Sermons in One Volume, Sermon 7
THE PRIDE OF Nabuchadnezzar.
Dan. 4. 26.
26 At the end of twelue moneths he walked in the royall pallace of Babel,
27 And the king ſpake and ſayd, Is not this great Babel, that I hauehave built for the houſe of my kingdome, by the might of my power, and for the honour of my maiestie?
I HaueHave choſen this ſtorie of Nabuchadnezzar, wherein is laide downe his Pride, his Fall, and his Reſtitution. This Nabuchadnezzar was a wicked King, and therefore God warned him by a dreame, and by Daniel, to amend his life, but all would not ſerue, hee made many ſhewes, but hee reuolted againe, therefore at the laſt GOD gaue him ouer for a time, and he became like a beaſt, vntill he acknowledged his power to come from God. A warning to all rulers, to put them in remembrance that one ruler is aboue, which muſt bee ſerued of them all, or elſe all their buildings and treaſures, and guard, will not ſhield them from iudgement when the ſtroake commeth, no more than they could ſaue Nabuchadaezzar. At the end of twelue moneths (ſaith Daniel) this king walked in his royall pallace. The Prophet ſheweth that hee had deſerued this puniſhment before, and that his dreame which he had, did tell him that his kingdome ſhould depart from him for his Pride, yet this reſpite of twelue moneths was granted him, like the fortie dayes which were granted to the Niniuites, to trie what hee would doe vponupon his warnings, and whether hee would repent as the Niniuites did, therefore the holy Ghoſt ſheweth how the time ranne, and how he liued after: as if he ſhould ſay, If he will returne yet, and be warned by the dreames, or by the Prophets which I ſent him, I will ſtay my hand, and his kingdome ſhal not depart from him. But here he ſheweth, that he forgot his dreame like a dreame, and was more deſirous to knowe what it meant, than to bee warned by it. The twelue months ranne monethmonth after monethmonth, yet Nabuchadnezzar is all one. Now his dreames are gone, he thinketh that all is ended, therefore hee getteth him vp into his pallace amiddeſt his delights, to beake himſelfe, as it were, in the ſunne of all his pleaſures, where indeede hee haſtened God to take away all his pleaſures and delightes from him, when hee ſhould hauehave repented, as the Prophet Daniel willed him, and ripped vp his ſinnes, and bewailed his wicked life, and poured foorth teares, and preuented his iudgement with prayer vponupon his knees, then was hee ſtalking in his galleries, and thinking what ſinne ſhould bee next, to fill vp the number of his rebellions, that GOD might not ſpare him when he iudged: ſo the wicked will not ſuffer the propheſies of God againſt them to be in vaine, but they will put GOD in minde of their puniſhments, and ſinne till the puniſhment doe come vppon them to fulfill the threatnings due vntounto them.
Some thinke that Nabuchadnezzar walked vppon the roofe of his pallace, from whence hee might ſee all partes of the Citie round about him, like the mountaine whither the tempter led our Sauiour Chriſt, to ſhew him the beauty of the world.
This the Prophet Daniel would ſignifie, that the King liued in eaſe as he liued before, and pleaſed himſelfe in vanitie ſtill for all his warnings, and turned his time of repentance to ſinne againe.
Therefore God would deferre the time no longer, but cut him downe, like the barren and fruitleſſe figge tree, to teach vsus to take merciemercy when it is offered, and repent while wee hauehave time and ſpace, and that if GOD ſpeake vntounto vsus but once, to lay it vp in our hearts for euer, not looking or expecting to be ſpoken to againe, becauſe GOD is not bound to admoniſh or giuegive vsus any warning at all.
One woulde hauehave thought that Nabuchadnezzar woulde hauehave remembred his warning while hee had liued, which had ſuch a ſtrange and fearefull Dreame, and after that another dreame, being no leſſe ſtrange and fearefull than the former dreame to confirme it, and after ſuch a Prophet to expound it, and the expoſition of it threatning ſuch a miſerable ruine and downfall vntounto himſelfe.
One would hauehave thought and beleeued that he could neuer hauehave forgotten it, or put it out of his remembrance although he had liued vntounto this day. But like a wonder which laſteth not aboue nine dayes: ſo is the repentance of them which ſinne by cuſtome, for when ſinne is rooted it ſticketh faſt, and will hardly be weeded out, though GOD ſhould ſend vsus dreames, though he ſhould ſhewe vsus viſions, though he ſhould raiſe vp Prophets, Daniel himſelfe cannot make this blacke Moore white, which alwaies hath been black before. And this we may ſee in our ſelues, for why hauehave we neede to heare ſo often of repentance, more then of anything elſe, but that it is ſuch a thing as we cannot frame our ſelues vntounto? If we bee warned of any thing but of ſinne, one warning will ſerue. But we are ſo incorporate and inured to ſinne, that a thouſand ſermons will not ſerue: ſo cuſtome hath made ſinne ſtronger in many than the word of God. Well, remember, or conſider, or applie it how he will, after twelue moneths God wil come & take account of his dreames and of his Prophets, which he ſent him, to ſee what he hath profited by them. Although he hath leaden feete which are long in comming, yet hee hath yron hands, which when he commeth, will ſtrike home.
Now the twelue moneths are expired, God comes & findes Nabuchadnezzar vponupon his towres, when hee ſhould hauehave caſt himſelfe downe to the ground, and thought vponupon his dreame, and Daniel, and ſo hauehave humbled his pride; hee was pearched vponupon his rooſt, and there he begins to crowe of his wealth; Is not this great Babel which I hauehave built for the houſe of my kingdome, by the might of my power, and for the honour of my maiestie? See how the man ſtandeth in admiration of his vanitie, like a vſurer which doateth of his money, as though hee had deſerued immortall fame for ſpending his money vainely. Is not this great Babel, &c. he ſhould rather hauehave ſaide, Is not this Nabuchadnezzars follie, which hee hath built for a mocke to his name, and an impeachment to his wiſdome, for men to ſay when they paſſe by, look how our King hath beſtowed his reuenues, heere lie our ſubſidies & tributes in this ſtone wall? But Nabuchadnezzar thinkes that euerie one will praiſe him for his follie. Therefore like a woman when ſhee is pricked vp in her brauerie, thinkes that all doe admyre her, and hath as goodly an opinion of her ſelfe as the Pecocke hath of his feathers, and frameth all her lookes, and geſtures, and ſpeeches accordingly: ſo when Nabuchadnezzar ſate in his Pallace, and ſawe ſuch ſhewes about him, now ſaith Pride thou muſt frame thy lookes, and geſtures, and ſpeeches, accordingly, or elſe the Kings Pallace will be brauer than the King himſelfe: ſo hee beginneth to exalt his minde higher than his pallace, and to looke and ſpeake ſtouter than hee did before. The temptation was no ſooner in his heart, but the words were in his mouth, and hee pleaſed himſelfe therein ſo well, that he could not refraine being alone, but as a foole admyres himſelfe in a glaſſe, ſo when hee was alone and no bodie with him, hee ſtrouted alone and bragged by himſelfe, to thinke what a iolly fellow he was, and how men began to talke of his buildings. By this we may ſee how wealth and honours change manners, and how a gay coate, or a great band, or a gold ring can braue a mans mind, and make him looke and ſpeake after another manner then hee is accuſtomed, when they are from him.
It is a wonderfull thing to ſee what power theſe pettie vaine toyes hauehave ouer the minde, to alter and change a man ſodainelie, to make him thinke better of himſelfe that day hee weares them, than anie other daye beſides.
Is not this great Babel, which I hauehave built for the houſe of the kingdome, by the might of my power, for the honour of my maieſtie. Before the holy Ghoſt laieth downe Nabuchadnezzars words, marke how hee commeth vntounto them, The King ſpake and ſayd. Spake & ſayd, was not one enough, but hee muſt ſay ſpake and ſayd? This doubling of the words ſheweth, that hee ſpake with a premeditate pride from his heart roote, which paſſed not whether it were a ſin or no, come what will come of it. The holy Ghoſt doth bring other ſpeeches with He ſayd, and no more: but here he ſaith, Spake and ſayd, as though he ſpake twiſe, not as he ſpake at other times, but like a man at defiance, which woulde not recall any word, but if he could ſay more he would ſay more to anger.
Did I call it great Babel? I may call it great Babel? Did I ſay that I built it? I will ſay that I built it. Did I adde, for the honour of my maieſtie? let it goe, for the honour of my maieſtie. Thus hee ſpake and ſayde, as though he would bee conſtant in his pride, although hee were conſtant in no other thing.
Is not this great Babel, which I hauehave built for the houſe of the kingdome, by the might of my power, and for the honor of my maieſtie?
Three things I note in this ſaying. Firſt, what a glorious opinion Nabuchadnezzar had of his vaine building, out of theſe words, Is not this great Babel? The ſecond out of theſe words, which I hauehave built by the might of my power; wherein he tearmeth himſelfe the founder of it, as if he had done all without a helper. The third is, that in all his worke, hee ſought nothing but vaine-glory, out of theſe words; for the honour of my Maieſtie. Theſe three ſinnes Nabuchadnezzar doth bewraie in one bragge, and in all theſe three we are ſo like, that the beaſts were not ſo like him when … became like a beaſt.
Firſt we hauehave not ſo wonderfull an opinion of GOD, or of his word, or of heauen, as wee hauehave of our owne acts, although we be neuer able to do halfe that Nabuchadnezzar did. Secondlie, this is our manner, to attribute all to our ſelues whatſoeuer it be, riches, honour, health, or knowledge; as though all came by labour, or policie, or arte, or literature: if wee cannot drawe it to one of theſe, then we think it fortune, although we vnderſtand not what fortune is. If wee did count our ſelues beholding vntounto God for them, then we would finde ſome time to be thankfull vntounto him.
Laſtly, when we ouer-view theſe matters, this is our ſolace and comfort, to thinke theſe are the things which make mee famous and ſpoken of, and pointed at, and then we end, as though it were inough to bee poynted at. Is not this great Babel? That which one loues, ſeemes greater and more precious aboue all which he loueth not, although they be better than it: ſo did theſe buildings ſeeme to Nabuchadnezzar.
One would not thinke that a houſe were a matter to make a king proude, although it were neuer ſo faire; ſtone wals are not ſo precious, that he ſhould repoſe al his honour vponupon lime and morter. But this is a iuſt thing with God, that vaine hope, vaine proſperitie, vaine comfort, and vaine glory, that may deceiue them when they truſt vntounto it: therefore as the faithfull ſoule looketh vp to GOD, or vponupon the word, or vp to heauen, and ſayth to it ſelfe, is not this my hope, is not this my ioy, is not this my inheritaunce? So the carnall man when hee looketh vponupon his buildings, or his grounds, or his money, ſayth to himſelfe, is not this my ioye, is not this my life, is not this my comfort? So while he poares and gapes vponupon it, by little and little the louelove of it growes more and more in his heart, vntill at laſt he hauehave mind on nothing elſe.
This was the firſt dotage of Nabuchadnezzar: the ſecond was, which I hauehave built by the might of my power. What a vaunt was this to ſay, that he built Babylon, when al hiſtories accorde, that it was built by Semyramis before Nabuchadnezzar was borne, therfore why doth he boaſt of that which an other did?
The anſwere is eaſie, why doe other men ſo now, wee ſee that eueryevery one doth labour to obſcure the fame of others, that they may ſhine alone, & beare the names themſelues, eſpecially in great buildings: for if they doe but adde or alter any thing in Schooles, or Hoſpitals, or Colledges, they looke ſtraight to bee counted the founders of them, and ſo the founders of many places are forgotten. So it is like that Nabuchadnezzar did adde or alter ſome thing in this Citie, and therfore hee tooke all to himſelfe, as the faſhion hath bin euer ſince: but if none had built it, but he had been the founder of it (as ſome would ſeeme) yet this had been a proude and arrogant ſpeech to ſay, which I hauehave built by the might of my power: for it was not he which could build Babel, no more then Nemrod could finiſh Babel, but vnles the Lord build the houſe the builders build in vaine. Therefore when he ſayth, By the might of my power, he ſhould hauehave ſayd, by the might of Gods power.
But by this you plainely diſcerne, how hard and difficult a thing it is to hit vponupon a right word or a good worke, which hath not a good thought to bring it foorth. Therefore make the roote ſweete, or the fruite will bee ſower, counterfaite as cunningly as you can.
Laſtly, when he putteth in for the honour of my maiestie, hee ſheweth that he was of Abſoloms humour, who although he had deſerued ſhame, yet he would hauehave fame, becauſe hee had no children to keepe his name in remembrance, therefore he erected a piller, which hee called Abſoloms place: ſo many ſtately houſes and places in England, beare their names of thoſe Lords or others that do poſſeſſe or owe them, for the like vanitie.
Heere Abſolom thought to bee buryed, as Nabuchadnezzar thought to dwell in his pallace, but he was caſt into a pit as Nabuchadnezzar was turned into the wilderneſſe: So Shebna made his ſepulchre in one Countrie, and was buryed in another: for why ſhould pride hauehave the reward of humilitie? Humilitie (ſaith Salomon) goeth before honour, that is to ſay, honour is the reward of humilitie: & yet Nabuchadnezzar would bee honoured for his pride. What had he, or Shebna, or Abſolom done, that they ſhould erect ſuch monuments, to bee praiſed after death, which were not worthy to be praiſed in their life? before the building Nabuchadnezzar had done nothing worth ſpeaking of, for becauſe he liued alwayes like a beaſt, therefore GOD puniſhed him like a beaſt, and did hee deſerue now to bee ſpoken of in all ages, for heaping ſtones together? Wee may ſee that great men are proude of a ſmall matter, and they looke to bee praiſed for euerie thing they doe. But looke how GOD ouerthwarteth them: for oftentimes in that they looke to make theyr greateſt glorie, they ſhame themſelues moſt of all, and that which they practiſe to exalt them doth diſgrace them, & that which they doe to winne them louelove, getteth them hatred, ſinne ſo deceiueth them like the blinde Aramites, that they take a cleane contrarie way to their deſires, as wee may ſee in the eleauenth of Geneſis, they which built Babel, ſaid they would build it to get them a name, but they got ſhame, for they could not finiſh it when they had begun it, but were cōfounded in ſuch ſort, that they knewe not what they did, ſo ſodainly they vnderſtoode not what one another ſaid. So when Nabuchadnezzar came to himſelfe againe, he ſhewed that when hee ſought his owne honour, honour departed from him, and hee was made like a beaſt: but when hee ſought Gods honour, honour came to him againe, and hee was made a King.
This would pull away many toyes from womens backs, if they did cōſider how God maketh them ridiculous by that they weare, to make thēſelues amiable, if they did thinke that the apparell which they clogge on to pleaſe the world, by the ſecret iudgement of God did not pleaſe but diſpleaſe, they would be aſhamed of their attire, as Eue was of her nakedneſſe: would they weare ſuch gardes and paint their faces but to pleaſe? See now how God doth mocke them, for they are not liked but diſliked, and worſe thought of for it than they which go in ruſſet coates, & ſeeke no praiſe at all; they think, am I not braue, others thinke, is ſhe not proud? they think, am I not ſweete? others thinke, is ſhe not light? yet they dreame that euerie man praiſeth them for their brauery: as Nabuchadnezzar thought that eueryevery one would honor him for his pallace. If their brauerie condemne them before men, how will it condemne them before God? Therefore when Nabuchadnezzar ſaith, For the honor of my Maieſtie, he ſhould hauehave ſaide, for the honour of Gods Maieſtie, and then this had been recorded for his honour indeed, and his houſe had bin the houſe of God: for as we ſhould ſpeake, and ſtudie, & labour to Gods glorie: ſo we ſhould build alſo to Gods glorie, that our houſes may bee like temples, as Obadiahs was. But few ſeeke glorie that way, they had rather pull downe than build in ſuch ſort.
Thus you hauehave heard what Nabuchadnezzar ſpake in ſecret, as though GOD would diſplay the thoughts and pride of ſuch builders. Theſe are the meditations of Princes & noble men, whē they behold their buildings, or open their coffers, or lookvpon their traine ſwinging after them, they thinke as Nabuchadnezzar thought, Is not this great Babel? is not this great glorie? is not this the traine that maketh me reuerenced in the ſtreets? are not theſe the things which ſhall make my children rich? is not this the houſe that ſhall keepe my name, and cauſe me to be remembred, and make them which are childrē now ſpeake of me hereafter, when they ſhall paſſe by and looke vp, and ſee theſe antikes and knackes ouer their heads, they will ſay; oh he which built this was a great man, he bare a ſway both in court and countrie, who but he while he liued?
Although this king be dead & buried, yet his pride is eſcaped & come to vsus. Nabuchadnezzar hath children yet aliue, which build as high as he, looke as high as he, goe as braue as he, ſpend as vainly as he, and are as proud as he, although they bee not Kings nor Dukes, nor Earles, nor Knights, nor yet good Squires: looke vponupon their pallaces, and think whether they bee of Nabuchadnezzars brood; Is not this great Babel? and is not Nabuchadnezzar Lord of it? Oh if they might liue to walke in theſe galleries ſtil, they would deſire no other heauen, but Nabuchadnezzar hath ſhewed the way before them, and they muſt all dance after him, though they were as mightie, though they were mightier thē he, death will not take his kingdome for a raunſome. Now what is Babel, and what is Nabuchadnezzar the King thereof? Now Babel is deſtroyed, and the King that built it laid in the duſt, had it not been better to hauehave built an houſe in heauen, which might hauehave receiued him, when he dyed?
The name of theſe pallaces may well bee called Babel, that is confuſion, becauſe they propheſie confuſion to them that build them, becauſe their foundation is Pride, their wals extortion, their roofe ambition, and all within them vſurie, briberie, and crueltie. If this bee the beſt that Nabuchadnezzar hath to vaunt of, what is the worſt which he may bee aſhamed of?
When I ſee how earneſt this King was about his dreame, and how looſe he ſate after in his pallace, mee thinkes I ſee the image of the world in one man: how liuely doth Nabuchadnezzar reſemble the dreamers of our time? He could not reſt till hee knew the interpretation of his dream: ſuch inquirie, ſuch diligence to knowe Gods will, that a man would hauehave thought, now if the King meet with a Prophet that can tell him the trueth, and inſtruct him from God, that his dreame warned him to amend his life, hee will then reclayme himſelfe, and reforme his realme, and become ſuch a King as was neuer in the land before.
But behold, no ſooner reſolued of his doubt, but hee is readie to bee warned agayne, and was not ſo attentiue to the Prophet, as hee was to his dreame, although hee cared for neither: for when hee vnderſtoode that his dreame went about to chaunge the courſe of his life, he went away like Naaman in a chafe, and cared no more for his dreame after. Before the dreame came, all would hauehave ſayd, that ſuch a dreame would hauehave humbled his heart for euer. Before the Prophet came, all would hauehave ſaide, that ſuch a Prophet would hauehave conuerted him with a word: but Nabuchadnezzar is Nabuchadnezzar; and if another dreame come more fearefull than this, yet Nabuchadnezzar would be Nabuchadnezzar, and louelove his Pallace better than Paradice.
So we thinke, if God would ſend a famine vponupon this land, that would make vsus feare him: but God hath ſent a famine, and yet wee doe not feare him. If God would ſend an earthquake vponupon this lande, that would make vsus feare him: but God hath ſent an earthquake, and yet we doe not feare him. If God would ſend a peſtilence vponupon this lande, that would make vsus feare him: but God hath ſent a peſtilence, and yet we doe not feare him. If God would ſend warre vponupon this lande, that would make vsus feare him: but God hath ſent warre, and yet we doe not feare him; therefore what will make vsus feare him?
There be many which dreame vponupon religion, as Nabuchadnezzar dreamed vponupon his dreame; and as hee deſired onelyonly to knowe what it meant, ſo they deſire onelyonly to knowe. Master, (ſaith the yong man to Chriſt) what ſhall I do to come into heauen? He would faine knowe the way to heauen, but when Chriſt ſhewed him the way, hee would not take it: So they will goe from Preacher to Preacher, as Nabuchadnezzar ſent from one wiſe man to another to be reſolued in poynts of Religion: ſuch a ſcrutinie, ſuch attention, ſuch heed, as though they would runne out of the world, and goe beyond all, that a man would thinke they would do any thing, as the Iewes came vntounto Moſes, and this young man vntounto Chriſt: But when they hauehave heard what they came for, they doe like Nabuchadnezzar, as they did before; now they ſaye it was but a dreame, becauſe the meaning doth not anſwere according to their will. So Achab enquired of the Prophet, to heare what hee would ſay, but it appeares that he neuer ment to follow him, except he would anſwer as he would hauehave him.
When it commeth to the act, which is euerie mans triall, then you ſhall ſee who are like Nabuchadnezzar, that is, which affect onelyonly to knowe; and who are like Zacheus, that is, which practiſe as they knowe: for as the truth is reuealed, ſo it muſt be witneſſed, or els the fall of Nabuchadnezzar ſheweth, what iudgement will follow vponupon ſuch neglecting.
Becauſe hee would not doe as his dreame warned him, and as the Prophet counſailed him, therefore GOD forſooke him, and his Kingdome departed from him, and hee was thruſt out of his Pallace, and …urned like an Oxe into the wilderneſſe, there he liued like a beaſt vntill ſeauen yeares were ended. A warning to all to take warning by the word, for it is the gentle warner, the next will bee harder, the third and the fourth harder then it, like to the nine plagues of Egypt, which did exceede one another: for what is he can weigh the wrath of GOD, or the grieuouſnes of ſinne?
Some men woulde thinke, that Nabuchadnezzar might hauehave ſpoken all this without any ſuch great offence as was taken at it: for he ſayde no more, but that it was a fayre houſe, and that he builded it: and that hee erected it for his honour: ſeeing manie vnderunder Princes delight in worſe vanities than fayre buildings, and ſpeake vayner often in a weeke.
Therefore, when you ſee howe it diſpleaſeth God, to vaunt of theſe earthly thinges, or to impute any thing to our ſelues, thinke what ſhall bee the doome of great ſinnes: if Nabuchadnezzar became like a Beaſte, and lodged in the wilderneſſe for his pride; they which beare pride, and couetouſneſſe, and luſt, and wrath, and malice in one breaſt, ſhal lodge in hell, and become like Diuels, becauſe they are like beaſts already. Therefore let this bee in ſtead of Daniels warning, if God did take ſuch a ſtraight account of Nabuchadnezzar for his dreame, what hee had profited by it: what account will hee take of vsus, what profit we hauehave made by Nabuchadnezzars fall and puniſhment?
Thus you hauehave heard what the voyce ſpake from earth, now you ſhall heare what the voyce ſpake from Heauen: for it followeth, While the word was in the kings mouth, a voyce came from heauen, and ſayd; O King to thee be it ſpoken, thy kingdome ſhall be taken from thee, &c. God will warne him no more by dreames, nor by Prophets, as he did: but his Iudgements ſhall ſpeake. Heere is fulfilled that which Elihu ſayth to Iob, God ſpeaketh once and twice by dreames and viſions in the night, and man ſeeth it not: at the last God openeth his eyes, by the corrections which he had ſealed: ſo God ſpake vntounto Nabuchadnezzar firſt by dreames, and after by his Prophet; & Nabuchadnezzar regarded it not: at laſt God openeth his eyes by corrections, which hee had ſealed vp, that they ſhould not touch him if any other meſſenger could bring him.
As the holy Ghoſt doth note the time when Nabuchadnezzar ſpake in his pallace: ſo he noteth the time when God ſpake from heauen, Euen while the words were in the Kings mouth: as though he ſhould ſay, God anſwered before he looked for it, when he thought God had been as farre from him, as he was all the yeare before. Thus God lay (as it were in the skowte) to watch when he ſpake treaſon, and to apprehend him vponupon it: O Nabuchadnezzar, thou haſt vanted this twelue months ſince I warned thee: I made as though I heard not, but ſuffered thee to doe and ſpeake thy pleaſure: and vaunteſt thou ſtill? Surely thou ſhalt ſcape me no longer, I will not heare one word more againſt my honour. So he cutteth him off while the words were in his mouth, and pronounceth the word of iudgement againſt him.
The firſt note in this verſe, is the time when God ſpake from Heauen. Pride (ſayth Salomon) goeth before the fall: ſo when pride had ſpoken, then Iudgement ſpake euen while the proud word was in his mouth. See how God ſhewes that theſe brags offended him, and therefore he iudges while he ſpeaks. How ſhort is the triumph of the wicked? When they beginne to crowe, God ſtoppeth their breath, and iudgement ſeaſeth vponupon them, when they thinke no danger neere them: So when Baltazar was in his mirth with his Nobles, the fearfull hand wrote his doome vponupon the wall, and preſently his mirth was changed into ſadneſſe, that he became as one that was ſtrooken with a palſie: ſo while Herod vanted himſelfe, and the people honoured him like a God, the Angell of God ſmote him vponupon his throane, and immediatly he was deuoured of wormes in the face of them which honoured him: while the Philiſtines were triumphing and banquetting, Sampſon pulled the Temple vponupon their head; ſo while the men of Ziklag were feaſting and dancing, Dauid came vponupon them and ſlew them: when the Iſraelites were at their Manna and Quailes, euen while the meat (ſaith Dauid) was yet in their mouths, God tooke away their liues: when Iobs children were making merrie one with another, the winde came and blew down the houſe: while the old world was marrying, & giuing in mariage, the floud came and drowned them: while the Steward was recounting with himſelfe, and thinking that his Maſter Knewe not what policie was in his heart, ſuddenly his Lorde called him to account: while the churle was muſing of his barnes full of corne, and ſaying to himſelfe, be merrie my ſoule, that night his ſoule was taken from him: ſo while we ſinne & think nothing of it, our ſinnes mount vp to heauen, and ſtand at the barre, and call for vengeance againſt vsus: how ſoone Abels blood cryed for vengeance of Cain? We cannot ſin ſo quickly, but God ſeeth vsus as quickly. Howe many hauehave beene ſtrooken while the oath hath been in their mouthes, as Ieroboam was ſtriken while he ſtroke, that they might ſee why they were ſtrooken? and yet al this wil not keep vsus from ſwearing. Though a man ſinne often, & ſteale his ſins (as it were) without puniſhment, yet at laſt he is taken napping, euen while the wickednes is in his hand, and his day is ſette when he ſhall pay for all, whether it be after twelue moneths or twelue yeeres, when it commeth, it will ſeeme too ſoone. Therefore once agayne let this bee in ſtead of Daniels warning, if God did take ſo ſtraight account of Nabuchadnezzar how he had profited by his dreame, what account will hee take of vsus how we hauehave profited by Nabuchadnezzars puniſhment? Here I ende.