Lectures Upon Psalm 51, Part 3 · Lecture 36
Lecture XXXVI. On Psalme 51.3. Octob 10. 1626.
FOlloweth now the fifth and last way, whereby we make our selves guilty of all the grosse sins committed in the places where we live; and that is by neglecting to doe our best endeavour, to bring these scandalous sinners to open shame and punishment for their sins. We reade of Ely that the Lord pronounced him guilty of all those foule sins which his sons Hophny and Phinehas had committed, 1 Sam. 2.29. Wherefore kicke ye at my sacrifice, and at mine offerings, to make your selves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people. How could that be? was Ely so prophane himselfe? No, but because his sons did so, and he brought them not to that open shame and punishment which their foule sins deserved, God imputeth their sinnes to him.
Object.If any man shall object, and say, What it that to us? Ely was a Iudge, and magistrate, he judged Israel, 1 Sam. 4 18. and therefore had power to have restrained them from these sins, by deposing and punishing them; This the Lord chargeth him with, 1 Sam 3.13 His sons made themselves vile, and hee restrained them not. He had a calling to doe it; but we are no magistrates, wee have no power to restraine or punish these lewd persons; we are private men, wee have no calling to doe it. There are officers that hauehave a calling, and are bound by their oath to present such offendours; let them looke unto it. It is through their negligence and default that these sinnes doe so much abound amongst us.
Answ.My answer unto this objection, that hath (as you see) great colour of reason in it shall co…sist of two parts. 1. I will grant that these officers are indeed in greatest fault or this, and shew you reasons why it must be so. 2. I will shew you, that not they alone are in fault for this, but that Christians of all sorts are deeply guilty this way.
First therefore, they that by their office, and oath stand bound to detect unto authority, and to present these infamous persons, if either out of negligence or partiality they wincke at any of them, stand guilty of greater sin then they are aware of. This we shall finde spoken of as one great cause of the captivity, Ier. 5.28. that they did overpasse the deedes of the wicked; they winked at them, and made no reckoning of them; and what followeth in the next verse 29. Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord? Shall not my soule be avenged on such a nation as this? See the hainousnesse of their fault in three things.
First, They sinne against the place where they live, because they are a chiefe cause of the encrease of those foule sins in it, that will provoke God to wrath against it. If sinners were brought to open shame and punishment, sin would not be so rise as it is. This the Lord expresly teacheth oft in his Law; when he commandeth open punishment to bee executed upon open offenders, hee giveth this reason for it. Deut. …9.9, 10. So shalt thou put evill away from among you; and those which remaine shall heare, and feare, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evill among you. The sparing of those whom God would have to be punished, is a great wrong to the whole towne and countrey where they live, even a meanes to bring Gods wrath upon it. This is plaine, Num. …5.4. Take all the heads of the people, and hang them vp, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel; and verse 11. Phinehas hath turned away my wrath from the children of Israel (while he was zealous for my sake among them) that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousie. And how can they be punished▪ and brought to open shame, if these officers winke at them, and present them not?
Secondly, They sinne against the soules of those poore sinners whom they seeme most to favour and love. For the bringing of them to open shame, and sp…cially to confesse their sin, and professe their repentance publikely, is a meanes appointed of God to bring them unto repentance, and so to obtaine of God assurance of the pardon of their sins. That which Solomon saith of one kind, may be said of all kinds of correction which God hath sanctified, Pro. 22.15. Foolishnesse is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction will drive it away. And of the censures of the Church which Christ hath appointed, it may most truely be said as the Apostle speaketh, 1 Cor. 5.5. They tend to the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. In winking therefore at such offendors, they deprive them of the meanes ordained of God for their repentance, and so for the salvation of their soules. And what love call you this? This is indeed hatred, and not love, Levit. 19.17. Hee hateth his brother in his heart, that letteth his sinne to lye upon him.
Thirdly and lastly, They sin against God, and against their owne soules, in that light account they make of the oath that they have taken. 1. Let all men take heed before they take an oath, that they binde not themselves thereby to doe that that is evill, as they did that bound themselves by an oath that they would neither eat nor drinke till they had killed Paul, Acts 23.12. An oath must not be Vinculum iniquitatis. 2. When any man hath bound himselfe by oath to doe that that is evill, let him repent of that sin, and not double it by keeping that oath. When the wise men had bound themselves to Herod if not by an oath, yet by a very solemne promise certainely (for Herod said they had mocked him, and was in exceeding rage for that, Mat. 2.16.) to bring him word where Christ was; yet perceiving afterward that the performance of that oath or promise was against the will of God, and tended to the hurt of Christ, they durst not performe it, Mat. 2.12. And when Herod had unadvisedly taken an oath, which afterward he perceived tended to the destruction of one whom in his conscience he knew to bee a good man, it is noted to have beene his great sin, that he made such conscience of keeping that oath, Mat. 14.9. For we ought not to doe any thing to the open hurt of those whom God hath commanded us to be a shelter and a covert unto, Esay 16.3.4 Hide the out-casts, bewray not him that wandereth, What out-casts meaneth hee? Let mine out-casts dwell with thee Moab, be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoyler. Let all men therefore take heede what oathes they take; let no man thinke himselfe tyed in conscience to doe any thing that is evill, because he hath bound himselfe by an oath to doe it: but when a man hath bound himselfe by his oath to doe that that is lawfull (as to detect, to present to those in authority such as hee knowes to bee offendors) let him take heed how hee breake that oath. Every lawfull oath is a great bond unto the conscience, Numb. 30.2. If a man sweare an oath to binde his soule with a bond. David maketh this one of the speciall markes to know him by that shall goe to heaven, Psal. 15.4. He that sweareth to his owne hurt, and changeth not. Though after he hath taken his oath he shall perceive that the keeping of it will procure him such enemies as may doe him much hurt, yet dareth he not change his minde, but will keepe his oath. And Solomon maketh this a speciall note of a godly man, that he feareth an oath, Eccles. 9.2. which words are not to be understood of private and voluntary oathes onelyonly, but chiefely of those oathes that are taken before a magistrate, for they are the greatest and heaviest oathes, a godly man is afraid of such oathes, afraid to take them, and afraid to breake them when he hath taken them. See a notable example of this, both in Abrahams servant, who asmuch as he loved and respected his master, before he would take the oath that his master ministred unto him is carefull first to know, and consider with himselfe whether he might be able to keepe it, or no, Gen, 24.5-9 And in those spies that Ioshuah sent to view Iericho who would not bind themselves by oath to Rahab rashly (though shee had saved their lives) till they got her consent to such an interpretation, and to limit it with such conditions, as they might bee able to keepe it. Iosh. 2.17.21. See also an example of this feare to breake their oath after they had taken it, Iosh. 9.20. And alas if this bee a note to know a godly man by, how few godly men have we then in these dayes? What cause have we to complaine with David, Psalme 12.1. Helpe Lord, for there is not a godly man left? How many oathes are ministred daily to Churchwardens, Constables, jurors, and witnesses, at every Assise, and Sessions, in every Court, Baron, and Leet, in every Commission, whereby men bind themselves to doe things that are lawfull enough, yea, oft such as tend much to Gods glory, and the good of the Common-wealth, and no man regardeth them any more then the taking up of a straw; they thinke it is no more then the laying on the hand, and kissing of the booke. Tush thinks every man the taking of these oathes is a matter of nothing, all my neighbours have taken them before me, and made no reckoning of them. O but remember, that the holy Ghost saith, hee that hath any goodnesse in him, will feare these oathes. And there is great reason for it. An oath is not to be estemed of according to the matte… wherein it is taken (which in our account may seeme somtime triviall, and small) nor according to the person of the man, unto whom or before whom it is taken (though whatsoever the person be that ministreth the oath unto us, the authority to minister an oath, is derived to him from the supreame magistrate) but according to the greatnesse, and dreadfull majesty of God, in whose name, and before whom in a speciall manner (for the magistrate is his Deputy, and in his stead, 2 Chron. 9.8.19 6. (Rom. 13.4. and the judgement and course of justice is the Lords, Deutero. 1.17.) the oath is given. Therefore an oath (specially taken by a magistrate) is called an oath of the Lord, Exodus 22.11. 1 Kings 2.43. For every oath hath a curse implyed in it. And the Hebrew word Alah, that signifieth an oath, signifieth a curse also, an oath with a curse. Therefore it is said of Gods people, when they bound themselves by an oath, Nehemiah 10.29. they entred into a curse, and into an oath to walke in Gods Law. So Iudges 21.18. The children of Israel had sworne, saying, Cursed bee hee that giveth a wife to Benjamin. When you therefore take an oath (specially before a magistrate) you wish that if it bee not true which you speake (in an oath assertory) if you performe not that which you speake (in an oath promissory) Gods curse may light upon you and pursue you. And bee you sure of this, that if you performe not your part, God will performe his; if you doe not that which you bind your selves to do by your oath, God will bring that curse upon you, which you have wished to your selves, as hee did bring upon the Iewes that curse which they wished to themselves, Matthew 27.25. All the people said, his bloud bee upon us, and upon our children, and his bloud (wee see) hath lyen heavy upon all that people, and nation ever since. When Zedekiah had broken his oath to the King of Babylon, see what the Lord saith of him, Ezekiel 17.15. Shall hee prosper? Shall hee escape that doth such things? Shall hee breake the covenant, and bee delivered? And verse 18. Seeing hee despised the oath, hee shall not escape. Know you therefore that these oathes which you make so light account of, will lye heavy upon you one day. They will bring Gods curse into your houses, Zachary. 5.4. I will bring foorth the curse saith the Lord of hostes, and it shall enter into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name; and it shall remaine in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof, and the stones thereof. Yea, these oathes so commonly taken, and broken in all places, have brought, and will further bring Gods curse upon the whole land Iere. 23.10. Because of swearing, the land mourneth. And thus have I finished the first part of my answer to this objection, and shewed you that they that by office and oath are bound to enquire and present to the magistrate these lewd offendors, and do it not, are chiefly guilty of their sins.
But now for the second part of my answer,Answ. 2. I say that these are not only guilty of the blasphemies, and whoredoms, & drunkennes, wherby God is dayly dishonored & provoked amongst us, but this contagion is spread farther then so, there are very few or none of you that have not this way drawn upon your selves the guiltines of these sins, & made them your own, because you have neglected to do that that in you lieth, to bring these offendors to open shame, & punishment. Notable good lawes have beene made of late yeeres against swearing, breach of the Sabbath and drunkennes, but they do little or no good at all, because nobody wil have any hand in detecting these offendors to the magistrate, and in furthering the execution of these wholesome lawes, no, though the whole benefit of the penalty doe accrew to the poore in every parish, and so every member of the parish should have some ease by it. Yea, some that are very bote and open-mouthed against others, for not observing some Canons and constitutions about matters of lesse moment, and urge the execution of the Law against them, pretending this for the ground of their earnestnesse against them, that they will not observe the Kings Lawes. Some men I say that are so zealous for those lawes, have no zeale at all for these Lawes that his majestie hath enacted against Idolators, swearers, refusers to come twice of a Sabbath to Church, followers of lewd sports and pastimes on the Sabbath day, drunkards, ale-houses that keepe disorder in them, for these lawes (I say) they have no zeale, they like no man the worse for breaking of these lawes, they never urge the execution of the law against them. Those are good subjects and good neighbours though they dayly provoke God to wrath against the Towne, and against the Land. I speake nothing against any Canon, or constitution of the Church, but wish with all my heart, many of them were better observed then they are, but this I say, there is no man that hath the heart, and face of a Christian, but hee will esteeme more of those Lawes that are made for the observation of Gods owne expresse commandements, then of those that are made for the observation of the constitutions of men, how lawfull or convenient soever they be.
But you will say unto me. What would you have us that are private men to doe in this case?Object. What can wee doe for the punishment of these offendors? What calling have wee to meddle with them? Would you have us to be promoters, and enformers? It is an odious thing for a Christian to bee a busie-body. Let none of you suffer (saith the Apostle. 1 Peter 4.15.) as a busi-body in other mens matters.
I answer.Answ. This is very true, but I require no more of you then you may doe, then you ought to doe, then you have a calling to doe.
First. Every man hath a calling to oppose himselfe to sin, & to do what he can to suppresse it, and get it banished, Pro. 28.4. Such as keepe Gods law, set themselves against wicked men, contend with them, and are willing to shew themselves against them. Specially such grosse sinners, as by their sins endanger not themselves only, but the whole towne where they live. As when a fire is begun in a towne that threatneth danger to the whole towne, every man hath a calling to doe what he can to quench it.
Secondly. Every man hath a calling from God to reprove sin that is committed in his sight, and hearing, Levit. 19.17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart, thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.
Thirdly. Every man may, and must, and hath a calling to beare witnes (being required) even before a magistrate, against a grosse, and incorrigible sinner. And he that refuseth to do it, maketh himselfe guilty of great sinne. Leviticus 5.1. If a soule sin, and hégare the voice of swearing, and is a witnesse whether he hath seene, or knowne of it; if he doe not utter it, then he shall beare his iniquity. If a man should heare the words of treason against the Prince, and not to utter it to some magistrate within foure and twenty houres, he becommeth guilty of treason himselfe. And is there no danger thinke you in concealing words of treason and blasphemy against the Majesty of the most high? Surely there is as you shall find, Prov. 29.14. Who so is partner with a thiefe, hateth his owne soule; he heareth cursing, and bewrayeth it not. Marke in these words. 1. It is a sin to be an eare-witnesse of blasphemy, and not to be willing to bewray it. 2. That hee that doth so, maketh himselfe partner with that sinner whom hee so beareth with. In which respect, God made a law. Levit. 24.14. that all that heard the blasphemer should lay their hands upon his head, before hee was to be stoned, as the manner was to doe upon the sacrifices that they brought. Why did they so? Surely they did so discharge upon himselfe the guiltinesse of his sinne, which otherwise they had contracted by hearing of him, if they had not witnessed against him, and brought him to punishment.
Fourthly and lastly. Every man hath a calling to informe against, and complaine of lewd and incorrigible men unto the Magistrate, and to require justice against them. This is a great sin that God complaineth of by the Prophet, Esa. 59.4. that none called for justice. It is sometimes the part of a discreet Christian to informe against, and complaine of wicked men, either to the minister or to the magistrate, or to any such as have more power then our selves, to reforme or punish them. There were some in Corinth, and in Thessalonica too, that did informe the Apostle of the disorders that were among their neighbours, in those Churches, 1 Cor. 11.18. 2 Thes. 3.11. and he blameth them not for it. And Ioseph informed his father of his brethrens faults, Gen. 37.2. Yea, every man hath received a commandement from Christ, to enforme the governors of the Church, of such a brother as cannot otherwise be reformed, Mat. 18.17. Tell the Church.
Neither shall a private Christian, not tyed by office and oath, in doing this, need to feare the odious name of a busie-body, a pick-thanke, a tale-bearer, if in doing it he observe these foure rules.
First. That he bee not apt to enforme against, or complaine of an offendors, for every small fault, but such as are grosse, and scandalous, Eccles. 7 21. Take no heed to all words that are spoken.
Secondly. That he complaine not of any offendors to the Magistrate, till no private admonition, nor other meanes will prevaile, this rule our Saviour giveth Matth. 18.15, 16.
Thirdly. That hee enforme not against an offendor as a backbiter secretly, but bee willing to shew himselfe, and be seene in this duty, as they of the house of Cloe were, when they enformed Paul of the disorders that were in Corinth. 1 Cor. 1.11.
Fourthly. That he in complaining of a lewd man, seeke neither private revenge, nor the hurt, and defamation of the party, but onelyonly the glory of God, either in the amendment of the sinner himselfe, or in the preventing of sin in others by his punishment. For want of this, God esteemed of Iehu (though hee were a magistrate, and seemed to shew wonderfull zeale against the sins of Ahab and Iezebel) no better then of a murderer, and saith Hosea 1.4. I will avenge the blood of Iezreel, up… the house of Iehu. To conclude, what pretence soever men make for this, why they will do nothing to further the punishment of sin, I will shew you the true cause of it.
First. They will do nothing, because they have no love unto, nor care of the soules of poore sinners, whether they sinke or swim, but say in their hearts with Cain, Genes 4.9 Am I my brothers keeper? Or as the chiefe Priests to Iudas, Mat. 27.4. What is that to us? see thou to that.
Secondly, they will do nothing, because there is in their heart no hatred of any sin, A certaine signe of an ungracious heart, Psal. 36.4. He abhorreth not evill.
Thirdly. They will do nothing, because there is in them no love to God, nor zeale to his glory, Ps. 97.10. Ye that love the Lord hate evill. For thus standeth the stipulation, and contract betweene God, and his people that are in covenant with him. God bindeth himselfe on his part, that he will be a friend to our friends, and an enemy to our enemies, Exod. 23.22. I will be an enemy to thine enemies, and an adversary to thine adversaries. So doe Gods people for their part bind themselves to God, that they will love them that he loveth, and hate them that he hateth, Psal. 139.21, 22. Doe not I hate them O Lord that hate thee, and am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee, I hate them with a perfect hatred, I count them mine enemies.
Fourthly and lastly. They will do nothing to further the punishment of lewd men, because they have no faith to beleeve Gods word, & threatnings, that these sins being winked at, & unpunished, will bring Gods curse and judgments upon the whole town, upon the whole land. What made the king & people of Nineveh so zealous in reforming their land? Ion. 3.8. Let every man turne from his evill way, & from the violence that is in his hands. The reason is given ver, 5. The people of Nineveh beleeved God, that which hee had threatned against the land by the ministery of Ionah. And what made good Iosiah so zealous in reforming his land? 2 Chr. 34.33. He tooke away all the abominations out of all the countryes that pertained to the children of Israel. The reason is given verse 27. That when he had heard what curses God in his law had threatned against the land for such sins, his heart was tender, and he did humble himselfe before God; he undoubtedly beleeved Gods word and threatning. And doubtlesse (on the other side) the infidelity, and atheisme that is in mens hearts, is the cause why no man sheweth any zeale gainst sin, no man seeketh to have it punished.