Twenty-One Sermons on Amos 1

we had plenty of victuals, we were well, we saw no evil.

W • etched men and women, as many of you, as are thus willfully addicted to the superstition of popery, take you heed, that the words of the Lord, Esa. 6.10 given in charge to the Prophet, to be conveyed to the Jews, be not in every point appliable unto you: Make the heart of this people fat, make their ears heavy, shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, & understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

Will the Ethiopian change his skin, or the Leopard his spots? Then will our countrymen of the popish sect change from the religion of their forefathers. Their firm resolution to live and die in the religion of their fathers, is made apparent by their supplication, to the most puissant Prince, and orient Monarch, our gracious Lord, King JAMES; one branch whereof, is this: We request no more favor at your Graces hands, then that we may securely profess that Catholic religion, which all your happy predecessors professed, from Donaldus the first converted, unto your Majesty's peerless mother.

To this purpose doth D ^r Kellison recite unto the KING a long catalogue of his noble Predecessors, to move him, if possible, to embrace their Religion. But (God his holy name be blessed for it) all in vain.

When Fridericke the IV. Elector of the Sacred Roman Empire, and Count Palatine of the Rhene, was by a certain Prince advised, for his religion to follow the example of his Father Lewis; his answer was: In religions non parentum, non maiorum exempla sequenda, sed tantum voluntas Dei: In religion we are to follow, not the examples of our Parents, or our ancestors, but only the will of God. And for this resolution he alleged the fore-cited testimony of the Lord out of the 20. of Ezekiel: Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their Idols. I am the Lord your God; walk ye in my statutes. I doubt not, but that our gracious Sovereign, King JAMES, hath ever had, and will have a like answer in readiness, to stop the mouths of Kellison, and all others, who have dared, or shall attempt, to move his royal Majesty for his religion to be like his predecessors.

God give our King the heart of Joshua; a heart steadfast and unmovable in the true service of the Lord our God. Though some of his Predecessors have been deceived to fall down before the beast in the Apocalypse, and to worship his image, yet good God, so guide our King, and bless him with a religious people, that He and we, and his people, may now and evermore fear thee, and serve thee, in sincerity and truth, to the glory of thy great name, and the salvation of our own souls, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

THE VII. LECTURE.

THree former Sermons have carried me past the preface, and the three first parts of this prophecy against Judah: the fourth, which is the Commination, or Denuntiation of the judgments of the Lord against Judah and Jerusalem, remaineth to be the subject of this my present discourse.

But I will send a fire &c.

These words are no strangers to you. You have met with them five times in the first Chapter, and once before in this. Their exposition, their division, the Doctrines issuing from them, the Uses and applications of the Doctrines, have diverse times from out this place sounded in your ears. Yet now, (the order, observed by the Holy Spirit in delivering this prophecy, so requiring it) they are once more to be commended to your religious attentions.

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

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

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

3. Qui puniendi: Who are to be punished: And they are the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Judah, and the chief City thereof, Jerusalem. I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.

In the precedent prophecies the comminations were against the Syrians, the Philistines, the Tyrians the Edomites, the Ammonites, and the Moabites, all Gentiles and strangers to God; but this commination against the Jews, God's own friends, and children. I will send a fire upon Judah. ]

I] Who form the mountains, and create the wind, and declare to man what is his thought, and make the morning darkness, and tread upon the high places of the earth; I will send. I, who break down, and it cannot be built again; who shuts up a man, and there can be no opening; I will send. I, who speaks, and it is done, who commands, and it standeth fast. I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.

This fire, which the Lord sendeth upon Judah, is not so much a fire properly taken, as a fire in a figurative understanding. It betokeneth that desolation, which was to betide the kingdom of Judah, and the chiefest City thereof, Jerusalem, from hostile invasion. I will send a fire.

This commination began to be fulfilled in the days of Zedekiah, King of Judah. The history is very memorable; and is briefly yet diligently described in the 2. Chron. 36. and in the 2. Kings 25. and Ierem. 39. & 52. In those places you may read, how Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon, came against Jerusalem, pitched against it, besieged it, took it. You may read how he took King Zedekiah prisoner, slew his sons before his face, put out the Kings own eyes, bound him with brazen fetters, and carried him away to Babylon: you may read, how Nebuzaradan, Captain of the guard, and chief Marshall to the King of Babylon dealt with Jerusalem. He brake down the wall thereof, and burnt with fire the house of the Lord, the Kings house, every great man's house, all the houses, and palaces there. Say now; did it not fall out to Judah and Jerusalem, according to this commination? I will send a fire upon Judah and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.

This desolation being thus wrought upon Judah, and Jerusalem, by the Chaldees; the Jews, such as escaped from the sword, were carried away to Babylon, where they lived in servitude and bondage, to the Kings of Babylon for ^h threescore, and ten years. This was that famous deportation, commonly styled the Captivity of Babylon, from which unto CHRIST are numbered, ( Matth. 1.) fourteen generations. When the years of this captivity were expired, and the Monarchy of Persia was settled upon King Cyrus, King Cyrus stirred up by the Lord, made a proclamation, whereby he permitted the Jews to return into their country, and to re-edify the Temple of the Lord at Jerusalem.

The Jews now returned from their captivity, wherein they lived threescore and ten years, without a King, without a Prince, without a sacrifice, without an Image, without an Ephod, without Teraphim, (as it is witnessed, Hos. 3.4.) could not but with much joy, and great alacrity, under the government of their new Prince, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and their new High Priest, Iesbuah, son of Iozadak, betake themselves to the building again of the Lord's house in Jerusalem.

The building was begun; it proceeded; but was soon hindered, by the decree of Artaxerxes, King of Persia. So the work of the house of God at Jerusalem, ceased for some ten years, till the second year of the reign of Darius [son of Hista • pes ] King of Persia: by whose gracious decree for the advancement of the building, the building was again set on foot, and so diligently attended, that in the sixth year of the reign of the same King▪ King Darius, it was finished; as it is delivered, Ezra 6.15. Thus was the house of God, the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, after 46. years consummate, and dedicated.

Now once again was the Lord of hosts jealous of Jerusalem, and for Zion, with a great jealousy: now again were old men, and old women, to dwell in Jerusalem, and boys, and girls to play in the streets thereof: now again was Jerusalem to be called a City of truth, the mountain of the Lord of Hosts, the holy mountain; and the Jews, which in former times were a curse among the heathen, now became a blessing: now again were they the people of the Lord, and the Lord was their God, in truth, and in righteousness. Thus were the people of Judah, through God his special goodness, blessed with joy and enlargement: for so much we find registered, Zach. 8.

What did the people of Judah, for so many streams of God's bounty derived upon them, render unto the Lord their God? Did they (as meet was) take up the cup of salvation? did they call upon the name of the Lord? did they pay their vows unto the Lord? Did they, as they were commanded, Zach. 8.16? did they speak the truth every man to his neighbor? did they execute the judgment of truth and peace within their gates? did they imagine no evil in their hearts, one against another? did they love no false oaths? What saith the Prophet Malachi to this? He confesseth chap. 2.10, 11. that the people of Judah dealt treacherously everyone against his brother; that they violated the covenant of their fathers; that they committed abomination in Jerusalem; that they profaned the holiness of the Lord; that they married the daughters of a strange God: and chap. 3.5. that they were sorcerers, adulterers, false swearers, oppressors: and verse. 7. that even from the days of their fathers they departed from the ordinances of the Lord, and kept them not. Is not enough said against them? Then add yet further; they corrupted the Law, they contemned the Gospel, they beheaded John the Baptist, they crucified Christ, they persecuted the Apostles. Impiety of such an height and elevation could not but presage a fearful downfall.

This their downfall is in a figure foretold by the Prophet Zechariah, chap. 11.1, 2. Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy Cedars. Howle Fir tree, for the Cedar is fallen, howl ye Okes of Bashan, for the forest of the vintage is come down. What Zechariah doth in a figure, that doth Christ foretell in words proper and significant, Luk. 19.42. where beholding the City of Jerusalem, and weeping over it he saith: The days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side: and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children with thee, and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another.

This 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , this utter desolation of the City Jerusalem, foretold by Zechariah, and by Christ; by the one in a figure, by the other in plain terms, was brought upon that stately City by Titus, son of Vespasian, after the incarnation of Christ, threescore and eleven years, as Genebrard, threescore and twelve, as Funccius, threescore and thirteen as others, in the second year of the Emperor Vespasian. It was besieged for the space of five months: in which time there passed many assaults, many skirmishes, much slaughter, with wonderful obstinacy and resolution. The famine mean while afflicting the City was such, as no history can parallel.

When their ordinary sustenance was spent, the flesh of horses, asses, dogs, cats, rats, snakes, adders, seemed good unto their tastes. When this food failed, they were driven to eat even those things, which unreasonable creatures will not eat. Of their lether; lether bridles, lether girdles, lether shoes, and the like, they made for themselves meat. Ox dung was a precious dish unto them. Purgamenta olerum, the shreddings of pot-herbs cast out, trodden under foot, and withered, were taken up again for nourishment. Miserabilis cibus, esca lachrymabilis: Here was miserable meat, lamentable food, yet would the child snatch it from his parent, and the parent from his child, even from out his jaws. Pleris{que} etiam vomitus esca fuit, saith Egesippus; some to prolong their lives would eat up that, which others had vomited.

Among many other accidents in this famine at Jerusalem, one is so memorable, that I cannot well pass it over. Josephus, an eye-witness of this their misery, tells us of a woman, a mother, Marie, Eleazars daughter, who took from her own breasts, her own child, a harmless suckling, a silly infant, did kill it, and did eat thereof. My author saith; that this unnatural mother took her tender babe, as it was sucking, from her breast, and thus spake unto it. Little infant, poor wretch, in war, in famine, in sedition, for whom shall I preserve thee? for whom shall I save thee alive? If thou live, thou must be a slave to the Romans: but famine prevents thy servitude; yea and the mutinous Jews are more cruel, than either the Romans, or the famine Be thou therefore mihi cibus, seditiosis furia, humanae vitae fabula: Be thou meat to me, a fury to the mutinous, and even a mock of the life of man. When she had thus spoken, she embrued her hands in the blood of her own son; she boiled the dead body, and eat the one half: the remainder she reserved for another repaste.

The mutinous Jews drawn by the sent and savor of this meat, brake into this woman's house: they threatened to kill her, unless she would show them, where her meat was laid. She told them, she had meat indeed, and had reserved it for her-self; notwithstanding, since they so urged her, she would show it to them. So she brought them to the relics of her son. At the sight thereof, they shrunk back with fear, horror, and astonishment. Then the mother, merciless mother, with great boldness said thus unto them: This meat, which you see, is indeed part of my own son: it was my deed to kill it: eat ye of it: for I have eaten. Will you be more tender than a woman? more pitiful than a mother? eat ye of it: I have eaten. If you will not eat it, it shall remain for me his mother. A mother! No mother, but a monster she was, that could act such a prodigy.

Well: What with the extremity of this famine, what with the fury of the sword, what with sickness during the time of this war against Jerusalem, there perished in Jerusalem, and the Province adjoining, as Eusebius, Orosius, and other Authors affirm, six hundred thousand men able to bear Arms. But if we will believe Josephus, a Jew, and present at that war, there died eleven hundred thousand, or a million, and one hundred thousand. And Josephus his report is subscribed unto by Zonaras and Iornardes.

Besides these now dead fame, morbo, ferro, partly by famine, partly by sickness, partly by the sword, there were taken captive to the number of 97. thousand, or as ^q someone hundred thousand, sold, and dispersed in the wide world.

The Jews thus dead, and scattered, what became of their glorious city Jerusalem? The holy Temple there was burnt, their strong and high walls were thrown down; all the city became wast and desolate, and so it remains to this day. Certainly it is befallen Judah and Jerusalem, according to this commination in my text: I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem. Thus far have you the words of my text expounded. Now to the doctrine.

You have heard God's judgments against the kingdom of Judah, and the glorious City Jerusalem denounced in the same words, as his judgments were against the Syrians, the Philistines, the Tyrians, the Edomites, the Ammonites, and the Moabites. The Syrians, the Philistines, the Tyrians, the Edomites, the Ammonites, and the Moabites, were aliens from the Common wealth of Israel, they were strangers from the covenant of promise; they had no hope, they were without God in the world. But these Jews, these Inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem, were of the Common wealth of Israel: God made his covenant with them; they were not without hope; they were the people of the Lord, and the Lord was their God: yet because they sinned against the Lord, as the forenamed Gentiles did, the Lord was pleased to deal with them, as with the Gentiles; even to send a fire upon Judah, which hath long since devoured the palaces of Jerusalem. The doctrine which from hence I commend unto you, is;

God is absolutely impartial both in mercy, and judgment, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , without respect of persons, he judgeth according to every man's work, 1. Pet. 1.17. Jew or Gentile, its not material; if they be obedient, they shall live and flourish; if they be rebellious, they shall die & perish. Sundry other places there are in both Testaments, old and new, which I might allege to show, that with God there is no respect of persons.

By Persons I mean, not the substance of man, or man himself, but his outward quality or condition; as Country, sex, parentage, wealth, poverty, nobility, wisdom, learning, and the like. According to these, God in judgment respecteth no man. Whosoever he be, Jew, or Gentile, male, or female, poor and rich, bond or free, learned, or unlearned, that feareth God, and worketh righteousness, he is accepted with God, Act. 10.35. but let Jew, or Gentile, male, or female, poor or rich, bond or free, the learned or unlearned, work wickedness before the Lord, and he shall be without partiality punished, Job 34.19.

Such hath ever been the practice of the Lord. Lazarus his poverty did not hinder him from salvation, neither did the rich man's abundance free him from damnation. It was no impeachment to Cornelius, that he was a Gentile, nor immunity to Judas, that he was a Jew; Saul's throne could not shield him from the wrath of God, neither did David's sheepfolds avert from him the blessings of God; Esau was the elder brother, yet God hated him, Jacob was the younger, yet God loved him. Never did any perish in obedience, never did any prosper in rebellion. Certainly God hath no respect of any man's person, for his outward estate, quality, or condition. God spared not the Angels for their excellency, nor the old world for their multitude; nor Saul for his personage, nor Absalom for his beauty, nor the Jews for their prerogative, nor Jerusalem for her goodly buildings. From this vnpartialitie of God in his works of justice, my proposition stands good,

Will you a reason hereof? It is because the Lord takes impiety for impiety wheresoever he finds it, and for such doth punish it. And he finds it everywhere. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, and are in every place to behold as well the evil, as the good. His eyes are upon all our ways; he seeth all our goings, he counteth all our steps, no iniquity is hid from him. This doth the Prophet Jeremiah, Chap. 32.19. wall express; Thine eyes, O Lord, are open upon all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

This the very Ethnics, guided only by Natures light; have acknowledged. Sybilla in her Oracles could say, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , The Almighty and invisible God, he only seeth all things. Hesiod could say, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , God hath an All-seeing eye. Plautus could say, Est profecto Deus, qui, quae nos gerimus, audit{que} & videt; Doubtless, there is a God, who both heareth and seeth whatsoever we do. And Ovid could say, Aspiciunt oculis superi mortalia just • s: There is a God above, who hath just eyes, beholdeth all the doings of mortal men. Thales of Miletum, the wisest of the seven, being asked, whether men's evil deeds could be kept close from God! No, said he, nor their evil thoughts. The Hieroglyphic, the mystical, or aenigmaticall letter whereby the Egyptians would have God to be understood, was an eye. And why so? But as Pierius saith, because Deus ill optimus maximus, the great God of Heaven, is mundi oculus, the eye of the world.

It may be such was the conceit of that ancient Father, who said of God, that he was totus oculus; wholly an eye? He gives his reason, quia omnia videt; because he seeth all things. All things are to the eyes of God 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 naked and opened [seen as well within as without.] So saith the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, chap. 4.13. All the impieties of man, in deed, word, or thought, are manifest unto the Lord: he seeth them all, and for impieties will punish them.

Well saith Lypsius: Culpae comes, iustissime poena semper est; Paine is always the companion of a fault. And again, Cognatum immo innatum omni sceleri, sceleris supplicium; Every wickedness brings a punishment with it. As the work is, so is the pay; if the one be ready, the other is present. Never did any man foster within his breast a crime, but vengeance was upon his back for it. If there be impiety, there cannot be impunity. Witness the blessed Apostle S. James, chap. 1.15. Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. And S. Paul, Rom. 6.23. The wages of sin is death. Many are the texts of holy Scripture, which I might allege to this purpose. I will for this present trouble you but with one. It is, Psal. 34.16. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

From these now-touched considerations (first that Almighty God in judgment accepteth no persons; then, that his Al-seeing eye beholdeth whatsoever impiety is done, not only in our works and words, but also in our most retired thoughts; thirdly, that in justice every impiety is to receive a due punishment ) from these considerations my position stands firm and unmovable.

Here let all good Christians be admonished, with their greatest carefulness to look unto their ways, that they walk not in the by-paths of sin, to imitate the Heathen in their impieties Qui attrahit ad se culpam, non potest effugere poenam, saith Hugo Cardinalis. Think not that thy prerogative of being a Christian can be a shield unto thee. Christianus nomine, non opere, A Christian in name not in deed, may be called a Christian, but is no Christian. Christianus as he is haeres nominis Christi, so must he be imitator sanctitatis: A Christian is heir to the name of Christ, and therefore must be a follower of Christ in holiness. A Christian (saith S. Augustine, if he be the Author of the Book de vita Christianâ ) A Christian is a name of justice, of goodness, of integrity, of patience, of chastity, of prudence, of humility, of courtesy, of innocence, of piety. A Christian is he, who is a follower of Christ, who is holy, innocent, undefiled, unspotted, in whose breast there is no wickedness; who hurts no man, but helpeth all. He that can truly say: I hate not mine enemies, I do good to them that hurt me, I pray for them that persecute me, I do wrong to nobody, I live justly with all men, hic Christianus est, he is a Christian.

But, if in the profession of Christianity, a man lives the life of a Heathen, the name of a Christian shall do him no pleasure: If he take delight in the works of the flesh, in adultery, fornication, uncleanness, laciuiousnesse, drunkenness, hatred, variance, wrath, strife, or any like sin, God will forsake him, the holy Angels will fly him, the blessed Saints will detest him: the Reprobate shall be his company, the Devils his fellows, hell his inheritance, his soul a nest of scorpions, his body a dungeon of foul spirits; and at last both body and soul shall eternally burn in fire unquenchable.

Wherefore (dearly beloved) suffer a word of exhortation. Have you sinned? Do so no more. Flee from sin as from the face of a Serpent. For if you come too near it, it will bite you: the teeth thereof are as the teeth of a Lyon, slaying the souls of men. So saith Ecclus chap. 21.2. Flee from sin as from the face of a Serpent. Sin? Its like a leaven that will leaven the whole lump: Its like a scab, that will infect the whole flock: Its like a flaming fire, that will burn the whole house: its like a wild Horse, that will cast his rider into hell; its like a wild gourd, that will poison the whole pott; its like a plague, that will destroy the whole city; its like a two edged sword, the wounds thereof cannot be healed. Fly therefore from sin, as from the face of a Serpent. And ever remember what befell Judah and Jerusalem for their sins. They despised the Law of the Lord, they kept not his commandments, their lies caused them to err, after which their fathers walked; therefore hath the Lord sent a fire upon Judah, which hath devoured the palaces of Jerusalem.

Thus far of my first doctrine. A second followeth.

I take it from the condition of Jerusalem. She had fair appellations. She was called the Virgin, and the daughter of Judah. Lament. 1.15. The daughter of Zion. ver. 6. the city, that was great among the nations, and a Princes among the Provinces. ver. 1. The holy City. Mat. 4.5. The City of the great King. Mat. 5.35. The Lord he chose it, he desired it for his habitation, he said of it: This is my rest forever, here will I dwell, for I have a delight therein, Psal. 132.14. And yet notwithstanding, Jerusalem is rased from the foundation, she is utterly destroyed. It is befallen her according to this commination in my text, I will send a fire upon Judah, which shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem. My doctrine is;

This S. Peter avoweth, 1. Epistle 4.17. saying: Judgment must begin at the house of God, Hi • meaning is, that the punishment and chastisement of sins beginneth with the Saints and servants of God, in whom as it were in a house, or Temple God dwelleth. If they who are most familiar with us, do sin against us, we fret and grow discontented. The most familiar with God are his faithful ones, who fill the house of God, which is his Church. If these sin against God, can God take it well? He cannot. He will punish even his faithful ones. So saith S ^t Augustine, Epist. 122. Ad victorianum; Propter peccata sua etiam sancti flagellantur, the very Saints of God are scourged for their sins. You see my doctrine confirmed;

The reason is given by S. Augustine in his Book of fifty Homilies, Homil. 21. because Iustitia est, vt puniat peccatum, it is a part of God's justice to punish sin, a part of his Active justice; So do the Schools call the Justice of God, by which he judgeth and punisheth offenders. Of this Justice of God it is said in our English Liturgy: It belongeth to God justly to punish sins. Yea, so doth it belong to God, that God is not just, unless he punish sin.

The use of this doctrine is urged to us by S. Pet. 1. Epist. Chap. 4. verse. 17.18. If God will severely punish his own children for their sins; If judgment must begin at the house of God; what shall become of strange children, children of Belial? What shall be the end of them, that obey not the Gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?

To this purpose is that of our blessed Savior Jesus Christ Luk. 23.31. If they do these things to a green tree, what shall be done to the dry? It is, as if he had said more plainly thus; If God, my Father, suffer me, who am innocent and without sin, who am like a green and a fruitful tree, so grievously to be afflicted, and to be hewn down, as if I were a dry tree, how much more will he suffer you, who are sinful, and rightly compared to dry and barren trees, to be afflicted, and to be hewn down? The like argument doth the Lord bring against Edom. Ierem. 49.12. Behold they whose judgment, was not to drink of the cup, have assuredly drunken, and shalt thou altogether go unpunished? Thou shalt go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it.

What shall I more say? Let us diligently weigh, what hath already been said. Lay we it to our souls and consciences. We have seen, that the infinite Justice of God repayeth vengeance for sin, even upon the heads of his dearest children. The inhabitants of Judah, God's inheritance, great Jerusalem, the city of God, the glorious temple there, the house of God, for sins pollution have been brought to destruction.

Christ himself, the only begotten son of God, the well-beloved son of God, he in whom alone God is well pleased, because he served with our sins, and was made sin for us, he was wounded for our transgressions; he was broken for our iniquities; his back was loaden with stripes, his head with thorns, his body with crossing, his soul with cursing.

Thus sweet Savior hast thou suffered for our rebellions, for our transgressions, for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon thee, and with thy stripes we are healed. It fell out happily for us (beloved) that Christ, who knew no sin, should be made sin for us, that we, who bore about with us, a body of sin, might be made the righteousness of God in him. Being thus by Christ reconciled to God, and washed, and cleansed from our sins through his precious blood, take we heed, that it happen not to us according to the true Proverb: The dog is turned to his own vomit again, and the sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire. Let us not henceforth be servants unto sin; let us not yield our members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin. Why should we crucify to our selves the son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame? Let us rather yield our selves, our souls, and our bodies, servants unto God; for so, shall our fruit be in holiness, and our end everlasting life. So be it.

THE VIII. LECTURE.

FOr Israel's sake, Amos the peculiar Prophet of Israel, hath hitherto made known unto Israel, what God his pleasure was, concerning their neighbor-Nations. The judgments of God against the Syrians, the Philistines, the Tyrians, the Edomites, the Ammonites, and the Moabites were first manifested: then followed his judgments against Judah. These might have served Israel instead of so many mirrours, or looking glasses, wherein they might have beheld the judgments, that hung over their heads also.

From the judgments of God denounced to foreign nations, the people of Israel might thus within themselves have reasoned: Our God! All his ways are judgment; he is a God of truth, without iniquity; just and right is he. The Syrians, the Philistines, the Tyrians, the Edomites, the Ammonites, and the Moabites, must they, for their misdoings, be punished? How then shall we escape? They silly people, never knew the holy will of God; and yet, must they be measured with the line of desolation? What then shall be the portion of our cup, who knowing God's holy will, have not regarded it.

Again, from the judgments of God pronounced against Judah, the people of Israel might thus within themselves have argued: God ministereth his judgments in uprightness. He threateneth destruction to our brethren, the people of Judah: that people, whom all that saw them, acknowledged to be the blessed seed of the Lord; that people, that was the plant of the Lord's pleasures; that people, with whom God placed his sanctuary; upon that people will the Lord send a fire, to devour them? What then shall be the end of us? They our brethren of Judah, have preserved among them Religion, the worship and fear of the Lord, in greater purity then we have done; and yet will the Lord send a fire upon them, to devour them? Certainly, our judgment cannot be far off.

Amos having thus prepared his auditors the Israelites, to attention, maketh no longer delay; but beginneth to deliver his message to them, in the words, which I have now read unto you: For three transgressions of Israel and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof, &c. Herein, for our more direct proceeding, may it please you to observe with me,

• 1. Autoritatem sermonis; The authority of this Prophecy: Thus saith the Lord.
• 2. Sermonem ipsum; The Prophecy it self: For three transgressions of Israel, &c.

In the Prophecy, as far as this Chapter leadeth us, we have,

• 1. Reprehensionem; A reproof of Israel for sin, verse. 6, 7, 8.
• 2. Enumerationem; A recital of the Benefits, which God had heaped upon Israel, verse. 9.10.11.
• 3. Exprobrationem; A twitting of Israel with their unthankfulness, verse. 12.
• 4. Comminationem; A threatening of punishment to befall Israel for their sins, ver. 13. to the end of the Chapter.

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

• 1. A general accusation of Israel: For three transgressions of Israel, and for four.
• 2. A protestation of Almighty God against them: I will not turn away the punishment thereof.
• 3. A rehearsal of some grievous sins, which made a separation between God and Israel: Because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes; and so forward to the end of the eyghth verse.

You have the division of my Text. Now followeth the exposition. The first thing we meet with, is, Autoritas sermonis, the authority of this prophecy.

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

The school-men say, there are three things whereof they can give no definition: One is, that first matter, out of which all things were produced: The second is, Sin, that hath destroyed all: The third is, God, who preserveth all. The first, which is the Philosophers Materia prima, they define not obsummam informitatem, because it is without all form: The second, which is man's bane, Sin, they define not ob summam deformitatem, for its exceeding deformity: The third, even God, the prime cause of all his creatures, they define not ob summam formositatem, for his transcendēt beauty. It pleaseth the Schoolmen sometimes thus to play with words. For the matter they are in the right.

It is true: De deo non possumus scire, Quid est: We cannot attain to so great a measure of the knowledge of God, as to define what he is. When the Poet Simonides was asked of K. Hiero, what God is? He wisely for answer desired one days respite, after that two, then four; still he doubled his number: at last; of his delay he gave this for a reason: Quanto diutiùs considero, tanto mihi res videtur obscurior; the more I consider of this matter, the more obscure it seemeth unto me. Cotta in Tully said not amiss, Quid non sit Deus, citiùs quàm quid sit, dixerim; I can with more ease tell, what God is not, then what he is. This goeth for a truth in the schools. De Deo scire non possumus quid sit, sed quid non sit: we cannot know of God what he is; but what he is not. So saith Saint Augustine; Facilius dicimus quid non sit, quam quid sit Deus; We can more easily say, what God is not, then what he is.

And what is he not? The same father in his 23. Tract upon the Gospel of S. John will tell you: Non est Deus corpus, non terra, non coelum, non luna, non Sol, non Stellae, non corporalia ista. God is not a body, he is not the earth, he is not the Heaven, he is not the Moon, he is not the Sun, he is not the Stars, he is not any of these corporal things.

From hence sprang those Negative attributes of God, which we meet with, either in the sacred volumes of the New Testament, or in the writings of the ancient Fathers: from hence is God said to be immortal, invisible, incorruptible, incorporeal, ineffable, inestimable, incomprehensible, infinite, immense, undivided, invariable, unchangeable. All these show unto us, not what God is, but what he is not. And whosoever thus thinketh of God, as he is set forth in these his Negative appellations, though hereby he cannot altogether find out what God is, pie tamen cauet, quantum potest, aliquid de eo sentire, quod non sit, saith S. Augustine de Trin lib. 3. cap. 1. yet his religious care is, to conceive somewhat of God, that he is not.

You see, it is easier for us to say, what God is not, then what he is: easier for us to conceive of him by his Negative attributes, then by his affirmative. Yet by his affirmative attributes are we brought to some knowledge of God. For hereby we know, that he is the everlasting God, the most high God, the only wise God; that he is omnipotent, and holy, and just, and merciful, and gracious, and longsuffering, and good, and true.

Whatsoever is verified of God in either sort of his Attributes; Affirmative or Negative, it is all comprised in this one name of God in my text; his name Jehovah. For this name Jehovah, is the name of the Essence of God: and whatsoever is in God, it is his Essence.

It was one of Vorstius his foul errors to deny the truth of that vulgarly received Axiom: Nullum omnino in Deo accidens esse. It is simply and every way true: There is no accident at all in God. God he is primum ens, his being is from all eternity; he is forma simplex, a pure form, no subject; there is nothing in God, which is not God; there is nothing in God really diverse from the essence of God; there is nothing in God obnoxious to imperfection, separation, or change; therefore it followeth against Uorstius, there is no accident at all in God. God he i • Jehovah: he is absolutely and totally essence.

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

First, that God of himself, and through himself, hath always been, now is and ever shall be. So is this name by a Periphrasis expounded, Revel. 1.4. Grace be unto you, and peace from him, which is, which was, and which is to come. And, Revel. 16.5. Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be. This exposition of this name Iehou •• h, is given by Clemens Alexandrinus, and Theodoretus Cyra • sis, that Jehovah, for its signification is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , He that is.

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

Thirdly, we are taught by this name Jehovah, that God doth give Esse reale, a real being to his promises & threatenings: that he is veracissimus and constantissimus, most true and most constant, in doing whatsoever he hath promised or threatened.

This consideration of this great Name, Jehovah, may yield much comfort to all the Elect of God, and his faithful ones. Though they seem to drink the dregs of the cup of trembling, and to be even swallowed up of ^c tribulation, of distress, of persecution, of famine, of nakedness, of peril, of the sword; though they be as killed all the day long, and accounted as sheep for the slaughter; yet hereby, they may be well assured, that all the good things promised to them in the holy word of God shall in their due time be accomplished. For God who hath promised, he is the Lord, he is Jehovah.

Again this consideration of this great name Jehovah, may strike a terror into the hearts of the reprobate and unbelievers. They prosper in this world, they increase enriches, they have more then heart can wish, their eyes stand out with fatness, they are clothed with violence, as with a garment, they are compassed with pride, as with a chain, they are not in trouble, they are not plagued like other men: yet may they hereby be assured, that all the evil threatened to them in the holy word of God, shall in due time overtake them. For God, who hath threatened he is the Lord, he is Jehovah.

Thus saith the Lord] Jehovah. Sundry other observations upon these very words in so many syllables delivered five times in the first chapter of this book, and twice before in this second chapter, have heretofore been commended to your Christian considerations. They are in part published to your view: therefore I need not spend time in repetition of them. By this which hath this time been spoken, you see whence this prophesy against Israel hath its authority. The authority of it, is from the Lord, Jehovah: whom once to name unto you, should be enough to procure your most religious attentions. Proceede we therefore to the prophesy it self.

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

By Israel here we are to understand those ten tribes of Israel, who after King Solomon's death, forsook the Kings son R • hoboam, and subjected themselves to the rule of Iereboam, son of Nebat. Those ten tribes, from the time of that rent, were commonly called the Kingdom of Israel. These in Holy Scripture are called sometime Bethel, sometime Bethaven, sometime Samaria, sometime Iesreel, sometime Joseph, sometime Ephraim, sometime Jacob, sometime Israel. Israel is, their most common name, and their name in my text.

For three transgressions of Israel, and for four ] Diuerse are the opinions concerning these four transgressions of Israel. Nicolaus de Lyra saith, their first transgression was, their selling of Joseph; the second, their worshipping of the Calf; the third, their forsaking of David; the fourth, their selling of Christ. Paulus de Palatio saith, the first transgression was, their defection from the house of David, and the King of Judah; the second, their defection from the worship of God, to the worship of Idols; the third, their defection from the law of Moses, which was God's law; the fourth, their defection from the law of nature, which is the light of God's countenance sealed in our hearts. Abraham Bronius saith, the first of these transgressions was their idolatry; the second, the slaughter of the Prophets; the third, the murder of Christ; the fourth, their contempt. They made a trade of transgressing. These expositions seem to be far fetched. Albertus Magnus finds them nearer hand, in the letter of my text. The first transgression he will have to be, the selling of the just; the second, the oppression of the poor; the third, their perverting the way of the meek; the fourth, the violation of matrimony. These are but so many descants upon the words of my text, For three transgressions of Israel, and for four.

Three and four make seven. It seemeth then, that Israel transgressed against God seven times. Seven times! It is plain by Scripture, that they transgressed Saepiùs ac saepiùs, as Mercerus speaketh, many a time & oft: yea, from the division of their Kingdom under Jeroboam, son of Nebat, their first King, unto Hoshea, son of Elah, their last King, they did nothing but transgress against the Lord their God, what by Idolatry, and what by other wickednesses. Here then, by three and four, which make seven, we are to understand many.

The rule holds true in Divinity: A finite number is oftentimes put for an infinite. S. Austin hath observed it, lib. 3. de doctrina Christi, cap. 35. I thus explicate it. In Levite. 26.18. to the rebellious and disobedient, thus saith the Lord: If ye will not yet, for all this, hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. Seven times more, that is, many times more, will I punish you. Hannah in her song, 1 Sam. 2.5. hath this strain; The barren hath borne seven children. By seven there, you are to understand many: She that was barren, hath borne many children. David in Psal. 119.164. saith; Seven times a day do I praise thee. Seven times, that is, many times; as if had said, Semper laus eius in ore meo, All the day long am I in the praises of my God. Solomon in Prov. 26, 25. adviseth us not to believe the gracious words of an enemy, because, saith he, there are in his heart seven abominations. Seven abominations, that is, many abominations, many sly purposes lie hidden in the heart of an enemy. What need more examples? By these few the phrase in my text is plain. The seven transgressions of Israel (for three & four are seven ) the seven transgressions of Israel, are the many transgressions of Israel. In this phrase then doth the Lord object unto Israel innumera peccata, the multitude of their sins. For which he is unwilling any longer to forbear them: whereupon followeth his protestation against them, I will not turn away the punishment thereof.

For three tran • gressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof] The meaning is; if once, if twice, yea, if a third time only the Israelites had offended me with the grievousness of their transgressions, I could have tolerated them, and would not have cast them from out my sight: but now; whereas a fourth time, s • piùs & sapiùs, again and again, they relapse and fall back to their impieties, and with a shameless forehead, make no end of sinning; certa stat sententia, I am resolved, no more to recall them to my favor, but to leave them to themselves: that obstinate and indurate, as they are, in the multitude of their abominations, wherein they have so deeply plunged themselves, they may suddenly be cast into the pit of destruction.

Now from these two first parts of this prophesy, the general accusation of Israel for sin, and the Lord's protestation against them for the same, ariseth this lesson,

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

Now God, who feeleth the pulse of this sinners heart, and searcheth his inmost thoughts, & seeth his traytorous affection, can he be at peace with him? King Joram said to Jehu, 2 King. 9.22. Is it peace Jehu? Jehu answered, what peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel, and her witch-crafts are so many? This sinner happily will look to be at peace with God: but he is soon answered, What hast thou to do with peace? What peace with God doest thou look for, so long as thou castest away his fear, and liest wallowing in thy sins?

I must grant it: God is the God of peace; the Scripture saith it more then once, Rom. 15.33, and chap. 16.20. and in other places. But what is this to the sinner? Nothing at all. For the same Scripture will assure him, there is no peace to him; Isaiah 48.22. and 57.12. To the sinner the Lord will show himself, quasi bellator fortis, as he is called, Ierem. 20.11. he will show himself as a stout warrior. And for such he is described, Deut. 32.41. There thus saith the Lord concerning sinners: If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me. I will make mine arrows drunk with their blood, and my sword shall devour their flesh? To like purpose is that, which we read of God's dealing with sinners, Psal. 7.12. He whets his sword, he bends his bow, and makes it ready, he prepareth for them the instruments of death, he ordaineth his arrows against them. So have you my doctrine established,

Is God ever in open hostility with sinners? Consider this all ye that fear God; remember it all ye, that bear the image of the Almighty. The sinner, that is overtaken with three transgressions, and with four, that lieth in his sins, and walloweth in his iniquities, his case is fearful, his estate lamentable. God proclaimeth against him open war, most certain destruction, and will not turn away his punishments from him. Let it (Beloved) rouse us up from that sleep of sin, wherein we have too long rested. All the good gifts, and benefits of God, which God hath bestowed upon us for our good, we have abused to sin. God hath given us understanding to meditate upon his holy laws, but our understanding we have perverted to the transgression of his holy Laws. God hath given us the will to love him above all things, and our neighbors, as our selves; but we have diverted our will to the contempt of God, and the hate of our neighbors. God hath given us the tongue to pour forth his praises, but our tongues we have defiled with impure oaths, and ugly blasphemies. God hath given us hands for instruments to feed the poor, and to defend them, but the strength of our hands we have wasted in cruelty and rapine. In a word, God hath given us our souls, and our bodies, all the faculties of the one, all the members of the other, all, to do him service; but we have employed all to his dishonor.

Dearely beloved, what shall we do? The best advise I can give, is that, which Christ giveth his Spouse in the Canticles, chap. 6.13. Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may behold thee. I thus paraphrase it: Return, O my Spouse, daughter of Jerusalem return, return to me, return to thyself, return to thy former feeling of my Grace, return, that both my s • lfe and all the company of Angels, may see thee, and rejoice in thee.

This Spouse of Christ is the mother of us all, the holy Catholic Church, in whose bosom we are nourished, Take we then the advise given unto her, for an advise unto our selves. Return we from our evil ways, return we from our three and four transgressions, return we from all our sins, return we to the Lord our God, that both he and all the company of Angels may see us, and rejoice in us. Mutet vitam, qui vult accipere vitam, saith S. Augustine Serm. 1. de tempore: if we will enjoy the blessed life of Heaven, we must change our wicked life on earth. If we will not change it, but will still bear about us whorish looks, thievish faces, proud hearts, covetous thoughts, malicious minds, lustful eyes, slandering tongues, bloody hands, and drunken desires (from which God Almighty defend us all) our portion must be the accursed death of Hell. God will not turn away his punishments from us

Thus far of the general accusation of Israel, and the Lord's protestation against them; in those words, For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof. It followeth,

Here beginneth the rehearsal of those grievous sins, which made a separation between God and Israel. In these words two sins are specified; Crueltie, and Covetousness. Their Cruelty I note in selling of the righteous, and the poor: their Covetousness, in as much as they did it for silver, and for a pair of shoes. I take the words in their order.

They sold the righteous for silver] A man may be said to be righteous, either by imputation, or by virtue, or by comparison, or by course of law. The righteous man by imputation is he, whom Habakkuk speaketh of, chap. 2.4. The just shall live by his faith. There the just or righteous man is he, to whom the Lord imputeth not his sins, which he hath committed. The righteous man by virtue is he, whom David- speaketh of, Psal. 11.3. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? There the righteous man is he, whom we call virum bonum, a good man. The righteous man by comparison is he, whom Habakkuk speaketh of, chap. 1.13. Wherefore holdest thou thy tongue, when the wicked devoureth the man, that is more righteous, then he. There the righteous man is he, that is the less wicked: the Jews, though wicked, are yet called righteous in comparison of the Chaldeans, who were more wicked. The righteous man by course of law is he, whom Isaiah speaketh of, chap. 5.23. Woe unto them which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him. There the righteous is he, that hath a righteous cause: and this is the righteous man in my text; whom the Israelites are said to have sold for silver.

They sold the righteous for silver] For silver, that is, for money. The like phrase we have in Micah, chap. 3.11. where it is said of the Prophets of Israel, they divine for silver, that is, they divine only for monies sake. For monies sake to condemn the righteous, it is ingens piaculum; it is a very heinous offense, not to be purged without deep satisfaction. And therefore in the forecited place of Isaiah, chap. 5.23. a woe is denounced to such offenders. Solomon saith they are an abomination to the Lord, Prov. 17.15. He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just: even they both are abomination to the Lord. I may not now enlarge my notes.

You understand, what it is, to sell the righteous for silver It is, to to take away the righteousness of the righteous from him; and that is, to be hired by money, bribes, or rewards, to give sentence against the man, whose cause is just, and righteous.

They sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes] By the poor here we may understand the cause of the poor: as in Amos 5.12. They afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate. They turn aside the poor in the gate] that is, they turn the poor man out of his right: they overthrow the poor man's cause in judgment.

Again, by the poor here, we may understand the man, that is in misery; the man, that is unworthily afflicted; the man, that is tossed, turmoiled, grievously disquieted by some mighty wicked man.

This poor man, the Israelites did sell, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , say the Septuagint; pro calciamentis, saith the Vulgar Latin: they sold him for shoes. The word in the original is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of the dual number. It signifieth, two shoes. Our new English translation well rendereth it, A pair of shoes.

They sold the poor for a pair of shoes] If they sold, some bought. Such buyers we find, Amos 6.8. They took order to buy the needy for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes. There they are bought, here they are sold: and all for a pair of shoes.

For a pair of shoes] It is a proverbial speech; a speech fit to be used, if we would signify a thing to be little or nothing worth, of small estimation, of vile price. The like proverbial speech we have, Prov. 28.21. There it is said of the man, that respecteth persons, that he will transgress for a piece of bread. For a piece of bread, that is, for the vilest gift, for the basest commodity. In which sense Cato said once to Coelius: frusto panis conduci potest, vel vt taceat, vel vt loquatur: A man may hire him with a piece of bread, either to speak, or to hold his peace.

We now understand what our Prophet meaneth in these words; They sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes. They] The Israelites, the heads of Israel, the Judges of Israel; they sold] they circumvented, they beguiled, they betrayed the righteous] him, whose cause was righteous, and just: they sold the righteous for silver] for money, for a bribe, for a reward: and they sold the poor] the needy man, the man afflicted, or his honest cause, for a pair of shoes] for a morsel of bread, for any base commodity, for a trifle.

They sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes] Here the Judges of Israel are taxed for Crueltie, and Covetousness: for Cruelty, because they sold the righteous, and the poor: for Covetousness, because they sold them for silver, and for a pair of shoes. The lesson which we may take from hence, is this,

You see it plain in my text. God would not turn away his punishments from Israel, because of the Cruelty and Covetousness in the Judges of Israel. These sins are most eminent in Judges and Magistrates, but are reproveable in all sorts of men. The Cruel and the Covetous, be they of whatsoever rank in a Common wealth, they are very burdensome to God himself. God himself in this chapter verse. 13. cries out against them: Behold I am pressed under you as a cart is pressed, that is full of sheaves.

The time will not suffer me to enlarge my meditations upon the discovery of these two sins; Cruelty and Covetousness. I shall have occasion to meet with them again in the beginning of the next verse; where they are amplified, and may hope for the benefit of your new attention.

For the present, let us be admonished, that we suffer not our selves to be overcome of these or any other sins.

Sin! It produceth very sad and doleful effects. It blindeth our understanding, while it taketh from us the supernatural light of divine grace; it staineth and defileth our consciences, with its filthiness; it accuseth us before the Lord of grievous injuries done against his Majesty: it impouerisheth us, when it spoils us of all spiritual good; it dishonoreth us, when it diffameth us in the sight of the Angels, and the whole Court of Heaven; it holdeth us captive, and depriveth us of all liberty of well-doing; it bindeth us with the chains of evil custom; and brings us within the danger of falling daily from bad to worse; vulnerat nos in bonis naturalibus, occidit in gratuitis, saith Cornelius Mussus B. of Bitonto: it woundeth us in all the good faculties of our nature, and slayeth us in the free graces, wherewith God hath beautified our souls.

You see (dearly beloved in the Lord) you see what a tyrant Sin is. It stoppeth up the fountains of Grace, and hindereth the streams of heavenly comfort from coming to us. Yet; yet our life is nothing, but a trade of sinning. In us, in our flesh, there dwelleth no good. Day by day, yea many times a day, we transgress God's holy Commandments, we heap sin upon sin, and repent not.

What remaineth, but that we pour forth our prayers to Almighty God, that he will be pleased to give us true repentance for the wickedness of our fore-passed lives, and in his good time to loose us from this body of sin, and to couple us to himself in Heaven: where we may with the whole multitude of Saints, sing unto him an Halleluiah: Blessing, salvation, honor, glory, and power be unto him that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb forever and ever. Even so be it.

THE IX. LECTURE.

OF those grievous sins, with which the people of Israel are in this Chapter charged, two were touched in the former verse: their Crueltie, and their Covetousness. They sold the righteous and the poor, this was Crueltie: they sold them for silver, and for a pair of shoes; this was Covetousness. Now in the beginning of this 7. verse are those two sins amplified: Their Covetousness thus: They were never satisfied, till they had cast down the righteous and the poor to the dust of the earth: Their Crueltie thus: They were not content thus to have exhausted and spoiled them, but did also conspire against, and gape after, their lives; for They panted after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor. Before we take a further view of these sins, Crueltie and Covetousness; let us for a while examine the words themselves. They may seem to be very intricate and perplexed, by the diversity of the readings.

The word in the original is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Septuagint do render it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that tread under foot upon the dust of the earth the heads of the poor. The Vulgar Latin hath Qui conterunt, that break, or bruise upon the dust of the earth, the heads of the poor. The Chaldee Paraphrast hath, Qui contemnunt, who despise, as it were the dust of the earth, the heads of the poor. But these express the sense, they render not the word. For 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 properly signifieth to fetch wind, to draw breath, and by a metaphor, to swallow down, to sup up, to devour; or earnestly, fervently, and with pleasure to desire to do anything.

By this phrase then our Prophet giveth us to understand, that the Israelites, the rich and the mighty among them, did with delight behold the dust of the earth upon the heads of the poor; that to them it was a pleasure, to see the poor by unjust exactors oppressed, thrown to the ground, trodden under foot.

Which sense our English Bibles seem to point at. The Geneva Bible hath, They gape over the head of the poor in the dust of the earth. The late Church Bible, They gape for breath over the head of the poor in the dust of the earth; or They press upon the head, or, They tread upon the head of the poor in the dust of the earth. The new translation, That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor.

This variety varieth not the sense. Howsoever for the the first word we read, They gape, or gape for breath, or press, or tread, or pant, over, on, or upon the head of the poor, yet is not the sense varied. The mention of the dust of the earth, keepeth that entire.

The dust of the earth] Old Samaeus in Joseph Ben-Gorion, tells us of an ancient custom among the Hebrews concerning such as were impleaded or arraigned before their Judges: They were to stand at the bar in mourning attire, with dust upon their heads. If •• that custom our Prophet here alludeth, as Drusius thinketh, then are the Magis •• ates of Israel here nipped, and checked for selling the cause of the poor to their rich adversaries, thereby making to themselves unlawful, and excessive gain, and lucre.

The dust of the earth on the head of the poor] The casting of dust or earth upon the head, was of old and long time a ceremony, whereby men in sad and doleful plight were wont to express their grief. Mention is made of it, Josh. 7.6. There it is said, that Joshua, and the elders of Israel, to testify their grief for the overthrow given them by the men of Ai, rent their clothes, fell to the earth upon their faces, and put dust upon their heads. They put dust upon their heads. So 1. Sam. 4.12. the Beniamite that brought the heavy news of the Ark of the Lord taken by the Philistines, and of the death of Hophni & Phinehas the two sons of Eli, in tokē of his grief came to Shiloh, with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head. He came with earth upon his head. The like we read, 2. Sam. 13.19. Tamar, the sister of Absalom, because she was hated of Amnon, by whom she had been ravished, to signify her grief, she rent her garment, and put ashes upon her head. She put ashes on her head.

Other like places of holy writ I might produce, yet further to show, that the aspersion or sprinkling of earth, dust, or ashes upon the head was a ceremony in use with such, as had in themselves just cause of grief, heaviness, mourning, or lamentation. But this is by the places already alleged, sufficiently declared unto you. If to this ceremony of besmering the head with earth, dust, or ashes, our Prophet here alludeth, then are the rulers of Israel, and the rich among them here taxed for their hard-heartedness towards the poor, for their covetousness and cruelty, whereby they oppressed the poor; to this sense:

They] the rulers of Israel, and the rich men there, They pant after the dust of the earth] they greedily desire to see the dust of the earth sprinkled, on the head of the poor] they make it their pleasure, to give the honest poor man, just cause of grief, and mourning.

They pant after the dust of the earth] The dust; sometime it betokeneth a low and base estate, 1. Sam. 2.8. Hannah in her song of thankfulness, praising the Lord for his beneficence towards the humble & despised, saith, He raiseth the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill. So, in so many words saith the Psalmist, Ps. 113.7. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill. In both places the latter phrase is a repetition, or exposition of the former. The Lord raiseth up the poor out of the dust, that is, the Lord lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill. The meaning is: The Lord through his Almighty power, and of his goodness, exalteth the poor and abject amongst men from their vile & contemptible estate to some degree of honor. Hitherto may we add that of David, Psal. 7.5. Let him lay mine honor in the dust. Let him lay mine honor in the dust! Whats that? If (saith David, I have rewarded evil to him, that was at peace with me, let the enemy lay mine honor in the dust; that is, let mine honor be so put out, that there may be no more remembrance of it in the posterity to come; let me ever be held for a base, vile, and contemptible wretch. If to this signification of Dust, our Prophet here alludeth; then are the rulers of Israel and the rich among them, here censured, for their cruel and insatiable desire to grind the faces of the poor. Thus,

That is, though the poor do already sit upon the dust of the earth, and are thereby in the eyes of the world, base, vile, and contemptible, yet do the rulers of Israel, and the rich among them, still pant after the dust of the earth upon their heads, their delight is to behold them ever wallowing in the dust of the earth, to see them yet more base, more vile, more contemptible. Yea, they can be contented that the dust, whereof David speaketh, Psal. 22.15. The dust of death be upon their heads, that the grave have power over them, that the pit shut her mouth upon them.

Hitherto (dearly beloved) you have had variety of interpretations. Which will you admit? You cannot choose amiss. They are all agreeable to the analogy of faith. They all check Israel, the heads of Israel, the Magistrates, Rulers, and Governors of Israel, the rich of Israel, for their cruelty, their covetousness, and their oppression of the poor of Israel, and they yield unto us this lesson.

By the poor in this proposition, I understand all, that be in any need, necessity or want; widows also & fatherless children, that have lost their head; strangers likewise and exiles out of their country for religion, and good causes. All these if they behave themselves meekly, and seek to live peaceably with all men, and put themselves wholly into the hands of God, God receiveth into his protection, and pleadeth their cause.

Concerning strangers the commandment is, Exod. 2 • .21. Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him. It is repeated, Levite. 19.33. If a stranger s • iourne with thee, ye shall not vex him; he shall be as one borne amongst you, and thou shalt love him as thyself. Such is the commandment. Do men regard it? Do they not rather with their churlish and unkind words and deeds torment the a king heart of the stranger? If they do so, the Lord is ready to avenge the strangers cause, and to execute vengeance upon his oppressors. For so much the Lord undertaketh, Exod. 22.23. If thou afflict [the stranger] in any wise, and he cry at all unto me, I will surely hear his cry, and my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword. You see God pleadeth the strangers cause.

Again, God pleadeth the cause of the widows and fatherl • sse children. The commandment concerning them is, Exod. 22.22. Ye shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. It is repeated, Zach. 7.10. Oppresse not the widow, nor the fatherless. Such is the commandment. Do men regard it? Do they not rather add affliction to the afflicted fatherl • sse, and widow? Do they not oppress, wrong, vex, and grieve them? If they do so, God is ready to right their cause, and to lay vengeance upon their oppressors. For so much God undertaketh, Exod. 22.23. If you afflict the widow, or fatherless child, in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry, my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. This protection over the fatherless and widows is also ascribed unto the Lord, Deut. 10 18. The Lord doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow. It is very comfortably delivered, Psal. 68.5. God in his holy habitation is a father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows. You see God pleadeth the cause of the widows and the fatherless.

So also he pleadeth the cause of the poor, whatsoever he be. The commandment concerning him is, Levite. 25.35. If thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen into decay with thee, then thou shalt relieve him, yea, though he be a stranger, or a soiourner. It is repeated, Deut. 15.7. If there be among you a poor man, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from him; But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt lend him sufficient for his need. Such is the commandment. Do men regard it? Do they not rather harden their hearts, and shut their hands against the poor? Do they not rob them, vex them, oppress them, crush them? Do they not even now as bad as the Israeli • es in my text did? Do they not sell the poor, for silver, for shoes, for a trifle? Do they not even now pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor? If they do so, the Lord is ready to do them right, and to punish such as oppress them. For so much God undertaketh, Amos 4.2. where, to such as oppress the poor and crush the needy, the Lord God hath sworn by his holiness, that loe, the days shall come upon them, wherein he will take them away with hooks, and their posterity with fish-hooks. This Solomon by the spirit full well knew, and therefore Prov. 22.22. advising us not to rob the poor, brings this for a motive, verse. 23. The Lord will plead the cause of the poor, and will spoil the soul of those, that spoil them. And chap. 23.11. dissuading us from wronging of the poor, he brings the like motive, Their redeemer is mighty, he shall plead their cause with you. You see now God pleadeth the cause of the poor, whatsoever he be. But against whom doth he plead it? My doctrine saith, the Cruel, the Covetous, and Oppressors.

These are they, whom the holy Spirit in this place taxeth. Their cruelty and covetousness, were touched verse. the 6. They sold the righteous, & the poor. This was Cruelty. They sold them for silver, and for shoes; this was Covetousness. Those two; Cruelty and Covetousness, joined together, make Oppression, which is the sin reproved in the beginning of this 7. verse. They pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor. With these, (the Cruel, the Covetous, and Oppressors ) the Lord hath a controversy, against these he pleadeth.

First: He pleadeth against the Cruel. Against the Chaldeans, Isaiah. 47.5, 6. Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans, thou shalt be no more called the Lady of kingdoms. For thou didst show my people no mercy, thou hast very heavily laid the yoke upon them.

Secondly: He pleadeth against the Covetous. Against the men of Judah, Isaiah. 3.14, 15. Ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses. What mean ye, that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor.

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

Now let us see what benefit we may make hereof unto our selves for our further instruction, and the amendment of our lives.

First: Doth God plead the cause of the poor against the cruel, the covetous, & oppressors? This may serve to reprove y ^e cruel, the covetous, & the oppressors of this age. With us now it is, as once it was with the state of Israel. Cruelty, and Covetousness, much worse then nettles and brambles, have over-run our land. These two, Cruelty and Covetousness, that boundless, this insatiable, like the two daughters of the horsleech, Prov. 30.15. have been so long used to cry, Give, Give; that they will never be brought to say, It is enough. The first borne of these two, Cruelty, and Covetousness, is Oppression, that loud-crying sin, under which this our land in every corner almost groaneth: and she hath her mates too; Usury, and Extortion. All these, Crueltie, Covetousness, Oppression, Usury, and Extortion, walk hand in hand, and seek about, (like that roaring Lyon, the Devil, of whom they are begotten) whom they may devour. Many God knows, they have devoured already, but that contents them not.

Dearely beloved, how shall I work in you a loathing & a detestation of these foul sins. Can I do it better, then by setting before your eyes the deformity and vglines of the men, in whom they reign? And who are they? will you have their character, and picture? It is drawn by Solomon, Prov. 30.14. There is, saith he, a generation, a generation of men, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaws as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men. They are as David's Lions, Psal. 57.4. Their teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. They are as the kine of Bashan, Amos 4.1. Oppressors of the poor, crushers of the needy. See you not in the shape of men, Monsters, Kine, Lions, with teeth like spears and arrows, with jaws like knives, with tongues like swords? Will you yet converse with them? will you have any further fellowship, any further acquaintance with them?

You will say; How shall we shun them, unless we more particularly know who they are? Behold therefore a Catalogue of them, out of a learned and judicious Divine. They are such, as eat and devour us up with Usury; such as spoil us by monopolies, by engrossing, by false wares, by subtle bargain • s; such as wrong us, by enclosing of Commons; such as wring us, by enhaunsing of rents; such as rob the Church, in pulling away the maintenance of the Ministers thereof, in possessing their right, in appropriating or deteining their tithes; such as thrust husbandmen out of their livings, & in their steed place a shepherd with his dog; such as join house to house, land to land, living to living, as though they meant alo • e to live upon the earth.

These are they whose character and picture I but now shown unto you; (men! will you call them men? nay) monsters of men, kine of Bashan, Lions, whose teeth, jaws, and tongues are as spears, and arrows, and knives, and swords, to eat & devour the needy and the poor. These are they whom you commonly call devouring Caterpillars, greedy Corm • rants, cruel Cambals, and not amiss: So insatiable are they, and such merci-less man-eaters; hated of all good people, and abhorred of God.

What can be the end of these men? Shall not the day come, wherein dogs shall lick their blood, as once they did, the blood of Ahab, 1. Kin. 22.38. or the fowls of heaven shall feed on their carcasses, as they once did, on the carcasses of those of Ahab's house, that died in the field, 1. King. 21.24. Or the ground shall cleave asunder, and swallow them up alive, as once it did Dathan, and Abiram, and the rest, that perished in the gain-saying of Corah, Num. 16.32. But say they are visited after the visitation of other men; say they die the common death of all men; say, they seem to die the death of the righteous, full of days, and in peace to go down into their graves: yet behold; there is a day to come, and come it shall upon them: the day of the Lord; that day, wherein the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also & the works that are therein shall be burnt up. At that day shall these men, men of blood, blood-thirsty and cruel men, standing among the Goats before the tribunal of the great Judge, receive that sentence of damnation; Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil, and his Angels.

There is no evasion for them. For if by that sentence they are damned, who have not done the works of Mercy, much more shall they be damned, who have acted the works of Crueltie: if by that sentence they are damned, who have not succoured and relieved the poor, much more shall they be damned, who have oppressed, and crushed the poor: That sentence thus proceedeth: Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels. For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not, sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. O then! how fearful, how lamentable shall their case be, against whom the Judge may thus proceed in sentence! Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil, and his Angels. For I had meat, and by force you took it from me: I had drink, and you spoiled me of it: I had a house, and you thrust me out of it: I had clothes, and you pulled them from my back: I was in health, and ye drove me into sickness: I was at liberty, and you imprisoned me? O that we were wise to consider this, while it is time. Nam si isti paenas luent, qui proximo suppetias non tulerunt; quid fiet de istis, qui miserum insuper expiliârunt, & despoliârunt? If they who help not their poor and needy neighbors, shall eternally be burnt in Hell fire, much more shall they be there burnt, who rob and spoil their poor and needy neighbors, who like the Israelites in my text, do sell the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes, and do pant after the dust of the earah on the head of their poor brethren, What shall I say more to such? I can only wish that some remorse and penitency, may be wrought in their hearts through the remembrance of my present doctrine,

Is it so? Then in the second place, may this doctrine serve for the consolation, or comfort of the poor and needy, who now lie groaning under the tyranny of the cruel and covetous oppressors of this age. God pleads their cause, God is their Redeemer, God righteth their wrongs, God spoileth their spoilers, God takes the care, God takes the tuition of them. May they not well be comforted?

Hear ye then, ye that are poor and needy Let your weak hands be strengthened, let your feeble knees be confirmed; Be ye strong, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance, your God will come with recompense; he will come in due time, and will deliver you from out the paws of the blood-thirsty, and cruel man. Though ye be scorned of the world, and pointed at with the finger, and triumphed over by such, as tread you vnderfoot; yet comfort yourselves in this your affliction, God pleads your cause.

I speak not this to give encouragement or comfort to such of the poor, as are profane and wicked. They can make no claim to God's protection. The stranger, that behaveth himself more proudly, then he would at home in his own Country, and among his friends, he is out of God's protection. The widow, that playeth (as Calvin speaketh) the she-Devil, that troubleth & vexeth her neighbors, with whom there is more to do, then with many a man, she is out of God's protection. The fatherless-child, that gives himself to naughtiness, shakes of the yoke of piety, becomes an unthrift in spite of God, and the world, he is out of God's protection. The poor, whosoever they be, that have not the fear of God before their eyes, that are given over to work wickedness, and that greedilie; that lie wallowing in sensuality, in wantonness, in drunkenness, in any filthiness, they are all out of God's protection.

I speak only to comfort the stranger, the widow, the fatherless child, every poor soul, that is religious, and godly: such as live peaceably with all men, such as are truly dist • essed before the Lord, such as humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, such as cast all their cares and sowrowes upon the Lord. Such are the poor, that may receive true comfort from my propounded doctrine;

We have not yet done with oppressors, the holy Ghost will not so let them go. They are further described unto us in the next clause.

They turn aside the way of the meek.] For the meek, the word in the original is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The same word, Psal. 10.17. is rendered in our new translation, the humble. So it is translated by the Seauentie, and the vulgar Interpreter. Some translate it, the poor, some, the miserable; some, the afflicted. The original word well beareth every of these significations: the meek, the humble, the poor, the miserable, the afflicted.

The way of these men may here be taken properly, or figuratively. If it be taken properly; then we are here to understand, that the richer sort of the Israelites, did make the poor to turn aside out of their way to give them place, or, did make the poor even for fear of them, to keep out of their sight. But if the way here be figuratively taken, as well it may by a metaphor, for their cause, their right, their business, their trade or course of life; then are we here to understand, that the richer sort of the Israelites did pervert the right of the poor, did hinder their purposes, did disturb their courses, and did so confound them, that they were not able to make any provision for themselves.

This metaphorical signification of a way we meet with, Exod. 18.20. There Moses is counseled by Jethro, to show his people the way wherein they were to walk. We meet with it also in the Book of Job, Chap. 17.9. There Job saith, the righteous shall hold on his way. We meet with it in many other places of holy writ, which I must now let pass; in all which, as in this place, the way betokeneth, the cause of a man, his right, his business, his trade, or course of life. A • ter this figurative signification some do thus expound these words: They turn aside the way of the meek; or, They pervert the way of the poor: that is, the Israelites their rulers, and governors, the rich among them, do take in ill part what so ever the poor say, or do. All their words, all their deeds are found fault with. Some malicious invention, or surmise, is ever at hand to lay the blame upon them. This I take to be the fittest exposition for this place.

Here then we have the fourth sin wherewith the Israelites are here charged. It is Caluninia; their false accusing of the poor, a sin that evermore attendeth upon Oppression. For the cruel, and covetous wretch, who is persuaded that his greatness chiefly consisteth in the oppression of the poor, will be sure so to provide, to keep the poor under, that they shall never be able to revenge the wrongs done unto them. Let the poor man slip but unadvisedly or ignorantly, the laws must by and by take hold on him: whereas the Rich man, the laws are but as Cobwebs: he breaks throw them all. Hence is that common saying: the poor man doth nothing well; the rich man nothing ill. Yea let the poor man do all things well, yet will some rich calumniator ever be ready, to give an ill construction of his best ways; or, as the phrase in my text is, to turn aside the way of the meek, or, to pervert the way of the poor. The lesson which we are to take from hence for our instruction is this;

The reason of this doctrine is plain in the sixth verse of this Chapter: The Lord will not turn away his punishments from the offenders in this kind; from such, as turn aside or pervert, the way of the meek, and the poor.

The use of this doctrine concerneth all those, whom God hath blessed with the wealth of this world. It is their duty not to be careless of the poor, not to grieve them, not to hinder them in their honest courses, not to turn them aside out of their lawful ways. You that have wherewith to maintain yourselves abundantly, you may not exempt yourselves from doing service unto God with your abundance. Yea you must strain yourselves to the uttermost of your powers to relieve and succor such as are in scarcity, and in want. This is a sacrifice that God requireth at your hands. Offer it willingly, and you shall have a reward. Your reward it shall not be a corruptible Crown. It shall be a Crown of eternity. It shall be the possession of Heaven it self. The poor shall carry you thither.

There is to this purpose a sweet meditation of S. Austin. Serm. 245. de Tempore. There he b • ingeth in God thus speaking to the rich man: Te diuitem feci; tibi, quod dares, dedi, laturarios tibi paupers feci: I have made thee rich: I have given to thee, that thou mightest give to others; I have made the poor to be thy porters; to be the Cariers of thine alms, and thee, into Heaven. To this sense doth the same S. Augustine Serm. 25. de verbis Domini, call the poor man, viam Coeli, the way to Heaven. Via Coeli est pauper, per quam venitur ad Patrem. The poor man is the way to heaven, by which we come unto the Father. Incipe ergo erogare, si non vis errare: Begin therefore to errogate, to distribute, to lay out upon the poor, if thou wilt not wander or stray from the way to Heaven. Loose thou the fetters of thy patrimony in this life, that hereafter thou mayest have free access into Heaven.

Cast away the burden of thy riches, cast away thy voluntary bonds; cast away thy anxieties, thy irkesomnesse, wherewith for many years thou hast been disquieted; Da p • tenti, vt possis ipse accipere: Give to him that asketh of thee an alms, that thou mayest thyself receive mercy. Tribue pauperi▪ si non vis flammis exuri, Give unto the poor, if thou wilt not be burnt in the flames of Hell fire. Da in terrâ Christo, quae tibi reddat, in Coelo; Give to Christ on earth, and Christ will repay thee in Heaven. The like hath the same good father, Serm. 227. de Tempore: Si aperueris pauperibus manus tuas, Christus tibi aperiet januas suas, vt Paradisi possessor introeas: If thou wilt open thy hand unto the poor, Christ will open his gates unto thee, that thou mayest enter the possession of Paradise; the Paradise of Heaven. It is a Paradise for pleasure, but a City for beauty, and a Kingdom for state. There is God in his fullness of glory, and reigns in justice. The company there are all triumphant; they are all invested with glory, crowned in majesty, clothed in sincerity. Their faces shine with beauty, their hearts are filled with piety, their tongues extol the Lord with spiritual alacrity; in their hands they bear palms in token of victory. No tongue can utter, no heart can conceive the boundless and endless happiness that shall be enjoyed there. This we know that our corruption shall there put on incorruption, and our mortality shall be swallowed up of life. Even so be it.

THE X. LECTURE.

THey who have begun to go beyond the lines, and the limits prefined unto them in the word of God, do by little and little proceed from evil to worse, from one wickedness to another. This you have seen verified in these Israelites. You have seen their cruelty, their covetousness, their oppressions, their calumnies. They were cruel; they sold the righteous, they sold the poor, ver. 6. They were covetous; they sold the righteous for silver: they sold the poor for a pair of shoes, in the same verse. They were oppressors; they panted after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, verse. 7. They were calumniators; false accusers of their needy brethren; they turned aside, they perverted the way of the meek, in the same verse. Now are the bars and bounds of all shame broken; now are the rains of all modesty let loose; given up to their vile affections, they fear not to commit detestable Inc • st. For

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

A man and his Father] that is, A son and his Father; The original word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth a man; for it the Septuagint read 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and the vulgar Latin, Filius; A son. A son and his Father—will go in.] The vulgar Interpreter hath Iêrunt, have gone; the Septuagint 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , did go in. The Hebrew is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 will go. It is very familiar with the Hebrews to put one tense for another; the future for the present; the time to come, for the time that is instant. An instance hereof we have, Psal. 1.2. There its spoken of the blessed man; He shall meditate in the law of the Lord day and night. He shall meditate, so goeth the text: the meaning is; he doth meditate: Blessed is the man that doth meditate in the Law of the Lord day and night. In Psal. 2.1. it is spoken of Christ's enemies; they shall imagine a vain thing. They shall imagine; so goeth the text: the meaning is; they do imagine. Why do the Heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? In Psal. 5.3. The Prophet David earnest and vehement in Prayer, thus speaketh of himself; In the morning will I pray unto thee. I will pray unto thee; so goeth the text: the meaning is; I do pray unto thee. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning do I direct my prayer unto thee. It is the very Hebraism, that we have in my text; A man and his father will go in unto a maid, to profane my holy name. They will go in; it is the letter of my text: the meaning is, that resolutely without shame, without fear; They go in, or they use to go in. Do they use to go in? Then may each reading be admitted: they have gone in, they did go in, they do go in, they will go in.

A man and his father will go in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 unto a maid] What maid? any maid? No. But a known maid, a certain maid. So much is implied by the Hebrew Article 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , which here is connotatiue, or discretiue. The Greeks say distinctly 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to the same maid. Our now English so readeth it; and well. For so the sense of this place requireth.

A man and his Father will go in unto the same maid.] By this maid S. Jerome understandeth the sons wife, or the fathers wife; so do others also, as Ribera observeth. Mercer, of late the Kings professor of the Hebrew tongue, in the University of Paris; by this maid understandeth, one, that is affianced, or betrothed to either, the son, or the father. Of like mind is Arias Montanus. By this maid (saith he) we understand non meretricem, not a common strumpet, one that makes gain by the prostitution and abuse of her body; sed viro sponsam, but one that is betrothed to a man, aut certe nubilem, or at lest, one that is marriageable and is in her fathers house appointed for wedlock. Some are of opinion, that by this maid, you may understand, any maid; the daughter of any other man, to whom yet this man and his father use to resort to satisfy their lusts.

Now, if we will collect, as Montanus doth, the Father knew his own daughter, his son knew the same, though she were to him, his sister: or the father knew his sons wife, his daughter in law: or the son knew his fathers wife, his mother in law: or both, the father and the son were naught with some other man's daughter: or all these wickednesses were in that corrupt state of Israel usually acted. Of that state we may say with Brenz: Qualis pater, talis filius: pater fornicatur, filius scortatur, pater adulterium committit, filius incestum; pater libidinem exercet prohibitam, filius turpem sequitur luxum. It is a fathers part, by his example of chaste living, to invite his son to chastity. With these Israelites there was no rule, so good observed. Here was like father, like son: the father a fornicator, the son a drabber: the father an adulterer, the son incestuous: the father delighting in unlawful lust, the son wallowing in sensuality: yea the father and the son did oftentimes fasten their impure and unchaste love upon the same maid: which is the very thing avowed in my text: A man and his father will go in unto the same maid. It followeth,

To profane my holy Name.] What? Did this man and his father go in unto the same maid, with a mind to profane God's holy Name? was this their end? No doubtless, it was not their end. Their end was to enjoy their carnal pleasures. And yet its here expressly said; they did it, to profane God's holy Name.

For the removing of this scruple, that old Canon of an ancient Father, will serve. It is proper to the Scripture, to put that for a cause, which indeed belongeth to the event. Ribera thus explicats it: It is the manner of the Scripture sometime so to speak as if it considered only, what a man doth, and not at all, with what mind he doth it: as if it only considered what men do vulgarly and usually collect and judge of any action by the event thereof. For the Scripture many times speaketh as the custom of the common people is.

This rule the Jesuit Pererius in his Comment upon Genes. chap. 43.6. thus plainly delivereth. When upon the deed of any one, anything falleth out besides the purpose and will of the doer, it is commonly believed, and said to be done, as if the doer had of purpose willed it. Will you have this rule made plain by examples? Then thus. A man sinneth. His sin draweth upon him the loss & destruction of his own soul. Now he that sinneth doth not intend any such matter; he intends not the loss, or destruction of his own soul. Yet because he doth that, from whence followeth, the loss and destruction of his soul, he is said to will and seek the perdition of his own soul.

This Canon rightly understood, much helpeth for the explanation of diverse Scripture places. In Psal. 10.6. according to the vulgar Latin, we read, Qui diligit iniquitatem, odit animam suam; he that loveth iniquity, hateth his own soul. Did ever man hate his own soul? We may not imagine it. Yet because he that loveth iniquity, liveth for the most part as if he little cared for his souls health, it is there absolutely said: He that loveth iniquity, hateth his own soul.

In Genes. 43.6. the vulgar Interpreter makes Israel thus to speak to Judah, and other his sons, In meam hoc fecistis miseriam, vt indicaretis ei, & alium vos habere fratrem; you have done it to my misery, that ye told the man, that you had another brother. Its true: Jacob's ten sons, when they were in Egypt to buy corn, told Joseph (whom then they knew not to be Joseph ) that their youngest brother was living. But did they do it with a mind to bring misery upon their aged father Jacob: Jacob himself could not think so, and the story clears them from that imputation. Yet because by that their deed, misery might have fallen upon their father Jacob, Jacob saith unto them after a vulgar custom of speech, In meam hoc fecistis miseriam, you have done this to make me miserable.

In 2. King. 4.16. the good woman of Shunem, that was by Elisha promised a son, notwithstanding her self was by nature barren, and her husband also old, said unto Elisha: Nay my Lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid. Do not lie! What! Elisha a Prophet, a man of God, could he, or would he lie? No; it beseemed him not. Yet because he promised, what was not in man's power to perform, (a son to a woman that was naturally barren, and her husband also old) some might think, that he went about to deceive the woman. The woman therefore after the common kind of speech, saith unto him; Nay my Lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.

Other like instances I might allege for the further explanation of the Canon or rule which even now I proposed, But I need not. The kind of speech is familiar in our English tongue. If you see a sick man intemperate, or refusing to follow the advise of his learned Physician, you will straight way say, this man seeks his own death; he will kill himself; When your meaning is, not that he hath a purpose to seek his own death, or to kill himself; but, that if he continue intemperate, and will not follow his Physicians wholesome counsel, death will soon lay him in the pit.

Now let this rule be laid unto my text, and the scruple, whereof I but now spake, is gone. A man and his father will go in unto the same maid to profane my holy name: they are the words of my text; and the Lord in the mouth of his Prophet Amos hath spoken them. But he speaketh after our manner; as we use to speak: His meaning is, that with the Israelites it was an ordinary matter for a man and his father, to commit filthiness with the same maid, and that by their so doing, (though themselves had no such purpose in so doing) the holy name of God was profaned. This profanation of God's holy name was not the final cause, it was not the end, why such filthiness was committed in Israel. It was rather the event, or consequent of it. Filthiness was acted in Israel, and thereof followed the profanation of the holy name of God. A man and his father, &c.

To profane my holy name] My holy name. The Hebrew hath, the name of my holiness: where the substantive is put for the adjective, the Abstract for the Concrete: which in that holy tongue is very usual. In the 3. of Exod. ver. 5. The Lord saith to Moses: Put of thy shoes from of thy feet for the place, whereon thou standest, is ground of Holiness. Its ground of Holiness, that is, its holy ground. In the 12. of Exod. verse. 16. Moses and Aaron are charged to say unto the people of Israel: In the seventh day there shall be a convocation of holiness unto you. A convocation of holiness, that is, a holy convocation. In the 22. of Exod. ver. 31. The Lord saith unto the same people of Israel: Ye shall be men of Holiness unto me. Men of Holiness, that is, Holy men.

Were it needful I could show unto you, that the Spirit of God's holiness, the arm of his holiness, the mountain of his holiness, the temple of his holiness, the habitation of his holiness, are put for his holy Spirit; his holy arm, his holy mountain, his holy temple, his holy habitation. I could yet show unto you; that garments of holiness, vessels of holiness, stones of holiness, bread of holiness, flesh of holiness, and oil of holiness, are in the holy Bible, put for holy garments, holy vessels, holy stones, holy bread, holy flesh, holy oil. But I have said enough, to show what I intended, namely, that usually in the Holy tongue, the Abstract is put for the Concrete, as holiness, for holy: as in this my text. A man and his father will go in to the same maid, to profane the name of my holiness; that is, to profane my holy name.

Can God's holy name be profaned by men? Why not, since it may be sanctified by men? That the name of God may be sanctified by men, its out of doubt, Caput votorum, the very first petition, which we are taught to pour forth unto God, is, that his name may be sanctified, Hallowed be thy name: The name of God is holy in it self, it needs not to be hallowed by us; its impossible for us to add unto it any purity or holiness, which it had not before. Yet Caput votorum, the first petition of our prayer is, Hallowed be thy name. Our desire therein is, that God's name which is holy of it self, may be so accounted off by us, may be holily used by us, and may, by our holy usage of it, be manifested to the world, that it is holy.

Now then, as the name of God is Hallowed, when for our holy and unstained lives, men bless the name of God, and praise him: so when for our impure and spotted lives, men blaspheme the name of God, and dishonor him, the name of God is profaned. Well then, doth our Prophet Amos here charge the people of Israel with profanation of God's holy name, for as much as their lives were very impure and much spotted. It was with them no strange matter, for a man and his father to commit filthiness with the same Mayde.

Thus have you the words of my text expounded.

A man and his father] A son and his father, will go in unto the same maid] do ordinarily, without fear or shame, commit filthiness with the same young woman, and so doing, do profane my holy name] they cause my name to be blasphemed, and ill spoken of.

Two things are herein remarkable. One is, the sin here objected to the Israelites: the other is, the consequent of this sin. The sin is pointed at in these words, A man and his father will go in unto the same maid: the consequent in these, to profane my holy name. The sin is unlawful pleasure, taken either in incest, or in adultery, or in fornication, or in any other uncleanness: the consequent is, the profaning of the holy name of God.

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

Incestuous persons, adulterers and fornicators, all are stark naught: but the first are the worst. Incest, adultery and fornication, each of them is a sin, that throweth the sinner into the ever-burning lake; yet the most grievous of them is incest. Incest! It is one of the grossest vices of lust. Every mixture of man and woman of the same kindred, within the degrees forbidden by the law of God, is Incest. It is forbidden in the seventh Commandment, wherein, although adultery be only mentioned, yet under that kind of uncleanness, are comprehended and noted, Sodomitry, incest, rape, simple fornication, all the rest, together with their causes, occasions, effects, antecedents, and consequents.

But more precisely is incest forbidden, in the eighteenth of Leviticus, from the sixth verse to the eighteenth. In the sixth verse, the inhibition is general: None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the Lord. It is then the Lord that speaketh to you: None of you shall come near to any of your kin, to uncover their shame. But what kindred meaneth he? There is a kindred by society of blood; it is called consanguinity: there is also a kindred by marriage; it is called Affinitie. And to both these kindreds will the Lord have his inhibition to extend: You shall not approach to any that is near of kin to you, to uncover their nakedness, that is, you may not marry with, or otherwise lustfully abuse any of your kindred, be they of your kindred, either by Consanguinity, or by Affinity.

Now to treat of all these degrees, that are in the eighteenth of Leviticus forbidden, were needless at this time. One above the rest will fit my text. Its that in the eighth verse. The nakedness of thy fathers wife thou shalt not uncover. Thy fathers wife, that is, thy step-mother, not thine own mother. Her nakedness, though she be but thy moth • r in law, thou shalt not uncover. This might have been the sin of these Israelites in my text. Here you see, A son and his father went in unto the same maid. If this maid were wife unto the father, then was she stepmother to the son, and the son was incestuous.

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

They give us to understand of Antiochus son of Seleucus; how he burning with the incestuous love of his mother in law Stratonice, got her by his Fathers assent to be his wife: They tell us of Darius, son of Artaxerxes, how he obtained of his father by request, that he might take to wife, his mother in law, Aspasia. They relate unto us, how Antoninus Caracalla Emperor took to wife his mother in law Julia. Antoninus bewitched with her beauty, and desiring to marry her, with sighs said unto her, Vellem, si liceret, Mother, if it were lawful I would make you my wife. She; monster as she was, shamefully replied: Si libet, licet; An nescis te Imperatorem esse, & leges dare, non accipere. Son, you have called me mother; if you list to make me your wife, you may. Know you not that you are Emperor? you give laws, you take none: With this her answer Antoninus inflamed, matrem duxit vxorem, he married his mother.

Other examples of this uncleanness Heathen histories have afforded us. How then is it, that S. Paul in the but now-alleged place, saith; that this uncleanness, is such as is not so much as named among the Gentiles?

We need not fly to an Hyperbole to excuse the Apostles assertion. His meaning is, that though such uncleanness were sometime practiced among the Gentiles, yet that among the very Gentiles laws were made against it: and that the better sort of the Gentiles did detest it, as a filthy, strange, and monstrous villainy.

Was this uncleanness held in such detestation by the Gentiles, who were guided only by natures light? No marvel then is it, if the Lord, here in my text, do so sharply reprove Israel for this uncleanness among them. Israel! They were the people of the Lord, they were his inheritance, they had the lamp of the word of God to be their guide. Yet Israel, rebellious and disobedient Israel, hath played the harlot: A man and his father went in unto the same maid. Under this one kind of incest are comprehended all the rest; And not incest only, but adultery also, yea, and fornication too. So that indeed the Israelites are here reproved in general for their filthy lusts. They were so inordinately vicious, and so disolute, that they blushed not once, to pollute themselves with fornication, with adultery, with incest, with all manner of filthiness: and hereby was the holy name of God profaned.

It is true. Peccatorum turpitudine violatur nomen Dei sanctum: such is the filthiness of sin, that through it, the holy name of God is often violated. It was violated by David's sin. David the man after God's own heart, yet convicted of murder, and adultery. Of murder, for killing Uriah the Hittite with the sword; and of adultery, for taking to wife the wife of Uriah, is by the Prophet Nathan reproved for profaning the name of the Lord. In 2. Sam. 12.14 they are the express words of Nathan unto David, By this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. David (you see) was the sinner; others thereby took occasion to blaspheme the name of God.

The name of God was likewise blasphemed for the sins of the Israelites. The Israelites defiling themselves with the Idols of the Heathen, with their abominations, with their iniquities, are in the Books of the Prophets reproved for profaning the name of the Lord. It is the complaint of the Lord himself, Isaiah 52.5. My name continually every day is blasphemed: and Ezech. 36.20.22.23. The Israelites living among the Heathen have profaned my Holy name. The Heathen there could say: Hi; populus Iehovae these are the people of the Lord; these are come out of the land of the Lord. A holy people sure. The Israelites, you see, sinned: the Heathen thereby took occasion to blaspheme the name of the Lord.

The name of the Lord was likewise blasphemed through the sins of the Jews in S. Paul's time. The then-Jews, notwithstanding they made their boast of God, and knew his will, and were confident, that they were guides of the blind, the light of them which were in darkness, instructors of the foolish, teachers of babes, that they had the form of knowledge, and of the truth in the law; yet forasmuch as they were spotted with theft, with adultery, with sacrilege, with other enormities; they are by S. Paul reproved, for profaning the name of the Lord.

The reproof is, Rom. 2.21. &c. Thou which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that preachest, a man should not steal, doest thou steal? Thou that sayest, a man should not commit adultery, doest thou commit adultery? Thou that abhorrest Idols, doest thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking of the law dishonorest thou God? It followeth, verse. 24. For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you. The Jews, you see, were the sinners: The Gentiles thereby took occasion to blaspheme the name of God.

Thus is my doctrine confirmed unto you:

Let us now a while consider, what Use we may make hereof unto our selves.

Is it true? Incestuous persons, adulterers, fornicators, and other unclean sinners, are they oftentimes the cause of profaning the holy name of God? Then (dearly beloved) let us from hence be admonished, so to spend the remainder of our pilgrimage in this present world, in all holy conversation, that no boiling, inordinate or unruly motions, no vicious or unchaste affections, no act of uncleanness, may so far have dominion over us, as to cause the holy name of GOD through us to be profaned. S. Augustine Enarrat. in Psal. 146. speaketh plainly: Cum blasphematur Deus de malo opere tuo, opere tuo blasphemas Deum: that is, When God for any evil work is blasphemed, thou by thine evil work blasphemest God. To the same purpose saith the same Father, Tract. 27. in Johan. Raro iam inuenivntur, qui linguâ blasphemant Deum; sed multi, qui vitâ: Seldom nowadays do we find any that with their tongue blaspheme God, but many that blaspheme him with their life. Such were they in S. Paul's time, of whom the blessed Apostle, Tit. 1.16. saith: They profess that they know God, but in works they deny him. And will we be such? Far be it from us.

We profess that we know God, we profess our selves his servants; walk we therefore worthy of our profession, as it becometh the servants of God. And how shall we so walk? We so walk if we walk in holiness. For (as S ^t Paul speaketh) this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication, that everyone of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor, not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. And therefore as the same Apostle adviseth the Ephesians, Chap. 5.3. so advise I you: Fornication and uncleanness let them not be once named amongst you, as it becometh Saints. Not once named! How then is it that the Apostle nameth them? How is it, that in this exercise I have named unto you incest, adultery, fornication, and other sins of uncleanness? Yes beloved; you may name them; but it must be out of detestation to shun them; and not out of delight to nourish them.

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

First, it is unlawful by the law of Nature. The very Heathen, who hold no other light for their guide, but the glimmering light of Nature, have so accounted of it. Memorable is the saying of Demosthenes, concerning the great price that was set him, by the notorious strumpet Lais: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , I like not to buy Repentance so dear. Doth he not thereby intimate, that dishonest pleasure, & the unbridled desires of the flesh, have evermore for their companion, Repentance? Diogenes, the Cynicke, resembled beautiful harlots to sweet wine, tempered with deadly poison. What else doth he thereby intimate, but that unchaste lusts, howsoever to a carnal man, they may at first seem sweet, they are notwithstanding full of bitterness, and are attended with perpetual sorrow? Crates, the Philosopher, beholding at Delphi, the golden image of the harlot Phryne brake forth into this exclamation, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : this is the trophie, the monument of the loose lives of the Greeks. Doth he not thereby intimate, that incontinency is even by Natures law unlawful? I might here produce many goodly sentences, many notable examples of Ethnics, and Pagans, to show unto you the just punishment, which for the most part followeth this detestable vice hard at the heels; which might also stir us up to hate it, and to fly from it with all our might. But its time that I return to the Book of God.

Therein also do we find, that this filthy sin, the sin of fornication, is reputed unlawful by the very law of Nature. In Rom. 1.29. it is expressly named among the sins of the Gentiles, who were merely natural men. And Levite. 18.24. it is laid to the charge of the Canaanites, Gentiles too, that with such uncleanness themselves were defiled, and the land, wherein they lived was defiled: and therefore are they in that place threatened, that the land should spew them out. You have now the first reason, why we may not commit fornication. The reason is, because it is unlawful by the law of Nature.

Secondly, it is forbidden in holy Scripture. In Ephes. 5 3. And in 1. Thes. 4.3. In the latter place we are commanded to abstain from fornication, and in the former, not once to name it.

Thirdly, it is malum lubricum, a sin full of great danger: So meaneth Solomon, Prov. 23.27. where he saith, A whore is a deep ditch, and a strange woman is a narrow pit. The comparison is plain; A Harlot to a deep ditch, and to a narrow pit. The meaning of the holy Ghost is: As a man that falleth into a deep ditch, or, into a narrow pit, breaketh either an arm, or a leg, and with much ado getteth out again: so is it with them, that are overtaken with this vile sin of fornication: the woman whose heart is as snares and nets, and her hands as bands, will be to them more bitter then death; with much ado shall they escape from her.

Fourthly, it stoppeth the passage into Heaven. S. Paul affirmeth it, 1. Cor. 6.9. Fornicators shall not inherit the kingdom of God; and again, Ephes. 5.5. No whoremonger hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ. S. John, Revel. 21.18. saith as plainly: Whoremongers shall have their part in that lake, which burneth with fire and brimstone.

Thus have you, of many, four reasons, why we may not commit fornication.

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

Now see the validity of my former inference. We may not commit fornication, for the reasons now specified; much less may we commit adultery; much less incest; much less other sins of uncleanness, sins against Nature, monstrous and prodigious sins. All these S. Paul, 1. Cor. 6. hath even chayned together, to cast them into Hell. And that you may take notice of it, he hath a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for you verse. 9. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Be not deceived. Neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, shall inherit the kingdom of God. Thus far hath the first use of my doctrine led me. The second followeth.

My doctrine was, Incestuous persons, adulterers, fornicators, and other unclean sinners, are oftentimes the cause of profaning the holy name of God. This in the second place serveth for the reproof of such as suffer themselves to be kindled with the burning fire of luxuriousnes, or carnal lusts. And hereby are all incestuous marriages condemned. Immanuel King of Portugal married his wives sister: Ferdinand the younger King of Sicily married his fathers sister: Philip the second King of Spain married his sisters daughter: Henry the eight King of England married his brothers wife. All these were incestuous marriages, and are by this doctrine condemned.

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

We are not ignorant, that the chief patrons of the Pontificiall law, howsoever they grant Papam quandoque nimiùm papaliter dispensare, that the Pope sometimes dispenseth too much Pope-like; do notwithstanding expressly affirm, Papam been dispensare contra Apostolum; that the Pope well dispenseth against the Apostle. Neither do they grant unto the Pope this power of dispensing, only in causes pertaining to the positive law of man, (with which color they now paint over that same flagitious gloss of dispensing against the Apostle) but also in matters ratified by the law of God.

I could here tell you of many wicked dispensations, that have been granted by the Pope; as that subjects may be discharged of their oath and fealty, and may be licenced to withdraw their allegiance from their Prince, yea, to take arms against him, yea to lay violent hands on him; that promise may be broken, with God and man; that most horrible abominations, may be committed; that all things, divine and human, may be perverted; right and wrong, Heaven and earth, lawful and unlawful may be confounded together. But I may not so far digress from my present purpose. Let it suffice for this time, that you see the impiety of the Popes dispensations, (or rather dissipations, as S. Bernard calleth them) in his allowing of incestuous marriages, that a man may marry his wives sister, or his fathers sister, or his sisters daughter, or his brothers wife: all precisely against the law of God.

Here might we stand amazed and wonder, that such irregular and shameless dispensations, should pass with the approbation of the Pope, who bears a face, as if he were most holy, yea Holiness it self. Speak we to him, or write to him, our compellation must be Pater Sanctissime, most holy Father; and Sanctitas Tua, your Holiness. But knowing him to be that man of sin, that son of perdition, that grand Antichrist, who according to the prophecies of the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures, was to be revealed in these latter times, we need not wonder though he dispenseth with all the most horrible and abominable impieties, that may be. Can we gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit? Can we expect that the Pope, who opposeth himself against God, and exalteth himself above all that is called God, should either himself live, or cause others to live, according to the holy law of God?

For the Popes themselves (would the time and your patience permit) I could rip up their lives, and show unto you how they have been stained and defiled with all manner of fearful, notorious, and abhominable sins. But my text will not suffer me so far • o range. The sins of uncleanness, wherein those holy fathers have, to the astonishment of the world, wallowed, are the sins in my present text and doctrine smitten at.

What shall I tell • ou of the incest committed by many of them? by John the 13. with Stephana, his fathers concubine? by John the 23. with his brothers wife? by Paul the 3. with two of his Nieces? by Pius the 5. with his own sister, by Alexander the 6. with his own daughter.

I could make true report unto you of many of them very infamous for their beastly Sodomy, for their filthy adultery, for other their unclean lust. So holy were those holy Fathers. Neither were they themselves alone given over to such filthiness, but they also took order to have others like unto them. They could not alone be wicked. Alexander the sixth gave leave to Cardinal Mendoza to abuse his own bastard son in incestuous Sodomy. Sixtus the fourth gave license to the Cardinal of S. Lucie, and to all his family, that they might in the three hot months of the year freely use Sodomy. Johannes a Casa a Florentine, Archbishop of Beneventum, Legat for Julius 3. at Venice, set forth a book in Italian Metre in commendation of this Diana of the Papists, this abominable sin of Sodomy. Will you hear more of Sixtus the fourth? He to incite and encourage others to be as filthy as himself, built in Rome a famous stews, not only of women, but also of males. The female stews, how advantageous it hath been to the Pope, and gainful to his coffers, may from hence appear, that the Pope hath received from them a yearly pension, amounting sometimes to three thousand, sometimes to four thousand Ducates. It is said of Paulus the third, that in his tables he had the names of 45000 Curtizans, which paid unto him a monthly tribute.

Now that the Pope need not to loose so great a reuenew; some have bestirred themselves to patronize his stews by argument and by authority. Their chief reason is: that common Curtizans in hot countries are a necessary evil.

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

D ^r Bishop in his second part of the Reformation of a Catholic deformed, in the treatise of repentance, saith, The stews in some hot Countries, are tolerated to avoid a greater mischief.

The chief authority they bring is S. Augustine's, out of his second book de ordine cap. 4. Aufer meretrices de rebus humanis, turbaveris omnia libidinibus: Take harlots from among men, ye shall disturb all things with leacherous lusts.

To their reason, that Curtezans in hot Countries are a necessary evil: we say, that the heat of a country is no sufficient warrant for the popish stews. The land of Israel is a hotter climate, then that of Italy, yet saith God unto the Jews, Deut. 23.17. There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, neither shall there be a whore-keeper of the sons of Israel.

For S. Augustine's authority, we acknowledge it to be great and reverend. But withal we say, that S. Augustine, when he wrote those words, was not S. Augustine. When he wrote that tract of Order, himself then lived in disorder; a young gallant, a novice in the faith, not well instructed, not yet baptized in the name of Christ; himself then kept a concubine, and lived in whoredom.

But the same Saint Augustine, afterward fully instructed and baptized, said thus: Istam, in vsu scortatorum, terrena civi • as licitam fecit turpitudinem. The words are De Ciuit. Dei lib. 14 cap. 18. The city of the world, not the Church of God hath made this filthiness of harlots to be lawful. So doth not Saint Augustine's authority hold up the stews. Saint Paul beats them down flat, Rom. 3.8. they who say, Let us do evil that good may come thereof; their damnation is just. In a word, the toleration of the stews, is an occasion of uncleanness to many a young man and woman, that otherwise would abstain from all such kind of filthiness.

What an abomination is it, for a brother and his brother, a father and his son, a nephew and his uncle, to come to one and the same harlot, one before or after the other? Is it not the very abomination, which the Lord reproveth in my text: A man and his father will go in to the same maid, to profane my holy name? I have held you too long. May it please you to remember my doctrine. It was,

A twofold Use I made of it. One was; to stir up our selves to a holy conversation. The other, to reprove such as are given over to uncleanness. I conclude with that exhortation of Saint Peter, 1. Epist. chap. 2.11. Dearely beloved, I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts. They may seem unto you a Paradise to your desires; but they will prove a Purgatory to your purses, and a Hell to your souls. Do you love your bodies? Abstain from fleshly lusts; for they are rottenness to your bones. Do you love your souls? Abstain from fleshly lusts; for they war against your souls. Do you love your credits? Abstain from fleshly lusts; for they are dishonorable. The heat of carnal lusts, what is it but an infernal fire, whose fuel is fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness; whose sparks are evil communication, whose smoke is infamy, whose ashes are pollution, whose end is Hell.

Dearely beloved, I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts; have your conversation honest among all men, that they beholding your good works, may glorify God in the day of visitation.

Now gracious Father, so work in us, thou and thy power, thou and thy mercy, so bring it to pass, that we may so spend the remainder of our days here in all holy conversation, that after this life ended, we may have our inheritance in thy kingdom. Grant this for thy son Christ Jesus sake. To whom with thee &c.

THE XI. LECTURE.

IT is a great height of impiety, whereto men are grown, when by unlawful means, or pretences, or allurements, they add sin to sin. A man may sin once and a second time; and may do it through infirmity: but if he go on with a third transgression, and with a fourth; if he be obstinate in heaping sin upon sin, lamentable is his estate. A woe must be his portion. Its denounced by the Prophet Isaiah, cap. 5.18. Woe unto them, that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin, as it were with a cart-rope.

Was there ever a people, so far given over to work impiety? Behold, such were the people of Israel, they to whom this prophecy of Amos was directed. Their cruelty, their covetousness, their oppressions, their calumnies, their filthy lusts reproved in the two precedent verses, do proclaim as much. And yet they have not done sinning. They would, I grant, make fair weather; they would make a fair show, as if their desire were to serve God. For that purpose they came unto the house of their God, his temple; they drew near unto his Altars: but even then did their hearts work iniquity. My text convinceth them.

The words import thus much. The people of Israel to cloke and cover their manifold sins, make a show of religion: they go unto their temples, the temples of their Idols; there they offer their sacrifices, there they feast it sumptuously. They are at great charges. But whence do they defray them? Is it out of their own substance, which either is descended to them by inheritance, or is gotten by their just and honest labor? No such matter. The fines, the mulcts of the poor, their pawns, their pledges, their pewter, their garments, their bedding, their goods pay for all.

The words do specially concern the Peers, the Nobles, the Judges, the Magistrates, the Rulers of Israel. They may also concern the rich among them: but cannot be understood of the poor, the base, and vulgar sort. The words are not many; yet many are the sins they smite at. The taking of pawns, the deteyning of them, vnrigheous judgment, superstition, idolatry, riot and excess are the sins, they smite at; as may in part appear in the now-ensuing explication.

They lay themselves down] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 word for word, They bow down themselves, they stretch out themselves. S ^t Jerome renders it by the verb Accumbere, intimating their sitting down, as at a feast or banquet.

They lay themselves down; they lie down, or they sit down upon clothes] This manner of sitting or lying down at meat was very ancient. The old Romans used it; so did the Greeks. Non sedebant, sed accubabant. They sat not as we do now a-days, but they lay down. In some parlor, chamber-garret, or other convenient room, a low round table was placed. This table for the common sort of people was made of ordinary wood, and stood upon three feet. For men of better fashion, it was made of better wood, of the Limon tree, or of the Maple tree, and was sometimes inlaid with silver, it stood upon one whole entire foot made of Ivorie, in the form of a Leopard or a Lyon. About this round table were placed three beds, covered with tapestry, with purple, or with some other kind of carpet, according to the wealth and ability of the feast-maker. Each bed contained three guests, sometimes four, seldom more. And thus the guests were placed. The first & uppermost lying at the beds head, rested the upper part of his body at his left elbow, & disposed his feet behind the seconds back: the second rested his head in the others bosom upon a cushion, and disposed his feet behind the thirds back. The rest did likewise. Such was the custom of sitting or lying down at meat among the old Greeks and Romans.

This very custom of sitting or lying at meat was also among the Jews. We gather it from the Scripture phrase in the New Testament. Levi, called also Matthew, that blessed Evangelist, made in his own house a great feast for Jesus, whereat were many publicans, and others. At that feast Jesus lay down. So saith S. Matthew, chap. 9.10. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as he lay down. S. Mark saith, chap. 2.15. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as he lay down. Jesus lay down at meat. So did his disciples: so did publicans and sinners too. S. Matthew and S. Mark in the now-alleged places do affirm it: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , they lay down with Itsus. Publicans and sinners lay down with Jesus. S. Luk. chap. 5.29. thus expresseth it; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a great company of Publicans, and others, lay down at meat with Jesus and his disciples.

The time was when Jesus fed with five loaves, and two fishes, about