Tormenting Tophet, Part 2
The ſecond part of this Text,The ſecōd part. are the parties for whom Tophet is prepared, and that is for al vngodly people of the world, of what eſtate or condition ſoeuer they be:It is euen prepared for the king. 2 Reg. 39.37. It is euen prepared for the King.
Theſe words in particular hauehave reference to blaſphemous Senacherib, who was ſlaine of his two ſonnes in a temple of Nineueh, worſhipping his god Niſroſh: and in general, it extēdeth to all idolatrous Kings, Emperours, and Superiours whatſoeuer.
Here then firſt we ſee,Obſer. 1. that no perſon, in what dignity ſoeuer he be, by his eminent place, is exempted from hell.
Diues a great perſonage,Luke. 16. yet tormented in thoſe flames: Quid profuit ſibi ſuperbia? quid diuitiarum copia? Wiſd.What hath pride profited him? or what hath the pompe of riches done him good? Alas, theſe could not ſaue his Soule: For (as ſayth the Pſalmiſt) a man by his riches cannot redéeme his brother, he cannot giuegive his ranſome to God:Pſa. 49.67. ſo precious is the redemptiō of ſoules, and their continuance for euer.
And in Samuel wee rea…e, That Kings are not exempted from the iudgements of God:1. Sa 12.25. If yee doe wickedly, yee ſhall periſh, and your King.
In the firſt Epiſtle to the Corinths, we may read who they are that are threatned with Tophet: 1. Cor. 6.9.neyther fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor wantons, nor theeues, nor couetous, nor drunkards, nor extortioners ſhall inherite the Kingdome of God: This is ſpoken of Kings, as well as of others.Reu. 21.8. And in the Reu. wee finde, that the fearefull and vnbelieuing, the abominable, murtherers and whooremongers, and ſorcerers, idolaters, and all lyers ſhall hauehave their part in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimſtone: And this is ſpoken of the King as well as of the Begger: for the Lord in iudgement fréeth frō hell, not according to place, but grace: not outward conditiō, but inward diſpoſition.
Nay moreouer, great men, Noble men, and mighty Princes, are not onelyonly lyable to Tophet, but the greateſt part of them ſhall to the deuill: Not many wiſe men, not many mighty,1. Cor. 1.26. not many noble are called:1. Tim. 2.4 for as God would hauehave all men ſaued, and come to the knowledge of the truth .i. ſome of all ſorts, ſome Iewes, ſome Gentiles, ſome Kings, ſome Nobles, ſome Preachers, ſome Rich, ſome Poore: ſo of all theſe, the greateſt ſumme goe downe to Tophet. Yet for all this, great men muſt not bee reproued forſooth, the trueth that maketh againſt them, muſt not be imbraced of them.
Abner could not abide to heare Iſboſheth tell him of his going into Rizpah his father Sauls Concubine.2. Sam. 3.
Ahab hated Micaiah the ſonne of Imlah for not propheſying (as he ſayd) good vntounto him.1. King. 22
The people cryed out in Eſayes time: Dicite nobis placentia, placentia:Eſay 30. that is, ſpeak pleaſing things vntounto vsus.
Iere. 11.21.The Prieſts and people of Anathoth threatned Ieremy to take away his life, if he propheſied to them in the name of the Lord.
Amos 7.Amaziah ſayd to Amos the Prophet: Goe, bee gone, propheſie in Iudah: but prophe…ie no more in Bethel, for it is the Kings Chappell, & it is the Kings Court.
Amos 5.10They hated him that rebuked in the gat… …nd abhorred him that ſpake vprightly.
Micah 2.11The people in the time of Micah, liked them well that propheſied to them of Wine and ſtrong Drinke. I pray God that the great ones of this land be not tainted with this corruption.
Well, for mine owne part I had rather bee ſtormed againſt for preaching Tophet to you here, then yee ſhould curſe me in Tophet hereafter, for ſmoothing and flattering you.
Yet this reprehenſion of great men, I would wiſh it might be done in wiſdome and humility: with I beſeech you, O King, by the tender mercies of God, Rom. 12.1.reforme theſe and theſe things: for ſome in this caſe are indiſcreet and too too ſawcy, and rather exaſperate the hearts of their hearers againſt them, then winne them to the Lord by their exhortation.
If then Kings and great men be not exempted from Tophet, Ʋſe.what ſhould this worke in them but obedience to that counſell of the Pſalmiſt,Pſalm. 2. Bee wiſe now therefore O yee Kings, ſerue the Lord in feare? Looke vp to heauen, acknowledge your ſelues ſubiects to a greater.
As the Lord hath honoured Kings aboue others, ſo hee looketh for a greater returne of honour from them than from others: for where the Lord giueth much, there the Lord requireth the more.
Kings and Princes are the kéepers of the two Tables of the Law of God:Deu. 17.18 and to them is committed from God the gouernement both of Church and Commonwealth: they muſt therefore be carefull that the Word may runne very ſwiftly throughout eueryevery Angle of their realmes:Pſal. 147. So ſhall God gaine an vniuerſall glory, and Kings themſelues a more ſtable ſubiection.
Eſa. 49.23.Kings and Queenes are called nurſing Fathers and nurſing Mothers: and all to commend vntounto them the care they ſhould hauehave of Gods glory, and the good of their people.
Io… 15.Ioſua was ſuch a Ruler, that remained reſolute and conſtant in the worſhip of God to his liues end.
…h. 15.1Dauid prepared a place for the Arke of God, and was careful for the church of the Lord.
2. Ch. 17.3.Iehoſaphat, Ezechias and Ioſias were reformers of their Kingdoms, enemies to idolatry,cha. 29.1.2 ch. 34.1.2. and graciouſly defended the word of God.
And bleſſed be God for our Kings moſt excellent Maieſty: who is maieſticall in his place: in religion zealous: in life vertuous: and in mercy aboundantly gracious: The Lord increaſe his graces in him: the Lord annoint him with the oyle of Holyneſſe aboue his fellow princes: and the Lord keepe him from this terrible Tophet: and let all people that beare good will to this our Engliſh Sion, to this my Prayer ſay, Amen.
It is euen prepared for the King.
Secondly,Obſeru. 2. Act. 10. we may here perceyue with Peter, that verily there is no reſpect of perſons with God in iudgement: he iudgeth the rich as the poore; the father as the child; the maſter as the ſeruant; the king as the beggar: as the Prophet Dauid ſayeth, With righteouſneſſe ſhal he iudge the world, and the people with equity.
Though wickedneſſe among men, Eccle. 3.16bee in the place of iudgement; yet the Lord our God will deale iuſtly.
Though among men there is reſpect of perſons to bee had, without which a confuſion would (and this is neceſſary to be vrged, for men are full of contempt, and too ſawcy with them of ſuperiour place and authority:) yet when all ſhal be ſummoned before the tribunall of God, the Lord will indifferently procéed to Iudgement without any reſpect of perſons.
And this ſhould not onelyonly pull down the haughty minds of the noble (whoƲſe. thinke for their greatneſſe here, it will be eaſier for them hereafter than others:) but alſo this ſhould be an vnalterable preſident to all Iudges of the world.
As they ſit in Gods place, ſo they ſhould imitate the Lord in iudgement: this ſhould make them obey the counſell of the Lord deliuered by the Prophet Dauid: Pſal. 2.Bee learned yee that are Iudges of the earth.
O the care that Iehoſaphat tooke for iuſt and righteous iudgement: after he had made Iudges, and ſet them in eueryevery City of Iudah, hee gaue them this charge:2. Ch. 19.5.6.7. Take heed what yee doe, for yee execute not the iudgements of man, but the iudgements of the Lord, and the Lord will bee with you to preſerue you, if you doe iuſtly, but to confound you if you doe vniuſtly: wherefore now let the feare of the Lord bee vponupon you, take heed and doe it: for there is no iniquity with our God, nor reſpect of perſons, nor receyuing of rewards.
O that this gracious counſell were intertayned of the Iudges of this land, then we ſhould not heare of ſo many complaints in our land as wee doe: then we ſhould not hauehave cauſe to complayne with the Prophet,Eſay 59.14 That iudgement is turned backeward, and iuſtice ſtandeth afarre off: that trueth is gone, and equity no where to be found: then wee ſhould not hauehave ſo many beggard by the Law, as dayly are: Law was neuer made to vndoe men, but to compell men to doe well: it was made to curbe the vnruely, but not to beggar the innocent: it is grown to this ſaying now a dayes, I had rather looſe it, being my right, than goe to law for it; why, what is the cauſe? O becauſe of rackt fees, cloſe bribes, and the perpetuity of attendance.
Iudicate ſecundum iuſtitiam, Iudge, iudge, O yee ſonnes of men, according to righteouſneſſe: let your iudgement be in
veritate, in trueth.
iudicio, in iudgement.
iuſtitia, in righteouſnes.
I pray God it may neuer bee ſayde of our Iudges of England, as once was ſayd of the Iudges of Iſrael;Eſa. 5.7. The Lord looked for iudgement, but behold oppreſſion: for righteouſneſſe, but behold a crying.
Let not there be found in a land where the Goſpell dwelleth, ſuch Iudges as were thoſe that killed innocent Naboth.1. King. 21
Let none be like the ſonnes of Samuel, 1. Sam. 8.3.That turned aſide after lucre, and took rewards, and peruerted the iudgement.
The duety of Iudges is notably ſet down in the 23. of Ex. Thou ſhalt not receyue a falſe tale: Thou ſhalt not ouerthrow the truth for the multitudes ſake; Thou ſhalt not ouerthrow the right of the poore in his ſuite: Thou ſhalt keepe thee from a falſe matter: Thou ſhalt take no gift, for the gift blindeth the wiſe, and peruerteth the words of the righteous.
And this charge is continued in Leuiticus; Leu. 29.15.Yee ſhall not doe vniuſtly in iudgement: Thou ſhalt not fauour the perſon of the poore, nor honour the perſon of the mighty, but thou ſhalt iudge thy neighbour iuſtly.
A Iudge muſt be Scientia potens, Iudicis officium.and Ʋirtute valens: that is, Able in learning, and zealous in liuing: by the one he ſhall, diſcernere inter allegata, Diſcerne betwixt caſes propounded: by the other, diſrumpere iniquitatem, without hinderance puniſh and confound all manner of iniquity.
In all your Iudgements let theſe be aymed at, the glory of God, the righting of wrong, the ſuppreſſion of euill, and the maintenance of truth.
Be zealous for the glory of our God; and let the good lawes that are, bee duly and impartially executed.
It was a great commendation that was giuen to Seleucus Gouernour of the Locretians, Seleucus.who hauing made this Law againſt whoredome, That whoſoeuer committed the act, ſhould looſe both his eyes: his ſonne being taken in the fact, was not pardoned, though the Citizens begged it earneſtly: but hee cauſed one of his ſonnes eyes to bee pulled out, and one of his owne eyes: So hee ſhewed himſelfe a mercifull Father, and a iuſt Iudge.
O that we had the like laws againſt this, and the like moſtodious offences, and that they were as ſtrictly executed: that many hereby may bee ſaued from Tophet.
The Lord guide that honourable aſſembly in Court of Parliament, that they may all ioyne with one voyce and ſpirit, for the baniſhing of Popery, the reforming of iniquity, and maintaining and countenancing of the word of trueth, and painefull Preachers of the ſame.
And you (my honourable Lord) as you hauehave begun wel, in reforming many foule abuſes in this City, ſo in the zeale of the Lord,Pſal. 45.4. Proſper with your glory: ride on with the word of truth, meekeneſſe and righteouſneſſe, and your right hand ſhall teach you terrible things.
Thus am I bolde to caſt in among you the ſilly mite of my counſell, meerely of Chriſtian Charity, tha… yée may neuer taſte of the woefull damnation of Tophet.