Oil of Scorpions, Consideration 1

Oil of Scorpions · Consideration 1

p. 5The first Consideration.

SECT. I.

OF this profitable Consideration,God is offended before wee are punished. I desire this may be the first step or degree: Let vsus consider and esteeme our Miseries as the strokes of wrath, euen of an offended Creator. That we may the better perceiue this Truth, let vsus looke stedfastly vponupon them, and behold the breadth and depth of these stripes, and I thinke they will shew vntounto p. 6vsus the very Print and Stampe of diuine Indignation. It is almost an Impression in Nature; surely, it seldome failes in the Sons of Grace, when plagues are notable in Greatnesse, vnNature beleeues it. wontednesse, or vnsutablenesse to their Causes, they crie out, Digitus Dei, The finger of the Lord. The men of Ashdod being stricken with Emerods, acknowledge that the hand of God was …ore vponupon them. The very Heathen Mariners, in an extraordinarie storme, crie vponupon their gods, beleeuing strange punishments to be the effects of a diuine Wrath. Euen Fooles beingPs. 107. 17.Ps 107:17 plagued for their Transgressions, p. 7crie vntounto the Lord, and by crying to him acknowledge that their plagues come from him to whom they crie for deliuerance.Grace acknowledgeth it. No maruell then, if Moses the friend of God vnderstood Gods punishments, to bee the effects of Gods wrath; who when the plague was begun after the Rebellion of Korah, Num. 16. 4…Num 16:4said plainly, Wrath is gone out from the Lord. And that we may know in some measure, what punishments are the strokes of that wrath, God himselfe giuesLeuit. 26. Deut. 28.Lev 26Deut 28 the Names of some of them Now let vsus looke on our Chastisements, and see if we can find the Names of p. 8them, in those Rolls of Gods Iudgements. Yea, let vsus see whether there be not in them that greatnesse or strangenesse which hath drawne an acknowledgement of Gods wrath, I say, not from Saints onelyonly, but from Heathens and Fooles.

SECT. II. The first Iudgement.

ANd here in the firstThe weight of the Iudgements shew it. place, let vsus call to remembrance a Iudgement of Note, whose stroke by the weight of it, lookes like the blow of prouoked Omnipotence, whose name is found in the Catalogue of p. 9Gods Iudgements, and whereof it hath beene said in the Word of Truth, that the wrath of God hath giuen lesse blowes with the same Rod. The punishment which I speake of, is the Pestilence, which almost deuoured our chiefest Citie, and with the sicknesse of the Head, the Body of this Land was also distempered. I doubt not, but some that hauehave forgotten it, will be almost angrie to hauehave it remembred; but it were better to hauehave a profitable remembrance of the same plague, then to hauehave a reuengefull remembrance by another. It is the forgetfulnesse of Gods old chastisements p. 10that makes vsus so soone to hauehave need of new ones: for if we laid the former to our Hearts, the latter perchance would not be laid afresh on our backs. Surely, it ought not to bee forgotten vntill it hath done the errand for which God sent it. This it seemes is not yet done, for then new punishments would not be sent vponupon the same errand. Let vsus therefore remember it, vntill we hauehave dispatched the businesse of it; and then may we best forget it, when it hath once beene soundly and effectually remembred. For in this case Remembrance is the best way to forgetfulnesse▪ p. 11and forgetfulnesse is an especiall reason of Remembrance. But herein let vsus see the basenesse and barrennesse of our Hearts. Wee can for our pleasure reade in a Chronicle the storie of a great Mortalitie, how so many thousands died in one weeke, so many were layd in one pit, so few, or so none left to attend, and burie, the dying and the Dead. But to reade of such things for our profit, in a worke of Application is noysome and troublesome. What is this else but to make a meere Recreation of miserie, to … the benefit of so re… … a Chastisement, and … p. 12vnlearning dulnesse, to call vntounto God to make vsus a matter of like recreation to others? But to the wise of Heart the remembrance wil be profitable, for the wisedome of God hath not bin scrup…lous to record a lesse plague in the Scriptures, and Gods wisedome will be iustified by the children of Wisedome. Moses the AlmightiesNumb. 16. 49.Num 16:49 Secretarie vouchsafeth to speake of fourteen thousand and seuen hundred dying by a plague; yea of that plague hee sayes vntounto Aaron, That wrath was gone out from the Lord. If then so small a plague was a stroke of Gods wrath, what shall wee thinke but, p. 13that a farre greater stroke comes of a farre greater Wrath? When Dauid receiued2. Sam. 24.2 Sam 24 a pestilence whereof there died seuenty thousand Men, it is recorded, that the Wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel. What shall we thinke, but the like blow comes from the like Wrath, except out of Securitie or Selfe-louelove, wee will thinke, that in the same punishment God was diuersly affected, and that he loued vsus more in these last sinfull Times, then hee did Israel in the Time of Dauid? If wee would yet doubt whether the pestilence bee a chiefe Rod of Gods Wrath, God himselfe will resolue p. 16page missing maintenance to many. Neither is this decay of Trade in some lesser limbes and farthest from the Heart of it, but in a principall Member, euen a Member wherein consists, almost the Life of our Liuelihood. For if a man in a Word would name the chiefe Commoditie of this Land, which it nourisheth most, and by which it is most nourished, it is the Fleece of the Flock; and a losse in such a general Good, is a generall punishment. It was reckoned amongDeut. 28. 4.Deut 28:4 Gods promised blessings, That Israel should be blessed in the flockes of his Sheepe; And it was reckoned among the curses, That p. 17Israel should bee cursed in the flockes of his Sheepe. The substance of that blessing is the benefit that Israel should take by the Flocke, and the substance of the Curse was a Losse. So then if wee want the benefit of the Flocke, and hauehave a losse in stead of it, the substance of the Curse is vponupon vsus, though the manner may differ. And if we will doubt whether this Losse be a punishment of Gods wrath, Let vsus but looke about vsus, and see with what Miseries it punisheth vsus. The Landlord feeles a losse in his Rents and Fines; the Tenant, a disabilitie in paying either; but especially the p. 18Poore, in his whole Liuelihood. So that to the Poore, the vility of this Commoditie is both a Famine and Nakednesse. For, whereas …eretofore by their Labors they got both Bread and Clothing, now their Labors are so little worth, that they they can pay for neither. And if it be so, then to the Poore euen a plentie is a famine, and abundance of wooll is Nakednesse. For what is the Bread to him that he cannot buy, and the Clothes which …ee cannot put on? A pitifull thing when men would labour for their liuing, but cannot get their liuing by their Labour. And though some by p. 19the greatnesse of their E states, and dulnesse of their Soules, may put from themselues a feeling of this iudgment (though they can hardly some part of the Losse) yet Christian Hearts by Compassion seele the Miseries of others, and by Sorrow or Succour beare a part of their Burden, knowing that it is their own flesh that is hungry and naked,Esa. 58. 7.Isa 58:7 though it bee worne by others. Not to doe this, were not to bee so good, as one that was euill. For, in the Famine of Samaria when a woman complayned to Iehoram, that shee had boyled her Son and eaten him, the Abomination of this p. 20Miserie made him to teare his clothes. And if yet we2. Kin. 6. 302 Kgs 6:30 would see more plainly a hand out of Heauen reaching this blow to vsus, Let vsus marke in what an vnlikely season it falls vponupon vsus. It is fallen in a time of our vniuersall peace with the World, and Peace is vsually the Nurse of Trafficke, but with vsus the child pin…s at the brests of the Nurse. Warre the Step-mother of Trade, hath somtimes nourished more Returnes, then now Peace the Naturall Mother, and what shall we say vntounto this, but that a Curse, euen the Curse of Dauid is vponupon vsus? Let theirPsal. 69. 23, 25.Ps 69:23Ps 69:25 Table be made a s…are, and p. 21that which should hauehave beene for their welfare, let it become a Trap. Which how shall we separate from that which followes? That Gods Indignation is powred out, and his wrathfull Anger takes hold on vsus: And yet his Anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

SECT. IIII. The third Iudgement.

FOr another Misery hath ouer-taken vsus. And as a Man decayeth two wayes, either by debarring foode that should come from without, or wasting the p. 22bloud that is alreadie within, so doe wee decay both for want of that supply which Trade might return, and by the wasting of that which is returned in an inward Consumption. Whither by the gaine of Transportation, or the practice of some that wish well to our pouertie, but sure I am by Gods permissiue displeasure, the Treasure of the Land is abated, if the voyce of the people be the voyce of Truth. And though Disproportion of Trade, and this Scarsitie be some Kin, yet hath this more kinred besides, for pouertie comes more wayes then one. By the losse of this bloud the p. 23Commonwealth faynteth, and the limbs therof grow feeble. Hospitalitie dyeth, Almes are diminished, and Neede increasing, the supply of Neede decreaseth. Commerce deceiueth and is deceiued, and euen Honestie it selfe growes like Dishonestie, while it fayleth to performe what it promised, because another promise fayled it. No Trade prospers so steadily as the Trade that deuours trades; for the scarsitie of Money makes a plentie of Vsurers; their hunger deuouring most Money, when least is to be gotten. A strange absurditie, that Mony should bring most to the Lender, p. 24when it brings least to the Borrower; and that the Rent of Money should bee dearest, when the Rent of Land is cheapest. By this Meanes pouertie in the Body Politick, is like pouertie in the Body Naturall. For pouertie in both breedes store of Vermine, which being bred of pouertie, doe increase that which bred them. And while Pouertie by the mediation of Vsurie increaseth Pouertie, Vsurie in the middle of these two Pouerties growes the richer by both of them. A Plague begot of a Plague, the effect of an old Want, and the Cause of a New. So while the Dragons giuegive p. 25their brests to their young ones, and each thing releeueth and preserueth his Kind, Man onelyonly is cruell to his owne Flesh, and enioyeth the Miseries of his owne Kind; he releeueth not Want, but releeues him selfe vponupon it. Yet men must bee mannerly in touching this Vice, for else they will amend their fault with a worse, and in stead of a leisurable vndoing by lending, they will vndo men at once by calling in suddenly what they hauehave Lent. And so from the vnmercifulnesse of an ouer-cruell Lending, they fall into the vnmercifulnesse of not Lending. I wish they could finde the p. 26middle way betweene hurting by lending, and hurting by not lending, which perchance might bee this, when such a Rent is set vponupon money, as both the Borrower and Lender might be able to thriue. For this I thinke is the golden Meane of lending in Commerce; though I know there is a Lending beyond this, a worke of Almes and Mercy, which lends to the Lord in the poore, and neither lookes for lending againe in exchange, nor for any other earthly Reward. But auoyding those Rocks in our Sea of Miserie▪ which both make wrack, and yet seeme to entertayne the p. 27wracked, I arriue at this safe and true Conclusion; That if the increase of siluer as stones, was recorded as a blessing in Solomons time, then may this Want be taken for a punishment. Yea, this is the putting of money into a broken bag which the Prophet Haggai Hagg. 1.Hag 1names for a punishment, inflicted by God vponupon the Iewes. And if it be a blessing when Israel lends to manyDeut. 28. 11, 12.Deut 28:11Deut 28:12 Nations and doth not borrow, then is it a Curse when Israel borrowes and dothLeu. 26. 16.Lev 26:16 not lend. This is a Consumption, which in many hath consumed the Eyes, and caused sorrow of Hart, and yet the wrath of God p. 28is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

SECT. V. The fourth Iudgement.

FOr to vsus of late, euen the Lawes of Heauen, hauehave seemed to change, and the Couenant with Noah fromGen. 8. 22.Gen 8:22 his generall Course, hath had a particular exception. While the Earth remayneth, saith the Lord, Seedtime & Haruest, Cold and Heate, Summer and Winter, Day and Night shall not cease. True is that which the Lord saith, The course of these things shall neuer generally faile, neither p. 29by their ceasing (as in the Verse before) will hee smite eueryevery liuing thing. But in particular Cases and for the sinnes of particular Nations. The Sunne stands still vponupon Gibeon, and theIosh. 10. 12.Josh 10:12 Moone in the Valley of Aialon. Thou shalt sow, butMica. …. 15. thou shalt not reape: yea, bee yee ashamed, O yee Husband-men, for the Wheat and for the Barley,Ioc…. 1. 11. because the haruest of the Field is perished. And such hath beene of late our punishment. Our Summers hauehave beene changed into Winters, the Seasons of the Yeere hauehave inuerted their order, and resembled them that hauehave peruerted p. 30their Liues. The Sunne euen in the pride of his Ascending, hath couered his face, with blacke mourning Cloudes, as loth to looke vponupon vnmourning sinners. Yea, the teares of Heauen, vnseasonably in regard of the yeere, but seasonably in regard of our sinnes, hauehave fallen downe to wash away the filthinesse with which we are defiled. The fall of the Leafe hath beene in Summer, and a Spring in the fall of the Leafe. The Husband-man this while stands amazed, at the strange displacing, and confounding of his husbandrie. By incessant showres the Corne brings forth in p. 31the same place where it selfe was bred; and the same wombe where it selfe was bred, is also the wombe in which it brings forth. So that which should hauehave made bread for food, is turned to an vnkindly Seede; which wil neither be Bread nor Seede. Yea, we hauehave had a strange kind of Reaping, and that Reaping hath beene also an vnkindly Sowing. For, the Wind hath reaped much Corne, and that Reaping hath bin also a Sowing. So the Husband-man hath saued three labors of Reaping, Threshing, and Sowing, but by all this sauing he hath beene a great Loser. What shall I p. 32say of it? Acerba res est terrae sterilitas & frugum Greg. Naz. Orat. 26.pernicies, &c. A bitter thing is the barrennesse of the Earth, and the destruction of Corne, now flattering vsus with Hope, and drawing neere to the Barne. A bitter thing is an vnseasonable Haruest, and to see the Husband-man sighing ouer his Labours, and looking vponupon them as vponupon vntimely Births. Wee looked for much and it came too little, God hath blown vponupon our Labours, and what is this but a punishment pronounced by the mouth of the Lord of Hosts, in his Prophet?Hag. 1. 6.Hag 1:6 And I wish the present Time shew… vsus the p. 33worst of this Iudgement, and that it doe not grow as Time increaseth. The great pouertie of many dri…es their Corne to the Market in the beginning of the Yeere; but in the end of the yeere, when Pouertie can sell cheape no longer, because it hath no more to sell, then commonly the wealth of wretched worldlings sells cruelly, because it may choose whether it will sell or no. So Pouertie in the beginning of the veere, takes lesse because it hath more need; and Riches in the end of the yeer, craue more because they hauehave lesse need. Yea, Pouertie somtimes at the end of p. 34the yeare payes deare, for that which at the beginning of the yere it selfe sold cheape. This is a Iudgment of God prouoked to anger;Leu. 26. 20.Lev 26:20 and yet thus the Wrath of God is not turned away, but his Hand is stretched out still.

For many other MiseriesMany other Iudgments l…ft to priuar… Consideration. hauehave beene vponupon vsus, a Canker and Caterpiller Iniustice and the Proiector, losses in the East Indies, a Massacre in the West; most lamentable losses in the Palatinate; Losses by Pirates of Ships goods and Men, and I wis… with those Men no losses of Soules. But I desire not to bee ouer-large or vehement in expressing p. 35our Miseries, for their smart of it selfe would make them well knowne. OnelyOnly I take such a part and paterne of them as may inforce vponupon vsus an acknowledgement of Gods wrath, and by that acknowledgement set our feete one step in the way of remouing it. Else we are like Fooles that goe laughing to the Stocks, and wee call for Greater strokes by not feeling the Lesser. Let vsus therefore consider these Iudgements, vntill wee acknowledge, Paena patient is, ira creditur decernentis. The paine ofHillar. in Psal. 2.Ps 2 the Sufferer, is the Wrath of the Inflicter.

p. 36SECT. VI. The vnseasonable kind of curing these Iudgements, confuted.

BVt heere the Politician giues mee the stop, andAmos. 3. 6.Amos 3:6 is himselfe at a stand, for hearing these Euils he will goe no further, but falls into a …rance, and therein cleaues his Brayne in two parts, and with the forepart hee will discourse to you of the Causes, and with the hinder part of the Remedies, but in both sets God aside, and thinkes not of him either as a Cause, or a Remedie. But first for his Causes, I would faine p. 37know of this wizard, when euer this Kingdome had more likely Causes of prosperitie, then it now had, in the Vnion of the whole Iland vnderunder one King, of the same Religion, and setling vsus in an vniuersall Peace. And then for his Remedies; how can wee trust any Remedies of his, when Parliaments, that here to ford …aue beene the Remedies of most weightie grieuances hauehave not liued themselues, vntounto …ipenesse and perfection▪ If then such great Remedies proue sick, what will become of the small Remedies of the politicke Discourser? Alas, if wee be bound in …uen, p. 38how can a piece of Earth not seuen foot high, reach vp thither to vntie the Knot? especially, since hee that bindes vsus, hath said himselfe, when hee shuts, no man can open. When God hath a Rod in his Hand, and chasteneth sinners, it is little good manners, and as little possibilitie by craft or force to wrest the Rod out of his Hand. But the only way and Method to get away the Rod, is first to worke on his Will, and next vponupon his Power. If his Will be vn moued, the World cannot master his Power; but his Will being moued, that moueth his Power▪ p. 39Now God himselfe hath shewed vsus Meanes how to moue his Will, but he neuer shewed any meanes, his Will being vnmoued, how to master his Power. Let vsus therfore follow his own Order in preuailing with him, for the God of strength as Sampson the strong, hath shewed vsus the onelyonly way, how he may be ouercome. And when once God is ouercome, and his Furie turned into LoueLove, then shall wee be loosed aboue, and set free below: for the higher Cause being pleased, will giuegive a blessing to the Causes below. If Heauen and Earth be at odds, let the …sbandman sow p. 40and plant neuer so diligently, the Heauen can make fruitlesse all his Labours on Earth. The Sunne and the Clouds by aboundant absence or presence can destroy his Hopes. But when Heauen and Earth are friends, then Summer and Winter▪ Seed-time and Haruest run on their Race. When God was displeased what was the effect? Yee hauehave sowed much and reaped little. Againe, when God was pleased; Marke that very day, for fromHagg 2.Hag 2 that, day I will blesse you Wherefore▪ let vsus follow Gods owne order of Remedies, and striue to bee first healed abo… ▪ and then p. 41expect a successe on our Remedies below; and to this end let vsus passe on to a second Consideration, which may be this.