuiledge of true Religion) haue gone beyond vs; in the abundance of heauenly wisedome, in the plentie of holy wise Christians, most Countries come behinde vs, yet the poynt in hand, intimateth that plagues may hang ouer places where Religion, and religous ones bee: Is it then a sufficient cause of derision to say, iudgements may be approching OVR king­dome? Foure yeeres agoe the Lord had a wise, and vnder­standing people in the Palatinate, yet the euill which hath since befallen it, was euen at that time imminent ouer it. [Page 11] Well, THERE iudgement is begunne 1 Pet. 4.17., where it will stay, God knoweth. Can WEE onely looke to escape Scot-free? Were the naturall branches not spared Rom. 11.21., and is it impossible for ƲS, a part of the wilde Oliue to be spoyled? Had not Gods mercie beene Our Rampart Mal. 3.8., wee had beene consumed ere this time. Cannot God be possibly prouoked amongst Vs? Is it not possible for him to abhorre, and loath Vs? I doubt not but (ere I haue done) I shall too manifestly declare, that it is past the peraduenture, or, it may be; and come to this, that God IS prouoked amongst vs, IS most strongly incited to detest vs. Wherefore, cease thy mocking, (whosoeuer thou art) and this carelesse putting away the euill day from before thine eyes, least as now the Word of reproofe meetes with thee, so the day of vengeance ouer-takee thee like a snare, or a theefe in the night, ere thou art aware.

2. Doct. From the 1. particu­lar in the 2. Branch of the first part. Gods children haue a fore­sight of mise­ry ensuing.I come now to a second Doctrine, which is that I would be at; That when any grieuous calamitie is approaching, Gods Children haue some foresight of it. Prudent Christians foresee the plague. What euerlasting miseries may light vpon themselues without preuention by repentance, they foresee, when the Lord first opens their eyes to see what their estate by nature is. What likelihoodes of spirituall iudgements to fall vpon them, they suspect, and feare sometimes, their many com­plaints of the remainder of hardnesse, vnbeliefe, coldnes of zeale, and loue, &c. in themselues, doe declare. But to ra­tifie the Doctrine in these particulars, is not to our purpose. That they haue some foreknowledge of some common euill that may be comming against the places where they liue, it is very plaine.

A cautiō. Lest the ensuing proofes of this poynt should seeme imperti­nent, I referre thee (Reader) to the Obiec­tion in the 3. Vse of this Doctrine, and to the answer of the same. Pag. 15. Noah foresaw the drowning of the old world Gen. 6.13. Heb. 11.7.. Abraham and Lot foresaw the burning of Sodom Gen. 18.20. Ch. 19.13.. Ioseph foresaw the seauen yeeres famine that came vpon Aegypt in his time, and vpon the Countries round about itGen. 11.30.31.. After Iosephs time the ten great plagues (of turning the waters into bloud Exod. 7.17., of frogges Ch. 8.2., lice Ch. 8.16., flies Vers. 21., of the murraine vpon the bodies of beasts Chap. 9.3., of botches and blaines vpon the bodies of men Vers. 8., of the haile Vers. 18., locusts Ch. 10.4., darkenes Vers. 21., and death of the first borne Ch. 11.4.) which fell [Page 12] vpon the same kingdome, were all foreseene, & foreknowne by Moses, and Aaron, the seruants of the Lord, as the Storie doth plentifully relate. I omit the foresight of particular plagues vpon particular persons, (as Samuell's, of the renting of Saules Kingdome out of Saules hand1 Sa. 13.14. Ch. 15.23., and Michaiah's, of Ahabs perishing at Ramoth Gilead 1 Kin 22.19. 25.28. verses.); had not most of the Prophets (great and small) visions, and praeuisions of the great miseries, which both in, & after their times the people of the Iewes met withall. Christ had a knowledge himselfe, and gaue his Disciples a foreknowledge of the destruction of Ieru­salem Mat. 24.. Agabus foresaw that great and generall dearth through­out all the world, which came to passe in the daies of Claudius Cae­sar Act. 11.28.. But how farre goe I? I stay my selfe, for feare of bur­thening your memories with multitude of authorities.

Reasons. 1 Will you haue the Reasons of it?

First, Christians are in fauour with God, therefore some way or other he giues them some foresight of the plague. Shall I (saith the Lord) hide from Abraham what I minde to doe Gen. 18.17.? From Abraham? Whom I haue admitted into my fauour; with whom I haue made Gen. 17.2., and will establish Vers. 7. my co­uenant! It is sayd of Noah, first that he found grace in the eyes of the Lord Gen. 6.8., and then the Lord gaue him forewarning of the Floud Vers. 13..

Reasons. 2 Secondly, the Lord knowes that his Children will make some good vse of foreseene dangers, to his glory, and the Churches good; He knowes that either with Abraham they will command their children, and houshold to keepe the way of the Lord Gen. 18. cō ­pare the 17. & 19. verses.; or with Noah they will Preach the Righ­teousnes and Iudgements of the Lord, to conuince the world Heb. 11.7.; or with Esther they will hazzard their goods and liues for the safetie of the Church, or seeke an hiding place for them­selues, and them that belong vnto them. Some such or like Vse, the Lord knoweth (I say) His Children will make of acquaintance before hand with ensuing calamities: and this is one cause why through the grace of the Almightie, they doe so foresee the euill as they doe.A Similie. What father will not put a Talent into such a childes hand, as will husband [Page 13] that Talent to the fathers credit, his owne profit, and the publique good of the whole Familie?

Vse. I may say of ALL the Doctrines in this Text, what the Spouse Christ saith of the teeth of the Church; There is NONE barren amongst them Cant. 4.2.; But THIS Doctrine a­mongst them all is most fruitfull, so many are the Vses that it affordeth. Which (for breuities sake) I will make but Three.

The first whereof is for tryall, whether we be truely wise,1. Exhortation. yea, or no. Euery carnall and vnregenerate man is wise in his owne conceite: and where is the man, or woman almost, that is not piously prudent, not wisely religious, if all may be their owne judges? But mans owne iudgement (being naturally corrupted by selfe-loue) is a leaden Rule, a false glasse to see what a man is indeed: therefore whether wee be truely wise indeed, yea, or no, wee must goe to some certainer Rules; a­mongst these Rules, this poynt affordeth one. A wise man foreseeth the plague. Tell me now: Doest thou when euills, when great euills are approaching, foresee the same; yea, foresee them to some purpose, to make some holy, and godly Vse of this foresight? Are thy eyes where the Preacher sayth a Wise-mans eyes should be, in thy head Eccles. 2.14.? Canst thou (like the man which climbed the watch-Tower in Iezreell, that sayd I see a troupe, a companie 2 Kin. 9.17.) say, I see a trouble, I see a calamitie when it is drawing neere? and canst thou be so affected with it, as a true Christian vsually is, and ought to be? a wise one thou art, euen that prudent one which the spirit here speakes off. But if otherwise, no true wisedome hast thou, a bundle of folly Pro. 22.15., and impietie is bound vp in thy heart: and before I conclude this Text, I shall speake something to the terror of thee, and all such as thou art.

Vse 2 Secondly, here is comfort to the Children of God: Euills shall not suddenly surprize them, soule-hurting mischiefes shall not fall on them ere they are aware, or haue warning of the same. If God meanes to drowne the world, a Righte­ous Noah shall foreknow it; if he mindes Iudah shall into Captiuitie, an vpright Ezekiah shall be acquainted with itIsa. 39.6.: [Page 14] if Haman plotteth the Iewes ruine, Mordecai and Esther shall come to vnderstand itEsth. 4.: if Paules enemies vow to dispatch him, a little Lad shall reueale it vnto himAct. 23.16.: if Popish powder-mongers plot treason against England, all the deuices in the Deuills shop, in the Popes cell, shall not hinder England from the knowledge of it, onely, if shee will know it. So that whatsoeuer iudgement the Lord in iustice intendeth: what­soeuer mischiefe man in malice inuenteth, wise and good peo­ple haue right to foreknow it. What a priuiledge is this oh Christian, that thou hast part in? I tell thee, when thou hast grace to foresee: it is a signe, that the Lord hath not one­ly wrought prudence in thee, but also that his good proui­dence is wakefull for thee; it is a comfortable euidence that thou art one of those, who shall either preuayle with him to diuert the plague, or else haue a shelter, and finde a sanctu­arie from the dint of the plague, vnder his owne wing. Now when Gods prouidence watcheth ouer a man, when heauenly wisedome is wrought in a man, and both these for that mans good, there is double cause of comfort, and consolation.

Vse 3. Exhortation.Thirdly, this serues for Exhortation. Doe the prudent foresee the plague? is itIllud ingenij est, si quis potest vigore mentis praevidere quae futura sunt, & tanquam ante oculos locare quid possit acci­dere, et quid a­gere debet, si ita acciderit, defi­ [...]ire. Ambros. Offic. l. 1. c. 38. wisedome to foreknow dangers; that a man may know how to behaue himselfe whatsoeuer happeneth? Then be we perswaded to be so prudent, as in times of great danger to take notice of them, and foresee the iudgements that are approaching, when indeed they are at hand. Shall our eyes likeStultus [...]. fooles eyes be in our heeles? No; let them stand where the Wise-mans doe, in our heades. The speech of the Prophet comes to minde; Though ISRAEL play the Harlot, yet let not IVDAH offend Hos 4.15.; I allude to it; Though carnall Gospellers; and careles Atheists will not fore­see, yet let them that professe themselues wisedomes follow­ers, and Christs Disciples, be wiser. Oh, if such be sightles, careles, and feareles, how looke they to be coueredPrudens si fu­eris & futura prospicies te ipsū ita praeparabis vt in die malo regumentū in­uenies. Marul. Spal Evang. l. 2. c. 1. 136. IN the euill day, or preserued FROM the euill day, more then the vnwiser, and profaner sort? Esay and Habakuk, two wise and worthy Prophets, ran vp, and resolued to stand on their watch Tower Isa. 21.8. Habak. 2.1., that, if any calamitie, at any time were [Page 15] acomming, they might both foresee it themselues, and fore­speake of it to others; let vs doe as they did, hereby we may keepe hurt from our selues, and be instruments of no small good vnto others.

Obiect. But (may some perhaps Obiect) Esay, Habakuk, and o­ther holy men of God did in former times foresee future plagues by speciall reuelation from God; Such reuelations are now ceased, therefore you seeme to impose vpon vs a dutie, not onely hard, and difficult, but also impossible, when you perswade vs to foresee the plague.

Answ. I answer. Albeit, the gift of immediate reuelation of future things from God, after an extraordinary manner be ceased, yet the ordinary way of foreseeing plagues to come, is not ceased And although a man cannot directly determine by the spirit of Prophesie, What the euill is that shall come, yet he may warrantably gather, by some courses which he may take, that some great euill may come, yea (if it be not preuen­ted) will come vpon the place where he liueth.

Quest. The Answer, which contei­neth in it Rules of direction to further a man in the fore­sight of future iudgements, one of the chiefest things intended by the Author in this Text.But how? (may some say).

Not (as One falsely thought Noah to foresee the Floud) by the Starres Berosus cited by Coop. in his Chron. fol. 5., though I know blazing Starres haue por­tended ensuing miseries Witnesse the troubles that haue happened beyond the Seas since the last blazing Starre that was seene in our Climate.: but by these meanes.

1. Rule.The first is, to be throughly perswaded of the truth of the former Doctrine; That it is possible for Gods iudgements to hang ouer places, where God hath his people. Wee must be soundly rooted in the perswasion of this. For if a man thinkes this to be false Doctrine, and (like those mockers be­fore reproued) laugheth rather at it, then yeelds credit vn­to it, iudgements innumerable, and punishments vnmat­chable, may be neere the place where he hath his abode, and he neuer suspect them, nor dreame of them. What was it, but partly this, that hindered the old world from foreseeing the Floud, when Noah did Preach of it; they (as it is likely) derided him for it, as if he had taught false Doctrine: and hence it came to passe, that they could not take notice of the great danger they were in. Were it not that there are num­bers in our Land, who thinke Ministers to mocke, when [Page 16] they speake of an ensuing plague, they would not be so sightles of the danger this Nation is in, nor so feareles, and foresightles of the euills that in all likelihood are not farre off.

2. Rule. Prayer for foresight.Secondly, because it is God that must giue vs this fore­sight, therefore let vs entreat him to open our eyes, that wee may see, let vs beseech him that he would not suffer the loue of honours, pleasures, or profits, to arise as a mist be­twixt our eyes, and approaching euills, to keepe vs from beholding the same.

3. Rule. Abhorre flat­terie.Thirdly, we must notProspiciendū est ne adulanti­bus apperiamus aurem. Ambro. Off l. 1. c. 27. Tom. 1. pag. 27. loue to be flattered. Parasites, and Claw-backes, that cry nothing but peace, peace, must not be in request with vs. It is sayd of our Saviour, that the clay which he tempered with his spittle on the ground, did open the eyes of the blind manIoh. 9.6.7.; but the vntempered morter Ezek 22.28. which these Sycophants daube with, worketh a contrarie effect, puttes out the eye of preuidence, and hindereth men from seeing that which otherwise they might foresee. Ahab might haue foreseene his ruine at Ramoth Gilead 2 Kin. 22.37., and Ieza­bell, her shamefull destruction by the walls of Iezreell 2 King. 9.33., had it not beene for their fauning and flattering Prophets. Of such flatterers therefore let vs beware, as wee loue to haue a foresight of dangers, and safetie from dangers.

4. Rule. Obserue the signes forego­ing a plague.Fourthly, and lastly, if we would foresee the plague, we must obserue the signes that haue prognosticated plagues in the holy Scriptures, and try how neere those signes are para­lelled by our Land in these dayes. And herein giue me leaue to be something large, because that this is the principall rule of all the rest.

To let passe particular plagues vpon particular persons: (though we will not altogether reiect their examples as we meete with them). Wee may finde in Scripture many re­markeable iudgements vpon whole multitudes of people; as vpon the Moabites, Ammonites, Amalckites, Canaanites, Phi­listins, &c: But amongst the rest of the generall iudgements, these as most eminent; The drowning of the old world; The de­struction of Sodom; The ouerthrow of the Aegyptians in the red [Page 17] Sea; The bondage of the Israelites in Babylon before Christ; The desolation of the Iewes and Ierusalem after Christ. And either of all of these, or of most of these,Signes of ge­nerall iudge­ments. you shall finde these fore­going Signes.

First, (as the very ring-leader of the rest) most mon­strous ingratitude, and horrible vnthankefulnesse 1. Vnthankful­nesse. for Gods fauours. Men (saith Moses began to multiplie vpon the face of the earth Gen. 6.1., that is, God was so mercifull vnto mankinde, as to en­crease their number, for the mutuall comfort, and communion one with another: and this his kindnes did mankinde requite with disobedience, and rebellionAs it follow­eth in that Chapter., and after this came the Floud, and swept them awayGen. 7.21.. The Lord in the middest of iustice shewed mercie to Pharaoh: for, at the request of Moses, He sometimes mitigated, sometimes remoued the plagues he sent vpon Aegypt; yet Pharaoh continued vnthankefull, yea, in so high a degree vnthankefull, that he contemned the Lord, and then, drowning in the red Sea he could not escape. Who hath read the writings of the Prophets; and hath not found therein, that the vnthankefulnes of the Israelites, was one thing that did prouoke the Lord to threaten Captiuitie a­gainst them, and in due time, to send the Babylonians vpon them, who led them prisoners into a strange LandCompare Isa. 2. with the 7. Hos 2.8.9.10. with sun­dry other pla­ces.? So GOOD was our Saviour Christ to the people of the Iewes, that he would be borne of their line, and in their land, he li­ued amongst them, he Preached, wrought most of his mightie workes amongst them, yet they dealt most vngratefully, most vnthankefully with him, and then an heauie iudgement must needes follow, euen the subuersion of their Citie, the dispersion of their nation, like a company of vagabonds, into all parts of the earth.

Secondly, generall corruption 2. Signe. Generall cor­ruption in all sorts. See Ier. 23.10.11 1 [...]. in the manners of people, doth foregoe some generall destruction. I will punish the world, (marke, not one, or two, or few, but the world) for their E­VILL, sayth the LordIsa. 13.11.. When ALL flesh had corrupted his way vpon earth, THEN God sayd, I will destroy the earth Gen. 6.12.13. Deus ob malitiae nimietatem, sententiam tulit, quid vniversali perditione humanum genus sit puniendum. Chrysost in Gen. c. 6. Hom. 22.. [Page 18] TheQuia enim ho­ [...]ines qui tantā [...]uitatem [...]nha­ [...]itabant multos [...]npietatis fruc­ [...]us protulerunt [...]lcirco (inquit) [...]ot inutiles fruc­ [...]us terra faciā, [...]t et llis aboli­is, perpetuū si [...]onumentū se­ [...]uentibus gene­ [...]ationibus; om­ [...]es docens quā. [...]ta fuerit inha­ [...]itantium ma­ [...]itia. Chrys: in Gen cap. 19. Hom. 42 ad [...]alcem. Inhabitants of Sodom brought forth MANY fruits of vngodlinesse, and vpon THIS did the Lord con­sume them, and make the very ground barren, as a monu­ment of their great wickednes to after ages. The like thing, the Prophet Esay noteth concerning the people of Israel. He telleth them in the name of the Lord, thatIsa. 1.7.8. their whole coun­try was desolate (that is, should certainely be desolate) their Cities burnt with fire, their Land ouerthrowne, and deuoured by strangers; the daughter of Sion left as a cottage in a Vineyard, as a Lodge in a Garden of Cucumbers, as a besieged Citie. But what went before this great miserie? Euen generall ouerspreading iniquitie See. v. 4. 6. Gentem pecca­ [...]ricem appellat quod tota pec­tatis sit dedita. Arcul. in Isa. pag. 19.: The whole Nation was sinfull, a people laden with iniquitie, a seed of euill doers; from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foote, there was no soundnes, but woundes, and bruises, and putrifying sores. The manners ofPlacet mihi illegoria, caput id est princeps, cor id est sapi­entes, et reliquā corporis partem vs (que) ad plantas id est plebem, &c. Luther in Isa. c. 1. p. 27. all sortes, from the high to the low, from the Princes to the people, were depraued, and this did presage those generall hardships, which that peo­ple did endure at the handes of their enemies.

3. Signe. Contempt of the Word.A third signe of future euill, hath beene Contempt of the Word Adversus Evangelij irrisores indignatio desaeuiet. Marc. Marul. Evangelistar. l 1. c. 9 p. 16. Si Sodomitas minus esse dicit damnabiles, quam cun [...]tos Evangelia negligentes, c [...]tis­sima ergo ratio est, quâ & nos qui in plurimis Evangelia negligimus peius timere aliquando debeamus. Sal. de Pro. l. 4 p. 108, 109.. Wee haue a pregnant example for this in the last of the Chronicles. When Zedekiah, his Nobles, Priests, and Peo­ple were growne to that lewd, and forlorne passe, as to make a mocke at the messengers of the Lord of hostes, and despise the Word which they Preached, then into Babylon, vnto bondage they must, there was no remedie 2 Chr. 36.12.16.17.18.19.20. To the very same purpose is that Prophecie in Ieremy; Because yee haue not heard my wordes, behold, I will send, and take all the families of the north (saith the Lord) and Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon my servant, and will bring them against this Land, and against all the inhabitants thereof, and against these Nations round about, and will vtterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, an hissing, and a perpetuall desolation Ier. 25.8 9.10.11. see Ier. 22.21.22.. I will bring euill vpon this people, euen the fruites of their thoughts, because they haue [Page 19] not hearkened to my wordes, nor to my Law, but reiected it. Iere. 6.19.

Fourthly, it is a signe that some generall iudgement is at hand, when the offers of grace4. Signe. Reiecting the offers of grace. are reiected by the greatest number of people. This fore-ran Ierusalems ruine, as appea­reth by Christ his owne complaint; Oh Ierusalem, Ierusalem, how oft would I haue gathered thee together, as an hen gathereth her chickens vnder her wings (how oft haue I freely made most large and bountifull offers of grace vnto thee) but yee would not, Behold, THEREFORE your habitation is left vnto you desolate Mat. 23.37. Luk. 13.34.35.

Fiftly, as the reiecting of mercies offred, so the abusing of mercies receiued, (as namely, the patience, 5. Signe. Abuse of Gods goodnesse and patience. and bountie of God) presageth some ruine. When the Lord had, with great pati­ence borne with the people of the old world an hundred and twenty yeares, and yet they would not repent, then he threat­ned to destroy them, and (accordingly) did destroy them from off the face of the earthGen. 6.3.7.. When as Israel did prepare for Baal (that is, abuse to the seruing of Baal) the corne, wine, oyle, siluer, and gold, which the Lord had multiplied, and bestowed a­bundantly vpon her, THEN he threatned not onely to take away those his blessings from her, but also to Visit vpon her the daies of Baallm Hos. 2.8.13.; to inflict vpon her some great, and grieuous punishments, in stead of the good things that shee formerly en­ioyed.

A sixt signe is couetousnesse, oppression, and violence.6. Signe. Couetousnes with her two hand-maydes, Oppression & Violence. Quam multo­rum malorum causa sit immo­dica cupiditas quis explicet? M [...]rul. Evang. l. 4. c. 49. The Prophet Ieremy speaking to Shallum, the King of Iudah, & vnder his name including the rest of the Iewes, saith thus; Thine eyes, and thy heart, are not but for thy couetousnes, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence to doe it Ier. 22.17.: and after he addes;Vers. 2. The Winde shall eate vp all thy pastures, and thy louers shall goe into Captiuitie, surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickednes. The earth is filled with VIOLENCE by them (sayd God to Noah) and I will destroy them with the earth Gen. 6.13.. This is that also which the Prophet Ezekiell poynts at; The people of the Land haue vsed oppression, and exercised robbery, and haue vexed the poore and [Page 20] needie, yea, they haue oppressed the stranger wrongfully; THEREFORE haue I powred out mine indignation vpon them, I haue consumed them, with the fire of my wrath Ezek. 21.29.31.. The Scribes, & Pharises, deuoured widdowes houses, and afterward desolation came vpon them. No certainer signe of ensuing plagues then this damnable kinde of vnrighteousnesse, co­uetousnesse, and oppression. I will stretch out my hand vpon the inhabitants of the Land, saith the Lord: For from the least of them, euen to the greatest, euery one is giuen to couetous­nesse Ier. 6.12.13..

In the 7. place. Pride 7. Signe. Generall Pride. goes before destruction, and haughti­nesse of minde before a fall Pro 16.18. Ch. 18.12.. The day of the Lord (sayth the Prophet) shall be vpon euery one that is proud, and loftie, and lifted vp Isa 2.12.. This was one of the sinnes which procured, and prognosticated the ouerthrow of Sodom Ezek. 16.49.. Because the daugh­ters of Sion (sayth Esay) are HAVGHTIE, and walke with stretched forth neckes, &c. Her gates shall lament, and mourne; and shee being desolate shall sit vpon the ground Isa. 3.16.26.. It was pride (as one obserueth, who wrote about anAnno 1519. hundreth yeere since) which gaue the Turkes aduantage against the Christi­ans, so that they inhabited their Villages, Townes, and Prouin­ces, defiled their Temples, and places of worship, carried their bo­dies to prison, tooke their beastes for a prey, and exercised all man­ner of villanie, and crueltie against them Vtinam non de nobis ista (viz. loca Isa. 13.11. & Eze. 7.24.) exponi queant, quorum, infide­les Tu [...]ci, viros, oppida, prouin­cias occuparūt, aras, focosquè propha [...]antes, nullo die [...]essant in reliqua Christianorum regna debachari, captiuos ab ducere, pecora depraedari, vastare a­gros, cadibus grassari, & in nomen Christianum magis quam dici queat, impiè fuerent: hoc perpetuo fl [...]gello nostra percutitu [...] superbia. Marul. Evang. l. 7. c. 8. 348.. Insomuch that who­soeuer thinketh to escape imminent iudgements, and yet conti­nues in pride, is greatly deceiued, and like to vndergoe some more horrible miserie Caeterum siquis hanc quam imminere cernimus calamitatem effugerit, & tamen superbiasese efferre non desieru, ne­quaquam illâ multò horribiliorem erumnam effugiet Id ibid..

8. Signe, Carnall securitie.Eightly, Like asDiu viuere nequeunt, qui multo se [...] o dediti Marcent: tument vultus lurido colore infecti, putrescentia (que) viscera repentè ingruens inualitudo dissoluere festinat. Marul. Spal. Evang l. 2. c 7 p. 80. extraordinary and immoderate sleepe pines the bodie, and presageth death; so carnall securitie in the bodie of a people, doth everCum pacem, & securitatem dicant, tunc repentina eis imminet pernicies. Chrys in Mat. c. 24. Hom. 78. prognosticate some weak­ning, some wasting to that bodie, by some plague that may [Page 21] come vpon it. So much doth the Prophet Amos tell vs; Woe to them that are at ease in Sion, that put away the euill day farre from them, they shall be led captiue with the first that goe captiue Amos. 6.1.3 7.. All the sinners of my people shall dye by the sword, which say the euill shall not ouertake vs, nor preuent vs Amos. 9.10. So much al­so doth Zephanie tell vs off; They are setled vpon their lees, they say in their hearts, Tush, the Lord will neither doe good, nor euill; THEREFORE their goods shall become a bootie, and their houses a desolation Zeph 1.12.13.. Our Saviour tells his Disciples, that when that generation of Vipers, the malicious, and obsti­nate Iewes, should be like the people of the old world in the dayes of Noah, marrying, and merry-making, and so secure as not once to dreame of their destruction, then should their de­struction be neerest at handMat 24.38.39.. This is one of the signes, which goes before the ruine of the Romish Babylon; Shee saith in her heart, I sit a Queene, and am no widdow, and shall see no sor­row, THEREFORE shall her plagues come [...]. in one day Apoc. 18.7.8. Yea (as it is in the tenth verse) in [...]. V. 10. one houre. That is, when shee shall be most secure, then shall her plagues be most sudden, and sure: when shee thinkes her selfe safest, then shall shee be vnawares surprised; euen as Babylon once was by Cyrus, who inuaded it in a night, when it did least thinke of its owne inuasionNon longâ ob­sidione regnum premetur, sed subitò capietur quia erit secura (sicut Cyrus Babylonem se­curā vna nocte inuasi) a socijs deserta &c. Paraus in A­poc. col 984.. There is no want of examples in holy Scrip­ture, to show, that the end and issue of sloth and carnall secu­ritie, hath vsually beene euill and vnhappie Nec exempla de sunt quibus dotemur quam infelix sit carnalis securitatis, & secordiae exitus. Gua [...]t [...]m Act. Hom. 39. c. 5.. Hence it is that the Lord in ScripturePsal. 88. I­sa. 13. Ier. 9 9., when he comes to iudge or punish a place for sinne, is sayd to visit that place; because he is wont to strike when men are most secure, and doeIn malam partem d [...]citu [...] Deus visitare, cum peccata quae diu dissimu­ [...]uerat, INEXPECTATO fl [...]gello vlciscitur. Zanch de Redem. part. 1. l. [...]. Tom. 4. col. 371. least suspect his stroake. His visiting, notes out a sudden plaguing of a peo­ple when they are secure. No sinne doth more prouoke him to smite then securitie doth.

9. Signe. Luxurie.Ninthly, [...]n [...]è aspice latè florentes quondam, luxus, quas, verterit vrbes Sillius Bell pun [...]o l. 15. Luxurie, riot, and wantonnes, haue gone before some generall calamitie. This sinne went before the destruc­tion [Page 22] of the old world. The sonnes of God saw (that is, with a lustfull eye) the daughters of men, and tooke them to wiues Gen. 6.2., mingled themselues together, and soViri magno stupro amoris, et fornicationis, & istorum mu­lieres collapsae sunt, et in omni­bus fornicatio­nis erat confusio magna. Metho. Rev. in Ortho­dox. pag 388. committed great fil­thines one with another: and immediately after, came the floud to scoure this filth from the face of the earthGen. 7.22.. Did not this also precede the burning of Sodom? Questionles it did. Sodom did burne (asSalu. de Gub. Dei. l. 7. 240. Sicut Aetna in­testinis quibus­dā naturae fe­uētibus ardori­bus, sic ILLA, abominādis iu­giter fornicati­onum ignibus aestuavit. one saith of Affrica) Aetna-like with the fire of fornication, and the Lord did burne IT with the fire of Desolation. The inhabitants of that Citie (as the same Author writes of the Carthaginians Foetebant, vt ita dixerī, cun­cti vrbis illius ciues cano libi­dinis, spurcum sibimetipsis mu­tuae impudicitiae nidorē inhalan­tes. Id. ibid. p. 244 et paulo post, eadem pag. & p. 245. Quis in illorum numero castus fuit? Castum dico? Quis non fornica­rius, non adulter & hoc sine cessatione, sine termino.) did stinke with the fil­thinesse of lust, breathing forth the noysome savour of vncleannes, and the Lord punished them with the stinking flame of Brim­stone from heauen Int. Cur sulphureo igne puniebantur? Resp. vt putidissimus libidinis ardor putidissimo flammarum ardore puniretur. Albin. Quaest. in Genes. in Orthodox p. 1073.. Their gluttonie prouoked them to in­continencie, and the Lord did then incontinently with fire and Brimstone together, extinguish and consume them for e­uerGula Sodomitas, & Gomorrhaeos priùs in nefandos egit concubitus, DEINDE igne, & sulphure de Caelo pluente extinxit. Marul. Spalat. Evang. l. 4. cap. 22.. It was the drunkennes of Iudah, and Ephraim, which made the Lord threaten iudgement against them, and exe­cute iudgement vpon themIsa. 5.11.12.13. item Chap. 28.1.2.. To this purpose is that of A­mos; They lie vpon beds of Iuorie, and stretch themselues vpon their Couches, they eate the Lambes of the flocke, and the Calues out of the middest of the Stall, they chant to the sound of the Vi­oll, and inuent to themselues instruments of musicke: they drinke wine in bowles, and annoint themselues with the chiefe oyntments: THEREFORE shall they goe captiue with the first that goe captiue, and the banquet of them that stretched themselues shall be remoued Amos. 6.4.5.6.7.. It was the effeminate wantonnes of Semiramis, a Man-woman Si­mulat sepro vxore Nini, filium, pro faemina puerum: sic primis initijs sexum mentita puer esse credita est. Iustin. Hist. lib. 1. pag. 4. 5., of Sardanapalus a Woman-man Vir muliere corruptior: Medis praepositus nomine Arbactus inuenit eum inter scortorum greges purpuram colo nentem; & muliebri habitu cum mollitiâ corporis, & oculorum lasciuiâ omnes feminas anteire, pensa inter virgines par­tientem. Id ibid., which did [Page 23] occasion not onely their owne destruction Cum Semira­mis concubitum filij petisset ab eodē interfecta est. Id. ibid.;Bellum Sarda­napalo infertur &c. Victus, in Regiam se reci­pit, & extructâ incensa (que) pyra, & se, & diuiti­as suas in incē ­diū mittit. Iust. hist. l. 1. p. 6. but also the translation of the Empire from their posteritie vnto strangers, from the Assyrians to the Medes Interfector e­ius Arbachus qui praefectus Medorum fue­rat, Is imperiū ab Assyrijs ad Medos trans­sert. Id. ibid.. It was this foule sinne also thatEt sic gens industria quondam potens & strenua manu effeminatâ, mollicie, luxuriâ (que) virtutē pristinam perdidit, et quos ante Cyrum inuictos bella praestiterant, in luxuriam lapsos otium ac defidia superauit. Iust hist. l. 1. c. 10. weakened the Lydians, a valorous and victorious people before, and subiected their neckes to the yoake of Cy­rus, Monarch of Persia. I am perswaded (albeit, God doth afflict his Church for his owne glory, and its good, and tri­bulation is the portion of Gods people in this life) yet, that the wasting of the Church, and the troubles in Germany at this dayAnno 1623., haue beene occasioned, in part, by that abundance of intemperancie, and riot, which, (as by the complaints of the late learned ones amongst them, in their writings doth ap­peareGermani cunctos possunt perferre labores, oh vtinam possint tam bene ferre sitim. Dithmars. System. Eth. l. 3 p. 174. Germanorum bibatitas apud alias gentes hodiè ante cuncta nobilitatur, at (que) inter miracula celebratur, cum singuli qua­ternos quartarios vno prandio hauriunt, & hodiè rasa potoria cernuntur quae plus quam duas choas capiunt, quibus hospites, & externos liberalissimè inuitant & proluunt. ac nullus hoc tem­pore est, qui luxuriósas, et profusas mensas non struat, qui (que) coquos, ganeae (que) artifices peritissime cibos condientes, & patrimonia mergentes non quaerat quam vitae intemperantiā apud Christia­nos maximè debacchari memoriâ nostrâ videmus. Goelen Orat. delux. 98. O tempora, ô Christia­norū [...]ores prostratos! venimus eò, vt maximé cibis pereamus. Id ib. Potatores nostri sunt ieiuni & sobrij ne (que) à sole ne (que) a luna, nedū hominibus videntur sed de mane vino vel adusto, vel Mal­vatico, Corinthiaco, Alacanthico, Petro, Simoniaco, &c. Se opplent; [...]eredie cerevisia, tanquam frigidâ suffusâ se refocillant; Vesperi per noctem ad aurorā vsque Rhenano sese ingurgitant; Vs (que) dum nequè pes, ne (que) manus, ne (que) lingua, ne (que) sensus quisquam officiū facere norit, sed superata, prostrataquè iaceant in ipsis omnia: ô tempora! ô mores! ô bone Petre, si é mortu [...] ad nos tibi iam daretur auditus, quid quaeso dicturus esses, si bellicoses potatorū duces certamina peculatoria de die in noctem, de noctè in diem protrahentes conspiceres? Cunrad Dieter. Postill. in Fest. Feria 3. Pentecost. p. 712 Scultetus etiam applicat Textum Isa 5.11 12 Germanis; verba eius haec sunt. Viua haec est ebriosae Germaniae pictura, Potandipassim studiū maximū, vs (que) ad opum, corporis, famae periculum: Nulla operum diuinorū habetur ratio quantumuis irae Dei manifesta signa ap­p [...]eant, hostibus ex omni parte imminentibus, annena ingrauescente, p [...]ste in vicinia grassente: tandemne aliquando expergiscemur? stultum est voluptatem in aula & ventre querere. Idea Conc. 3 in Isa. c. 5. p. 86.) they haue beene giuen vnto. I will end this note with the speech of the Prophet; Make thee bald, poll thee, in­large thy baldnesse as an Eagle. Why? For thy DELICATE, thy luxurious Children; for THEY are gone into captiuitie from thee Mich. 1.16.. Thy luxurie, oh Iacob, shall worke thee that mise­rie.

10. Signe. Prophanation of the Sabbath.Prophaning of the Sabbath (which theAdimp [...]euit hic (viz. Chri­stus) legem, dum ipsum Sabbati diem benedicti one patris a pri­mordio sanctū, benefactione suâ efficit sanc­tiorem. Tertul. in M [...]rcio. l. 4. 238. Father at first made holy, and Christ afterward more holy, as Tertullian speaketh) is a ten [...]h signe, that foreshowes a plague.Inter Baby­lonicae captiui­tatis causas, haec quo (que) nu­meratur quod Sabbata Dei prophanaue­rint. Gualt. in Act. c. 13. Hom. 88. This occasioned (together with other sinnes) the Babylonish Captiuitie. If yee will not hearken to mee (saith the Lord by Ieremie) to hallow the Sabbath day, and not to beare a burden, euen entring in at the gates of Ierusalem on the Sabbath day, then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall deuoure the pallaces of Ierusalem, and it shall not be quenched Ier. 17.27.. And (by Ezekiell); Thou hast despised my holy things, and prophaned my Sabbaths. THEREFORE will I scatter thee among the Heathens, and disperse thee in the Countries Ezek. 22.8.15.. The Lord threat­neth in Amos his time, that the whole land should tremble, and euery one mourne that dwelt therein, because (besides other sinnes which were there committed) the couetous wretches of those times thought long till the Sabbath was gone, that they might follow after their profits, and worldly gaine, that they might set forth Wheate, make the Ephasmall, and the Shekel great, and falsifie the ballance by deceit Amos 8.5.8..

11. Signe. Vniust Go­uernours.Againe, it is a signe some iudgement is at hand, when iudgement doth not proceed out of the seates of iudgement. When Officers are corrupt, and Gouernours vnrighteous. Pervse the Prophets, and see whether this be not written downe in capitall letters, amongst those capitall sinnes, which brought those great miseries vpon the Iewes, that they did vnder-goe. Heare what Esay saith; How is the faithfull Citie become an Harlot? It WAS full of iudgement, righteousnes DID lodge in it, but NOW murtherers. Thy Princes are rebellious, and companions of theeues: euery one loueth g [...]fts, and followeth after rewardes; they iudge not the fatherl [...]s, neither doth the cause of the widdow come before them, THEREFORE sayth the Lord, the Lord of hostes, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies Isa. 1.21.23.24.. And how the Lord did a­venge himselfe of these vnrighteous Adversaries, Ieremie sheweth in the Lamentations; Hee hath swallowed vp all the habitations of Iacob, and hath not pitied: He hath polluted the kingdome, and the Princes thereof. He hath cut off in his fierce [Page 25] anger, all the horne of Israel Lam. 2.2.3.. Heare what Amos saith; They know not to doe right, therefore thus saith the Lord God, an Ad­versary there shall be, euen round about thy Land: and he shall bring downe thy strength from thee, and thy pallaces shall be de­stroyed Amos. 3.10.11.. Heare yee this, yee Kine of Bashan that are in the Mountaine of Samaria Ch. 4.1.2.,In [Montanis] Synecdoche mē ­bri. Sed potest propriè [...]ntelligi de monte in quo sita erat vrbs Samaria: Et hoc potius vide­tur: quia é se­quentibus ap­paret, prophetā hîc proprie al­loqui Iudices: illi autem resi­debani in vrbe Samaria. Pis­cat. Schol. in Amos. 4. v. 1., that is (yee Magistrates which haue your abode in Samaria, the chiefe Citie of the Land) which op­presse the poore, which crush the needie. The Lord hath sworne by his holines that loe the dayes shall come vpon you, that he will take you away with hookes, and your posteritie with fish-hookes; and yee shall goe out at the breaches; that is,Per rupturas scil. Murorum effectas ab hos­tibus. Id. ibid. vers. 3. at the breaches of the walls, which the enemies shall make when they carry you away captiues. In another place, what sayes the same Prophet? They afflict the iust, they take a bribe, they turne aside the poore in the gate from their right; Therefore wayling shall be in all streets, and they shall say in all the high wayes, Alas, Alas. Heare also what Micha saith; Heare this yee Heads of the house of Iacob, and Princes of the house of Israel, that abhorre iudgement, and peruert all equitie. They build vp Sion with bloud, and Ierusalem with iniquitie; The Heades thereof iudge for reward: Therefore shall Sion for your sake be plowed as a field, Ierusalem become heapes, and the mountaine of the house of the Lord as the high places of the Forrest Mich. 3.9.10.11.12., euen wast and deso­late.Ier. 5.28.29. The right of the needie, saith Ieremie, doe they not iudge, shall I not visit for this, saith the Lord? shall not my soule be a­venged on such a Nation as this?

12. Vaine confidence, 12. Signe. Vaine confi­dence. is another thing that foregoes de­struction; when men leane vpon forraine stayes, trust to their wittes, wealth, friends, strength, yea, more then to God, or as much as to God, they cannot but euen come to ruine Illi faedissimè cadunt quihu­manis praesidijs [...]ituntur. Luth. in Isa. c. 30.. AndTametsi ad Tempus votis potiri videntur, tamen omnia tandem ipsis exitiosa sunt. Calv. in Is. 30. v. 3. although for a time things may succeed according to their vaine hope, yet the end will be euill. When the Rebel­lious Children of Israel, went to goe downe into Aegypt (with­out asking counsell as Gods mouth) to strengthen themselues in the strength of Pharaoh (an enemy of God tooP [...]ar [...]onem Deo non abs re op­pouit Esaias. Calv. in Is. c. 30. v. 2.) and to trust [Page 26] in the shadow of Aegypt (as deadly enemies as euer Israel had, who, some generations agoe, sought their vtter ouerthrow). When the Princes of Israell goe to Zoan (the greatest Citie in Aegypt Zoan, vrbs maxima in E­gypto. Vat [...]b. in Isa. c. 30. v. 4.,) and her Ambassadors to Hanes; THEN Woe to them. Into a land of TROVBLE and ANGVISH they must Isa. 30.1.2.4.6.. What remedie when they needs will? When they call to Aegypt, and goe to Assyria (saith the Lord) I will spread my net vpon them, I will chastise them as their Congregation hath heard Hos 7.12.13.. Because thou didst trust in thy way, (thine owne way) in the multitude of thy mightie men, Therefore shall a tumult rise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoyled Chap. 10.13.14..

13. Signe. Persecuting of the godly.A thirteenth signe, is cruell and hard dealing with the Children of God, or persecuting of the Saints. It was Pha­raohs crueltie against the Israelites, that plunged him and his into the bottome of the Sea. When he would needes be so madd as to pursue and persecute them, euen through the red Sea,Exod. 14. then he must needes be ouerwhelmed; there was no escaping. When Saul trounced that good man Dauid vp and downe, and would not let him rest in any corner, but ferretted him out of euery hole, he tooke the onely course to haue the kingdome rent out of his hand, and his soule rent out of his bodie. Did not the Iewes bring the guilt of innocent bloud vpon their owne heades, and made way for their miserable reiection, by persecuting the righteous men of God, and crucifying the Lord of glory? Nothing is plai­ner then this, that the molesting of the godly, is enough to pull fire from heauen, and to let in a Sea of trouble, and tri­bulation vpon a people. See Ezek. 35.4.5.

14. Signe. A pathy, or incompassio­natenesse.In the next place, want of compassion, and vnreadines to helpe their brethren in affliction, doth presage some great calamitie. No man remembreth the affliction of Ioseph (sayth A­mos) Therefore they shall goe captiue with the first that goe cap­tiue. Amos. 6.6.7. Curse yee Meroz (said the Angell of the Lord) curse yee bitterly the inhabitants thereof, because they came not to the helpe of the Lord, to the helpe of the Lord against the mightie Iudg. 5.23.. How often do the Prophets threaten iudgements against Iu­dah, for their vnmercifulnesse to the poore. What procured [Page 27] the Aegyptians ruine? Want of compassion; they regarded not the sighes and the grones of the Israelites, but rather op­pressed them with heauier burthens. Mordecai told Esther, if thou holdest thy peace at such a time: that is; if thou doest not cōmiserate the estate of the Iewes NOW, but, swimming in pleasure thy selfe, forgettest them, and vsest no meanes to helpe them, thou, and thy fathers house shall be destroyed Esth. 4.14..

The 15. Signe, is loue of flattery, 15. Signe. Loue of flat­tery. a strong, and strange de­sire to be soothed vp in sinne, to heare smooth things. If there were no other sinne but this in a Land, it were enough of it selfe (so vigilant to destroy are flatterers) to expose that Land to ruine and spoyle Ac solâ enim hac (etiam vi­gilant [...]bus sa­tellitibus) reg­num latronibus expositum est. Synes Orat. de Regno. ad Ar­cad pag. 6.. This is a Rebellious people (sayth E­say) which say to the Seers, See not; and to the [...]rophets prophe­sie not vnto vs right things; speake vnto vs smooth things, Pro­phesie deceites, &c. Therefore thus saith the holy one of Israell, One thousand (of you) shall flee at the rebuke of one: at the re­buke of fiue, shall yee flee, till yee be left as a Beacon vpon the top of a Mountaine, and as an Ensigne on an hill Isa. 30.9.10.12.17.; you shall be so wasted, and destroyed by your enemies, that you shall not so much as haue the very name or show of a peopleAccidet tanta dissipatio at (que) imminutio, vt nullam po­pulifaciem re­tineatis Calv. in Isa. cap. 30. v. 17.. The Pro­phets prophesie falsely, and my people LOVE to haue it so, and what will yee doe in the end thereof? Ier. 5.31.

§ 16. Hypocrisie § 16. Signe. Hypocrisie. doth fore-shew miserie Omnes qui perperam agunt supplicio dig [...]i sunt, qui verò simulatione bo­nitatis ad im­probitatē tēdit, muliò grauiori pana omnino afficierdus est. Chrys. in Mat. c 23 Hom. 74.. The Iewes in the dayes of Christ were a generation of hypocrites So they are often stiled in the Evangelists.; and with­inAnno 2. regni Vespasiani. Euseb. Hist. l. 3. c. 7. Annoà Dom. Natiu. 73. a passione 40. fortie yeeres after Christ, they became, & haue euer since continued a generation of vagabonds vpon the face of the earth. Ananias, and Saphyra were smitten with sudden death for their hypocrisie Act. 5.5.10.: And their forefathers in euill, (many yeeres before them, or Christ either) were threatned to be destroyed, for their hypocriticall dissembling with the Lord of hostes, so writes the Prophet; Yee dissembled in your hearts, when you sent mee to the Lord your God, saying, Pray for vs vnto the Lord our God, and according to all that the Lord our God shall say, so declare vnto vs, and we will doe it; And now I haue declared it vnto you, and you haue not obeyed the voice of [Page 28] the Lord your God: Now therefore know certainely, that ye shall dye by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whether yee desire to goe, and to soiourne Ier. 42.19.02.21.. To this ioyne de­ceite towards man, and it is euident, iudgement followes that also, as the Scripture sheweth in many places.

17. Signe. The flatte­ring Prophets rising against the faithfull.In the 17. place, it hath beene in time past, a fearefull to­ken of iudgement not to be farre off, when false Prophets by their calumnious informations, haue either restrained, or endeuoured to restraine the true Messengers of God, of their libertie to Preach the Word. I finde a pregnant place for this in the seaventh Chapter of Amos. In the tenth verse, Amaziah the Priest of Bethell, aIn Amaziâ sacerdote propo­nitur exemplū hominis men­dacis. Piscat. in Amos. c. 7. Obs. 6. lying Priest, sendes to Ie­roboam, King of Israel, to informe him wrongfully against Amos, saying; Amos hath conspired against thee in the middest of the house of Israel, the Land is not able to beare all his words: and in the thirteenth verse, he commandes him (but I am sure without any authoritie from God) to Prophecie no more at Bethel. Well; What was the euent, and consequent of this? The two last Verses of that Chapter will shew that: Amos. 7.16.17. Now therefore (saith Amos to Amaziah) heare thou the word of the Lord; Thou sayest, Prophecie not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac: Therefore thus saith the Lord; Thy wife shall be an Harlot in the Citie; there is a iudgement vpon his yoke-fellow: thy sonnes and thy daughters shall fall by the sword; there is a iudgement vpon his Children: thy land shall be diuided by line; there is a iudgement vpon his estate: and thou shalt dye in a polluted land; there is a iudgement vpon his person: and Israell shall surely goe into captiuitie forth of his land; and there is a iudgement vpon his people; where wee plainely see, that for this sinne of Amaziah, in oppo­sing good Amos, not onely Amaziah's selfe, and familie, should be plagued, but also the whole Land of Israell should fare the worse, and be carried into the house of bondage. The Scribes, Pharisies, and chiefe Priests did what lay in them to stop the mouth of Christ, to stay the passage of the Gos­pell; and was not this thinke you, one cause of their woefull ouerthrow, and confusion?

Againe, Abuse of the tongue 18. Signe. Abuse of the Tongue. in most sorts of people, doth presage some wrath to be a kindling against that people. Ie­rusalem is ruined, and Iudah is fallen (saith the ProphetIsa. 3.8.) be­cause their TONGVE (as well as their doings) is against the Lord, to prouoke the eyes of his glory. Of all kinde of out­ward calamities that can befall a people,Nullum cala­mitatis genus, graui [...]is exitio­rum diluuium inuehit, quam bellum. Erasm. de ling p. 155. none is more grie­uous then Warre, (Dauid had rather fall into the handes of God2 Sam. 24.14., then to be exposed to the mischiefe of warre). But there would beAtqui nullum esset bellum in­ter mortales, si nullae essēt ma­lae lingua, quae belli causas sub ministrarent. Eras. ibid. no warre amongst men, if there were no euill tongues Quot hominū millia quotidiè subuertit calū ­nia? quot adu­latrix lingua? quot impiorum consiliorum in cantatrix? quot inuidia facino nocens? quot obtrect [...]rix? quot conuitiorū speculis violen­ta? Id. ibid., which are indeed the very causes of the same. Now the Tongue is abused diuerse wayes: by lyes, oaths, slaun­dering, flattering, giuing euill counsell, cursing, backbiting, keep­ing silence when it should speake to the glory of God; but how ma­ny thousands of people doe these euills destroy? Search theR [...]pete vete­ruo [...] monumen­ta, relege quic­quid est trage­diarum, qu [...]c­quid vnquam gestum, a tyrannis crudeliter, ac tragicè, comperies a malá linguâ profectum initium. Id. ibid. Monuments of Antiquitie, (especially the sacred Scrip­tures) and, whatsoeuer Tragedies haue beene really acted, whatsoeuer tyrannies haue beene exercised against a people, you shall finde some, or all of these forenamed Abuses of the Tongue, to haue beene (in part) the originall of the same.

1. Lying.1. Concerning lying, Hosea reckoneth it vp amongst the sinnes for which the Lord had a controuersie with the Land of Iudah; and for which, he threatned that the inhabitants should languish, and all their prouision (as fish, flesh, and foule) should be seized vpon by the enemie, and taken away violently as a prey Hos. 4.1.2.3.. They bend their tongues like bowes for lies (it's Ieremies speechIer 9.3.5.7.) they will not speake the truth, they haue taught their Tongue to speake lies, therefore saith the Lord of hostes, behold I will melt them, and trie them (Fiscat. Scil▪ igne afflictionis. in the fire of affliction);Puniam eos. lebita poenâ. Lyra. ad loc. I will punish them according to their deseruings; how shall I doe for the d [...]ughter of my people? that is,Tantum dedecus culpae non debet dimitti sine decore iustitiae. Lyra in Ier. c. 9. v. 7. I must needes glori­fie my iustice, in not suffering such a disgracefull sinne as this is to escape Scot-free, without punishment. Truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth Ier. 7 28.. And marke what followeth immedi­ately; [Page 30] Vers. 29. Cut off thine hayre, oh Ierusalem, and take vp a lamen­tation on high places, for the Lord hath reiected, and forsaken the generation of his wrath.

2. As for swearing, 2. Swearing. who hath not heard that speech of the Prophet? Because of swearing the Land mourneth, the pleasant places of the Wildernesse are dryed vp Ier. 23.10..

3. That slaundering 3. Slaunde­ring. brings generall iudgements, it is eui­dent also, by the same Prophet; They are grieuous reuolters, walking with SLANDERS Ier. 6.28.; and vpon this followeth,Vers. 30. Reprobate siluer shall men call them, because the Lord hath re­iected them.

4. That the flattering tongue 4. Flatterie. doth presage ruine, the same Prophet proues also; The Prophets prophesie lies in my name, I sent them not, neither haue I commanded them, nor spake vnto them: they Prophesie to you a false vision, and diuination, and a thing of naught, and the deceite of their owne heart. Therefore thus saith the Lord, by sword and famine shall these Prophets be consumed; and the People to whom they Prophesie shall be cast out into the streets of Ierusalem because of the famine, and the sword, and they shall haue none to bury them, nor their wiues, nor their sonnes, nor their daughters Ier. 14.14.15.16..

5. Euill counsell 5. Giuing e­uill Counsell. giuen by Rehoboams Vpstarts, rent the kingdome out of the hand of Rehoboam, and made a breach amongst the Tribes of Israel 2 King. 12.10.16.. The euill counsell which the Nobles gaue Ioash, brought the Host of Syria against Ieru­salem, and Iudah, which killed the Princes, and spoyled the People of the Land2 Chron. 24.17.23.: Did not also the bad Counsell which Zeresh gaue to her husband Haman, breed the downefall of Haman, and the vtter ouerthrow of his posteritie Esth. 5.14. Compared with Ch. 7.10. & 9.14.?

6. That abusing of the Tongue, by cursing,6. Cursing. and rayling, doth goe before destruction, it is plaine from the example of Rabshekah; For when he in the name of Senacherib his Master rayled vpon God, as if he were weake and impotent, vpon Ezekiah, and the whole Host of the liuing God, as if they were vainely confident, charging them to trust in one, who was not able to deliuerIsa. 36.4.5. &c.. And thus blaspheming both God, and his people; then the whole Host of the Assyrians [Page 31] (which that Rabshekah was a chiefe man amongst) was most strangely smitten, and discomfited by an Angel of the Lord in the night: insomuch, that (as the Text saith) there were slaine at that time, an hundred, fourescore, and fiue thousand Isa. 37.36.. The Iewes, in Christ his time, did rayle vpon Christ, saying, that he had a DeuillIoh. 8.48., that he was a drunkard, a glutton, a friend of Publicans and sinners, yea, their friend in the worst sense, to beare them out in their vngodly courses, or a Li­bertine, allowing them in their notorious euillsMat. 11.19., Thus they rayled on Iohn Baptist Mat 11.18., on the rest of the Apostles, calling them, such as were drunke with new wine Act. 2.13.. And why might not this as well as any thing else, be the cause of that de­struction, which came vpon their Citie, and themselues?

7. As touching backbiting; 7. Backbiting. Wee reade that Aaron and Mi­riam, by defiling their tongues, with this sinne, against Mo­ses, did not onely kindle the anger of the Lord against them­selues in particular, but also caused the Lord to testifie his displeasure against the whole congregation of the Israelites, by remouing the Cloud (a signe of his gracious presence) from the Tabernacle Num. 12.8.9.10.. Hence is that of Ieremy; Their tongue is as an arrow shot out, one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour, (that is, to his neighbours face) with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wayte, and behinde his backe he will speake euill of him; Shall not I visit them for these things, saith the Lord Ier. 9.8.9.?

Lastly, Whether abusing the tongue by needlesse, and harmefull silence, 8 Needlesse and hurtfull silence. (men not daring to speake their mindes boldly and freely for Gods honour, and the good of the Church, when they are called thereunto) whether this, I say,Vbi contra De­um aliquid a­gitur periculo­sum est pastori si taceat. Pomeri­an. cont. Iudae. l. 1 praefat. hath not gone before some ouer-spreading calamitie, I ap­peale but to the Prophet Isaiah, who seemes to make mutenes in such as should speake, the cause of destruction. Heare his owne wordes; All yee beastes of the field, come to deuoure, yea, all yee beastes in the forrest Isa. 56.9.; that is, Come yee enemies, destroy my people. Why? What's the matter? Marke what followeth,Vers. 10. His Watch-men are all dumbe dogges, they cannot barke, sleep­ing, lying downe, louing to slumber. As if he should haue said; [Page 32] Qu [...]d si tantae cladis at (que) [...]ui­nae ca [...]sa quae ras, haec in gra­uissimis nume­rari potest: Quod qui cum se canes esse pu­tent, quibus commissa fuerit ciuitatis custo­dia, tamen muti sunt, aut metu, mercedeve con­stricta lingua latrare non au­dent. Sanctiua. in Isa cap. 56. Paraph. v. 10. Would you know the cause of this great ruine? amongst many and weightie causes, this is one, that they which are the Watch­men, (thinking themselues to be appoynted for the safe keeping of the Citie) are dumbe, keepe silence when they should not: not da­ring to barke, and fray away occasions of iudgements from the peo­ple, by speaking home, as they should; hauing their tongue tyed, either with the string of base carnall feare, or the golden cord of profi [...] and reward: So much of the eighteenth signe, of an en­suing plague.

19. Signe. Strange Ac­cidents.The nineteenth signe, is some strange, and vnwonted Acci­dents, as Warres, iarres betwixt kingdomes, apparitions in the ayre, earth-quakes, and the like. Christ tells his Disciples, that before the destruction of Ierusalem, there should be warres, and rumours of warres, kingdome should rise against kingdome, and nation against nation, the Sunne should be darkened, the Moone should not giue her light, and the starres should fall from heauen, and the powers of the heauens should be shaken Mat. 24.6.7.29.; that is,Gualth. the very Elements should suffer some extraordinary moti­on, besides the course of nature. Ecclesiasticall Histories Euseb. Eccles. hist l. 3. c. 8. Ioseph. l. 7. de bello Iudaic. c. 12. make mention of the strange things in particular that hap­pened before the Sacking of that Citie: as namely, A starre like a sword: A Comet enduring more then the space of a whole yeare: a strange light ouerspreading the Altar, and the Temple in the night time: a Cow calued a Lambe: a great gate opened of it selfe: an Armie of Souldiers were seene in the Cloudes: a voice crying in the Temple, Let vs goe hence: one Iesus the sonne of Ananias cried continually, [...]. Woe, woe, all about the Citie. What strange darkenes was in the ayre, in the Land of Aegypt? How did the Waters contrary to their naturall course, di­uide in the middest, and stand vp like a wall, before Pharaoh and his host were drowned in the SeaExod. 14.? How did the Sun and Moone stand still, when the Lord destroyed the Amo­rites by the handes of Iosuah Ios. 10.13.? Thus strange Accidents, haue oftentimes prognosticated great iudgements.

In the twentith place, What shall I say of Idolatry 20. Signe. Idolatry. and su­perstitition? I thinke there is none amongst you, but are ve­rily perswaded, that that is the Harbinger of some grieuous [Page 33] misery to come vpon a Land*,Marul. l. 6. c. 7. 30a. where it is entertained either to iustle out the Gospell, or to play Checmate with the Gospel. Witnes the miserable, bloudie, and trecherous times,Ob Idololatriā diuisum fuit Iudeae regnum. that haue beene in France, since the holy and prophane haue bin mingled together; Christ and Beliall; the true Religion, and the false. Witnes the diuision of the kingdome of Iu­dah See Ier. 7.17.18.19.20.. Witnes abundance of places in the Prophets; as these; Thy calfe, oh Samaria, hath cast thee off Hos. 8.5.. They sacrificed to Baal, and burnt incense to grauen images; The sword shall a­bide in his Cities, and consume his branches, and deuour them Hos. 11.2.6.. Their Land is full of Idolls, they worship the worke of their owne handes, that which their owne fingers haue made; Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people, the house of Iacob Isa. 2.8.6.. Diverse the like speeches are oft to be met withall; In stead of all the rest, take this one: Ye haue borne the Tabernacle of your Mo­lech, and Chlun your images, the Star of your God, which yee made to your selues, Therefore will I cause you to goe into Capti­uitie beyond Damascus, saith the Lord, whose name is the God of hostes Amos. 5.26.27.. The Iewes, in Christs time, were very obseruous of the superstitious Traditions of their Fathers, preferring the same before the Commandements of God; and did they not rue for it afterward? This was another thing that went be­fore the setting vp of the abomination of desolation in their habitations.

In the 21. place, lesser 21. Signe. Lesser punish­ments. plagues haue vsually beene fore­runners of some greater. The Prophet Isaiah in his third Chapter, at the beginning, seemes to giue vs to vnderstand,Isa. 3. that before the Babylonish Captiuitie, these lesser euills should goe. 1. FamineVers. 1.. 2. The weakning of the Artillery, and fur­niture for warreVers. 2.. 3. The weakning of policie, and taking away of those chiefe ones, that should plead, iudge, and stand for the Common-wealth, as, the prouident, the aunci­ent, the Iudge, the honourable man, the Counseller, and the e­loquent Orator Vers. 2.3.. 4. The decay of those Arts, and mechani­call Trades, whereby a Land is maintained, or the taking a­way of the cunning Artificer Vers. 3.. 5. Confusion in Subiects, and contempt cast vpon their betters by inferiours; the childe [Page 34] behauing himselfe proudly against the auncient, and the base a­gainst the honourable Ver. 5.. So before the Sacking of Ierusalem, there went famines, pestilences, and other beginnings of sor­rowes Mat. 24.7.8..

Lastly, generall incorrigiblenes, 22. Signe. Incorrigible­nes. and impenitency, notwith­standing these lesser euils fore sent vnto them, and inflicted vpon them. Amos hath almost an whole Chapter in his Pro­phesie to this purposeViz. the 4. Ch. from the 6. verse to the 13.; wherein, after he hath brought in the Lord chiding the Israelites, because that neither famine V. 6., nor drought V. 7.8., nor blasting, and mildew vpon their vineyards, fig-trees, and Oliue trees V. 9., nor pestilence, nor the slaughter of their yong men V. 10., nor the ouerthrowing of some of them like So­dum and Gomorrah; and the plucking of THEM (whom he then spake to) like a fire-brand out of the fire V. 11., could make them repent; but still they refused to returne vnto the Lord). After (I say) all this, he brings the Lord in, conclu­ding thus; Therefore thus will I doe vnto thee O Israel V. 12.. How thus? What would he doe? Looke backe into the second, and third Verses; I will take you away with hookes, and your poste­ritie with fish-hookes, and ye shall goe out at the breaches, (that is) into Captiuitie. THIS, euen THIS will I doe vnto you. This strange impenitency did procure, and prognosticate the great ruine, and downe-fall of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. Woe vnto thee Chorazin, woe vnto thee Bethsaida, for if the mightie workes which haue beene done in you, had bin done in Tyre and Sidon, they would haue repented long agoe in Sackcloth and ashes. And thou Capernaum which art exalted vnto heauen, shalt be brought downe to hell, for if the mightie workes which haue beene done in thee, had beene done in Sodom and Gomorrah, it would haue remained vntill this day Mat. 11.21.23.. As if he should haue said: Because you Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, did remaine incorrigible, & would not repent, notwithstanding, my many, and great workes among you, therefore, great shall your destruction and ouerthrow be.

These are the signes, which must be obserued, and taken notice off, by those that would foresee the plague.

Obiect But peraduenture will some put that vpon mee, which [Page 35] the chiefe Priests, and Elders put vpon Iudas (when in the horrour of his conscience he brought backe vnto them the price of innocent blood) What is that to vs Mat. 27.4.? What doe these signes and markes which you haue now set downe concerne VS?

Surely very much.Answ. The particu­lar applicatiō of the former signes to our Land; which is the second Branch of the last generall direction how to foresee the euill. I would to God that experience did not too too truely apply most of these sinnes, and signes to our Land, to our age. Which wee must not wilfully be ig­norant off, if wee would foresee the plague.

[...]. Ingratitude in England.First, there is monstrous, and intollerable ingratitude a­mongst vs. What blessings hath the Lord with-held from vs? What mercies either positiue or priuatiue hath not He heaped on vs? Wealth wee haue; our Land is another Go­shen, another Canaan; Health, peace, and prosperitie we haue; That which was once prophesied to Ierusalem by Zacharie, is fulfilled amongst vs, by reason of the abundance of peace which wee enioy; The old men and old women dwell in our streetes, and many a man with his staffe in his hand for very age. The streetes of the Citie are full of boyes, and girles, playing in the middest thereof Zach. 8.4.5.. What great and admirable deliuerances hath he wrought for vsWitnes 1588 & Nouemb. 5. 1605.. Hath he not bestowed vpon vs the Gospell of Peace, offering, yea giuing thereby, (if we will but receiue Him) his beloued Sonne Christ Iesus? It is true, now and then he hath scourged vs, he hath punished vs, yet he hath done it so Fatherly, so fauourably, that his rods haue rather beene mercies then punishments Poena a Deo nobis illatae, mi­sericordiae ma­gis sunt quam poena. Chrys. in Gen c. 8 Hō. 25. And whereas, for these helpes, and comforts of life, we are bound to giue thankes to our Creator [...]. Asterius. Homil. de Diu. & Laz pag. 2., yea, to this very end haue our soules breathed into vs, and our tongues giuen vsEa Propter, & animam nobis inspirauit, & linguam dedit, vt sua in nos beneficia animis percipientes Dominum agnoscamus Chrysost. in Gen. Hom. 25.; yet, how few Dauids, and Maries be there, who rouse vp their soules Luk. 1.46., awaken their glories Psal. 57.9, their tongues to magnifie the Lord, and striue, with all that is within them to prayse his holy Name Psal. 103.1.? There are some amongst vs (O lamentable to consider it) who com­plaine against Gods goodnesse, because he giues them what [Page 36] they doe desireQuid dici hâc re improb [...]ùs, quid cōtumelio­sius potest? etiā in hoc de mise­ricordia Dei querimur, quia tribuat quod ro­gamus. Salu. de Pro. l. 3. p. 77.. Send he vsSi aestus est, de ariditatè cau­samur; si pluniae de inundatione conqueremur: si infaecundior an­nus est accusa­mus sterilitatē [...] si faecundior v­tilitatem. Adi­pisci abundātiā cupimus, et eā ­dē adepti accu­samus. Id. ibid. wet, or drie, scarcitie or plen­tie, he can neuer content vs. The abundance of good things, which he doth bestow vpon vs, doe we accuse him, and murmure against him for? Doe not the MOST of vs, like the old Israelites, requite his loue with rebellion, his kind­nes with transgression Vt in quantū eos beneficijs su­is ille ad se il­lexerat ad pro­pitiandum, in tantum illi ab eo recederent. Salu. de Prou. l. 7. p. 220.? Doe not the BEST of vs fall in­finitely short of rendering that prayse wee owe vnto him? When we haue done the best we can, wee must needes cry out; We are vnprofitable seruants.

2. Generall Corruption in England.Secondly, how generally corrupt and depraued the man­ners of men be, in all sorts amongst vs, from the high to the low Quis est vel diues, vel nobilis, aut innocentiam ser­uans, aut à cunctis sceleribus manum abstinens, Salu. de Prou Dei l. 3 p 86., &c, not onelyHoc maiores no­stri questi sunt, hoc nos querimur, hoc posteri nostri querentu [...], euersos esse mores, regnare nequi­tiam, in deterius res humanas & in omne nefas labi. Senec. de Benef. l, 1 cap. 10. pag. 386. had our Ancestors cause before vs, shall our posteritie haue cause after vs, but also our selues NOW haue iust cause to complaine: Wee haue wanted no holy meanes to make vs good; Our good God, and blessed [...]. Aster. Hom de Diu. & Lazar. p. 1. Sa­uiour hath denied vnto vs, neither precept, nor patterne; hath stored vs both with Commandements, and examples, to keepe vs from vice, to draw vs to vertue, yet what aMiscent mores mali Plaut. in Trinu. Omnia fanda nefanda mali permixta furore. Catull. mix­ture of euill is there amongst vs? and how haue all almost expelled Institiam (que) omnes cupida de mente fugarunt. Id. Righteousnesse from their hearts, and liues? So thatPraeter paucissimos quosdam, qui mala fugiunt, quid est aliud pene omnis caetus Christianorum, quam sentina vitio­rum Salu. de Prou p. 81. except it be a few (the little flocke of Christ I meane, vpon whom the word of God hath wrought sauingly and effec­tually) the whole company of those that haue the name of Christians, are little better then a very sinke of vngodlines.Nil erit vlterius quod nostris moribus addat posteritas, eadem capi­ent, facient (que) minores. Inuenal. Satyr. 1. What can after ages adde to the wickednes of our age? or [Page 37] how can they be euiller then this is? If I should speake of drunkennesse, gluttony, adultery, extortion, theft, rapine, and such like sinnesQuotum enim quem (que) inuenies in Ecclesiâ, non aut ebriosū, aut helluonem, aut adulterum, aut fornicatorē, aut raptorem, aut ganeonem, aut latronem, aut homicidam? Sa­lu▪ de Prou. lib. 3. p. 81., (as I shall afterward touch them more in parti­cular) it is euen pitie to thinke how many thousands are addicted vnto them. It is easier to finde men guiltie of all sinnes then not of all; it is easier to finde such as doe com­mit rather great transgressions with lesser, then the lesser with-out the greater Facilius inue­nias reos malo­rum omnium, quam non om­nium, facilius maiorū crimi­nū quam mino­rum, id est faci­lius qui, et ma­iora crimina cū minoribus, quā qui minora tā ­tum sine maio­ribus, perpetra­rint. Sal. ibid.. To let passe the rude behauiour, and lewd carriage of such as neuer had so much as ciuill educati­on, it is too apparent, that Corruption hath such dominati­on ouer some that professe Religion, that it is accounted a kind of holines in them to differ but a little from the lewder, and profaner sort, and to be somewhat lesse vitious then they areIn hanc enim morum probro­sitatē prope om­nis. Ecclesiasti­ca plebs redac­ta est, vt in cū ­cto populo Chri­stiano, genus quodā modo san­ctitatis sit, MI­NVS esse vitio­sum. l. ib. p. 82.. We declare our sinnes as Sodom, wee hide them not; We haue Whores foreheads that cannot blush. Yea, sinne is not onelyScelus nō tan­tū geritur, sed docetur. Cypr. Epist. 2. l. 1. § 3. The Word is contemned amongst VS. committed, but also taught, as in a Schoole amongst vs.

§ Thirdly, Although there be some amongst vs who doe reuerence the Word of God, account the feete of them beau­tifull that bring the glad tydings of saluation Rom. 10▪ 15.; who, with the Galathians, would be ready to plucke out their eies to do Paul goodGal. 4.15., entertaining him as an Angel of God V. 14.: of whom we may say, as the Apostle writes of the Thessalonians; The Go­spell hath come vnto them in power 1 Thes. 1.5., they haue receiued it with ioy V. 6., who are the very hope, ioy, crowne, and reioycing Ch. 2. v. 19. of the Lords Ministers, that labour amongst them; Although (I say) there be some such amongst vs, (and blessed be God for it) yet the Word of God is greatly contemned amongst vs notwithstanding this. Wee haue, not onely those amongst vs, who, withoutIn templa, in altaria, at (que) in Sacraria Dei, pas­sim omnes sordidi, ac flagitiosi, sine vllâ penitus reuerentiâ sacri honoris irrumpunt. Sal. de Pro. l. 3. p. 82. any reuerence rush into the Temple of the Lord: when they are there, letting their hearts run loose to imagine all manner of wickednesse, and after they haue beene there, fall to their old sinfull courses againe; some to [Page 38] theft, some to riot, some to incontinencie Si vult quis­ [...]iam scire quid [...]n templo huius­modi homines cogitauerint, videat, quid se­quatur. Si qui­dem, cōsūmatis solennibus sa­cris, statim ad consuetudinari­ [...]a omnes studia discurrunt: alij [...]cilicet vt fu­rētur, alij vt in­ [...]ebrientur, alij vt fornicentur, alij vt latroci­nētur. vt euidē ­ter appareat hoc eos esse me­ditatos, dum intra templum sunt, quod, post­quam egressi fuerint, exequū tur. Id ib. p. 83., and the like, (all which cannot but be a kinde of contemning Gods holy Ordi­nances) but also there are such as doe more grossely, and noto­riously despise Prophecying 1 The. 5.20.; esteeming PREACHERS the Troublers of Israel 1 Kin. 18 17., not giuing them the tith of that re­spect, which our blind fore-fathers did to euery Frier, and hedge-Priest in their dayes: and accounting PREACHING as a trifle, a toy, a needles matter, a thing that of any thing what­soeuer, might best be spared. Whence it comes to passe, that either they refuse to heare, or, if they doe heare, they fret in their hearts, and speake with their tongues against it, as if they were onely skilfull, to deale with the Ministrie of Gods Or­dinance, asTheodoretus. One complaines the Heathens in his time did, with the Mysteries of Gods prouidence, euen lade, and inueigh against the same, with cauills and reproches [...]. i. e. Solum periti cauillis & dicterijs incessere diuinae Dispensationis mysteria. Graec. Affect curat. Ser. 6. p. 100.. And as touching the Word written in the Booke of the Scripture, how many there are that contemne THAT, experience abundantly witnesseth. Though to [...]. Nilus. Episc. Thessal. de caus. dissens. Ecclesiastic. l. 1. p. 21. accuse THAT, be to accuse GOD himselfe, yet Some are not ashamed to accuse IT, to be the cause of Heresie, and Error, of schismes, and dissentions, when it is [...]. Id. ibid. not so; to be insufficient of it selfe to declare the truth, when as [...]. Athanas. con­tra. Gent. Orat. Tom. 1. p. 1. indeed it is sufficient; to be impossible to be vnder­stood, when as yet, with the helpes which God affordeth vs, it is possible to be vnderstood, and a man may attaine to that knowledge of it (in some good measure) which he doth desire [...]. Athanas. Orat. cont. Gent. Tom. 1. p. 1.. How many neglect the reading and studying of the Scriptures: and though the writings of the Prophets and Apostles are necessarily to be read [...]. Theod de Graec. Affec▪ curat. Ser. 2 p. 37.; and though (as [Page 39] Quod autem sacrarum lite­rarum lectio vita sit, Domi­nus testatur, dicens, &c. Ambros. Ser. 36. Tom. 3. p. 262. Christ himselfe testifieth) the reading of the Scriptures is life it selfe, when he saith, Io. 9. the words that I speake are spi­rit and life. Now such Accusers of the Scriptures, such Re­fusers to reade the Scriptures, are in England, if there be Papists, if there be Atheists in our Land. Of both which sortes, who can denie there are too many.

4. Wee are guiltie of re­iecting the of­fers of grace.Fourthly, besides the contempt of the Word, wee are guiltie of despising the offers of grace. The Mediator of grace Christ Iesus is offered, and by vnbeliefe we reiect Him. The spirit of grace is offered by many a good motion, which the Lord infuseth, and it is quenched. The Couenant of grace is offered, and on condition men will but put off the old man, and put on the new man, the Lord tendereth himselfe to be their God, and to take them to be his people for euer, and this is not regarded. In a word, all the priuiledges of Gods kingdome are tendered to vs all that doe liue, or (if we will) that may liue vnder the Gospell, yet how many of vs doe preferre before these offers, the offers of a rich marriage, of a Farme, a yoke of Oxen, tendred by a mortall man.

Fiftly, As touching the abuse of Gods patience and good­nes, 5. Gods pati­ence & good­nes are abu­sed amongst vs. it is as manifest as may be, that this kingdome standes deepely charged with the guilt of this sinne. First (I say) we haue abused the patience of God. How many gray-hea­ded sinners, are there in our Land, for whose repentance the Lord hath wayted a long time, who grow worse and worse rather then better, whoPrioribus malis maiora iunxisti [...]. Bern. Epist 68. fol. 221. l. still goe on in impenitency, and (for ought that any man can see) they haue no purpose but to liue and die in their olde impietie. And as for Gods other blessings, the Lord hath as iust cause to complaine against thousands of VS, as he had once against the Israelites Ezek. 16.11.12.13.14.15.16., that, the ornaments, and bracelets, chaynes, and Iewells, siluer, and gold, linnen, and silke: that is, our riches, and treasures, and all kinde of outward blessings, which God hath giuen vs for necessitie, and delight, haue beene abused, though not to the direct maintaining of Idolatry, (saue peraduenture the wealthy estate of some rich Recusants amongst vs) as Israels were, yet to the maintaining, either of Whoredome, drunken­nes, [Page 40] idlenes, revenge, stage-playes, diabolicall meetings, and so­cieties Quid dicam quod ad Diabo­licas sodalitates innumeras mul­ti consumunt pecunias. Chrys. in Mat. c. 11. Hom. 77., and all kinde of immoderate, and immodest vanities [...]. i. e. Haec oratio du­obus, & quidē breuibus ver­bis eos notat, ac traducit, qui nèc rectè, diui­tias habent, & ad inanes, im­modicos (que) sūp­tus abutuntur. Aster. Hom. de Diu & Laz. p. 2., as though (Parthianis, auri, argenti (que) nullus, nisi in armis vsus est. Iust. Hist. l. 41. c. 2. p. 28 [...]. § 6. Couetousnesse, Oppression, and Violence doe abound here. Parthian-like) wee knew not what other vse to make of the good things wee doe enioy, then this, euen to fight against God with the same.

§ Sixtly, Couetousnesse is aMaxi­ma pars hominum morbo iactatur eodem. Horat. Sat 3. 1. 2. disease that most are taken, and holden with. How many a man, and woman is there, who for gaine Pro hâc non mendacij, non periurij, non furti facinus p [...]rhorrescit, non fidem frangere, non iracundiae noxio furore supplèri. Cassian. l. 7. c. 7. Qui diuitias amat nec peiurare timet, nec alios fraude circumuenire dubitat, nec eum omnino apertè mentiri pudet, si quid ex eo se facturum lucri credit: ne (que) quisquam est qui in le­uissimis etiam rebus tam facile iurat, quam diues auaras. Marul. Evang. l 5 c. 19 p. 282., feare not to lye, to forsweare, to theeue, to breake promise, to deceiue, to rage, and to fill themselues with fury? Is it not come to passe inNos­trâ aetate contigit Christianorum Ecclesias à Christianis prophanari, aurum argentum (que) Deo consecratum per vim auferri. Id. ib. our age, that the maintenance of the Ministrie, is taken away from some, and that, which was consecrated a Levites portion, for his seruice at the Sanctuary, is now converted most Sacrilegiously to profane vses, it may be, to maintaining dogges, or birdes? How ma­ny be there who for the world Nulla ibi Religionis ratio habetur, vbi auari animi nihil nisi quod rapiant attendunt. Id. ib regard Religion no more then a rush, yea, can be content toSi lucri quid detur potius rem diuinam deseram. Plaut. in Pseud. abiure Religion, if they be neuer so little prouoked vnto it? How vnsatiable are some, who, though they haue scraped a great deale together, yet can neuer see when their heape is big enoughQuamuis autem multa depraedentur, multa parent, multa vndi (que) congerant, nunquam tamen satiantur: semper restat quod aceruo addi cupiunt. Marul. Evang. l. 5 c. 19. p. 279. Neither is this the fault of such onely as haue aNec minus huic vitio obnoxij sunt, qui liberis, nepotibus (que) abundant quam qui soli sunt: Qualem Ecclesiastes admiratur dicens, &c. Id. ibid. great charge to prouide for, (though that would not excuse the sin) but also of such as are alone, whose folly the Preacher admireth, saying; There is one alone, and there is not a second, yea, he hath neither childe, nor brother, yet there is no end of all his labour, neither is his eye satisfied with riches, neither saith he, for whom doe I labour, and bereaue my soule of good Eccles. 4.8.? What a multitude of Vsurers hath [Page 41] England, who are such a wretched, and wicked kinde of people, (for the most part) that one of the Ambros. de Thob. c. 4. Tom. 4 p. 340. 341. Doctiores, ipsi foeneratori Di­abolum putant comparandum, qui vires ani­mae, & praetio­sae mentis patri­monium soene­rat quodam v­surariae iniqui­tatis sic sumptu capit, sic auro allicit, sic reatu inuoluit, siccaput pro thesauro re­poscit. Quid vo­bis iniquius qui nec sic capitis e­stis solutione content [...]? Quid vobis iniquius qui pecuniam datis, & vitam obligatis et pa­trimonium? ancients thought, there was no fitter creature to compare the Deuill himselfe to, then the Vsurer: for, as the Vsurer doth make sure to him­selfe, and get into bonds the patrimony, and inheritance, and so sometimes the very life of the borrower, for a little mo­ney which he lends him to satisfie his neede for the present; So the Deuill for a little fleshly, or worldly content, which he lends a man for a moment, gets the very soule of that man into bondage, and makes the poore sinner make over vnto his vse, and seruice, the whole patrimony of the powers of his soule. Such a Viperous brood, I say, there is amongst vs. In a word, so farre are the most of vs from procuring one a­nothers gayne, with some losse to our selues (as dutie bindes vs when we are called vnto it) that we doe greedily seeke our owne profits, in wronging, and hindering of our brother Tantum abest, vt aliorū com­modis aliquid cum propria in­commoditate praestemus, vt omnes, vel max­imè nostris com­modis cum ali­orum incommo­do consulamus. Sal. de Pro. l. 3.. Tell me now, are not all these infallible Symptomes of this mala­die of Couetousnesse, and, by consequent so many signes, that this Land is very much taynted, and infected with it? And as for the hand-maydes, Oppression and Ʋiolence, how can the Land be free of them, when as Couetousnesse their mistresse is in such vse, grace, and place? There are those who (as the Prophet speaketh) doe store vp violence and robbery in their pallaces Amos. 3.10.. If any should deny this; not onely the cruell exac­tions of the hatefull Vsurer (whom I spake of before) who lends to day, and exacts to morrow (thenQuid tetrius eo qui hodie fae [...]erat, & cras exigit? Est odibilis inquam ho­mo huiusmodi. Oblatio quidem blanda, sed immanis exactio. Verum ipsi oblationis humanitas, facit ad. [...]xactionis saeuitiam. Ambr. lib. de Ihob. c. 12. Tom. 4. p. 346. which what can be worse) will make it good; but also Naboths Vineyard wrongfully taken away, crying for vengeance against great ones: Commons enclosed from the common people: Tenants stockes rent out of their handes by griping, and grinding Land-Lordes: Countrey-mens liuings brought to nothing by the hypocriticall and cruell Oppression of some Citie-Inhabitants; the complaints of the [...]. Aster. Hom. de Diu. & Laz p. 7. Hic arcentur haereditatibus liberi, illîc bonis donantur alieni. Cypr. Ep. 2. l. 1. f. 24. Poore neglected by the Rich; the moane of the Orphane depri­ued [Page 42] of his maintenance; the Teares of the Widdow, for the wrongs they offer her, who seeke to vndoe her (euills too too common amongst vs) doe so strongly euince it, that it cannot be de­nyed with any colour, that there is, not onely Oppression, but most horrible Oppression, even such Oppression, as doth dai­ly, and hourely knocke at Heauen-gate for vengeance; yea, for heauie vengeance, to fall downe vpon OVR King­dome.

7. There is pride in Eng­land.Seauenthly, Is there no Pride in England? What meanes then theSui confiden­tia est peccatū, qua plus super­bia in se habet. Marul. Evang. l. 7. c. 1. loftie conceites, that men haue of themselues, be­cause of their gifts, be they outward, or inward? What meanes the Rich-mans scorning of the poore Quid enim su­perbis diues? Quid dicis pau­peri? Noli me tangere. Amb. lib. de Naboth. c 13. Tom. 4. p. 28., the impatient storming at reproches Rarus est aut nullus, qui de se mala dici aequa nimiter ferat. Cyp. de Tenta. Christ fol. 15. Edit paris. 1512 Videmus multos qui risum, & subsannationem ferre nequerint. Chrys: in Gen. c. 6. Hom. 22., the foolish affecting of vaine praises Rarus est qui bene de se non velit sentiri Cypr. loc citat., not one­ly by persons of bad desart, but also by some, that haue ho­nest hearts Rarus est qui se, si rectè viuit, stan­tem in vitae rectitudine, non diligat aestimari. Id. ibid.? What meanes the ambitious aspiring, both ofEtiam in sinu Sacerdotum ambitio dormit, ibi sub vmbra recubat, in secreto thalamise fraudulenter occultat. Cyp. de Caen. Dom fol. 16. Clerkes, and Laicks, to high places, and that strife to attaine great Offices, come they by them, byAmbitionis falsugo bibulam animam occupat, vt per fas, & nefas ad loca superiora non­nulli se ingeram, & de omni gradu vbi aliquis aditus patet, anheli prodeant, discurrēt ad iud [...] ­ces, blandiantur mediatoribus, conducent auxiliarios, & omnibus modis elaborent vt sedeant cum principibus. Cyp in Prolog. de Natiu. Christ. f. 3. right or by wrong? What meaneth that, some Common-wealths, euill, mensNemo eorum qui in Rep. versantur, quos vi [...]cat, sed à quibus vincatur, aspicit: & illis non tam iucundum est, multos post se videre, quam graue, aliquem ante se. Senec. Epist. 73. l. 1. Tom 2. p. 671. ex­cessiue reioycing to see many men beneath themselues; and im­moderate grieuing to see any man aboue themselues? What meanes theAlta sapere superbia est. Ambros. in Rom. c. 12. Tom. 5. pag. 230. curious seeking to know things not fit, not pos­sible to be knowne? Excesse in apparrell? Apish imitation of euery fantasticke fashion?In faeminis forma fucata. Cypr de Laps fol. 113. [...]. Aster. de Diu. & Laz. p. 4. Paynted faces, which for a man to meete with, will make him imagine he sees some ^e whited walls,) laying out of breasts, and such ridiculous attyring [Page 43] of the body, which makes very [...]. id. Boyes worthily to laugh, poynt, and wonder at it, and eagerly follow the partie so attyred, vp and downe, as if it were some Monster, or strange Creature? And (as couzen-Germane to excesse in apparrell) what meanes Pride in [...]. Id. ib. p 5. belly-cheere, in Table-furniture; euery one taking it for aQuo quis (que) exquisitissimorum obsoniorum varia genera, epularum (que) varios appa­ratus, & lautos profusius dat, eò magis commendatur. Goclen Orat. de lux. p. 99. commendation, to exceed one another this way? What (I say) meane all these things, if there were no pride in our Kingdome? It cannot be, but that, sithPeccata quae plus inse superbiae habēt, haec sunt, inanis gloria appetitio, aliorū contemptus, neminem pati sibi superiorē, & neminē aqualibus quidem facilem se praestare; Praeterea gestus, habitus (que) corporis immodestus &c. Marul Evang l. 7. c. 1. p. 337. these fruites of pride abound amongst vs, Pride it selfe is planted here, yea (it is to be feared) so strongly planted, that it will not be plucked vp, vntill the Lord by some grieuous iudge­ment or other, pull it vp by the rootes.

Luxurie in EnglandEightly, As touching Luxurie (which is a thing so re­pugnant to vertue, that it doth inthrall men to euery vile and euill custome [...]. Aster. de Diu. & Laz. 5.) neuer did Abraham finde it more com­mon in Aegypt, amongst theAbra­ham compererat in Aegypto lasciuam esse iuuenum luxuriam, petulantem cupiditatem, volup­tatum intemperantiam. Amb. de Abrah patr. l. 1. c. 2. Tom. 4 p 173. yonger sort, then wee may finde it in England, amongst all sortes almost. It is an euill that hath ouer-spread the whole world Totum per orbem maxi­mum exo [...]tum est malum, Luxuria. Senec in Octau., and are wee onely free from it? No, no: No where (as one said of theNusquam improbior voluptas. Salu de Pro. l. 7. p. 220. French) is there more voluptuousnes, more vnlawfull pleasure then here. Some, rather then they will goe without such pleasure, or haue their lustes vnsatisfied, care not what cost they bee at, what villanie they commitPer omne nefas voluptates emuntur, & per omne scelus libidines copi [...]sa exquiru [...] ­tur. Cypr. de Ieiun. & Tent. Christ fol. 16.. Good Lord, how many a Glutton, and Epicure is there amongst vs, who makes his belly his God, as if he had his [...]. Greg. Nyss. de Virgin. c. 4. p. 54. Innumeri viuunt vt edant, non edunt vt viuant. Goclen. de Lu [...] ▪ [...]. [...]1. life for nothing else but to serue his belly! Oh the excessiue, and immoderate abuse at mee­tings and feastings. To the superfluitie of cheere, men must [Page 44] haue forsooth the Tabret, the Viole, and the Harpe Isa. 5.12.; their [...]. Aster. Hom. de Diu. et laz p. 7. Minstrills, and their Minions; their Pipers, and their Para­sites; their Iesters, and their Scoffers; their men and women dancers; and all the vanitie that can be devised. Are not these, that are thus vainely, and vilely addicted to Epicurisme, Lux­urious? Who be, if they be notSatu [...]itas castitarē prodigit, illecebram nu­trit. Ambr. in Serm. Qui au­tem gulae at (que) ventri fese in seruitatē dedit, idem Luxuriae libidinis (que) vitio facile caedet Marul. Evang. l. 1 c. 15. p. 29. Prateream certè ego Cytharam, psalteria, tympana quae cognouimus conuicijs huiusmodi fre­quenter adhiberi, vt vino & cantu excitentur libidines. Ambros de Helia & Ieiun c. 15. To. 4. p. 332.? Secondly, what an height drunkennes is growne to amongst vs, who knowes not? All Tables are full of vomit, and filthinesse, there is no place cleane Isa. 28.8.. Neither Court, nor Countrey, Ʋniuersitie, nor Citie. The Prophet Hosea complaines, that in his time the Princes vpon their Kings day (that is,Vise Zanch. in Hos ch 7.5. vpon some solemne day of mirth and festiuitie celebrated for their King) did make him sicke with bottles of Wine. If the same Prophet were aliue now, he would complaine, that bothVinahâc nostrâ aeta [...]e t [...]m profusè prodigū ­tur apud Christianos, vt videantur ad perdenda ea geniti: Proceres, paupe [...]es, plebs infima, in­fantes, pue [...]i, viri, at (que) faeminae virum amplectuntur, nec sine eo vitam putant beatam, vt ita nullâ in parte operosiorem vitā nostro seculo inueniamus quam in perdendis vinis. Gocleu. de Lux. p. 97. 98. high and low, men and wo­men, old and young, doe, not onely vpon some solemne festi­uall day, but vpon euery vsuall day, yea, vpon the King of heauen his day, the blessed Sabbath, (Reader tremble to thinke it) make both themselues, and others drunke with bot­tles of Wine, and other strong drinkes; abusing those crea­tures so prodigally, so prodigiously, as if they were borne to no other end, but thus to abuse themselues, and these blessings; and as though there were no other heauen, nor happinesse but this. And is not drunkennes an argument of Luxurie? WhenApud nos sine lege, sine modo bibitur Id ib men amongst vs drinke thus without law, without measure? Thirdly, What shall I speake of Stage-playes, lasci­vious Interludes? they are tolerated, they are visited; Gouer­nours winke at them, troupes of men and women frequent them; an euill so horrible, so odious, that verySumite saltem examplum vobis à Bar­ [...] [...] Barbarians (O shame to England) haue abhorred, haue scorned it. Is not this another argument of that abundance of Luxurie, yea shamelesse Luxurie, which our Land is like to rue for. There is nothing plainer. For what is the play-house, but the [Page 45] Whore-masters Schoole-house, whereAdulierium disci [...]ur dū vi­ditur, & leno­cinante ad viti [...] publicae autho­ritatis malo: quae pudica fortassis ad spectacu ū, ma­trona processe­rat, despectacu­lo reue [...]titur impudica. Cyp. Ep. 2. l. 2. fo. 23. Quere iam nūc an possit esse qui spectat in­teger vel pudi­cus. Id. ibid. Qui forte ad spectaculū puri­venerant de Theatro adul­teri reuertun­tur: Non enim tunc tantūmodo quando redeūt, sed etiam quan­do veniant for­nicātur; Nam hoc ipso, quod a­liquis rem ob­scaenam capit, dum ad immūda properat, immūdus est. Salu de Pro l. 6. p 176. Machantur in Theatris Id ib p. 177 Vndecredis naptiarum insidiatores proficisci? Nonne ab huiuscemodi scenis? Vnde illos qui domos ac thala­mos aliorum effodiunt? Nonne a Tripudijs illis. Chrys: in Mat. c. 11. Hom. 38. Adulterijs nun­quavi hac spectacula opportunitatem prebuere dices? imò vero quis non adulter modo factus est? &c. Id ib. Whoredome and filthi­nesse is taught by the Actors, and learned by the Seers? Cunctam enim simpliciter quae ibi fiunt turpissima sunt: verba, vestitus, tunsura, nicessus, voces, cantus, mod [...]lat [...]nes, [...]culorum euersiones, ac motus tibiae, fistulae, fabularum ma­teries; omnia inqu [...]m turpi l [...]sciuia plena sunt Chrysost in Mat. Hom. 38. What is there there either seene, heard, or done, which is not most vncleane, most filthie? The words filthy, the garments filthy, (men inuested in womens apparrell) the gestures, songes, motions, musicke, matter, and all vncleane. Fourthly, concerning actuall vncleannesse, as fornication, adultery, and the like, they are too too common; yea, these sinnes by some (Fornicatio apud Barbaros crimen, at (que) discrimen est, apud nos decus Sal [...] de Gub. Dei who indeed are worse then Barbarians) are accounted toyes, and trickes of youth, rather then crimes, and grosse offences.

9. There is carnall securitie amongst vs.In the ninth place, we are (for the most part) like Laish, a Secure people Iudg. 18.7. Though the Lord doth threaten vs, though our Protestant-brethren be disturbed neare vnto vs, though Romish Iebusites, and Popish Canaanites be in our Land alrea­dy, as prickes in our sides, as thornes in our eyes Ios 23.13.: though cry­ing sinnes doe call daily for vengeance against vs, yet we ge­nerally, (saue some few Noahs that are moued with an holy feare,) say, as Heathenish Babylon once did Isa. 47.7., as Romish Ba­bylon now doth Apoc. 18.7.; I sit a Queene, I am no widdow, I shall be a Lady for euer, and shall see no sorrow. For, were there not this securitie amongst vs, wee should not haue so many like the old Epicures Et sane iuuenire aliqu [...]s qui ab istorum iudiciod screpauerint, prater Epicureorum, vel quorun­dam Epicurizant [...]um deli [...]am [...]ta non p ssun; qui sicut voluptatem cum virtute, sic Deum cum incuriâ, at (que) torpore iunxerunt, vt appa [...]ea [...], cos, qui [...]ta seat [...]unt, sicut sensum Epicurcurū at (que) sententiam, ita etiam vitia sectari. Salu de Prou. l 1. p 6., the wickednes of whose liues (being most out­ragious) doth proclaime, that they are verily of opinion, that God sits idle in heauen, hauing no regard to things which are here below; and so put away the euill day farre from themselues.

Tenthly, it is aWe profane [...]e Sabbaths. Dolendiē vero, [...]se inter Chris­ [...]anos, qui nun­ [...]uamine diebus [...]uidem feriatis, &c qui operibus cādalosis, et di­ [...]inū cultū im­ [...]ediētibus Sab­ [...]atū perdāt, ve­l [...]t comessatio. [...]ibus, lusibus, e­liagatiōnibus. Scul. in Is. c. 58. Conc. vlt. lamentable thing to consider, how, a­mongst vs Christians, the Sabbaths of the Lord are propha­ned: yea, to thatHodie eò res leuenit, vt inter Christianos ho­mines optimi ha­beripossint, qui operibus manu­ [...]arijs, & victui seruiētibus sab­batae Dei violāt, cum pleri (que) illa nefādis sceleri­bus prophanent. Gua. in Ac. Hō. 88. woefull passe are the times now growne, that they are accounted by some the best persons, that doe take most libertie to themselues, to serue the Deuill, the world, and the flesh vpon that day, which ought wholly and holily to be spent in the seruice of the Almightie. Looke into some priuate houses, and you shall finde the Sabbaths priuate­ly prophaned; looke into more publique places, and you shall finde them more publiquely abused. What shall I speake ofPeccāt qui in Sabbato nil praeter inane tium spectant, interim verò fidei, & religionis ex­ [...]rcitia negligūt. Gual. in Mar. Hom. 23. idle resting, neglect of the duties of pietie towardes God, ofPeccant praeterea qui charitatis immemores, auaritiâ autē inflāmati laborant. Id ib charitie towardes man, of all heauenly regard to a mans selfe vpon that day? Doe not these proclaime, that this is true which I say? Taking of iourneyes on worldly occasi­ons, wearying of beastes with laying burthens on them,Peccāt qui simul seruos, at (que) ancillas operibus fac. ūdis exercēt, vel merces vendunt, rationes subducunt, & deb [...]ta exigunt non abs (que) graui miserorū debitorum molestia. Gualt in Marc. Hom. 23. employing of servants about earthly needlesse businesses; selling of wares, casting vp of accounts, and reckoning with Factors, exacting of payments at the handes of Debtors: dauncing (Quanto melius est arare quam saltare? Aug. in Ps 91. which is worse then plowing,)Pec­cant qui diem hunc superbiae, fastui, aleae, poculis, & impuro voluptatū studio tribuunt. Gual. in Marc. Idō 23. pranking vp in pride, dicing, drinking; Clyents cumbring Lawyers Chambers, and Lawyers giuing their Clyents counsell; fol­lowing vnlawfull pleasures; seeing and suffering of Inter­ludes, celebrating of feastes with pompous solemnitie. None of which abuses, goodExtat enim Leonis, & Anthemij lex, cuius haec verba sunt: Dies festos Maiestati altissims dedicatos, nullis voluptatibus occupaeri, [...]e (que) vllis exactionū vexationibus prophanari. Dominicū itē diene semper honorabile decermmus venerādum, vt à cunctis executionibus excuse­tur, nulla quenquā vrge [...]t admonitio, nulla fide iussienis flagitetur exactio, taceat apparitio, ad­uocatio delitescat. sit ille dies a cognitionibus alienus. Item: nec huius tam religiosi diei otia re­laxantes obscenis quibuslibet pati [...]nur voluptatibus detineri. Nihil eodem die vindicet sibi Scenae Theatralis, aut Circense certamen, aut ferarum Lachrymosa spectacula, etiamsi in nostro ortu, aut natali celebranda solennitas inciderit differatur. Amissionem munlitiae, proscriptionem (que) pa­trimonij sustinebit, si quis vnquam hoc die festo spectaculis interesse, vel cuiuscun (que) iudicis ap­paritor praetextu negotij publici, seu priuati h [...]c qua lege hâc statuta sunt crediderit temeran­da. Id. ib. Emperours would endure, and [Page 47] most of which areSunt peccat. haec vulgaria hodie. Id. ib. too common vpon the Lords day amongst vs: Insomuch, that we may conclude, that, there isNec vnquan vel superbia & fastu, vel ebrie tate, vel luxu & libidine plu peccetur, quan illo die qui totu. Deo, & diuino­rum operum, ae­ternae (que) quieti [...], meditationi cō ­secratus [...]ssede­bebat. Gualt. in Act. Hom. 88. no day in all the weeke more proudly and profanely, more riotously & luxuriously spent then that is. Nay, I would to God that (be­sides our Papistes) there were not such amongst vs, as cauill against the Sabbath, making a question, whether there be any necessitie to obserue such a day at all.

11. There are corrupt Go­uernours a­mongst vs.In the eleventh place: Although there be amongst vs, (may some say) all the fore-named sinnes, and signes you haue spoken of, [Ingratitude, Sabbath-breaking, pride, luxu­rie] yet I hope ourSed tibi, post insidiosas vias &c. post specta­cula vel cruen­ta, vel turpia, post libidinum probrae &c. Forum fortasse videntur im­mune, quod ab iniurijs laces­santibus liberū nullis malorum cōtractibus pol­luatur. Cyp. E­pist. 2. l. 2 fol. 24 Courts of justice are vnblameable, vn­polluted. Ʋnblameable? Alas! alas!Illic faciem tuam fl [...]ctes, plura illic quae detesteris inuenies. Id. ib. Looke but there, and thou shalt finde, Euills to be detested, to be lamented. Iudge­ment is turned into gall, and the fruit of righteousnesse into Hem­locke Amos. 6.12.. The Lawes are madeInterleges ipsas delintquitur, interiura percatur. Cypr. Ep. 2. l. 2 lawlesse, andInnocentia nec illic v­bi defenditur, reseruatur. Cypr. Epist. 2. l. 2. where inno­cency is pleaded, there innocency is not preserued.Britania habet iudie [...]s in sede arbitrij sedentes, sed raro rectriudicij regulam quaerentes Gild de excid [...] Brita. in Orthodox p 1010. Many sit in seates of authoritie, but they follow not the rules of e­quitie, as Gildas complained of vs Britaines in his time. TheyAmos. 3.10. know not, theyMalti sunt Recto [...]es, sed pa [...]ci iustitiae amatores inueniuntur. Aug. ad frat. in Erem. Ser 30. loue not to doe right. Quid aliud vita curialium quam iniquitas? Salu de Proù. l. 3. p 84 What is the life of many of them, but euen a course of iniquitie? Whereas it is THEIR dutie (as aAug. ad frat. in Erem Ser 35. Decet Iudices plus. De [...]m timere quam alij homines, plus honorem Dei quam marsupia plena diligere. Sed vae vobis ô Iudices. Quid inter vos regnat? Auaritiae, mendacium, peruerstò sacrae legis. Ecce acceptio personarum. good man once said) to feare God, more then other men, to loue the glory of God more then bagges of gold, (oh woefull to them that are guiltie) what raigneth amongst them but couetousnesse, lying, perver­ting of Law, accepting of persons, and the like? The poore Com­mons are oppressed by the great Cormorants, as the poore Christians were in Cyprians time byInter togas pace rupta forum litibus mugit in­sanum Cyp. Ep. 2. l. 2. Peace-breaking Rulers: Ad hominis corpus vnum supplicia plura quam membra sunt. Id. Ibid. one Christian then, felt more seuerall paines, and tortures, [Page 48] then his body had partes, and members; one innocent man now hath more euill reportes raised of him, more Parasites to accuse him, more compla [...]nts against him, more Law-suites to vexe him, more iniuries done him, (and all these vnde­seruedly) then an hundred others that are more guiltie, more faultie.Quis inter haec vero subueniat? Patronus? prae­uaricatur, & decipit. Iudex? sed sententiam vendit. Qui se­det crimina vindicaturus, admittit: &, vt reus innocens pereat fit no­cens Iudex. Ib. Who now shall helpe in this case? Who shall succour this innocent man in the midst of these iniuries? The Magistrate should, but He is corrupted: the Iudge should, but He sets Iustice to sale; He that sitteth to reuenge iniuries, runnes into iniuries: the innocent is condemned without cause, and who is the cause of it more then he?A Caution. I doe not blame all for some; God forbid I should. For, I know there are some, who are Iudges indeed, theirTamdiu Iudex dicitur, quam­diu iustus puta­tur. Cas in Epi. Iustice declares it. Neither doe I accuse any in particular. But this I say, that in our Land, the Law is slacked Hab. 1.4.. TheNon fiunt Coepta partium negotia, quous­que marsupia eorum qui cau­santur, exhau­riant. Isido de Sum. Bono. l 3. Clyents purse is halfe consumed, ere he can get his cause begunne to be pleaded: when causes are begun Quando iudi­cant, non causam, sed dicta considerant, & negligentes sunt in discussione causarum. Id. ibid., they are not through­ly examined: when they are examined, how strong a let isSaepe iudices praui cupiditatis causa differunt Iudicium. Id. ibid. filthie lucre to the ending of them? When they are ended, iudgement cannot passe, and dispatch the wearied Suiter, exceptQui rectè iudicat, & praemium inde re munerationis expectat, fraudem in Deum perpetrat, quia iustitiam quam gratis impartiri debuit, acceptione pecuniae vendit. Id. ibid. God be defrauded, and the Magistrate, more then is due, extraordinarily rewarded.O Iudices leues causas magnas fecistis. Aug ad fratr. in Ere. Serm 35. Light causes are made great, great causes are made light. The poore mans good cause is made bad, and he is made aO patres pauperum, O verè non patres sed prae­dones. Quare non patres? Quia vbique per vos opprimuntur, sed si diues locutus fuerit mox tacuistis, causas vsque ad nubes perauxistis. Id ibid prey by those that should pro­tect him: the rich mans bad cause is made good, and the day goes on his side, when it should goe against him.Multa scelera legem, & iudicem ef­fugiunt, & scripta supplicia. Senec. Epist 97 lib. 1. p 799. Tom. 2. Many sinnes escape vnpunished;Brittania habet iudices protegentes, sed (scil. protegentes) reos, & latrone, scortantes, creb [...]o iurant [...]s, & per­iurantes, vouentes, & continu [...] propemodum mentientes, belligerentes. Gild. de Excid. Brit. Orthodox. 1010. Guiltie, theevish, whorish, [Page 49] swearing, periurious, Popish perverse persons are protec­ted; gifts are louedHos. 4.18., bribes are receiued, truth is suppres­sedDiminutae sunt a vobis veritates. Aug. ad frat. in E­rem. Ser. 35.;Statera dolosa non tantum in mensuratione pecuniae, sed in iudiciaria dis­cretione tenetur. Quienim aliter causam paupe­ris, aliter poten­tis, aliter soda­lis, aliter audit ignoti, statera vti (que) librat in­iquâ. Beda. l. 2. super illud Pro­uerb statera do­losa, &c. Iustice is forced against her nature to hold the Bal­lance of deceit, while rich men and friends can haue their ac­tions heard, poore men and strangers cannot.Quatuor mo­dis, iudicium humanum per­uertitur, timo­re, cupiditate, odio, amore. Ansel. de Sim. Mund. Euery way is iudgement peruerted, corrupted, abused. Now, where the fault of these mischiefes, these miseries, doth lie, I dispute not: sure I am, that they are too common at this day: and so the eleventh signe of some great iudgement, is as competible, as agreeable to our kingdome, to our age, as euer vnto a­ny.

12. Here is vaine confi­dence.12. What a deale of that sameSpes in homi­nem collocatae fallit & con­fundit. Musc. in Psal. 118. Explan. v. 8.9. deceiuing and confoun­ding hope, of that same vaine confidence, is there amongst vs? Some trust in friends, some in strength, some in wealth, some in their wit, and policie, some in their place and authoritie, some in an externall profession of Religion, some in the very e­nemies of Religion, in Idolatry, the most contrary to Religion; as though such reeds as Aegypt, and Assyria be, were the onely pillars to vphold them, the onely prop to stay them vp, and the worthiest obiect of their confidence.

Some kinde of persecution in England.Againe, haue the friends of Christ as much loue showne to them, as they show to others? It is too euident they haue [...]. Maxim. de charit lib 4. Orthodox. 567. not. Although there be not thatHasta illîc & gladius, & carnifex prasto est, vngula effoditus, equuleus extendens, ignis exurens. Cypr. Epist. 2. l. 2. slaying, fleaing, racking, hacking, burning, and misvsing the poore Saints, which hath beene in former times, both here, and elsewhere, nor that storme of af­fliction blowing vpon them, which hath tossed their bre­thren in our neighbour Countries, and is not yet calmed: yet neuerthelesse, whatsoeuer persecution, the peace of our times will permit, they are as sure to meet with it, as they fol­low Christ. They are men wondred at, as the Prophet speak­ethZach. 3.8.. They areIustitiae sectatores pro hostibus ducunt, imò vero plus quam pro hostibus. Lactan. de Iust. lib. 5. cap. 9. pag. 151. accounted as enemies, yea, worse then ene­mies. [Page 50] Hoc verò in­enarrabile est quod fit aduer­sus eos qui male facere nesciunt: & nulli nocen­tiores habentur, quam qui sunt vex omnibus in­nocentes. Id ib. This vnspeakeable wrong is offered vnto them, in that the more innocent they are, the more hurtfull they are taken to be, and suchVti quereba­tur. Athenago­ras olim, in Le­gat. pro Christi­anis. pag. 3. [...]. i. e. criminum acer­uos aduersos nos deblaterāt, quae ne (que) in mentem vnquam nobis venerūt. Gesne. crimes layd vnto their charge, as ne­uer came so much as into their thoughts. Oh! How areStatim enim vt quis melior esse tentauerit, deterioris ab­iectione Calcatur. Sal. de Pro. l. 3 p. 104. Si bonus est quispiam quasi malus spernitur. Id p. 105. they contemned, hated, and murtheredPutemus ergo occisos illic non esse sanctos: sed quid faciemus, quod non sunt longe ab occi­dentibus qui animo occisionis oderunt. Salu. de Prou. l 8. p. 269. with the heart;Si quando aliquis Deiser­vus ad vrbem illam officio diu [...]i operis accessit, simul vt in populo apparauit, contumelias, sacri­legia, & maledictiones excepit. Id ib. p. 270. reviled, and euill spoken of; scoffed & laughed at, fleered andNec solum hoc, sed etiam, improbissimis flagitio­sorum hominum cachinnis, & detestantibus ridentium sibilis, quasi taureis cadebatur. Id. ibid. hissed at; abused,Sicut olim questisunt Waldenses in Confess fidei suae Vladislao Hungariae Regi, pag. 1. Nos ho­mines depressi, contemptibili quo (que) nomme falso amicti. nick-named;Missae fuerunt per prouincias literae Regiae maiestatis in quibus nos dixerunt Haereticos, erroneos, & quod rebellia verba diceremus. Apolog. Waldens p 34. called Heretiques, Rebells, and most iniuriously handled. So that, though there be here no Neroes, nor Boners, no Herods, nor Gardiners, acting their parts in bloudie Tragedies, against the members of Christ Iesus (what desire some may haue that way, I leaue to the searcher of all hearts) yet there areGen 21.9. Ismaels, 1 Sam. 22.9.10. Doegs, Isa. 38.13. Rab­shakehs, 2 Chron. 23.13. Athaliahs, Est. 3.8. Hamans, who are not ashamed (in o­pen field) toIer. 9.3. bend their tongues like bowes against them, and in open audience of they care not whom, to shoote out the darts of bitter wordes, to harme them, besides the wiles they frame, and lies they pen, to worke their shame, and confusi­on. Call you not THIS, persecution?

14 We haue not condoled afflicted Ioseph as we should.In the 14. place. A great many of vs are much vnlike the members of Christ.Is enim Sanctorum mos est, vt plurimum afflictis afficiantur, & compatiantur. Chrys: in Gen. Hom. 43. c. 19. They are wont to take to heart, the afflictions of the Church, and to mourne with those that mourne. We doe not so. There is great need both ofLachrymis magis quam verbis opus est, ad exprimendum dolorem, quo corporis nostri plaga deflenda est, quo, populi aliquando numerosi, multiplex lamentanda iactura est. Cypr. Ser. de Lapsis. fol. 113. words, and of teares, to expresse our griefe for the losses, and cros­ses which the mysticall body of the Church hath sustained, since the troubles began in the Belgian-Countries, yet so farre are we from teares, that we seldome haue thoughts, [Page 51] seldomer words (except it be for fashion, and noveltie) about the breaches of Sion, about the troubles of our brethren, to show that we doe Sympathize, and condole them. If that question should be renewed, which anCypr. de Laps. fol. 114. Auncient once made.Quis sic du­rus ac ferrtus, quis sic frater­na charitatis oblitus, qui in­ter suoriū mul­tiformes ruinas, & lugubres, ac multo squalore deformes reli­quias constitu­tus, siccos ocu­los tenere preua­leat? Nec erū ­pente statim fle­tu prius gemi­tus suos La­chrymis quam voce depromat? Who is so hard, so iron-hearted, so void of charitie, as to keepe dry his eyes, and his heart without sighes, in the midst of those miseries his brethren meet with? I may answer with a Negatiue retortion; Who is NOT so iron-hearted, and void of compassion? Where is the man, or woman, who with Ne­hemiah, Neh. 2.1. lookes sad in the presence of the King? Who with Ieremie doe pen songs of Lamentation? Who can truely say (as that good Martyr once did)Cum iacenti­bus iacere me credo. Iaculis illis grassantis in mic [...] mea membra simul pe [...]cussa sunt: saeuientes gladij per mea viscera transierunt Immunis & liber à persecutionis incursis fuisse non potest animus: in prostratis fratribus, in me prostrauit affectus. Cypr. de Laps. Ser. 5. In the foyles of my brethren, I take my selfe foyled, the blows that their enemies giue THEM, smite my body: the swords with which their enemies slay THEM, doe pierce MY bowells: my BODIE indeed is NOT amongst them while they are thus persecuted: my SOVLE is, and mine affection cannot but participate with their affliction. Who (I say) are thus?A caution. I know indeed there is such affection betwixt theEst qui­dam consensus electorum in cordibus ipsorum, et Sympathia veluti membrorū in corpore Christi. Qua propter vbi pius à potentibus huiusmundi adfligitur, semper sunt viri boni qui si nihil aliud possint, in corde tamen illi fa [...]ent, & causam ipsius Domino precibus commendant Muscul in Psal. 118. Obs. v. 7. Elect in their hearts, that when the Powers of the world doe rise against them, they cannot but condole the afflicted, and expresse their pittie to­wardes them, by their prayers for them, when they cannot shew it any other way, for want of libertie, or abilitie: there­fore I dare not say, All in England doe forget the affliction of Ioseph. Nay (blessed be God) we haue those who would not spare their owne bloud for Sions good, if they should be called vnto it. Yet this, I say (and with griefe I speake it) there is a generation amongst vs, so farre [...]. Is quem olierius inopia, at (que) agritudo commiseratione non tangit, fera sane est rationis expers, perperam humanam in­dutus formam, ipsam (que) naturam prauâ voluntate fallers, ac deni (que) feris ipsis atque belluis immanior. Aster. Hom. de Diu. & Laz p 8. & Philip. Reuben. Interp. degenerated from [Page 52] the nature of Man, into the nature of Beastes, as that, for want of compassion, to their owne kinde by creation, which are in affliction, they are more mercilesse then beastes. [...]. Aster. loc. cit. Let but a swine be slaine, the fellowes will come crying vnto it: [...]. Id. ibid. kill an Oxe, the Oxen will bellow about him: [...]. Id. ib. catch a Crane in a net, the whole flocke of Cranes by their houering, and howling will declare they lament it. But these persons ( [...]. Id. ibid. strange to consider, that man endued with a reasonable soule, made at first after Gods owne image, should be so in­compassionate) can heare of the broiles, and battailes, of the murthers, and massacres done vpon the bodies of their bre­thren, and not be once touched, nor affected with the same.

It is without all question, that the Papists amongst vs bewaile not the Church, nay, rather like the Edomites, and Esavites in the dayes of Obadiah, they reioyce over the chil­dren of Iudah in the day of their destruction, and speake proudly against them Obad. 12..

Againe, touching the fifteenth signe,Experientiâ didi­cerat, &c. non facile quenquam posse euadere quin libenter assentatorum canticis porrigat aures: & laudatorum modulationibus delectetur. Cypr. de leiun. & Tent. Christ. f. 5 Experience proues that there is scarce any one amongst vs but loues to bee soothed, & delights toQuicquid in nos adulatio sine pudore congessit tanquam debitum prendimus, optimos nos esse sapientissimos affir­mantibus assentimur, cum sciamos illos saepe mentiri. Senec. Epist 59. l. 1. p. 632. arrogate to himselfe his as due, what­soever flattery casts vpon him, bee it never so false, and vn­true.Mitiss [...]mum ille se in ipsis supplicijs audit, in rapinis, liberalissimum, in ebrietatibus, ac lib: dinibus tempera­tissimum. Id. ibid. Men will be cruell, covetous, drunkards, vncleane; and yet they loue to be told, that they are mercifull, liberall, sober, and chaste. Such faithfull friends as will tell vs of our faults, wee cannot away with; but let Parasites extoll vs to the skies, forSi inuenimus, qui nos bonos viros dicat, qui prudentes, qui sanctos, agnos­cimus. Id. ibid. good, wise, and holy persons, them we like, them 15. We loue to be flattered. [Page 53] we make of, yea,Nomullis as­sentator amico gratior est. A­rist. Moral. Eu­dem. l. 7. c. 5. Tom. 5. p. 444. more then of our friends. And albeit it be very necessary for men to be admonished (as theSenec. Epi. 92. l. 1. Necessariū est admoneri. Heathen himselfe could confesse) yet they cannot endure reproofe, Oh it is as bitter to them as gall and worme wood. They are much like the Greekes whom Theodoret writes to, [...]. Theod. ad Graec. Infid. De Prou. Dei. Serm. 6. [...]. 100. 101. who will praise the Physitians of the body, for taking launces in­to their hands, for rifling their wounds, for gaging their sores to the bottome, and applying such medecines, as their Art prescribes: But the Physitian of the soule (be hee a faithfull Preacher, or some private admonisher) will they dis­praise, disgrace, and stomacke at, if Hee rifles their spiri­tuall sores, and deales plainely, faithfully, and roundly with them for their sinnes. Children can now scarce endure their Parents to reprooue, Servants their Masters, Subiects their Governours, Friends their Neighbours; and as for many of the Great ones, they cannot endure Gods Messengers to speake against their courses, bee they never so contrary to Gods law, never so preiudiciall to Gods glory, and the good of those whose bodies and soules they stand charged with­all. They that applaud them, doe they approue of; as for Michaiah, clap vp that fellow, feed him with the bread and and water of affliction1 King. 22.27. § 16. Hypocrisie in England..

§ 16. There are hypocrites amongst vs;Sub magno professionis nomine viuimus & positi Religione peceamus. Salu. de Prou. Dei. l. 4. p. 119. we make a pro­fession, and doe contrary to Religion; weNos qui Christiani esse di­cim [...]r, si simile aliquid Barbarorum impuritatibus facimus grauius erramus. beare the name of Christians, and (Atroc. ùs enim su sancti nominis professione peccamus. Id ibid. which is the more haynous) wee doe as bad as Barbarians. Let but the truth of God, and the workes of men be iudge (asOperi nostro debemus credere non opinioni, ra­tioni non libidini, veritati, non voluntati. Id. ib. it is necessary they should) and it will appeare I write no lie.Aude. themines improbissimi, iustitiae facere mentionem, qui se [...]as immanitate vincunt, qui placidissimum Dei gregem vast [...]nt, &c. L [...]ctan. [...] Some doe counterfeit righteousnes, and equity, and that they seeke the peace of the Church, when yet in violence, and cruelty they exceed beasts; wol­vishly spoyling and doing all the mischiefe they can to the [Page 54] Church. SomeQui curios si­mulant & Bac­cthanalia vi­vunt. Iuuen. Satyr. 2. counterfeit temperance, and are most intem­perate. Some counterfeit honesty, and square dealing with their neighbours, and are most deceitfull Semperenim simulationibus vtitur fraudu­lentus. Marul. [...]u. l. 1. c. 15. p. 29.. Some haue oyle in their mouth, and warre in their heart; pretending loue to their brethren, and intending mischiefe against them. How many haue wee that areTamdiu hy­pocrita clarus apparet quam diu assistit spectantium multitudo, imò nec tunc qui­dem, tunc ce­ [...]ram omnibus clarus est. No­runt enim vi­dentium pluri­mi, qui sit, quemnam esse [...]e simulet. no longer holy, then they are in the Congregation; by such as knowe them not, thought to be very devout; by those that know them, known what they are, even to be nothing lesse then what they seem to be. Yea,Quotum enim quem (que) inuenies in ECCLESIA non aut ebrio­sum, aut hellu­onem, aut adul­terum, aut for­nicatorem, aut Raptorem, aut ganeonem, aut le [...]ronem, aut homicidam? Salu. de Prou. lib. 3. pag. 81. drunkards, rioters, russiians, adulterers, fornica­tors, extorters, revellers, theeues, and murtherers, will ma­ny times be found in the Temple, and seeme to bee as holy as the best for the present, butConsummatis solennibus sacris statim ad consuetudinaria stu­dia discurrunt. Salu de Prou l 3. 83. sup. cit. when the publique exercises are done, they appeare what they are in their colours, and fall to their wicked and wonted courses againe? How ma­ny are there that willExecrantur publicè, quod occultè agunt. Id. ibid. speake against that in publique, which they loue to practise in private? Are not these persons hy­pocrites?A caueat. I know indeed that in some, there is a corre­spondency betwixt their profession, and their practise. As theyHic est eorum actus, quae & professio, ac per hac nihil mirum est, si agunt quod profitentur. Salu. de Prou. l 3. p. 84. practise wickednesse, so (like brazen faced ones) they are not ashamed to professe wickednesse: as they professe pi­etie, so they haue the conscience to practise piety: yet, such a difference and contrariety is there betwixt the religious pro­fession, and outragious conversation in many others, that wee Ministers haue iust cause to complaine, asChrysost. in Mat. c. 6. Hom. 21. one once did:Gemere pror­sus hoc loco, & amarum quiddam immugire nos conuenit: Non solum enim hypocritas imita­mur, sed illos quo (que) simulatione ipsa transimus. Oh grievous to thinke it, Oh lamentable to speake it, we doe not onely IMITATE Stage-players (who counterfeit other mens persons) but we also EXCEED them in dissembling. Neither doe we only mockeSub religionis titulo Deum ludimur. Salu. de Prou. l. 3. in fine. GOD (if he would be moc­ked) by our hypocrisie, but also euery man (almost) hun­teth hisMich. 7.2. Brother in a net, such abundance of deceit and [Page 55] consenage is there amongst vs. Deceite in measures, deceite in merchandize, deceit in weights, deceit in wares; deceit in men, deceit in women; deceit in strangers, deceit in neighbours; so that a man now can scarce trust a friend, or put any confidence in a guide.

Let Exper [...] ­ence show how guiltie of the 17. sinne England is.In the 17. place; whereas it is the dutie of euery Mi­nister to be no striker, nor brawler 1 Tim. 3.3., I would to God, that ex­perience did not show, that even some amongst them (thenNihil fetidius, nihil damnosius, nihil leuius, ni­hil turpius in pastore furio si­tate. Aug. ad frat. in Erem. Ser. 36. which what is more shamefull, more fearefull?) doe de­light (Non licet dis­pensatori furio­sum esse. Id. ib. contrary to their dutie) to rage against, and with the euill servant Mat. 24.49., to smite (with evill language at least) their fel­low servants in the Ministery, who are more faithfull then themselues. I would (I say) experience did not proue it: for then surely, many a good Messenger of the Lord should not haue such cause as hee hath to complaine against his envious brethren, as Augustine did against Arrius and For­tunatus; Quia verum eis dixi, ideo in eremo infidiat mihi posuerunt. Aug. ad frat. in Erem. Ser. 36. § 18. Abuse of the Tongue raigneth in England. Because I speake the truth, they set snares for mee, and by all meanes they seeke to molest me as much as they can.

§ 18. Is not the tongue abused amongst vs? yes, yes.1. By lying. Our Land (as it was once sayd of Niniveh) is full of lies Nah. 3.1.. Truth (the veryVeritas sermo­num nobilitas. Synes Orat. de Regn. p. 2. grace and ornament of speech) is fled so farre from the lippes of many, thatAliud habet animus, aliud resonat sermo. Optatus. their hearts thinke one thing, and their tongues tell another. Oh how happy were it for our Land, if all amongst vs (yea, that professe Religion) did iustly deserue that commendation which anCyrus Minor. Heathen had, of whom it is sayd, that with great faithfulnesse he did keepe his word, neither was hee ever noted to bee taken in an vntruth, or in the least step tending to falshood.2. By swearing. Oathes abound amongst vs;Plures inuenias quia saepius peierent, quam qui omnino non iurant. Salu. de Prou. lib. 3. p. 75. Quis est omnino hominum praeter paucos, qui non ad hoc semper Christi nomen, in ore habeat vt peieret. Id. lib. 4. p. 125. A man may finde more such as doe for sweare, and sweare falsely, then such as sweare not at all. Optimâ fide seruauit faedera, & pacta, & nunquam, nec vnquam in eo mendatij vestigium, animaduersum, aut [...]otatum est. Strigel. Comment. in Iustin. hist. p. 180. [Page 56] Besides the idle, superstitious, vaine, and lesser oathes (which yet are so great that they are able to damne a man) it is a very ordinary and vsuall thing both among rich and poore, noble and ignoble, not to spare the sacred name of theIbi homo est mor [...]uus per quem iuratur, hîc Deus viuus qui peieratur. Salu. de Prou: l. 4. p. 127. glorious God of heaven and earth: not to spare the names ofVnde etiam pervulgatum hoc ferè, & a­pud Nobiles, & ignobiles, Sa­cramentum est, PER CHRIS­TVM: per Christi hoc fa­cio, per Christū hoc ago, &c. Id. ibid. Christ Iesus the sweete Saviour of the elect; but to take them into their blacke mouthes, and teare them with their blasphemous tongues.Three more euills of the Tongue a­mongst vs. Againe, as touching three other evils of the tongue, slandering, cursing, and back-biting, wha: more common then these?Cuius non ser­mo maledictio est. Id. l. 2. p. 75. Quis est qui conuitio suo ne­minem laedat, qui silentio os coerceat, ne in amaritudinem maledictionis crumpat. Id. pag. 79. whose mouth (at some time or other) doth not speake ill of his neighbour?Esuriendi libido terminum habet, detrahendi libido terminum non habe [...] Ibid. 75. The hungriest stomacke will be satisfied, but the desires, the delight to detract, that some haue, are vnsatiable. If they begin to back-bite, they haue never done.4. Giu­ing euill Counsell in England. Fourthly, that there are such as giue evill counsell amongst vs, it is too apparent: whence else could it be, that some fall to idola­trie, some to harlotrie, some to swilling, some to stealing, some to killing, and the like, by the perswasions of evill companions?5. There is needlesse silence here. Finally, as concerning flattering and need­lesse silence, soothing in sinne, and fearing to speake when Gods glory doth call for it: the contemning of pietie, the favouring of poperie, the winking at iniquity and other no­torious vices, are arguments too many to proue that these abuses of the tongue are too too common in this Kingdom. [...] Caution. I deny not, that the Lord hath heere his number of faith­full admonishers; and the Land is much refined since Gildas his time; yet, the truth of that which he wrote concerning the manners of his time, is too evident in our time. So that with him wee may conclude:Brit­tania habet sacerdotes, sed nonnullos, plebem ob peccata non corripientes, sceleratos diuites abs­què vllo verecundiae respectu sicut Caelestes angelos venerantes, nefanda populi scelera, tacentes. Gild. in Ord. Ecclesiast. corrept. in Orthodox. pag. 1018. Brittaine indeed hath men in place and authority to speake, and to speake faithfully, but some of these reproue not the people for their sinnes, speake not against their grievous enormities, and without all respect of modestie, or [Page 57] honestie applaud the GREAT ONES, as though they were Angels, be their liues and doings never so wicked. Iust like those in Malachies dayes, that say,Mala. 2.17. every one that doth evill is good in the sight of the Lord.

19. Strange Accidents.19. Furthermore, because of late we haue not had ma­ny strange accidents amongst vs (I dare not say not any) therefore I passe that over.

And I would I could passe over the20. Idolatry in England. twentith signe al­so, to wit, Idolatry: but I cannot, I may not. For although our Land (like Iudah) be not full of Idols Isa. 2.8., yet it is to be wi­shed that it were more empty of Idolaters. What shall I say of the whole troupe of vnregenerate ones, who (walking the lewdest and broadest way) are more in number by farre then Gods people be? are not they Idolaters? it cannot bee denyed. For,Sicut bonus vnum habet Deum quem co­lit, ita mali multos habent Deos quia mul­tos scil. volup­tates, multa desideria vana, passiones diuer­sas quibus ser­uiunt. Annot. Incerti Autho­ris in Psal. 15. in Orthod. Pa­trum p. 1168. whereas a good man hath but one God to worship, and serue alone: They doe worship as many gods as they haue lusts to serue, making every sinne they take plea­sure in, a severall Idoll. Againe, what say wee of covetous persons? They are Idolaters by Saint Pauls verdictEphes. 5. and there is no question to be made of it. ForConueniunt si­quidem & in materia, & af­fectu, Idolatra [...] & auarus. V­ter (que) enim au­rum praeponit in affectu suo. Caiet in Colos. c. 3. Col. 156. I. a covetous man and an Idolater doe agree both in matter, and affection; both of them preferring gold before God in their affections.Fit (que) ei (scil. auaro) per om­nia, vt alijae venter, ita huic & aurum & spes lucri pro Deo. Cassian. l. 7. c. 7. As the voluptuous man makes his belly his god, so doth the miser his gaine.

Besides, what say we of will-worshippers? They doe more worship the fond fantasies of their owne braine, the super­stitious customes of other men (which they make their rules in the seruice of God) then the true God, whom they pretend to worship: and so it must needes follow, that they also are guilty of Idolatrie. And is this all? All? when Ro­mish Factors roue vp and downe amongst vs, to seduce the simple, to beguile vnstable soules? When there is such gadding to Masse? When Neuters thinke and talke, that Poperie and our Religion may be easily reconciled, when as yet it is as easie to reconcile heauen and hell, God and the Di­vell? When as there are such a company of Papists and Re­cusants amongst vs? What! account wee not these Idola­ters? [Page 58] Who are, or euer haue beene Idolaters, if these bee not? A Caution. The Gospell indeed is preached amongst vs, as purely, as powerfully, as in any age (except the primitiue times of the Church) and as ever it was in any place. We haue no cause to complaine, asBernard. A­polog. ad Guliel. Abbat. Dicam, dicam, prae­sumptuosus di­car, sed verum dicam Quomo­do lux mundi obtenebrata est? Quomodo Sal, terrae infatua­tum est? fol. 306. B. one once did, Our light is darkened, our salt is vnsavorie. His Maiestie hath both protested the maintai­ning of the Gospell, and written against Antichrist: Bles­sed be God for all this. But yet the Lord of his infinit mer­cie keepe vs from a toleration of this sinne, least Israels glo­rie be Hos. 10.5.6. carryed vnto Assyria for a present, and WEE (as it was once sayd of the King of Samaria Vers. 7.) bee cut off as the some vpon the water.

21. Lesser punishments haue lighted vpon vs.In the 21. place, for lesser punishments, may we not take vp the complaint of the Prophet? The dayes of visitation are comeHos. 9.7., the dayes of recompence are begun already. First, concerning Famine: Albeit, we cannot say that the seed is rotten vnder the clod, or the corne witheredIoel. 1.17. vpon the ground; for (God bee thanked) there is great hope of a plentifull HarvestAnno. 1623.. Albeit we haue no cause to complaine; How doe the beasts grone? the heards of cattell are perplexed be­cause they haue no pasture, and the flocks of sheepe are desolate Ioel. 1.18.. For there is store of cattell to feed VS, and store of pasture to feed the cattell. Oh that wee had hearts to bee thankefull accordingly! Yet this may wee say, and thus haue wee iust cause to complaine. The corne is wasted, the oyle is a langui­shing Ioel. 1.10.; and there is not that plenty, neither in Citie, nor Countrie, that hath beene in former times. I list not to meddle with our Militarie munition; though I could say something, because men for the most part haue more skill to tosse a Pot, then a Pike; more courage to fight a battell for Bacchus in an Inne, Tauerne, or Alehouse, then a field for Mars, in defence of God, the King, and their Country, if they should be called vnto it. And who knowes it not, that the cunning Artificer goes downe the winde, that Tra­ding (a great prop to our kingdome) growes daily to de­cay? Though there be some voluntary Bankrupts amongst vs, who breake without need, ruinating of purpose other [Page 59] mens stocks to raise their owne. For whome it were to bee wished there were as severe a law as for theeues and robbers, (then whom they are a great deale worse) yet some (be they neuer so honest) cannot hold, the times are so hard, but ne­cessity constraines them to giue ouer that course of living, wherein they haue beene instruments of much good to the Common-wealth. Againe, Youth were neuer more sawcie, yea neuer moreOtiosa iuuen­tus impudenter educata omni ferocissimâ be­stia immanior est. Chrysost. in Mat. c. 11. Hom. 38. sauagely sawcie, and people neuer more lawlesseNullus de legi­bus metus est. Cyp. l. 2. Epist. 2.: the Ancient are scorned [...]., the honoura­ble are contemned, the Magistrate is not dreadedDe questore, de iudice pauor nullus. Cypr. loc. cit. § 22. Wee are incorrigible, impenitent.. Adde hereunto warres, and rumours of warres, that sound dayly in our eares, which our brethren haue tasted of, and smar­ted vnder already.

§ To conclude all, notwithstanding all these lesser evils, all the former signes of some future, some greater miserie; yet how incorrigible, how impenitent doe we remaine? Gods providence towards vs profits vs not; by him we are chaste­ned, and yet we are not betteredSed cum haec tanta fierent Caelestis cura non profuit. Adhibita sae­pissime est coer­citio, sed emen­datio non est secuta Salu. de Prou. lib. 1.. Hee spares vs, he opens his bountifull hand vnto vs, what good doth hee not offer vs? and all to amend vs, and yet wee abuse this goodnesse of his, not considering that it is to leade to repentanceRom. 2.4.. Well, to end this point (least theArbitror, imò certus sumfastidiosum plurimis styli huius, prolixitatem fore, maxime quia morum nostrorum vitia castigat. Sal. l. 8. Circa init. Enimuero vitia carpens, scio meossendere vitiosos. Bern. Apol. ad Gul. Ab. fol. 307. F. G. detection of our vices make my speech seeme tedious to some) consider I be­seech you of these things, roule them in your mindes againe and againe. The signes are worth the thinking on, and how contemptible to England these signes be, is worth the taking notice of. And doe but we thinke on them as we ought, and it will furnish vs with better skill, to foresee and foreknow some evill to be approaching against vs (God alone knows what it is) then all the threed-bare rules of Prognosticators, and iudiciall Astrologers can. I haue done with this point. Goe wee on now to the last branch of the first part of the Text; viz. the fruit of this fore-sight.

2. Branch of the first part.LOoke how aFrench Hi­stor. 1408. discreete Pilot doth prouide for an ap­proaching storme: So doth our Wiseman here spoken of. Hee hath not onely a prudent fore-sight of the evill, but also a prouident fore-cast against the evill. Provision is the fruit of his praevision.

About the meaning of the wordes all agree not. Some expound them thus;

Peltanus. Vpon the fore-sight which a Wise-man hath of the great dangers that attend places of dignity, hee obscureth himselfe and doth what he can to keepe out of such places. I would all that runne into places either of Magistracy, or Ministry, before they are sent, would take notice, and make vse of this mea­ning.

Hieron. Bedae. Hugo. Dyonisius. Carthus. & alij.Others thus; The crafty Rulers in Christs time forseeing what troubles might come by professing Christ, cunningly concea­led their opinion of Christ, and their affection to Christ from the rest of their fellowes.

But wee are to search after some other sense, if we minde to proceed according to the tenour of that which hath been handled already, and would haue things hang orderly to­gether in the Text, as they should.

So the 70. Interpreters. [...].Some render the words thus; Is greatly (or sufficiently) instructed, or admonished.

In the Hebrew text they are as they are heere translated, and vsually in the Latin Translations.

To hide hath diuerse significations, sometimes to conceale or to keepe any thing from the sight and knowledge of o­thers. Sometimes not to confesse, see Pro. 28 13. Hee that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper. Sometimes it signifies to forgiue, Psal. 51.9. Hide thy face from my sinnes.

But heere, hiding a mans selfe is as much as putting a mans selfe vnder shelter and protection. Such an hiding a mans selfe, as that hee may not bee hurt. And therefore the [...] *. Originall word comes of a Roote which both in the [Page 61] Nam [...] Chaldaicè; [...] A [...] rabicè signifi­cat non solum abscondit velauit, &c. Verum etiam protexit, de­fendit. Chaldee and Arabian tongue, signifie to protest as well as to hide, to defend as well as to couer.

Doct.The thing which we haue to note from hence is this; That a prudent Christian prouideth a shelter, and protection for himselfe against the euill day when he sees the times dan­gerous, and threatning some future Calamitie he seekes Sanctuary, to which when the euill commeth he may be take himselfe, and in which he may be safe. This is that which Salomon makes good not onely Prou. 27.12. where this text is repeated word for word, but also in the 28. Chapter,Vers. 28. where he saith, When the wicked rise, men hide themselues, that is, when such dangerous times be that either the Enemies of the truth doe rise against the Godly, or euill men are raised to places of commaund, (a notable meane to bring iudgements vpon a people.) then good men, wisemen, seeke Protection for themselues as carefully as they can. Noah tooke sanctuary when the floud was comming, by preparing an Arke for the sauing of himselfe, and his familyGen. 6.22.7. Heb. 11.7. Lot sought a shelter when Sodom was neere burningGen. 19.16.. Memorable (to this purpose) are the Examples of Dauid, of Paul. The one was in danger of his life by the meanes of Saul, the other was in great hazzard by the lying in waight of the Iewes, and both of them, (like wisemen) did hide themselues, and seeke shelter by the vse of those meanes, which did serue Gods prouidence for their safety1 Sam. 20.5. Ch. 22.1. Ch. 23.14. Ch. 26.1. Act. 23.17.18.19. &c..

Vse 1.And wherefore serueth this poynt, but first for our di­rection and instruction what to doe in the dayes of danger. And what must we doe? Not as did Aristippus a Phyloso­pher, who,Cum aliquan, do nauigaret, didicisset (que) na­uem esse pyraticum, acceptî aurum nume­rat, & lapsun è manibus, iac­tauit in Mare. Laert. l. 2. c. 8. when he was in perill of his life in a Pyrates ship, tooke gold into his hand, told it, threw it, and let it fall into the Sea, thinking by that meanes to saue himselfe. Not as Meton the Astronomer, who, [...]. Aelian. Var. hyst l. 13. c. 12. to saue himselfe from an imminent danger, fired the house wherein he dwelt; Nor as Dauid who fayned himselfe mad before Achish King of Gath 1 Sam. 21.13., when hee thought his life to bee in hazard. But like a prudent man, (who hath his witts about him, and Grace within him) we must hide our selues, betake our selues [Page 62] to some Refuge, some place of protection: that so, if the euill time, Amos 5.13. V. 18.20. and day of darkenes Cant. 2.14. should come, we may be found where Christ findes his Doue his Church, in the Clifts of the Rocke, in the Secret place of the Stayres Zach. 5.4..

If any demand what this refuge, this shelter is. I answer, not Gorgeous chambers enclosed with walls of stone, with seilings of Cedar, for Gods wrath can weaken the strongest house, andEccles. 7.12. consume the stones, and timber thereof; not iron Chests of earthly treasures, or abundance of wealth and worldly possessions, for though (as the Preacher speaketh) mony be a defence Pro. 11.4.: Yet riches auayle not in the day of wrath [...] he that flowes for the present, may easily be at a low ebbe in a momentv. Aster.; not honor, and dignitie, for that is a silly shelter which a man may haue to day and be without to morrowIom. de Oecon. [...]niq. p. 17. 18. [...]; not yet the fauour, and protection of great persons, for fauour is Deceitfull Pro. 31.30., and he, that makes that his trust, lea­neth vpon a broken staffe. What then? Heare Salomon resolue you, The NAME of the Lord is a strong Tower, the Righteous runne to it and is safe Pro 18.10. Rules of direc­ [...]ion, how to [...]ide our selues. The protection of the Almightie, the shaddow of the most high, is the shelter that we must seeke after.The generall Rule. Now to the end that that may be our shelter, we must withdraw our selues, for there is no hiding without with-drawing Special rules [...]ubordinate to [...]he generall.. And because withdrawing is an action, or motion: and euery motion hath its twofold terme Ter­minus A quoad quid. Its

• FROM what
• To what.

[...]herefore we must with draw our selues FROM something, and TO something1. Speciall Rule with the seuerall branches.. The things which wee must withdraw our selues from are two

• 1. The Sinners against whom the Plague comes.
• 2. The sinnes for which the Plague commeth.

1. Branch.First wee must withdraw our selues from the SIN­NERS against whom iudgements are threatned. We must take no delight in evil companie. They that by their example doe seeke to corrupt vs, and put sinne into our soules by our eyes; [...]. Aster. Hom. de Oecon. Iniq. p. 22. They that by their tongues goe about to infect vs, [Page 63] and in still sin into our soules by our eares, must we abhorre and flie from, as wee would from some venomous beast that spits poyson at vs, that seekes to destroy vs. Lot withdrew himselfe from the company of the Sodomites, & he was pro­tected from the calamitie of the Sodomites. The Christians at Ierusalem a little before the Sacking of that Citie,Euseb. Hist. l. 3. c. 5. with­drew themselues from the sinfull, and secure number of the Iewes, and were hidden from the wrath that fel vpon them.Qui libenter vitusis copula­tur, licet mori­bus dissimilis sit, fauere tamē vitijs eorum, videtur. Maris. Evang. l. 7. c. 7. p. 348. Come out of Babylon my people (saith the holy GhostApoc. 18.4.) that yee be not partakers of her sins, and that yee receiue not of her plague. A caution. Civill commerce with euill men I grant a man may haue, and cannot but haue so long as hee liues; neither must we (as the manner of Anabaptists is) refraine the assemblies of the Saints, because grosse offenders are mingled amongst them, nor abstaine from Gods publique Ordinances, be­cause notorious sinners doe come vnto them. But so to bee among the wicked, as to loue their fellowship in the workes of darknesseEphes. 5.11., to be brethren with them in evill Gen. 49.5., to flatter them in their evill courses, to take pleasure in their compa­nie, so to fauour their vices, though our owne behaviour doth differ from theirs, this kinde of associating (I say) with them, doe I disswade from: ForSicut a s [...]cie­tate malorum non abhorret, ita minimè mi­rum erit, si poe­nae quo (que) eorū particeps effi­cietur. Id. ibid. if wee doe not thus abhorre & shun their company, if wee be without shade in the day of their misery, what wonder wil it be? Are swagge­rers, swearers, gamesters, gibers, and other kindes of wic­ked persons thy onely mates, the chiefe companions thou takest delight in, and yet thinkest thou to escape in the pe­rillous times? Thou deceivest thy selfe I tell thee, [...]. Greg. Nyss [...] de Virg. c. 4. p. 56. hee cannot escape the sulphurious showre of brimstone and fire, that loues to dwell amongst the men of Sodome; [...]. Id. ibid. neither can he shake off the bands of Egypt, that doth not forsake the land of E­gypt: what companie Iudgement findes thee glued to, ac­cordingly will it seize vpon thee. Be not therefore found in the companie of the proud (for so David and Salomon doe call the wickedPsal. 94. 2 Psal. 119 21.51.78.12 [...] Pro 8.18 Ch. 13.10 Ch 15.25.) mingle not thy selfe with this dust, this chaffePsal. 2.4., this stubbleMal. 4.. ForOb hoc quo (que) supe [...]bos fuge, neforas dū illis iungeris▪ cum ipsi, simul turbine diuinae vindicta▪ inuoluaru▪ Marul▪ [...] if thou doest, assure thy selfe [Page 64] that when the whirle-winde of Gods wrath doth surprise THEM, it will winde THEE in for companie, and which way canst thou escape it?

2. Branch of the 1. Speciall [...] Rule with its [...] particulars.Secondly, as from the sinners against whom, so likewise from the sinnes for which tribulation commeth, must wee withdraw our selues. And this is done three wayes: First, by mourning for those sinnes. Secondly, by not acting them. Thirdly by keeping our selues from being any way accessary vnto them.

1. Mourning. Flere etiam de­bemus populo­rum peccata quasi nostra vuluera. Aug. ad frat in E­rem. Ser. 11. A. Quotidie fleas peccata quae commisisti, & quae committere proximos vide­as. Id. ibid.First wee must mourne for the abhominations of the times; that the Land is so vnthankefull, that most sorts are so sinfull, that the Word is so contemned, that the offers of grace are so dispised, the mercies of God so abused, the Sabbaths so prophaned, fawning Parasites so much re­spected [...]. Aster. Hom. de Oecon. Iniq. pag. 25., afflicted Ioseph so little regarded, great mens vices so bepainted, and by swearing, lying, slandering, and every way else the tongue abused; that there is so much Idolatry, luxurie, security, and all manner of vanitie amongst vs, it must goe to our hearts, and grieue our soules. This is ano­ther way to get vnder Gods wing, and to be protected in the dayes of danger. I trembled (saith Habbacuk) that I might rest in the day of trouble Hab. 3.16.. Ieremie mourned for the sinnes of Ierusalem Ier. 14.17., and how well fared Hee for that in the Land of Babylon? Whereas the Iewes (who mourned not) lay naked, and open to the Babylonians furie; HE (good man)Ier. 39.11. &c. was couered from the dint of their cruelty, and was very well provided for, in a very evill time. Thinke on this thou that mournest not for the sinnes of the Land, and con­sider how little cause thou hast to expect protection in the day of destruction, vnlesse thy heart soften, and thy soule grieue in secret, more then yet it doth.

2. Refray­ning the acts of sinne.Secondly, to withdraw our selues from the sinnes of the times, we must refraine the practise of them. It is no where to be found in the whole booke of God, that ever any who delighted to commit such sinnes as haue brought plagues vpon Kingdomes, did (without repentance) escape vn­toucht when the plague came, or were hid safe vnder the [Page 65] shadow of the Almightie. Noah escaped drowning in the evill time that the old world saw, but Noah was vpright Gen. 6.9., did not partake with the world in its corruption and violence. Lot escaped burning in the dismall day that Sodome saw, but Lot did not liue like the Sodomites. Ier. 40.4. Ieremie escaped chaining in the time of Iudah's captivity, but Ieremie refrained his feet from the backsliding steps of the rebellious Iewes. Where­as on the contrary, neither haue Princes beene covered, nor Prophets beene sheltered, nor Rich ones protected in such miserable times, but haue all gone to ruine when they haue beene found as actors in those evills that occasioned that ruine. Zedekiah who was bound in chaines, and had his eyes put out2 King. [...]5.7. Ier. 39.7.. The Priests and Nobles that were slaine at Riblah 2 King. 25.19.20.21., and the rest of the Iewes that were carryed cap­tiues, doe very evidently manifest this. Wilt thou goe on in wicked courses, make no conscience to shun those sinnes that procure Gods curses, and yet make account to shrowd thy selfe vnder Gods wing in the day of his wrath? I tell thee thou expectest that which is very vnlikely, yea im­possible except thou repentest, and ceasest to do those deeds of darknesse, which as yet thou takest such pleasure, and de­light in.

Thirdly,3 Denying consent to sinne: or care to keepe our selues vnacces­sary thervnto. If wee would withdraw our selues from those sinnes that doe prognosticate some generall iudgement, and so would be safe, wee must no wayes consent, nor bee wil­lingly accessarie to those sinnes. For asNec alienus a crimine, cuius consensu, licet non a se admis­sum crimē pub­licè legitur. Cypr. Epist. 7. l. 2 fol. 32. Assensus enim est participatio. Ambros. Tom. 5. p. 179. He is as well guil­tie of sinne, who consenteth to it, as He that committeth it, so are bothScimus quod similis poena maneat facientes & con­sentientes. Bernard Ser. de Nat. Ioh. Bap. fol. 46. K. committers and consenters worthy of like punish­ment: and as little protection in the evill day can the one looke for as the other.

Now because a man may be accessary to the sinnes of the times foure wayes; 1. [...]. Aster. Hom. pag. 74. By not stretching out the sword a­gainst them, nor labouring to restraine them when hee is [Page 66] in place to doe it. 2. ByAssentire est, si, cum possit re­prehendere, ta­ceat. Ambr. in Epist. ad Rom. c. 1. To. 5. 179. Est enim con­sentire, silere, cū arguere possis. Bernar. in Ser. de Nat. Bapt. f. 46. K. Miseratio (in praedicatore sine iustitiā) peccan­di praestat au­daciam. Marul. Evang l. 6. c. 13 p 314. not preaching the Word against them, and fearing to reproue them when hee is called vnto it 3. ByIta est, vt qui fomi [...]ē praebeāt delictis eorum: ideò (que) dignum est, vt pari cri­mine rei habe­antur. Ambros. in Epist. ad Rom c. 1. To 5. p. 179. prouoking vnto them. 4. By concealing them. Therefore all these wayes must bee carefully shunned by all sorts in their seuerall places.

First Magistrates in their places, must as well tune the song of Iudgement as of Mercie Psal. 101.1.: they must be a terror to euill doers, their care must be that Iudgement may runne downe like waters, and Righteousnesse as a streame Amos. 5.24., to purge away and beare downe before it the filth, and drosse of those grosse sinnes, wherewith our land is defiled. If either the complement of a Iesuite, the brag of a Papist, the smooth tongue of a Flatterer, the sower tauntes of a Flouter, the sterne lookes of the mightie, the bribes of the Wealthy, the entreaties of a Yoakefellow, of a Childe, of a Seruant, of a Friend, hired (it may be) by the wages of iniquitie, or any thing else, do make them remisse in their places, & so, ac­cessary to those vices of running to Masse, of breaking the Sabbaths, of abusing Gods blessings, &c. for which ven­geance hanges ouer our heades: with what confidence can they hope to be protected, if that vengeance should fal down, & the viols of the same be powred forth, according to our deserts? Dauid professeth more then once, in the Psalmes, that God was his refugePsal. 91.2., and that he did beleeue, hee would be his refuge, in the day of trouble, but the same Dauid was faine to behaue himselfe faithfully in his place, by rooting out, and cutting off all wicked doers Psal. 101.8., with the same sword of iustice and authoritie.

Secondly, the Minister in his place must be farre from flattery Ab assentati­one procul ab­esse peccatorum castigatorem decet. Marul. Evan l. 6. c. 14. Neminem seculi nostri ingrati­tudo absterre­at, quò minus off cio suo fide­liter sungatur. Gualt. in Act. c. 23. Hom. 151.. He must reproue the sinnes of the times faithful­ly, and plainely, Ieremie neither feared the faces of men, nor spared those vices of men which did so preceede the Babilonish Captiuitie, and hence partly it was that he was hid, when the rest of the Iewes were hardly vsed. The like seede must wee sow that haue such places in the Church of Christ as Ieremie had, if wee would reape the like crop. For if either for hope of advancement, or feare of abasement, we [Page 67] should be like to the Idols of the Gentiles, haue eyes and not see, mouthes and not speake Psal. 115.5. Psal. 135.16., and so be accessary to the peo­ples sinnes, we must looke to haue our share in the common calamity that may befall the Land, for the common sinnes that raigne amongst vs. And what Magistrates must doe in the Common-wealth, and Ministers in the Church, the like must Masters of Families do in their houses, vse all meanes, and giue all diligence to restraine and reprooue the vices, the abuses, which they see in their charges.

Thirdly, all of vs, Governours, and vnder governement, must take heede of provoking others to the committing of those sinnes which may bring some iudgement vpon vs. You that are ouer others, take heede you doe not command those that are vnder you to doe evill; forNon est immu­nis ascelere, qui vt faceret, im­petrauit. Cypr. Epist. 7. l. 2. that is to haue a deepe hand in their sinne. You that professe the Name of Christ, doe not by your carelesse and vncircumspect wal­king, prouoke the wicked to contemne the Word. You that haue this worldes good in more abundance then your brethren, doe not you either by base illiberality, or vaine prodigality, giue example to others to abuse Gods blessings. By your murmuring provoke not others to vnthankefulnesse; by your evill counsell provoke not others to drunkennesse; by your filthy and vncleane communication, provoke not o­thers to filthinesse; by giving of bribes provoke not Rulers to vnrighteousnesse; by speaking favourably of Poperie, provoke not others to Idolatrie: In a word, whatsoever you see may be an occasion to draw any man to, to harden any man in any of these sins, which are the signes of an ensuing plague, be not you any kinde of way the givers of that occasion. If you be, it will make you accessary in an high degree, to those sinnes, and so you should exclude your selues from all share in any shelter vnder Gods wing, in the time of need.

Fourthly, because (as I sayd) to conceale villany, is to be accessarie to villany; therefore we must not conceale the inquities of the times from the Lord, in whose power it is to redresse them. Not that God knowes them not, or hath [Page 68] neede to be put in minde of them by vs; but because it is his pleasure that we should in humility confesse them to his Maiestie, as common sharers in those sinnes. To the end we might free our selues from that accessarinesse to them, which without confessing them, we should be guilty of, and so by consequent mightAd hoc enim Deus exigit confessionem, vt liberet humi­lem. Aug. ad frat. in Erem. Ser. 30. saue our selues in the perillous season. I am perswaded that Nehemiah was so protected in the ser­uice, and with the favour of Artaxerxes, when his Country­men were in great affliction, and reproachNeh. 1.3.. And that Da­niel was so sheltered in the Court of Darius Dan. 6.13.22., that neither the Envie of the Courtiers, nor the Cruelty of the Lyons could doe him any hurt; when the rest of his brethren (excepting the three Children Dan. 1.2.) were in great slavery: because that BOTH of them did make open confession of the sinnes of the whole people of the Iewes, as though themselues had committed that Idolatrie, and those abhominations which the rest did: when as indeed they had no finger in the same. Reade their Prayer and you shall see it, They speake in the plurall number, Wee; WEE haue dealt corrruptly against thee, and haue not kept thy commandements Neh. 1.7.. WE haue sinned and haue committed iniquity, and done wickedly, &c. neither haue WE hearkened vnto thy servants the Prophets. O Lord to VS belongeth confusion of faces, to our Kings, to our Princes, and our Fathers, because we haue sinned against thee Dan 9.5.6.8.. Well, let vs doe as they did, confesse to God the sins of the whole Land, and say vnto him; WE haue rebelled, transgressed, gone astray from thee, &c. And we shall speed as they did, Gods prouidence will hide vs either in the storme, or from the storme, when it ariseth. Thus haue you heard what we must withdraw our selues from, with the branches thereof, and subordinate rules to further vs therein,

2. Speciall rule of hiding, subordinate to the generall, with the bran­ches.Secondly, withdrawing hath its ad quid, as well as its à quo. There are some things which we must withdraw, or rather addresse TO, as well as withdraw from, if vpon the fore-sight of the plague, we would hide our selues. And they are these two;

• 1. Righteousnesse.
• 2. Prayer.

First, we must withdraw our selues to Righteousnes. 1. Righteous­nesse. Seeke yee RIGHTEOƲSNES (saith Zepheny) and it may be, you shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger Zeph 2.3.. What Righ­teousnesse may some say? The righteousnesse of their owne morall or naturall workes? Alas,Ruinosa est omninò haec ha­bitatio, & quae sustentari ma­gis opus habet, & fu [...]ciri quā inhabitari. Bern Ser. 2. in Psal. Qui ha­bitat fol. 78. C. this is a shelter that hath neede of a shelter, it selfe aPericulosa ha­bitatio eorum qui in meritis suis sperant, pe­riculosa quia ruinosa. Id. ib. ruinous shelter, a perilous shel­ter. What Righteousnesse then? I answer, there is a Rocke or Robe of Righteousnesse, and there is a Rule or Guide of Righteousnes. The one is Christ the Righteous, the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Ioh. 1.29.36, who is to vs what the [...]. Aster. Hom. de Diu. & Laz. pag. 2. sheepes coate is to our backes; A covering, an hy­ding from heate, from cold: The other is the Law of Righ­teousnesse. Both these must wee betake our selues to; to the former by Faith; to theIdem sapiens facere debet: omnes virtutes suas vndi (que) expandat, vt, vbicun (que) aliquid infesti oritur, illîc parata praefidia sint. Sextius. in Senec Epist. 59. l 1. p. 631. latter by Obedience.

Concerning the first, note well the speech of Iehosaphat to the people of Iudah 2 Chron. 20.20.; Beleeue in the Lord your God, so shall you be established; that is, Get but faith to beleeue in God, and you shall be preserued in the battell: neither Ammonites, nor Moabites, nor any of your enemies shall bee able to hurt you, or to overcome you. The Apostle Paul knew very well, that, if hee were but found in Christ, not having his owne righteous­nesse, but the righteousnesse of Christ, which is by faith, hee should be safe euen in that great day of Iudgement (a day euil and terrible to the wicked) how much more safe then in the midst of the troubles of this transitorie life. And therefore this is the thing he did so much seeke for, and sue for: ac­counting all things losse in comparison of this Phil. 3.9..

For the second, theMat 24 [...]5.46. wise, and faithfull servant knowes, that it will be happy for him, and that hee shall be hid from that vengeance which shall seize vpon the vnprofitable, faith­lesse servantV. 51., if hee be found well doing at his Masters com­ming: and therefore betaketh himselfe to that working of righteousnesse, and to that course of obedience, which his Ma­ster hath enioyned him in his Law.

Good Lord then, what will become of you that are vnbe­leeuers! that haue no faith in Christ, that by faith are not ioy­ned to Christ, that had rather seeke, wealth, honor, pleasures, places of command in the world, then the righteousnes of Christ, whom any robes please better then that robe: who seeke rather to any Rocke, to any refuge then to that? What will become of you also, that wilfully transgresse the Rule of righteousnes, that will not be religious, that will not doe good duties? Who heare not, relieue not the wants of your brethren with that abundance which you haue, who watch not ouer your hearts, who bridle not your tongues, who will not do all things which God in his righteous law commandeth, who will not doe any thing, because He commandeth you? What (I say) will you doe in the day of vengeance? Where will you hide your selues? Where will you shrowd your selues? Vnder Gods wing? Why that shall be spread ouer none but those that are in his beloued Sonne, ouer none but those by whom his sacred will is done. None but such as beleeue in the righte­ousnesse of Christ; none but such as yeeld Euangelicall obedi­ence to the righteousnesse of the Law, haue right to the speci­all protection of the Almightie. I beseech you therefore seeke the righteousnesse of Christ, by beleeuing; submit to the righteousnesse of the law, by obeying: And doe not thinke that without either of these, yea without both of these, it is possi­ble for you to escape in the day of trouble.

2. Prayer more then ordina­ry.Secondly, We must betake our selues to prayer. Prayer may prevayle both for our owne hiding, and the hiding of o­thers. It may (peradventure) avayle to diuert the Iudgements which the signes doe portend. If not so, yet it may couer vs for our partes from the dint of the Iudgements. Pray there­fore that God would forgiue the sinnes of the Land. Pray that God would remoue the euill begun, prevent the evill to come, if it be his will, or, howsoeuer, that he will take vs in­to the pauillion of his protecting prouidence, that the dayes of extremitie may rather profit vs, then hurt vs. Pray will some say? Perswade you vs to that? Your perswasion is needlesse; for we doe that already. I know some of you doe, but I per­swade [Page 71] you to that, which is much neglected, (I feare me) by good Christians; I meane extraordinary prayer, such as is ioyned with fasting. This, oh this, (if any thing will) will prevayle mightily with the Lord. The King of Nineueh, and all his Subiects, no sooner got themselues into sackcloth, and fasted, but they hid themselues from the destruction threatned, which otherwise, within fortie dayes would haue come vpon themIon. 3.5.10.. When great wrath was towardes the Iewes, in Iehosaphats time, a great multitude of Ammo­nites, and Moabites comming vp to battell against them, it is sayd that Iehosaphat set himselfe to seeke the Lord by prayer, and fasting, and all Iudah with him, and they were heard, they saw the saluation of the Lord, and the dead bodies of their enemies fallen to the earth, so that none escaped 2 Chron. 20. the 3 and 4. Verses com­pared with the 17. & 24.. When the poore captiued people of the Iewes were at the next doore to death, and Letters, to dispatch them suddainly, were vnder the Emperours seale gone out against them, Hester, and her Maydes, Mordecay, and the rest of the Iewes, fell toEsth. 4. Pray­er, with fasting, and what an admirable refuge that meane procured them, the sacred Storie Chapters 5.6.7.8.9. relateth at large. When such haue gone before, shall not we follow after. It may be, some prophane ones may disgrace this course, as friuolous, and foolish, yet let that be no discouragement vnto vs. The lawes of our Land doe not deny vs libertie to performe this dutie by ourLibertas est Christiano per omne tempus ieiunandi. Con­fess Taborit. p. 238. selues in secret, and with our families. And if wee doe not vse this our libertie, which wee haue for the present, the Lord may euen depriue vs of that too, and so make vs sharers in those common miseries, which for our sinnes, he may send vpon vs. Good people therefore, spare one day in a weeke, or a fortnight, or more, if you can, if God hath giuen you abilitie of bodie so to doe; and take heede you doe not frame excuses where none is. Our ordi­nary prayers haue preuayled to hide vs thus long; oh, what may our extraordinary doe, if now when there is so great neede, wee will but send them vp to the God of heauen! This first Vse hath held me somewhat long, because of the many particulars it hath runne into. I will now rid my [Page 72] handes of it, desiring GOD to blesse it, and come to another, which is for Consolation to all the Children of God.

Vse 2. Consolation.The wicked are wont to say of the Godly what Salo­mon would haue them Not to say,Eccles. 6.8. What hath the wise more them the foole? But if any would know what they haue, I answere they haue protection in the middest of tribulation. This priuiledge they haue, to be hopeles in noe miserie, to be helples in no calamity whatsoeuer. For, if vpon the foresight they haue of the euill, they be carefull to seeke an hiding place for themselues against that euill (as the poynt in hand sheweth they are) then let that euill come when it can, or how it can, hidden they are from the danger of it, andQuid ei no­cere poterit eo­rum quae sub Caelo sunt, quem Deus Caeli pro­tegere & con­seruare volue­rit? Bern. in Psal. Qui Hab. Ser. 1. p. [...]8. H. what hurt can it doe them? A Goodman cannot but be safe, be the times neuer so troublesome Virtuti vae­cans in securo constitutus [...] nihil insi [...]tite fert à rebus turbulentis. Chrysost. in Mat. Hom. 22.. What saith Dauid to this purpose? He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high, shall abide vnder the shaddow of the Almighty. He need not be affraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flieth by day, nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkenes, nor for the destruction that wasteth at none-day Psal. 91.1.5.6.. You cannot goe through the sacred Stories in the Scriptures, but you shall finde, that the Lord hath beeneDeus cultores suos inter mille pericula seruare consueuit. Gualt in Act. c. 23. Hō. 151. wont to preserue his Seruants in a thousand dangers. When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee (saith the Lord) and through the riuers, they shall not ouerflow thee, when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flame kindle vpon thee Isa. 43.2.. Be of good Comfort therefore whatsoeuer thou art that fearest the Lord: Whatsoeuer plagues the times doe threaten, run but thou to those six Cities of refuge, whichBernard. Sen­ten. p. 132 K. L. Sex sunt refugij ciuitates Inter­dictae praeuari­cationis cautio: sequendae prae­ceptionis obedi­tio, propitiandae Diuinitatis ambitio: Mundanae fabricae consideratio: vrbis tirannicae iugis inspectio: & su­pereminens Dei verbi cognitio. one speakes of: take heed of sinne forbidden, doe carefully what God com­mandeth, aspire to Gods fauour and fellowship, Consider the vanitie of the world; looke into the miseries of this life, and acquaint thy selfe well with the word of God, and thou for thy part, shalt be safe, and secure enoughSi fi at captiuitas, & ciuitates disperdantur, & regiones, au­rum, argentum, & omnis possessio pereat. Orthodox. Pat. 1446.. Should our [Page 73] bodies be emprisoned, our Cities destroied, our substance and possession spoyled, our Countrie consumed, should famine, sword, pestilence, or any scourge else, make hauock amongst vs, yet, asSapientis sa­pientiam nullus potest auferre. Ibid. no man can take thy wisdome from thee, so nothing (except sinne) can make the Lord vn willing to protect thee: but either with Baruch Ier. 45.5. thou shalt haue thy life giuen thee for a pray, or else, if thy outward man should perish 2 Cor. 4.16., thy soule shall be taken away from euill Isa. 57.1., to abide with Christ for euer in the heauens, which is best of all. And so, which way soeuer the Lord deales with thee, thou art sure to be no looser, but a great gainer, Say there­fore to thy selfe, as Dauid did: Wherefore should I feare in the day of euill Psal. 49.5.. And let the Congregation of the faithfull, comfortably, and confidently, conclude, as the Church dothPsal. 46.1.2.3.7.11.. God is our refuge, a very present helpe in trouble; there­fore will not we feare though the earth be remoued, and though the mountaines be caried into the middest of the Sea, though the waters thereof roare, and be troubled, though the moun­taines shake with the swelling thereof: the Lord of hoastes is with vs, the God of Iacob, is our refuge.

Ʋse 3. Terror. In which is summarily handled the 2. part of the Text.Well, to draw to a conclusion, and to knit vp the other Prouerbe, the second part of the text, [But the simple passe on and are punished] in the third vse of this Doctrine. Here is Terror to all wicked, and vngodly wretches. For if onely the Godly hide themselues against the day of wrath, they Viz. Those wicked ones. (poore miserable Creatures) for there part shall be without hiding, without shelter in that day. They areImò ipsis bru­tis beslijs dete­riores sunt. Cartw. in Prou. col. 1095. worse then brute beasts, then vnreasonable creatures: TheSunt enim a­ues (vt grues et Ciconia) quae sensu quodam & praeceptione ingruentis hye­mis se in cali­diora loca op­portunè recipi­unt. Id. ibid. Crane, & the Storke when the winter approacheth, withdraw themselues into hotter Countries: the Beasts of the field runne to their dens, and sheds when a storme is rising, when raine is comming,Iumenta etiam praesagio plunia mox ventura, se ad sua latibula conserunt. and so, in their kind prouide safetie for them­selues. But theFatui vero isti suis cupiditatibus occatatipraecipites in pericula acti pereunt [...] tanquam enim oculis captine ea quidem vident quae ante pedes posita, sunt sed tanquam be [...]es ad mactationem nihil cogitantes cupiditatum suarum funiculo ducantur, Ibid. vngodly (like stalled Oxen that are fatting [Page 74] against the day of slaughter) are so blinded with their lusts, that be destruction neuer so neere their doores, they runne on, seeke no shade, and so throw themselues headlong into the very mouth of the danger, and perish by it. Thinke on this all you Simple ones, not you that are Innocently and holily Simple, (for so the word is not to be vnderstood in the text,) but you that are Sottishly, sinfully Simple. Euery word in this clause of the text sounds Terror in your eares, But the last word most terror.

1. But, a word of terror.First, that you differ from the children of God, and are as contrarie to them, as darkenes to light, as blacke to white, as infants to men of learning, as ignorants to men of deepe vnderstanding (as this particle BVT giues to vn­derstand) this is matter of terror. For if you be contrary to the Godly, you haue no part in their priuiledges; nei­ther is God your Father, nor Christ your Brother, nor the Holy Ghost your Comforter, nor Grace your maintenance in present possession, nor Glory your inheritance in future expectation.

2. Simple, full of terror.Secondly, you are fooles. I know indeed you are wise in your owne eyes; for it is as naturall for a naturall man to glorie in his owne wisedomeIer., as can be. I know also, that the men of the world will so repute you: for it is [...]. Athanas. de Virginitat Tom. 1 p. 824. ordina­rie with them to deeme those wise, which haue any cunning but to buy and sell, to defraud and sinne, to make two halfe-pence of one, as one speaketh. But whatsoeuer conceite either the world hath of you, or you haue ofA [...]t Deus stulte vbi tibi sapiens videris ibi stulte, vel stultus es. August de Verb. Apost. Ser. 19. & lib. 50. Hom. Ser. 7. your selues, you being wicked, are fooles in Gods account for all that: Yea, such you are Chronicled to be in HIS books, in HIS Records, as the title Simple, in this Text, and the terme FOOLE, in otherPsal. 14.1. Psal. 92.7. Pro. 1.22.3.35.7.22.10.1.14 3. &c. places doe declare. And I am sure this is as great a ground of terror vnto you as the for­mer, [Page 75] if not greater. For alas (wretched creature) being a foole, thy vnderstanding is darkened Ephes. 4.18.; the God of this world hath blinded the eyes of thy minde 2 Cor. 4.4. Sectatur im­prudentiam in­scitia. Arist de virt. lib. Tom. 5. p 481.: Thou knowest not good from evill, nor evill from goodQui enim stultus est, quid sit iustum ac bonum nescit. Et paulo post. Rec­tum autem dis­cernere a prauo quis potest nisi sapiens? Lactan. de lust. l 5 c. 18 p. 163., thou callest (as it were)quid ergo? nōne diem noctē vo­cant? Solem te­nebras? Id. ibid. c 20 p. 165. day night, and the sunne darknesse; thouImprudentiae est iudicare peruersè de re­bus, deliberare perperam. Aris. lib de Virt. Tom. 5. p. 481. iudgest of things peruersly, thou deliberatest of matters corruptly. Be­ing a foole, thou artStultus semper peccat Ducitur enim quasi captiuus à vitijs, nec resistere vllo modo potest. Lac­tan. de Iust. l 5. c. 18. Stultus etiam malus est. Et paulò post. [...]tultus omnia vitia habet Senec. de Benef. l. 4. c. 26. p 448. Non hoc dicimus sic omnia vitia esse in omnibus, quomodo in quibus­dam singula emine a [...]t, sed malum ac stultum nullo vitio vacare, Idem. lib. dict. cap. 27. sinnes bondslaue: no Idiot is a more slavish drudge to the basest workes that hee is set about, then thou art to the Divell, to corruption, and to the deeds of dark­nesse; then which, what seruice more base, more miserable, nay, to which, what service isEst e­nim se [...]u [...]tus eius (viz. Diaboli) & vilissima, & vitiosisima, & durissima, & notentissima. Diet. Postil. Dom Trin. 15 comparable, in ilnesse, in vilenesse, in hardnesse, &c?

Againe, being a spirituall foole, though thou hast neuer so plotting, and plodding an head, for earthly things, yea, as deepe a reach as any, to make the best of thy commodities (as wee vse to say) yet thouStultus nullâ re scit vti Senec. lib. 1. Epist. 9 pag. 538 Im­prudentiae est vti nequire presentibus bonis. Arist. libel. de Virt. Tom 5. pag 481. in 16 [...]. knowest not how to vse any thing aright, of that which thou enioyest. [...]. After. Hom. de Occon. Iniq. pag. 21. Thou hast indeede a bodie composed of proportionable parts, endued with profita­ble senses, very vsefull to thy life and beeing, and thou hast a soule endued with reason and vnderstanding: it may be thou hast wealth, it may be friends, it may be honour, it may be cre­dite; and all these things are not to bee vsed as [...]. Ibid. pag. 23. thy selfe pleasest, but as God prescribeth, but alas, thou canst not vse a­ny of them so as God would haue thee. God hath giuen [Page 76] thee his Word, his Sacraments, which are rich gifts, great blessingsAudissapien­tem irridentem stultum, quod bona naturae, & bona gra­tiae, quae forte per lauacrum regenerationis acceperat, tan­quam illam, quam planta­uit Deus, & non homo, pri­mam suam vi­neam, in non vineam, neg­ligendo redegit. Bern. in Cant. Serm. 63. fol. 184. H.; thou knowest not what vse to make of any of these: thou canst not tell what vse to put the Word to, what vse to make of thy Baptisme, of the Lords Supper, no more then a babe knowes what vse to make of a pearle, or a peece of gold that is put into its hand, when it throwes it about the house, and is ready to lose it. That veryNam stultus quod viuit mortem potius quam vitam esse censuerim. Quomodo vita cum sterilitate? Arborarida & in sterilitatem versa, nonne mortua iudi­catur? Et sar­menta mortua sunt. Sic stultus eo ipso quòd inutiliter viuit, viuens mortuus est. Bernard. ibid. benefit of life it selfe which God hath lent thee, thou hast so little skill to vse a­right, that it is little better vnto thee, then a very death.

Being aNihil stul­titia pacatum habet, tam supernè illi m [...]tus est, quam infra. Sen [...]c lib. 1. Epist. 59. p. 632. Quid ergo inquis? Stulti ac mali non gaudent? Non magis quam praedam n [...]cti leones. Idem ibid. pag 633. foole, no sound ioy belongs vnto thee, a trem­bling heart is alwayes within thee. Thou art afrayd ofHic alter imperitus est, rebus suis timet Senec. lib. 1. Epist. 56. p. 623. thy selfe, afrayd ofVidehis illum (scil. imperitum) comitiquè oneriquè timentem Ibid. thy friends. Bee therePsal. 53.5. Illi e­nim saepe hostem timuere sine causa, tutissimumque illis iter, quod suspect [...]ssimum fuit. Senec. lib. 1. Epist. 59 pag. 632. no danger at hand, thou are subiect to feare: bee thereSequuntur pericula, & occurrunt; ad [...]mnia pauet stultitia. Ibid. some danger at hand in­deed, thou art subiect hopelesly to quake: yeaImparata est, & ipsis terretur auxilijs. Ibid. helpe it selfe in the time of danger, terrifies thee, scares thee. There is no childe that is without the vse of reason, more timorous of a bug-beare, of a thing of nothing, then thou art of every noyse, vpon every light occasion. Thus comfortlesse (I say) is thy condition. Lay now these things together, thy blinde­nesse, thy slauery, thy ignorance to vse Gods blessings aright, thy want of right to any true comfort. (All which are as so many fruits of thy folly) and tell mee whether these doe not shew, that to bee a spirituall foole, is a thing most terrible, most fearfull.

3. Passe on] A phrase of Ter [...]our also.Thirdly, as you differ from Gods children, and are fooles, so also doe you passe on, you are desperately heedlesse, and dreadlesse in the greatest dangers. Though you cannot but Imperitus, est ad omnem crepitum ex­pauescens, quem vna quaelibet vox pro fremitu accepta deiecit, quem motus leuissimi ex­animant. Senec. lib. 1. Epist. 56. circ. fin. [Page 77] Quòd autem non dicit Pro­pheta illos nihil praeuide [...]e, sed transiretantum & mulctari, eò docet, fieri ali­quando, vt isti fatui mala fu­turae praeuide­an [...], sed tamen ità a suis cupi­ditatibus trae [...]s­uersos rapi, vt viuentes, viden­tes (que) (quod di­citur) pereant, et tanquā Am­phiaraeus, ad in­teritum scientes properent. Cart. ad loc. fore-see the plague, that is threatned against you, that is ap­proaching neere you, yet you are so violently transported by your raging lusts, beyond all bounds of any fore-cast, and provision for your selues, that you wittingly and willingly goe on to your owne ruine: this also is another ground of ter­rour. But4. And are punished] A phrase of terror. lastly, that you come to be punished (that is) vn­couered, vnsheltered, in the day of vengeance, so that though you should see the plague as plainely as you can with yourTanquamocu­lis praediti ad vtdendum ma­lum, pedibus capti, ab illo fugere neque­unt. Cartw. in Pro. col. 1096. eyes, yet your feete cannot possibly escape hampering in it, this euen this (I say) may be a double, a treble terrour, yea a terrour of terrours vnto you. For in this case, what, O what miserie doe you not lye open vnto! your houses may be fired ouer your heads, your wiues deflowred before your faces, your husbands murthered in your presence, your children quartered before your eyes, your owne bodies cast to the beasts of the field, to the fowles of the ayre, and (which is worst of all) your soules plunged into the lake of fire; thereto be tormented for euermore: from which Lake he saue vs, who shed his blood for vs, euen Iesus that iust and righteous one, to whom, with the Father, and Eternall Spirit, bee all prayses in all the Churches, throughout all ages. Amen.