Seventeen Sermons on Amos 3, Sermon 1
A Commentary OR EXPOSITION VPONUPON THE THIRD Chapter of the Prophecie of AMOS. Deliuered In VXII. Sermons in the Pariſh Church of MEYSEY-HAMPTON in the Dioceſſe of Gloceſter. BY SEBASTIAN BENEFIELD Doctor of Diuinitie.
2 COR. 12.14.
I ſeeke not yours, but you.
LONDON, ¶ Printed by John Hauiland, and are to be ſold by Hugh Perry at the Harrow in Britaines Burſe. 1628.
THE Firſt Lecture.
AMOS 3.1.
Heare this word, that the Lord hath ſpoken againſt you, O children of Iſrael, againſt the whole family, which I brought vp from the land of Aegypt, ſaying,
You onelyonly hauehave I knowne of all the families of the earth: therefore will I puniſh you for all your iniquities.
HAuing heretofore, by the gracious aſſiſtance of the Almighty, finiſhed my Expoſition vponupon the firſt and ſecond Chapters of this Propheſie of Amos, I doe now aduenture vponupon the third, in a ſure hope and confidence, of the continuance of the ſame aſſiſtance vntounto me, not doubting, but that the Lord will enable me to goe forward in this courſe, if he ſhall ſee it to be to his glory, and to the good of his Church.
This third Chapter is Amos his ſecond Sermon againſt the Kingdome of the ten Tribes, the Kingdome of Iſrael. It was made, as it ſeemeth, when their then King, Ieroboam ſonne of Ioaſh, the thirteenth King of Iſrael, though wicked for his life, yet happy in warre, had vanquiſhed and ſubdued many of the Syrians, and had recouered the coaſt of Iſrael from thea2 King. 14.25. entring of Hamath, vntounto the Sea of the plaine; and had takenbVerſ 28. Damaſcus and Hamath. Then the people of Iſrael, growne inſolent with victories, and rich with ſpoiles, became laſciuient and wanton, and ſpurned at the preaching of the Word of God. It was now high time for Amos to beſtirre himſelfe, and to remember them of the fickle eſtate wherein now they were. Hee was their Prophet, peculiarly ſent to them from God; and it lay vponupon him, to call vponupon them. He doth it in this his ſecond Sermon.
The parts are three:
1 An Exordium, or an entrance into the Sermon, verſ. 1.
2 A Propoſition, containing the ſumme of that whereof he admoniſheth them, verſ. 2.
3 An Enarration, a Declaration, an Expoſition, or an Expolition of the matter in hand, from the third verſ. to the end of the Chapter.
We are to beginne with the Exordium or entrance to the Sermon. It is an inuitation to attention: and containeth certaine arguments of perſwaſion. Three they are; all of weight, and in themſelues auaileable.
The firſt is taken from the authority of the Word, to the hearing whereof they are inuited. It is Verbum Iehouae, the Word of Iohouah, the onelyonly true and euerliuing God. Heare this Word, non meum ſomnium, not any dreame of mine, not my word, nor the word of any mortall wight, but the Word of the Lord, Heare this Word, that the Lord hath ſpoken.
The ſecond is taken from the quality of the parties inuited. They are Filij Iſrael, the children of Iſrael. By this compellation they are put in minde of their ſtocke and linage that they were ſprung form, and came out of the loines of Iacob, whoſe name was changed tocGen. 32.28. & 35.10. Iſrael; whereby they may well be admoniſhed, either to inſiſt in the ſteps of that holy Patriarch, or like diſobedient and degenerate children to expect puniſhment from the Lord: Heare this Word that the Lord hath ſpoken againſt you, O children of Iſrael.
The third is taken from the memory of their greateſt deliuerance, their deliuerance out of Aegypt. By this benefit, had there beene nothing elſe, were the Iſraelites deepely obliged to giuegive care to the Word of the Lord their Redeemer and deliuerer. Heare this Word, that the Lord hath ſpoken againſt you, O children of Iſrael, againſt the whole family which I brought vp from the land of Aegypt, ſaying.
In the handling of theſe words, I purpoſe to hold this courſe: firſt, to expound the words; and then to obſerue out of them ſuch inſtructions as they naturally offer vntounto vsus, and may be for our good.
Heare this Word that the Lord ſpeaketh againſt you.
Heare, Liſten vntounto it, not onelyonly with the outward ſenſe of your eares, but yeeld vntounto it alſo willing aſſent in your minds. Heare it interiori auditu: ſo Albertus Magnus expounds it, Heare with your inward hearing. In the phraſe of the Goſpell, it is Audite & intelligite, Matth. 15.10. Heare and vnderſtand.
Heare this Word] This word is with Caſtalio, dictum, a ſaying; with Albertus it is, ſomething ſignified by voice, which remaineth in the heart of the hearer, after the voice is gone. It may bee the decree of God and his ordinance, touching that he will doe vntounto Iſrael; and ſo Ionathan in his Chaldee paraphraſe ſeemes to take it; Heare this Word, that the Lord hath decreed. In the Ʋulgar Latine I read, Audite verbum, quod locus us eſt Dominus; Heare the Word that the Lord hath ſpoken. Our now Engliſh is right: Heare this Word that the Lord hath ſpoken.
Hath ſpoken! To, or againſt whom? foreign Hhalceem, To you, or againſt you: ſo Druſius. The originall is, Super vos, ouer you or vponupon you: Druſius well renders it, to you, or againſt you; and Petrus Luſitanus not amiſſe, contra vos, vel de vobis, againſt you, or concerning you.
You children of Iſrael. The Hebrew is foreign Benei Iiſchrael, ſonnes of Iſrael. Children of Iſrael, or ſonnes of Iſrael, the Iſraelites are meant. Each phraſe may be paralleld in the Greeke tongue. Firſt, the children of Iſrael, for the Iſraelites: So ſpeake the Greekes,dHerod. l. 3. foreign, the children of the Aethiopians, for Aethiopians themſelues. foreign, the children of Philoſophers, for Philoſophers themſelues. foreign, the children of Phyſitians, for Phyſitians themſelues. Againe, the ſonnes of Iſrael, for the Iſraelites. And ſo ſpeake the Greekes, foreign, the ſonnes of the Grecians, for the Grecians themſelues. Its very frequent ineJliad. & 162.237 240.276.368. &c. Homer. I meet with one place in the Greeke Bible, wherewith I will for the preſent content my ſelfe. It is Ioel 3 6. The words are foreign; the ſonnes of Iuda, and the ſonnes of Ieruſalem, ye ſold to the ſonnes of the Grecians; where the ſonnes of Iuda are put for the people of Iuda, and the ſonnes of Ieruſalem for the inhabitants of Ieruſalem, and the ſonnes of the Grecians for the Grecians themſelues: iuſt, as it is here, the ſonnes of Iſrael for the Iſraelites themſelues.
Sonnes of Iſrael] It is an Hebrew Prouerbe;fDruſius Adag. Hebruir. Druuia. 2 8. ex R. Heuna. Filij filiorum ecce ſunt vt filij; Sonnes ſonnes, behold they are as ſonnes. You may vnderſtand thus: The ſonnes of ſonnes are accounted of as ſonnes; or, they are truly ſonnes; ſonnes not in name only, but in very deed.
In the name of ſonne, ſometime the Nephew is to be vnderſtood. So it is, Haggai 1.1. Zerubbabel is there called the ſonne of Shealtiel; whoſe ſonne hee was not, but Nephew, for hee was ſonne ofgChron. 3.19. Pedaiah, and Pedaiah ſonne of Schealtiel. And ſo is it Ezra 5.1. Zechariah the Prophet is there called the ſonne of Iddo, whoſe ſonne he was not; but Nephew; for he was the ſonne of Barachiah, andhZachar. 1.1. Barachiah the ſonne of Iddo. Now as a ſonne is ſometimes put for a Nephew, ſo are ſonnes for a poſterity; So in my Text, the ſonnes of Iſrael are put for the poſterity of Iſrael. The ſonnes of Iſrael, Secundum carnem, non ſecundū ſpiritum, as Petrus à Figueiro ſpeaketh; the ſonnes of Iſrael after the fleſh, not after the ſpirit. Sonnes of Iſrael, ſuch as were lineally deſcended from the loines of Iacob, who was ſurnamed Iſrael. Theſe ſonnes or children of Iſrael are here further deſcribed to be that whole family which the Lord brought vp from the land of Aegypt. Heare this Word, that the Lord hath ſpoken againſt you, O children of Iſrael, againſt the whole family, which I brought vp from the land of Aegypt.
Againſt the whole family] The Hebrew word here is foreign Miſchpachah, and ſignifieth a family. So its tranſlated by Brentius, and Caluin, and Druſius, and Gnalter, and Iunius, and Piſcator: and ſo is it in our neweſt Engliſh; againſt the whole family. A family, to ſpeake properly, is of them that are contained in one and the ſame houſe: it is a houſhold conſiſting of perſons of diuers ſexes, ages, ſtatures, ſtrengths, and abilities. But this narrow ſignification of a family will not ſerue for this place. For it was not onelyonly a houſhold that the Lord brought out of Aegypt, it was more than ſo.
The Author of the Vulgar Latine giues here a larger ſcope. Familia contents him not; Cognatio is his word. Not a family, but a kindred muſt ſerue his turne. His reading is Super omnem cognationem. Is pleaſeth Luther, and Mercer, and Vatablus. Againſt all the kindred. A kindred wee know may containe many families: and many were the families which the Lord brought vp from the Land of Aegypt; yet is not this word kindred of extent ſufficient to comprehend the great multitude that was brought vp from the land of Aegypt.
Nation is a fitter word with Caſtalio: Heare this word, that the Lord pronounceth to you, to the whole Nation, which I brought vp from the land of Aegypt. It was indeed a Nation that the Lord brought vp. A Nation, and therefore many kindreds, and more families. Yet need wee not refuſe either the word kindred or family as vnfit for this place; for each of them may well bee vſed to ſignifie a Nation. The reaſon whereof Kimhi giueth, quia ab initio gentes ſingulae ab vno aliquo viro defluxerunt; becauſe at firſt Nations had their beginning from ſome one man that was head of a family or kindred.
A Family for a Nation you hauehave, Mic. 2.3. Behold, ſaith the Lord; behold, againſt this family doe I deuiſe an euill. Againſt this family, that is, againſt this Nation of the Iſraelites. So hauehave you, Ierem. 8.3. Death ſhall be choſen rather than life, by all the reſidue of them that remaine of this euill family. This euill family is the nation of the Iewes. I read of the family of Aegypt, Zach. 14.18. and there the family of Aegypt, is the nation of the Aegyptians. Such is the ſignification of the word family in my Text; againſt the whole family, that is, againſt the whole nation of the Iſraelites.
By this whole family of the children of Iſrael, ſome doe vnderſtand all the people which the Lord brought vp from Aegypt, which afterward was rent into two Kingdomes, the Kingdome of Iudah, and the Kingdome of Iſrael. So Saint Hierome, and Remigius, and Hugo, and Lyra, and Dionyſius. Some by the children of Iſrael doe vnderſtand the Kingdome of Iſrael, the Kingdome of the ten Tribes, and in the whole family brought vp from the land of Aegypt, they will hauehave included the Kingdome of Iudah, the other two Tribes; the Tribes of Benjamin and Iudah. So Theodoret, and Albertus, and Montanus, & Quadratus, and Chriſtophorus à Caſtro.
Petrus à Figueiro takes this whole family to be here vſed Appoſitoriè, by Appoſition, to expreſſe what is meant by the children of Iſrael. The children of Iſrael, that is, the whole family, kindred, or nation of the Iſraelites which the Lord brought vp from the land of Aegypt. The like doth Tauerner in his Engliſh Bible; his Tranſlation runnes thus: Heare what the Lord ſpeaketh vntounto you, O ye children of Iſrael, namely vntounto all the Tribes whom I brought out of Aegypt.
I take them to be in the right, who by the children of Iſrael, doe vnderſtand the Kingdome of the ten Tribes, and by the whole family brought vp from Aegypt, the other two Tribes: the Tribes of Iudah and Benjamin: to this ſenſe, Heare this word, this ſentence, that the Lord pronounceth againſt you, O children of Iſrael, and not againſt you alone, but euen againſt all thoſe whom I brought vp from the land of Aegypt. All that are in the ſame fault doe well deſerue the ſame puniſhment. If Iudah ſinne as well as Iſrael, Iudah ſhall bee puniſhed as well as Iſrael. Heare therefore this word, not only you of Iſrael, but you of Iudah too, all you whom I brought vp from the land of Aegypt.
All, which I brought vp from the land of Aegypt?] How can this bee? Of thoſe which the Lord brought vp out of Aegypt, all that were ofiNumb. 14.30. & 32.11, 12. twenty yeeres old and vpward, all ſaue two, Caleb the ſonne of Iephunneh, and Ioſhua the ſonne of Nun, died in the Wilderneſſe. They died there, and therefore they came not into the Holy Land.
Againe, the deliuerance of Iſrael out of Aegypt was aboutkAn. M. 2454. ſeuen hundred yeeres before thelWhich was An. M. 3158. time that this Propheſie came by the miniſtery of Amos vntounto Iſrael.
What? Seuen hundred yeeres before this time! Its then to be preſumed, that all, which ſo long before were brought vp from Aegypt, were long ere this time dead. And ſo out of doubt they were. How then is it, that here ſo long after it is ſaid to the children of Iſrael from the Lord, Eduxi, I brought you, your whole family, vp from the Land of Aegypt? The Iſraelites, to whom this ſpeech is, had for the place of their natiuity and habitation the land of Iudaea. Neuer had they beene in the land of Aegypt, and yet may there be a good conſtruction of what is here ſaid vntounto them; Eduxi, I brought you, your whole family, vp from the land of Aegypt. Albertus makes the conſtruction; I brought you vp, vos in patribus, you in your Fathers. So doth Petrus Luſitanus; I brought you vp, vos vti que in parentibus, you in your parents. And ſo Piſcator, I brought you vp, vos in maioribus, you in your Anceſtours. You, in your Fathers, in your Parents, in your Anceſtours, I brought you vp from the land of Aegypt.
I brought vp from the land of Aegypt] The words we met with before, Chap. 2.10. There they were by me expounded; and haply you will not thinke it fit, I ſhould ſay the ſame againe vntounto you. Wherefore for a full expoſition of theſe words, and the profit to be taken by them, I referre you to my fifteenth Lecture vponupon the ſecond Chapter of this Propheſie of Amos.
Hitherto hauehave I dwelt vponupon the opening of the words of my preſent Text. I gather vp all in briefe. Heare] not only with the outward eare, but alſo with the aſſent of minde; heare and vnderſtand, —this word] this thing, this ſentence, this decree, —that the Lord] Iehouah, the onelyonly true euerlaſting and Almighty God — hath ſpoken] hath pronounced —ouer you] vponupon you, to you, againſt you; againſt you O children of Iſrael] yee the ſonnes, the poſterity of Iacob, and not againſt you onelyonly, but alſo —againſt the whole family] the whole Nation of you, them of Iudah too, againſt you all, whoſe Fathers, Parents, and Anceſtours — I brought vp] and deliuered with a mighty hand and out-ſtretched arme—from the land of Aegypt] that land, wherein they liued in great ſlauery and bondage, —ſaying] after this manner as it followeth, verſ. 2. You only hauehave I knowne, &c.
The words you ſee are expounded. It remaineth now, that we gather from hence ſuch obſeruations as are here naturally offered vntounto vsus, and may be for our inſtruction.
Of the three perſwaſory arguments here vſed by Amos to moue the Iſraelites to attention, the firſt is taken from the authority of the Word to the hearing whereof they are inuited, it is verbum Iehouae; Heare this word, non meum ſomnium, not any dreame of mine, not my word, nor the word of any mortall wight, but verbum Iehouae, the Word of Iehouah, the onelyonly true and euerliuing God. Heare this word that the Lord ſpeaketh againſt you. My obſeruation is: The Word of the Lord is diligently to be hearkned vntounto.
Were it not ſo, neuer would the holy Prophets hauehave beene ſo frequent in that their inuitation;mEſa. 1.10. & 28 14. Ierem. 2.4. 7.1. 9 20. 10.1. 27.20. 19.3. 21.11. 29.20. 31.10. Audite verbum Iehouae, Heare ye the Word of the Lord. That ſame generall Proclamation, Mat. 11.15. Whoſoeuer hath eares to heare, let him heare; repeated innMatth. 13 93. Mark. 7.91. & 23. Luk. 8.8. 13.35. Reuel. 2.7, 11.17.29. 3.6, 13 22. ſundry others places of the New Teſtament, what elſe implieth it, but that all are bound to heare? The voice that ſpake out of the cloud at the time of Chriſt his transfiguration, Matth. 17.5. it ſaid no more but this, This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleaſed, heare ye him. Heare him, ſaith that voice, as if in hearing were compriſed all the duties of man. Chriſt Ieſus in the tenth of Luke, the nine and thirtieth verſe, ſpeaking of one thing that is neceſſary, ſpeakes of nothing but of hearing the word. Martha, Martha, thou art carefull, and troubled about many things: But one thing is neceſſary, and Mary hath choſen that good part. One thing neceſſary, and Mary hath choſen it! what is that? She ſitting at Ieſus feet did heare his Word. See now, to heare the Word of God is ſo neceſſary a thing, that all other neceſſities ſhould giuegive place vntounto it.
It makes much for this neceſſity of hearing, that the Word of God is called meat, Heb. 5.12. and the want of this word, a famine, Amos 8.11. What can from hence be collected, but, that it is as neceſſary for vsus to heare the word of God, as it is to eat?
Much more might be ſpoken to ſhew the neceſſity of this duty of hearing the word of God; but I hauehave ſaid enough for the confirmation of my doctrine: The word of the Lord is diligently to be hearkned vntounto.
One reaſon to enforce this duty, I take from the perſon of him, from whom this duty is inioyned vsus. He is in my Text called Iehouah, the Lord: Heare this word that Iehouah the Lord ſpeaketh. Iehouah, he is ouroDeut. 32.18. Creator, wee are his creatures; hee is ourpPſal. 23.1. Shepherd, wee are his Sheepe; hee is ourqMal. 1.6. Maſter, we are his Seruants; hee is our Father, wee are his children; he is ourrPſal 44.4. King, we are his Subiects. Say now, is not the creature bound to obey his Creator, the ſheepe his Shepheard, the ſeruant his Maſter, the child his Father, the ſubiect his King? The Scripture ſheweth it: yea nature teacheth it. If then the Lord ſpeake vntounto vsus, we are to heare him.
A ſecond reaſon to enforce this duty, I take from the great value and high price of obedient hearing. Obedience in this kinde is better worth than any ſacrifice, yea than all the ſacrifices that can be offered. Samuel auoucheth it, 1 Sam. 15.22, 23. where he that reproueth Saul to his face: Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and ſacrifices, as when the voice of the Lord is obeyed? Behold, to obey is better than ſacrifice: and to hearken, than the fat of Rammes. For rebellion is as the ſinne of witchcraft, and ſtubbornneſſe is as iniquity and idolatry. See here how elegantly Samuel deciphereth two contraries, Obedience and diſobedience? He maketh the one to be better than ſacrifice; the other to bee as witchcraft and idolatry. Obedience is better than ſacrifice: for hee that offereth a Sacrifice,ſGreg. Moral. lib. 35. c. 10. offereth the fleſh of ſome beaſt: but he that obeyeth offereth his owne will, as a quicke and reaſonable ſacrifice, which the Lord well accepteth. Diſobedience is as witchcraft and Idolatry. If, when the Lord impoſeth ſome duty vponupon vsus, we then conferre with our owne hearts, ast1 Sam. 28.7. Saul conſulted with the woman of Endor, or asu2 Reg 1.2. Ahaziah with Beelzebub, whether wee ſhall hearken vntounto the voice of the Lord, or not; this is diſobedience, and diſobedience in a high degree; as prodigious as witchcraft and idolatry. Now this ſecond reaſon I thus frame. God liketh of obedience, and preferreth it before ſacrifice; he hateth diſobedience as he doth witchcraft and idolatry; therefore it is our duty, refuſing this, to embrace that: and when the Lord ſhall ſpeake vntounto vsus, to hearken vntounto him, and obey his Word.
A third reaſon to enforce this duty of hearing the Word of God, I take from the conſideration of the puniſhment that ſhall betide the diſobedient. The diſobedient ſhall be ſure to be puniſhed. Our warrant for this we hauehave, Deut. 28.15. If thou wilt not hearken vntounto the voice of the Lord thy God, to obſerue and to doe all his Commandements and his Statutes which he commandeth thee; then ſhall all theſe curſes come vponupon thee, and ouertake thee. Curſed ſhalt thou bexDeut. 28.16. in the City, and curſed in the field: Curſed in thy basket, and curſed in thy ſtore: Curſed in the fruit of thy body, in the fruit of thy land, in the increaſe of thy kine, and in the flocks of thy ſheep: Curſed when thou commeſt in, and curſed when thou goeſt out. With theſe and the like curſes, how ſly ſoeuer thou be, thou ſhalt alwaies be enuironed, it will not boot thee to ſeeke ſtarting holes. If thou goe into thine houſe, and ſhut the doore, and double barre it, yet ſhall theyAmos 5.19. ſerpent come in and ſting thee there. If thou goe into the field, and ſeeke meanes to eſcape, thou ſhalt meet with a Lion vponupon the way: if thou ſlip aſide from the Lion, a Beare ſhall meet thee. Be thou aſſured, God hath his ſtorehouſe full of rods, not of three or foure ſorts only, but of infinite to pay thee home, if thou wilt not hearken vntounto his voice.
But if thou wilt hearken vntounto the voice of the Lord thy God, zDeut. 28.1.to obſerue and to doe all his Commandements which he commandeth thee, then ſhall bleſſings come as thicke vponupon thee. Bleſſed ſhalt thou be in the City, and bleſſed in the field: bleſſed in thy basket, and bleſſed in thy ſtore: bleſſed in the fruit of thy body, in the fruit of thy ground, in the fruit of thy Cattell, in the increaſe of thy kine; and in the flocks of thy ſheepe: bleſſed when thou commeſt in, and bleſſed when thou goeſt out. With theſe and other like bleſſings ſhalt thou bee compaſſed about, if thou giuegive eare vntounto the voice of the Lord thy God.
Now this third reaſon I frame thus: If the obedient ſhall be bleſſed and rewarded for hearing, and the diſobedient curſed and puniſhed for not hearing the voice of the Lord our God, then it behoueth vsus with all diligence to giuegive eare vntounto his holy Word.
From the reaſons enforcing the duty of hearing the Word of God, I come now to make ſome vſe of the doctrine deliuered.
It may ſerue firſt for reproofe. For the reproofe of ſuch as refuſe to heare the Word of God. Such, as if they had no ſoule to ſaue, yea, as if they beleeued, that there is neither God nor Deuill, neither Heauen nor Hell, doe ſtop their eares, that they may not heare. Very deſperate is their diſeaſe. The aMat. 12.42.Queene of the South ſhall riſe vp in iudgement and condemne them. She thought it worthy her labour, to make a long iourney to heare the wiſdome of Salomon; and yet, behold, more than Salomon is here. Here, not farre hence, in this place, and preſent with you is Chriſt our Lord. Salomon, a man. Chriſt is God. Salomon a mortall King, of the Kingdome of Chriſt there is no end. Salomon a King by humane ſucceſſion, Chriſt by diuine eternity. Salomon a ſinner inwrapped in the allurements of laſciuiouſneſſe, Chriſt b1 Pet. 2.22.without ſinne, without guile,cHeb. 7.26. harmeleſſe and vndefiled. Salomon gaue his Parables onelyonly in Hieruſalem; Chriſt giues his voice thorowout the Chriſtian world, hee giues it vsus in our ſtreets, in our Temples, in this his houſe wherein now I ſtand.
Inexcuſable therefore art thou O man, O woman, O childe of vnderſtanding, whoſoeuer thou art that refuſeſt to heare the word of Chriſt, thy Lord and God. For ſuch your refuſall you ſhall be ſure to giuegive an account at the great day of Gods vengeance. Againſt ſuch refuſall the voice of wiſdome cryeth out, Prou. 1.24. Becauſe I hauehave called, and yee refuſed; I hauehave ſtretched out mine hand and no man regarded, I alſo will laugh at your calamity, I will mocke when your feare commeth.
Parallel to this is that, Eſa. 65.12. There thus ſaith the Lord; Becauſe when I called, ye did not anſwer; when I ſpake, ye did not heare; but did euill before mine eyes, and did chooſe that wherein I delighted not, therefore will I number you to the ſword, and ye ſhall all bow downe to the ſlaughter.
Hereunto may that be added, Ierem. 7.13. Becauſe I ſpake vntounto you, riſing vp early and ſpeaking, but ye heard not, and I called you, but ye anſwered not, therefore will I doe vntounto you thus, and thus: I will caſt you out of my ſight: I will powre out mine anger and my fury vponupon the place of your habitation, vponupon man, and vponupon beaſt, and vponupon the trees of the field, and vponupon the fruit of the ground: I will cauſe to ceaſe from your ſtreets the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladneſſe, the voice of the bridegroome, and the voice of the bride. Thus and thus ſhall it befall them, that refuſe to heare, when the Lord ſpeaketh; thedIer. 14.12, 16. famine ſhall pinch them, theeIer. 15.3. ſword ſhall ſlay them, thefIer. 21.9. Ezech. 6.11. & 7.15. peſtilence ſhall waſte them, gIerem. 15.3.dogges ſhall teare them, wilde beaſts ſhall deſtroy them, and the Fowles of Heauen ſhall deuoure them. You hauehave the firſt vſe.
The ſecond vſe may be for reproofe too; for the reproofe of ſuch as come to heare, but heare not as they ſhould. I hauehave read of a generation of ſuch hearers.
Some, ſaith my Author, hearken after newes; If the Preacher ſay any thing of beyond Sea matters, or of court affaires at home, that is his lure.
Some hearken whether any thing be ſaid, that may bee wreſted to be ſpoken againſt perſons in high place, that they may accuſe the Preacher.
Some ſmacke of eloquence, and gape for a phraſe, that when they come abroad in company, they may hauehave a fine word to grace their talke.
Some ſit, as Male-contents, till the Preacher come to gird ſome, whom they ſpight: then pricke they vp their eares to liſten, and it ſhall goe hard, if they remember not ſomething of what is ſpoken.
Some come to gaze about the Church: their eyes are euill eyes, they are wanton eyes, they are euermore looking vponupon that, from which holy Iob turned his eyes away.
Some ſit muſing all the Sermon time, ſome of their Law-ſuits, ſome of their bargaines, ſome of their iourneyes, ſome of ſome other imployments. The Sermon is ended before theſe men thinke where they are.
Some that come to heare, ſo ſoone as the Prayer is done, or ſoone after, fall faſt aſleepe; as though they had beene brought into the Church for corpſes, and the Preacher ſhould preach at their funeralls.
You ſee now a generation of hearers: ſeuen ſorts of them; not one of them heareth as he ſhould. If they come to the Church, and doe remaine there for the Sermon time, they thinke their duty well and ſufficiently diſcharged. But much more than ſo is required at their hands. Outward ſeruice without inward obedience is but Hypocriſie. The naked hearing of the Word of God, is but an halting with God. If thou keepe from him thy heart, he cares not for thy preſence, nor for thy tongue, nor for thy eare.
Cares he not for our preſence, nor for our tongue, nor for our eare, vnleſſe he hauehave our heart too? Then may that Caueat, which Chriſt giueth his Diſciples, Luk. 8.18. when he had expounded vntounto them the parable of the Sower, be a ſeaſonable caueat for vsus. The Caueat is, Take heed how ye heare. This ſame take heed, euer goeth before ſome danger. Some danger there is in hearing: for you may eaſily heare amiſſe. You may eaſily heare amiſſe, and therefore take heed. Take heed how you heare. When you ſow your ſeed in the field, you will take heed how you ſow, leſt your ſeed ſhould bee loſt. Your care herein is commendable. Let not your care be leſſe to further the growth of Gods ſeed. Gods ſeed! it is immortall ſeed, euen his holy Word; O take heed how you heare, that none of this ſeed be loſt. No ſeed groweth ſo faſt as this, if it be receiued in good ground, in anhLuk. 8.15. honeſt and good heart: for ſo it groweth in a moment as high as Heauen. Take heed therefore how ye heare.
Would ye now know how ye ſhould heare? The Prophet Ieremy ſhall teach you, Chap. 13.15. Heare and giuegive eare. So ſhall Eſay, Chap. 28.23. GiueGive ye eare and heare, hearken and heare. Heare, giuegive eare and hearken! Why is this multiplying of words, but to teach you, that you are to heare and m…re than heare? More than heare! What is that to ſay? It is to heare interiori auditu, with the inward hearing, as before I noted out of Albertus. It is audire & intelligere, to heare and vnderſtand, as in the phraſe of the Goſpell already alleaged. It is to heare for the after time, as Eſay ſpeaketh, Chap. 42.23. It is to marke, and vnderſtand, and remember, and beleeue, and follow that which you heare.
This duty of hearing as we ſhould, we ſhall the better performe, if as Moſes at the commandement of the Lord did put off his ſhooes, the ſhooes from off his feet, becauſe the place whereon he ſtood was holy ground, Exod. 3.5. ſo ſhall we, as oft as we come to this or the like holy place, the Houſe of God, to heare his Word read and preached vntounto vsus, put off our ſhooes too; not our ſhooes from off our feet; but our much fouler ſhooes, our luſts, our thoughts, our cares, our fancies, our buſineſſes, euen all that corruption and ſinne wherewith in this life we are clogged: which, as the duſt to the ſhooe, and the ſhooe to the foot, cleaues faſt to vsus.
If thus prepared we come to heare the Word of God, wee ſhall be ſure of a bleſſing. When the woman ſaid to Chriſt, Bleſſed is the wombe that bare thee, and the paps which thou haſt ſucked, Chriſt replyed, Luk. 11.18. Yea, rather bleſſed are they that heare the Word of God, and keepe it. By this his reply, he ſheweth that his Diſciples were more bleſſed for hearing him, than his Mother for bearing him. Yet hereby hee denieth not his Mother to hauehave beene bleſſed euen for bearing him: but inſinuates onelyonly that ſhe was more bleſſed in being his childe, than in being his Mother. Saint Auſtine, De Sancta Virginitate, cap. 3. well expreſſeth it; Beatior percipiendo fidem Chriſti, quàm concipiendo carnem Chriſti; The bleſſed Virgin, the Mother of Chriſt, was more bleſſed by receiuing the faith of Chriſt, then by conceiuing the fleſh of Chriſt.
Chriſt ſaid vntounto his Diſciples, Matth. 13.16. Bleſſed are your eares for you heare; ſhewing, that they were more bleſſed than all the world beſides, becauſe they had this one bleſſing to heare the truth. This is the bleſſing which you come hither for. God in the abundance of his goodneſſe brings it home vntounto you. And well may you call it a bleſſing. For the word which we bring vntounto you is verbum regni, Mat. 13.19. The word of a Kingdome; it bring a Kingdome with it: It is verbum vitae, Ioh. 6.68. the word of life: it brings life with it. It is not onelyonly a word of authority, to command and bind the conſcience, nor onelyonly a word of wiſdome to direct you, nor onelyonly a word of power to conuert you, nor onelyonly a word of grace to comfort and vphold you, but the word of a neuer-fading Kingdome, and of eternall life to make you perfectly and for euer bleſſed.
Thus farre hath my firſt Doctrine carried mee. The Doctrine was deliuered in theſe words: The word of the Lord is diligently to be hearkened vntounto.
It was grounded vponupon the firſt branch of my Text, wherein is contained the firſt perſwaſory argument of attention drawne from the authority of the word to be hearkned vntounto. Heare this word that the Lord ſpeaketh againſt you.
The next argument of perſwaſion to enforce attention in the hearer, is drawne from the perſons of them who are here inuited to giuegive eare. They are Filij Iſrael, the children, the duplicate page duplicate page ſonnes, the poſterity of Iſrael; a people deſcended from the holy Patriarke Iacob, choſen aboue all other nations to bee Gods peculiar people, with whom God had made a couenant, and had on his part moſt abſolutely performed it, preſeruing them from their enemies, and multiplying vponupon them all his benefits. So graciouſly did God deale with theſe ſonnes of Iſrael, not onelyonly whilſt they loued him, kept their coniugall faith with him, and ſerued him according to his word, but euen then too, when they had deſpiſed him, and forſaken him, had violated their faith with him, and committed ſpirituall whoredome with falſe gods. Yet, when thoſe their impieties, diſobediences, and rebellions were growne to the height, God was reſolued to come againſt them in iudgement, and to puniſh them. This his reſolution appeareth in the many menaces and threats, which from time to time the Lord ſent vntounto them by his holy Prophets. One of which is in my Text, Heare this word that the Lord ſpeaketh againſt you, O children of Iſrael; Againſt you, to puniſh you, O children of Iſrael, euen you. My obſeruation here is: God will not ſpare to ſmite his deareſt children, when they ſinne againſt him.
One reaſon hereof may bee, that the Lord may declare himſelfe an aduerſary to ſinne in all men without partiality.
A ſecond is, that the Lord may reduce his children from running on headlong to perdition with the wicked.
And the vſes may be two: One to teach vsus to magnifie the righteouſneſſe of God, as generally in all his workes, ſo particularly in the afflictions of his people.
The other to admoniſh vsus, that we looke not for any certaine earthly peace, though we are by faith the children of Iſrael, but that we prepare our ſelues for a continuall ſucceſſion of croſſes and calamities.
The third argument of perſwaſion to moue attention in theſe children of Iſrael, is taken from the commemoration of their greateſt deliuerance, their deliuerance out of Aegypt; Heare this word that the Lord ſpeaketh againſt you, O children of Iſrael; againſt the whole family, which I brought vp from the land of Aegypt. My obſeruation is: The temporall benefits and manifold deliuerances, which the Lord beſtoweth vponupon his people, are euer to be had in remembrance, and in thankefull acknowledgement.
This very doctrine for the ſubſtance of it, I hauehave heretofore in your hearing propounded and proued, in my fifteenth Lecture vponupon the ſecond chapter of this booke, occaſioned thereunto by the tenth verſe, wherein this great deliuerance out of Aegypt is mentioned. I will not therefore at this time ſtand to inlarge it. OnelyOnly let me now tell you, that this deliuery of the Iſraelites out of Aegypt, is not appropriate onelyonly vntounto them, but that in ſome ſort it appertaineth to the Church of God in all ages: for as much as it was a type of a more ſurpaſſing deliuery from that fearefull Kingdome of ſinne and darkneſſe. It appertaineth euen vntounto vsus, whom God of his infinite goodneſſe and mercy, through the precious bloud of his Sonne, and our Sauiour, Chriſt Ieſus, hath deliuered from this ſpirituall Aegypt, the Kingdome of ſinne and darkneſſe, and will in his good time giuegive vsus ſafe paſſage from hence, to that heauenly Canaan, the true Country and Inheritance of all Saints. Whither, moſt gracious God, vouchſafe to bring vsus all. Amen.