Remains of John Boyse, Sermon 6
2. KINGS. 19. 36. 37.
So Senacherib King of Ashur, departed and went his way, and returned and dwelt in Niniue. And as he was in the Temple, worshipping Nisroth his god, Adramelech and Sharezer his sons slew him with the sword.
THis scripture reports two things specially; to wit, the flight and fall of Senacherib King of Ashur, a great Monarch, and a great boaster of his greatnesse, saying in the pride of his heart, verse 23. By the multitude of my chariots, I am come vp to the top of the mountaines, by the sides of Lebanon, and will cut downe the tall Cedars thereof, and the firre trees thereof, and I will goe into the lodging of his borders, and into the forrest of his Carmel. I hauehave digged, and drunke the waters of others, and with the plant of my feete, hauehave dryed all the riuers of besieged cities. Affronting Gods people, with insolent language, Let not Ezechia deceiue you, neither let Ezechia make you to trust in the Lord, saying, the Lord w…ll surely deliuer vsus. Hath any of the gods of the nations, deliuered his land out of the hand of the King of Ashur: Where is the God of Hamath, and of Arphad, where is the God of Sepharuaim, Hena, and …ua. How hauehave they deliuered Samaria out of mine hand.
Now the Lord, (when this huge Leuiathan, had in his owne conceit swallowed vp Iuda,) put a hooke into his nostrils, and a bit into his mouth, and so brought him backe againe, the same way that he came, making him in the mids of his fury, first to fly, then afterward to fall.
His flight is reported here to bee full of
Dishonour, he departed, went away, returned.
Despaire, he dwelt at Nineue.
His fal is described to be very fearefull in respect of three circumstances.
The first is of the persons who slew him, Adramalech and Sharezer, his own sonnes.
The second is of the place where he was slaine, in the temple of his god Nisroth.
The third is of the time, when he was slaine, when he was praying and worshipping.
aCaluin in Es. 37. 37.In that the spirit doth expresse, Sennacheribs recoyling backe with so many words, it is vndoubtedly, to cast disgrace vponupon his cowardly flight; For it is no superfluous and idle repetition, when he saith, hee departed, he we…t his wa…, he returned. The name of King, is added also to his further shame, as if he should say, see this King, this great King, whom impudent Rabseketh extolled so highly, by reason of his power, and pompe. He that came vp against all the cities in Iudah, and challenged in his rage, the Lord himselfe, meant not to retire with infamie. But God for his trueth and mercy sake, droue him out thence, euen as chaffe before the wind▪ the Lord, who cannot lie, sayd by the mouth of bEs. 37. 7.Esay the Prophet, I will send a blast vponupon him, and accordingly, the Lords Angel in one night, smote in the campe of Ashur, one hundred fourescore, and fiue thousand, So when the remnant rose, early in the morning, behold, they were all dead coarses.
And whereas it is sayd, He returned, and dwelt at Niniue, It sheweth euidently, that he not only lost his courage, but that his forces also quailed: For if despaire had not bene as a chaine, to keepe him in, who was ambitious, and insatiable, hee would not willingly hauehave stayed at home, and content himselfe, with his owne kingdome.
This history may comfort vsus in the perill of warre: God which is the Lord of hostes, and King of glory, can, and (as shall make most for his honour, and our good,) will protect his Church, as with a shield. And here wee mayPsal. 47. …. Psal. 48 7. sing with Dauid, As we hauehave heard, so hauehave wee seene in the city of the Lord of hostes, in the city of our God, God vpholdeth it for euer. For in the yeare 88. did there not a Spanish Senacherth come vp against our English Iudah, as himselfe fondly conceited, with an inuincible Armado: did not the Iesuites, as foule-mouthed as euer Rabseketh, defie God, and his Gospel openly, triumphing in pulpit and …e, before the victory? Did they not cry with a loud voice, from Rhemes and Rome, from Flanders and France, that our blessed Queene Elizabeth, was a miserable woman, vnable to protect her subiects, and that her Kingdome was deliuered ouer into the hands of the great king of Ashur? But albeit the Pope, (such was his holinesse,) did blesse them in their endeauours; yet the Lord did curse them in their ends. He sent a blast among them, a tempest in the mids of them, on the sudden, which in a trice, so disordered their Nauy, that few returned (as Sennacherib into Niniue) the same way they came. Let God arise, and Psal. …8. 1.let his enemies be scattered, let them also that hate him, flee before him, like as the smoke vanisheth, euen so let them be driuen away, and like as waxe melteth at the fire; so let the vngodly perish at thy presence, O God.
Hitherto, concerning the flight of Sennacherib; I am now to proceed in his fall, amplified, First by circumstance of persons, as being slaine by his owne sonnes, Adramelech, and Sharezer, cPsal …5 1…Dauid complaining of dGenebrard. Bellarmin.Achitophel; and Christ in the person of Dauid, complaining of Iudas cryed out, it is not an open enemie, that hath done me this dishonour, for then I could better hauehave borne it, neither was it mine aduersary that did magnifie himselfe against me, for then peraduenture, I could hauehave hid my selfe from him: But it was euen thou, my companion, my guide, and my familiar, we tooke sweet counsell together, and walked in the house of God, as friends.
It is base trechery, to betray a friend, but it is the serpents head, and height of impiety, to butcher a Father. A sonne is the fathers liuing chronicle, flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone, an expresse character of his person, and walking Image, neerer and deerer then any friend: What greater indignitie then, or iniury could fall vponupon Sennacherib, then thus vnfortunatly, to perish by the hands of Adramelech, and Sharezer, his owne sons? What greater vnhappines then thus ignonimiously, to lose his life, by those who should hauehave preserued him aliue, being of all other most oblieged vntounto him, as receiuing from him their being; The Lords Angel smote in his camp, one hundred fourescore and fiue thousand, of his souldiers, bu… God determined to reserue him, for an heauier iudgment; I wil send a blast vponupon him, and hee shall fall by the sword in his owne land; verse 7.
God, which is the righteous Iudge, doth often passe by the wicked, in small dangers, that he may bring vponupon them a greater condemnation, as when eSam. 24 5.Sauls life was in Dauids hand, he might hauehave cut off his head, but hee cuts off only the lap of his garment, and so lets him go. God here suffered Saul to bee deliuered from the sword of Dauid, that afterward he might fal vponupon his owne f2. Sam. 31. 4.sword; gGen 9. 22.Ham, Noahs sonne escaped the great flood, yet for discouering his fathers shame, the flood of Gods wrath ouerwhelmed him.
The cities of Sodom, and Gomorra, had escaped, doubtlesse many grieuous deserued punishments, but at the length, God rained out of heauen, fire & brimstone, to consume them, and so they were turned into ashes, and made an ensample, to those that afterward should liue vngodly. 2. Pet. 2. 6. So many notorious malefactours, who draw iniquitie with cordes of vanity, and sinne, as it were with a cart rope, contriuing mischiefe on their beds, and committing all vncleannesse, euen with greedinesse, often escape great dangers, in their drunkennesse, and other outrages; and yet in fine, they come to some fearefull, and ex…mplarie Iudgement, as here Sennacherib, a great tyrant, and a great blasphemer, escaped the stroake of a glorious Angel, that hee might more dishonorably perish in his owne land, and in his owne house, not by forreine foes, or by popular sedition, or by traytors▪ or by seruants, but by the sword of Adramelech, and Sharezer, his owne sonnes; And as it was in God, great hBorrhaius. in loc.Iustice, that hee who did intend to slay so many children of God, should himselfe bee slayne by his owne children.
There were secondarie causes vndoubtedly, moouing these thus vnnaturally to butcher their father. For first iHugo Cardi. et W…lphius in loc.it is thought, that Sennacherib had assigned ouer his kingdome, to Esaradon, his third sonne, whom he most affected, and so meant to disinherit Adramelech, and Sharezer, Hereupon these two brethren in iniquity conspired against Sennacherib, their cruell father, as he was their King, and their naturall father, as he was their parent.
The kApud Caluin in Es …8. …8. ide… resert. Oecolampad.Rabbins, hauehave coyned another deuise, saying, that Sennacherib asked his idol, why hee could not vanquish the Iewes; and it answered, because Abraham the father of the Iewes, out of faith and obedience, was content, to hauehave sacrificed his sonne to God. Whereupon this tyrant following that example, determined to offer vp his sonnes, to get the fauour of his god; But they hauing notice thereof, and prouoked to wrath by this vncouth, and abominable cruelty, rushed in vponupon him as hee was worshipping his Idol in his chappell, and smote him with the sword.
Thus almighty God, who brings light out of darkenesse, and ordereth all things sweetly, disposeth of bad men, and of bad meanes, for the compassing of his good ends, As lBasil …rat▪ quod De…s …on sit author mal….a cunning physitian, he makes of deadly poyson, a wholesome medicine. Facit benè sinendo fieri quaecunq que male, saith mEnchirid. cap 96.Augustine; The text is plaine: that Christ our blessed Sauiour, was betrayed and crucified, nAct. 2. 23.by Gods determinate counsell, and foreknowledge; Iudas betrayed Christ, only for money, the Iewes crucified him onelyonly for malice. But God gaue his Sonne, and his Son gaue himselfe for vsus, only for louelove: So that in one, and the same tradition, as oEpist. 48.Augustine notably; God is to bee magnified, and man to be condemned. Quia in re vna quam fecerunt, causa non vna ob quam fecerunt.
Because God and Christ, did that out of merciemercy which Iudas and the Iewes did out of malice, God which is Causa causarum in whom we liue, and moue, and hauehave our being, disposeth of all things in heauen and earth, and hell, according to his good will and pleasure. Adramelech and Sharezer did ill in murthering their father, but God ordered that bloody fact well, in making Sennacherib a fearefull example to barbarous tyrants and blasphemers, as a man hunteth one beast with another, and catcheth one bird with another, so God vseth one wicked man for the destruction of another.
pWolphi… in loc.Adramelech, and Sharezer, as the Poet sayd, Nomina suntipso quae metuenda sono. Adramelech signifies, a great King, and Sharezer, Prince of treasure, the which names happily, Sennacherib imposed for this end, that they might acquire great power and riches, or that he might hereby make them a great deale more terrible to the people? But (oh! the deepnesse of the riches, both of the wisdome and iudgements of God) all the greatnesse of Adramelech▪ and Sharezer, was imployed to make Sennacherib little, to bereaue him, and that vnawares, both of his kingdome and life, for they slew him with the sword.
Hence we may learne, that impunity for a time is no good argument of innocency, because qProu. 16 4.the wicked are reserued for the day of euill, as the fish that playeth a great while with the hooke, is caught at the last; euen so the wicked, into whose nostrils (as it is sayd in this Chapter at the 28. vers) God hath put an hooke; reioice in doing euill, and delight in frowardnesse, vntill they perish at the last, nay some of them are so shamelesse, and gracelesse, that howsoeuer, they well escape present danger, yet their sinnes, as Paul speakes, goe before vntounto Iudgement, and so they stand condemned in the conceit of themselues and others. In their life, their owne conscience condemnes them, in such sort, that here they begin to feele the flashes of hell fire. No place (quoth Seneca) will make a wicked man quiet, for that he thinkes; Although I bee not as yet taken, I may neuerthelesse be taken at the length, and that I hauehave not hitherto beene taken, is come rather of fortune, then of confidence: In their death, other men, and that iustly, condemne them; for a ranke Athiest, obstinatly dying an Athiest, may be sayd without breach of charity, to be damned. If any be thus openly known by his fruits, rEs. 5 20.woe to them which speake good of euill, and euill of good, who put darkenesse for light, and light for darkenesse, who put bitter for sweet, and sweete for bitter.
2. The tragicall end of this vngodly tyrant murthered by those, who came out of his owne bowels, admonisheth vsus, what a fearefull thing it is, to fall into the hands of the liuing Lord. His feete are sayd to bee of wooll, but his hands of iron, slow to wrath, and of great patience, before he comes to punish, but when he commeth, hee will pay home, he hath in his hand a rod of iron to breake his enemies in pieces, like a potters vessell.
3. Here wee may note, that the destruction of great blasphemers is vsually sudden, acted not only in such a time, and in such a place, but also by such persons, as they least suspect. As Iob speakes, they spend their dayes in wealth, and suddenly goe downe to hell; and Dauid, oh how suddenly doe they consume, perish and come to a fearefull end. As Belshazzar in the mids of his carousing, Haman in the mids of his malice, Herod in the mids of his pride, Iulian in the mids of his fury, Sennacherib the great King of Assyria, the terrour of nations, (who with the sole of his feet, dryed vp all the riuers of besieged places, and turned defenced cities into ruinous heapes) in the mids of his idolatry, (for as it followeth in the next circumstance, to be considered; Hee was in his owne land, in Nintue, the strongest city of all his land, in his stately palace, the most inuincible fortresse of al Niniue, in his Royall chappel the most secure place of all his palace; Yet) it so came to passe, that as hee was in the temple, worshipping Nisrock his god, Adramelech and Sharezer slew him with the sword.
Out of this circumstance, wee first obserue, that when almighty Gods hue and cry commeth after any malefactor, for wickednesse committed, that nothing is able to shelter him: as Dauid in the▪ 1▪ 9 Psalme, whither shall I goe from thy spirit, or whith…r shall I goe from thy presence, If I climbe vp into heauen, thou art there, If downe to hell, thou art there also? Aug. Medit.I…tra omnia s…d non inclusus, extra omnia sed non exclusus, His eyes are all-seeing, his eares all-hearing▪ his handes all-doing, when hee sent tExod 8.frogs into the land of Egypt, Pharohs stately pallace was not able to keepe them out, but they croked in eueryevery corner of his house, scrauling in his bed-chamber, and creeping vponupon his pillowes; a malefactor escapeth happily the magistrates hand by forsaking the parish, or the place where he dwels, or if that will not serue, by flying out of one liberty into another, or if that fayle, by running out of the countrey, or if this will not doe the feate, by leauing the countrey, crossing the seas into forreine lands, and forlorne Ilands, as Adramelech and Sharezar fled into the land of Ararat. But yet the Lords hand and stretched out arme wil (euen while he thinks himselfe secure) find him out, and giuegive him a deadly blow; The Lords hand found out uIonali. 2.Ionas on the seas, and committed him close prisoner into the whales belly, the Lords hand found out the cruell Idumeans, albeit they did xObad 3. 4.dwell in the clests of the rockes, and sayd in the pride of their hearts, who shall bring vsus downe to the ground? Though thou exaltest thy selfe as an Eagle, and make thy nest among the starres, Yet thence will I bring thee downe, saith the Lord, The Lords hand found out Nabuchadnezzar, being at rest in his owne house, flourishing in his owne palace, saying in vaine boasting, yDan. 4.Is not this great Babel, which by the might of my power, I hauehave built for the honour of my maiesty. While the word was in his mouth, a voyce came downe from heauen, O King Nabuchadnezzar, to thee be it spoken, Thy kingdome is departed from thee, and they shall driue thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beastes of the field, and the very same houre was the thing fulfilled vponupon Nabuchadnezzar, and he was driuen from men, and did eate grasse as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heauen, till his hayres were growen like Eagles feathers, and his nayles like birdes clawes.
z…. L…st.When Phocas had built a strong wall about his palace, for security, hee heard in the night a voyce, O King, though thou build as high as the cloudes, yet the city may be taken easily, for the sin within marres all. The Lords hand found out aAmbros ser. 66 Epithanius heres 21.Simon Magus, as hee was presuming to fly vp into heauen, in the publique theater of Rome, and there he gaue him such a fall, as that hee could neuer rise more. The Lords hand found out bPlatina.bBalau▪ in …ius vita.Siluester the second (who to get the Popedome gaue himselfe to the deuill) as hee was in a chappell singing of a masse the Lords hand found out Nitingall, a blasphemous popish priest, in the very pulpit. No place, be it neuer so high or so holy, so deepe or so darke, so foule or fayre, can exempt the wicked from the wrath of the Lord▪ It is true that Gods dwelling is in Sion onelyonly, Psal. 76. 2. as cTo… 5 Operu… p…g. 14 … ▪Hugode S. victor. gloseth it, in mundo est vt imperator in regno, in ecclesia vt pater familias in domo, in anima fideli vt sponsus in thala…o. He dwelleth in the world, as an Emperor in his kingdome for the earth is the Lords, and all that therein is, Psal. 24. 1. He dwels in the Church, as a master in his house, for the house of God, is the Church of God, 1▪ Tim. 3. 15. In a faithfull soule, as the bridegrome in his chamber, there he suppes and refresheth himselfe. apoc. 3. 20. but our iniquities on the contrary, make a separation betweene God and vsus, Esay 59. 2. And so God is sayd in the holy scripture to be fa…re from the wicked, and the wicked to goe farre from God. The which is proued in the dLuke. 15. 13.prodigall c…ild, who tooke his iourney into a farre country, that is, far from God, farre from goodnesse. Answere is made by St. eManuel. cap. 1.Augustine, in one word, Deus non ibi deest, vbi longe est, quia vbi non est per gratiam, adest per vindictam, Although in respect of saluation, and grace, God be farre from the wicked, yet in respect of his power, and punishment, alway so nigh, that his out stretched arme can eueryevery where reach and ruine them. God dwels in Sion only, but is present in Babylon also.
Secondly, we note from this circumstance, Gods exact Iustice, who would hauehave Sennacherib, to perish in the same place, where hee had offended most, he was a great Idolater, and he committed that Idolatry most in the chappell of his Idoll Nisrock. And therefore Gods reuengefull hand did find and confound him in the right vbi; so the Prophet Elia sayd to King Ahab, f1 King. 21. 19.Hast thou killed and gotten possession also, thus saith the Lord, in the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, shall dogs euen licke thy blood also.
The corps of gHollinsh. Chron.Mr Arden, slaine by the consent & counsel of his own wife, was laid as a spectacle to men and Angels, in the very same field which he had vniustly taken from a poore widdow, and it is well ordered in our State, that where men commit outragious murthers, there they should dye the death for it, The iudgements of God is at all times terrible, but being executed in the same place, where the malefactour acted the fault, it is more fearefull, it putteth him in mind of his offence, with all the circumstances thereof, and so makes his conscience to denounce his owne condemnation.
EueryEvery day should be to the good man, a Sabbath, and eueryevery corner of his mansion, a priuy chappell, as occasion is offered for deuotion▪ O then I beseech you, by the mercies of the Lord Iesu, take heed of sinne in your secret closets, and chambers, for nothing is hid from Gods alpiercing eyes, which are as a flame of fire, who can make your very table a snare to take you withall, and the thinges which should hauehave beene for your wealth, an occasion of falling; hee can make the hHabac. 2. 11.stone out of the wall, and the beame out of the timber, to cry for Iudgement against you: Dauid afflicted heauily, said, eueryevery night wash I my bed, and water my couch with my teares. He had offended most in his bed, hee did act his repentance therefore most in his couch. Imitate Dauids example, who was a man according to Gods owne heart, when thou commest into the roome, defiled with any filthinesse of thine, sinne no more, but water the place with teares, otherwise God may smite thee with a sudden and vnhappy death, as hee did Sennacherib in his temple, where he transgressed most.
It was in God also great Iustice that he should perish by the sword who had abused the sword, in shedding innocent blood. It was a iust iudgement vponupon the cruell Egyptians to be drowned in the sea, because they cast all the male children of the Hebrewes, into the riuer. It was a iust iudgement vponupon Adonibezek, that the thumbes of his hands & feet were cut off, hauing before …one the like cruelty to seauenty kings, and constraining them to gather crumbs vnderunder his table. Iudg. 1. 6. It was a iust iudgement vponupon the tyrant iEuseb. lib. 8. cap. 9.Maxentius, that hee was ouerthrowen in the same bridge, which he craftily built, as a snare for the destruction of Constantine; It was a iust iudgement vponupon Pope kPet. Bemb. hist Venet. lib. 6.Alexander the 6. who was poysoned at supper, with the very same wine, (his seruant mistaking a bottle) which hee had prepared as a deadly draught, for his familiar friend, Cardinall Adrianus; It was a iust iudgement vponupon the chiefe plotter of the most execrable gunpowder treason; that being pursued he should himselfe bee first scorched with powder, and afterward killed with a gunne, and so the mischiefe fell vponupon his owne head, and his wickednesse vponupon his own pate. Non est lex aequior vlla, Quam necis artifices arte perire s…a; No iudgement more sit, then that they who dig a pit for others, should fall into the mids of it themselues, as Dauid phraseth it Psalme. 57. 7.
The third circumstance, to be further examined, is the time, when Sennacherib was slayne, and that is sayd here to be, when he was in praying, and worshipping his god Nisrock. From whence we may see what an idle thing an idol is, for we must imagine, that Sennacherib, when he saw Adramelech, and Sharezer rushing in vponupon him, and ready to kill him, heartily called vponupon his god for helpe, and doubtlesse, Nisrock, if hee had had any power, would not▪ hauehave suffered his prime … thus vnfortunatly to perish in his temple: but an idol, as l1. Cor 8. 4.St Paul teacheth vsus, is nothing, and what would you hauehave nothing to doe: mArebius. Aquin. in loc.Something it is in opinion, and esteeme, for so there be many gods, and many Lords, but nothing in trueth and value, something in the mind of an idolater, but nothing in the world, nothing in worth, or working, eueryevery founder is confounded by the grauen Image, Ieremy. 16. 14. So Dauid, Idols are but siluer and gold, the worke of mens handes, they hauehave mouthes and speake not, eyes hauehave they but see not, they hauehave eares, but yet they heare not, neither is there any breath in their nostrils, they that make them are like vntounto them, and so are all they that put their trusi in them, and Fzechiah in this present chapter at the 17. verse. Trueth it is, Lord, that the kings of Ashur, hauehave destroyed the nations, and fired their gods, for they were no gods, but the worke of mans hand, euen wood and st…ne, therefore they destroyed them.
The Papists inuocating Saints, in stead of the Sauiour, and adoring their images, euen with the same kind of worship, which is due to the Prototype, kneeling, crouching, creeping to stockes and stones▪ offer in the temple the sacrifice of fooles, calling vponupon Baal and Bell, who can neither heare them, nor helpe them; nDeu… ▪ 6▪ 4.Heare o Israel▪ the Lord thy God, is Lord only▪ and him only shalt than serue. Wee find in the Bible, precept vponupon precept, as oEs. 2…. ….Esay speakes, and line vponupon line, for our prayingvnto God in the time of trouble; but for inuocation of Saints in the scripture, neither precept, nor promise, nor patterne: the pictures of the saints of Christ, of the martyrs of Christ, of the mother of Christ, adored and worshipped, are not able to saue their seruants, more then Nisrocke here did Sennacherib, who notwithstanding his deuotion, in the chappell of his owne house, was ignominiously slayne in the sight of his Idol, and that in the very act and houre of prayer, as hee was in the temple, worshipping Nisrocke.