A Preparative to Contention, Book · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII.
An inſtruction for all Chriſtians. A Caueat for Engliſhmen.
Ier. 9.1. The godly hauehave cauſe to mourne.OH, that mine head were full of water, and mine eies a fountaine of teares, that I might weepe day and night for the future miſeries of my people! For men hauehave ſo little conſideration, from whome euerie good thing commeth, that they hauehave quite forgotten that wonderful deliuerance of the little Citie from the ſiege and tyrannie of that mightie King, and all other notable benefits that the Lord hath in his merciemercy done for them and their fathers. Wherein they reſemble the olde Iſraelites, whoſe vnkindneſſe and rebellion Moſes iuſtly reproued: and thoſe Iſraelites whom Dauid, Deut. 32. Pſal. 106. Iſa. 1. & 5. Hiſ 6. & 7.Iſayah, Hoſeah & other prophets hauehave worthily blamed for their ingratitude to the Lorde, and thoſe Iewes whom Chriſt both vpbraided and threatened: with whom alſo, without ſpeedie repentance, they ſhall be caſt out: for like ſinners, hauehave commonly like plagues and puniſhments. Theſe things if men had the grace and wiſedome to conſider, they would not forſake the pure fountain of the water of life, which hath thus long ſuſtained them, and ſound the corrupt puddles of vngodlineſſe which poyſoned them, they would not ſo neglect the things that appertain to the kingdome of God, and bend their braines to the wretched things of the worlde, in the which they finde nothing elſe but vanities: they woulde not anie longer blaſpheme with the theefe on the left hand, and ſo forgo the chiefe good: but rather they would, with him on the right hande, confeſſe the innocencie of Chriſt, and their owne guiltineſſe, and ſay, Lord remember vsus: they would not wander in the broad way to death, but ſtriue to walke wiſelie in the right and perfect way to eternall life: but their talking, their walking, their ſinnes, their tranſgreſsions, their abhominations, argue their want of wiſedome and grace, and decipher their looſe religion.
2 Such groſſe inormities of the men of yore, occaſioned Lucian to taunt at them: Democrite to laugh at them: Heraclite to bewaile them: and a certaine man thus to exclaime on them: Oh good Lord!Rich. de ſanc. victorie. what great paines men endure to ſeeke after vertue, yet not in vertue, but in vanitie: they hauehave found out that which they hunted for: yet not for vertue, but for vanitie: and that which is most miſerable, in the wordes of life, they procure the paines of death! So doo they buſie and vexe themſelues (indeed) without any profit at all, when they walke on in their vanities, & prouoke the Lord to anger, who (without their heartie repentance) will ſhortly declare the ſame to their great grief and miſerie,Pſal. 50. but chiefely to the wo and ſorrow of them which had taken the word of God in their mouths, and intituled themſelues Chriſtians, and yet hauehave nothing regarded to be by the ſame reformed accordinglie:VnderUnder theſe pretences, mē ſpoile and take one from another vniuſtlie. of them that hauehave ſaide, Lord, Lord, but hauehave not done any thing acceptable to the Lord: of them that hauehave cried, The Temple of God, the Temple of God, and wee bee the Lordes, in whoſe quarrell wee fight, whoſe cauſe wee defende, whoſe enemies we throwe downe: but yet hauehave not waſhed their handes from crueltie, and murther: from piracie and theft: from briberie and extortion: from vſurie and tyrannie: frō ſtrife and enuying: from gluttonie and drunkennes: from luſt and lecherie: from ſwearing and periurie: from ſinne and iniquitie: for theſe doth the Lorde ſeuerelie reprooue and condemne without reſcue or deliuerie in all ages. Neither dooth anie thing more prouoke the Lorde of Heauen to high anger,Apoſtacie is a moſt daungerous ſinne. Eſay. 5.5.7. then the degeneration and backeſliding of them that ſometimes reſembled the godly in pietie, and vertue. As hee is moſt pleaſed with them that walke in his holy wayes with faith and good conſciences, and is gracious vntounto them, & glad of their creation, and of al his benefits on them beſtowed: ſo is he touched with ſorrow and griefe of heart, when he ſeeth them which hauehave earſt giuen a glorious ſhew of holines, to walk at lēgth in their own waies eſtranging themſelues from God, and al godlineſſe.
3 Though God when he ſaw the great wickednes of the generation of Cain, Gen. 6. The degeneration of the ſons of Seth.(in the firſt age of the world) ſuffred them to run after their owne imaginations, for a verie long time: yet, when he perceiued that the ſonnes of Seth alſo (which had ſometimes reſembled the piety of their parents, to whom the promiſe of the bleſſed ſeede was made, which were men that knew God, of the true Church,Aben Eſra. and called the ſonnes of God) did fall from God into fleſhly pleaſures, tyrannies, idolatries, and other heinous vices, and grew therein like vntounto the children of men: yea, and that of the ſonnes of God, they were (by Apoſtacie) made the ſonnes of Sathan: then (then I ſay) the Lorde was highly mooued to diſpleaſure, ſo much, that in his anger hee determined to deſtroy thoſe ſinners vtterly frō off the earth, and the ſame determinatiō he effected accordingly.
The Scriptures report, that the Lord (vponupon this occaſion) VVas touched with ſuch ſorrow, God repented that he had made man.that he repented that he had made man on the earth: that is to ſay: his Spirit in the hearts of the godlie, prouoked them to mourne and ſigh, to beholde mans vngodlineſſe. Noah, being a righteous man, hauing the Spirit of God, and ſeeing the great wickednes of man,Noah. he was by the ſame Spirit mooued to wofulneſſe, and The holie Ghost was made ſadde in all the godlie, by meanes of the great malice of man:Epheſ. 4.30 ſo farre that they deſired rather, that man had neuer beene created, then, that by degeneration, he ſhould bee ſo malicious wicked and ſinfull agaynſt God.
4 But what followed this high diſpleaſure?The effect of-Gods Repentance. What was the effect of Gods Repentance? My Spirit (ſayth hee) ſhall not alwayes contend thus in man: I will no longer deliberate, whether I may either deſtroy thoſe vngodly men, or elſe hauehave ſome pittie, and cōpaſsion vponupon them: and foraſmuch as I hauehave by my ſpirit taught them, & ſcholed thē in godlines, and they be neuer the better, I will not henceforth grant them this benefit of my ſpirit: they ſhal neither be reproued, nor inſtructed by the ſame any more. I will ſend them a famine of my worde, that they may faint and fall, and not bee able to riſe againe: for they are contrarie to mee in all their wayes, they proceede in their carnall deſires, they ſcorne and deride both mee and my worde, and contemne all good admonitions: they hate and perſecute my ſpirit, in them that faithfully teach and preach my worde. It is moſt meete therfore, that I ceaſſe henceforth from doing them any more good, that I giuegive my ſpirite eaſe, and ſuffer them as moſt rebellious children to periſh from the earth.
VponUpon this reſolution the Lord opened the windowes of heauen, & powred down mighty ſtreams of water vponupon them: The fountaines of the deepe brake vp alſo, and the floods couered the higheſt hilles. Then loud cries and clamours, then ſorrow, weeping, wailing, and vtter diſpaire on eueryevery ſide: but no deliuerie, no ſafetie, no comfort they find, but are choked in the waters. One man was not able to helpe another, neither the parents their children. EueryEvery one was forced to abide his lot. And this lot was common to all them which were not incloſed with Noah in the Arke. So pleaſed it the Lord by waſhing away ye filthines of their perſons frō the earrh, in their deſtruction, to eaſe himſelf being ſo grieued in his heart. This was the plague that fell on them, that would not honor God,Pſal. 50. when they knew God! O remember this ye that forget God, leaſt he alſo take you hence, and there be none to deliuer you.
An apoſtrophe to …ngliſh men, warning them to beware.5 Now, becauſe that aboue other Nations vnderunder the Sunne, it hath pleaſed the goodneſſe of our God to adorne and bleſſe thee (O England) with the like gifts and bleſsings wherewith hee beautified the ſons of Seth, in that firſt age of the worlde▪ and hath not debarred thee from any of thoſe graces wherwith hee adorned Iuda and Hieruſalem, in the time of their peace: hee dooth therefore expect the like thankfulneſſe of thee, as hee looked for of any of them. Which if thou yeeld not to his Grace, but waxing fat, do abuſe thoſe bleſsings, and ſpurne with the heele agaynſt him, and being called to weeping, mourning and repentance,Iſay. 22.12.13. for thoſe thy tranſgreſsions, thou take vp ioy & gladneſſe, ſlaying oxen, and killing ſheepe; eating fleſh, and drinking wine: what els may be expected to come vntounto thee, but a moſt heauie iudgement from the Lord? And of this, the Lord doth forewarne vsus by blazing ſtars, earthquakes, fierie Dragons: and expreſſeth his diſpleaſure by famines, peſtilences, threats of warres, and ſuch like. It is not thy bare profeſsion that ſhall excuſe thee in the day of thy viſitation (O England) neither ſhall thy often hearing of Sermons,A bare profeſsion helpeth not. nor turning of the leaues of the lawe, nor bearing of the bible in thine hand, nor thy talking of ſcriptures,1. Cor. 10. deliuer thee in the time of Gods vengeance, no more then thoſe former ſinners, nor then the Corinthians were freed, whom Saint Paul warned to beware by the examples of the old Iſraelites which God ouerthrew in the wilderneſſe, if that God be not entreated by thy timely repentance: nor ſhall the often hearing and ruminating of the ſtrange iudgements of God poured vponupon other the rebellious people of the old time, & the knowledge of the will of God, profit or preſerue thee from the deſtruction: if thou wilt not be therby thyſelf inſtructed, reformed and made better. To this purpoſe, this diſtich which Iuſtus Ionas pronounced a little before his death,Mat. Dreſſerus. is worthy to be daily ruminated.
Quid iuuat innumeros ſcire, at que euoluere caſus:
Si facienda fugis: ſi fugienda facis?
The dolefull doome of many a wight,
To know, and weigh, what helpes it thee:
If thou neglect that ſhould in right
Be done, and do that ſhould not bee?
The Lord grant thee grace to looke timely to thy ſelfe,VVe ſhould take inſtruction by former examples and to thine eſtate, and by the conſideration of thoſe auntient plagues which hauehave in their times ouertaken the vnthankfull, to repent and take heed: ſo happie ſhalt thou be.
6 O England, if thou didſt conſider thine owne vnthankfulneſſe, and therewith wouldeſt weigh how ful of danger thy ſtate ſtandeth, & what mightie plagues awaite to fall on thee, if the Lorde God would permit it, and ſay vntounto the ſpirit of trouble, Go:Many and ſundry daungers wayting on England. Eccles. 12.1. Iere. 9. Luke 19. thou wouldeſt deferre no time to repent, thou wouldeſt Remember thy maker in thoſe dayes of thy youth, before the infirmities of olde age ouertake thee: yea, thou wouldeſt weepe for thy ſelfe, and for thy children, rather with Ieremie, and the Lord Ieſus, before thoſe times of trouble come, thē with the fooliſh daughters of Hieruſalem, when it is all too late. If thou wouldeſt applie the examples of yore, vntounto the times preſent, and therof learne wiſedome (as Moſes wiſhed the Iſraelites to do) thou wouldeſt then bee more fearefull, and aſhamed to follow the luſt of thine own heart any longer: thou wouldeſt not truſt to thine owne ſtrength, nor preſume (in thy ſins) ſo far on Gods goodnes: nor wouldeſt thou put conſidence in vnrighteous Māmon, nor conſent to be led away with eueryevery winde of doctrine, nor make ſo long tarying to turne to the Lord thy God: but thou wouldſt rather ſpeedily iudge thy ſelf, to eſcape the iudgement of God: condemne thy ſelfe, to be freed from the ſentence of Gods iuſtice: thou wouldeſt caſt thy pride down on the earth, rent thy beautifull haire, & without delay turne to ye Lord with faſting weeping & praier. And thus except thou do in ſpirit and truth, thy fall, thy diſhonor, thy ſhame, and thy execration will be horrible, to the dread of all other Nations, for all thy ſinnes, the which the Lorde in merciemercy forbid.
7 Surely, thou haſt great cauſe to feare (O England) leaſt whē it ſhal pleaſe god (for thine vnthankfulneſſe) to take to himſelf frō ouer thee the life and gouernmēt of our moſt gracious ſoueraigne Queen Elizabeth (whoſe life & gouernment the Lord God in his mercy yet prolong & lengthen (if it may be) to to the daies and yeres of Methuſalah,) that then, thou ſuddenly feele the paine of thy ſins and deſerued miſeries. For the Lord hath ſufficiently warned vsus alreadie of ſuch things by ſo many arguments, as we cannot thereof plead ignorance: & that he hath ſuch a work to be done (without thy repentāce) as ye ears of ſo many as heare therof ſhal ſurely glow: and this work is deferred but vntounto the appointed time.2. Kin. 20.19. and 22.19 20. Iudit. 16.30. The God of mercy with held the execution of his iudgemēt frō Iuda (according to his promiſe) during ye life time of Hezekiab: & he ſpared the ſame in al the daies of Ioſiah: neither ſuffred he any man to trouble Iſrael ſo long as the widow Iudith liued: nor would hee caſt downe the fire on Sodom, Gen. 19.22. Gen. 7.10.vntill Lot was departed out of Sodom: nor did hee powre downe the waters on the wicked world, before that Moah was embarked in his Arke. And who knoweth whether that the ſame Lord hath made this merciful promiſe and couenāt with our right Chriſtian Princeſſe, and with thoſe his faithfull ones in the land (which are by her grace aided, prouided for & defended within this realme, in the name of the diſciples of Chriſt) that he will not alienate the ſame from his delight in her, and their dayes? As his arme is not ſhortned, but that hee will helpe his elect that call vponupon him ſo is not the ſame ſo weake, but moſt able to deſtroy his foes, and caſt them downe to hell that diſhonour him.
Note this.8 Therefore (I ſay againe) let vsus not flatter our ſelues: bee ſure of this, that if thou continue careleſſe and ingratefull, and imagine him to bee well pleaſed with thee, becauſe hee ſuffereth thee, and dooth not charge thee with follie, but ſeemeth to paſſe it ouer by long ſilence, and ſo thou ad vntounto thy former tranſgreſsions, a thouſand more, without remorſe of conſcience, and dreade of Gods iudgements: hee will (in the time of wrath) bring euill vponupon thee, and then, hee who was before ſo flowe to anger, will appeare to bee of great might, and ſuch an one, as will in no wiſe holde thee excuſed in thy ſinnes: hee will not winke anie longer at thy pride, thy common ſwearing, thy periurie, thine erreuerēt talking, thy lying, thy ſtealing, thy killing, thine whoring, thine halting, thine hypocriſie, thy prophanation of the Lordes day, thine Idolatries, thy diſſimulation thy diſcontented mind, thy murmuring mouth, thy ſlaundring tongue, and all other thine abhominations and ſins,Iſay. 21.10. Ier. 25.31. Pſal. 50. which thou haſt wrought and committed, againſt his maieſtie, againſt his Saints, and againſt thine owne health, peace, and proſperitie:Pſal. 2. Prou. 1. but ſeeing that then thou doeſt belong to the Lords corne flower to be threſhed, he himſelfe will ſommon thee to his Court of Iuſtice, in iudgement hee will commence ſuite againſt thee, he will contende with thee, hee will trie out thy ſins, and ſet them in order before thee: he will condemne thee for the ſame, & all to threſh thee, except thou repent.Pſal. 107.34 He that maketh the fruitfull lande barren for the wickedneſſe of them that dwell therin, will force thee to mourne,Hoſ. 4. will cauſe thee to be troubled, to be endangred of thy plentie and peace, except thou repent. Thy people ſhall periſh, thy cattell ſhall be diminiſhed: the ſoules of the ayre, the fiſhes of the ſea, ſhall bee taken away, and eueryevery calamitie ſhal ouertake thee except thou repent. Thy life ſhall euer hang in ſuſpence before thine enemies, as the liues of thy neighbours, and thine heart aking for anguiſh, ſhall in the morning deſire the euening, & in the euening deſire the morning, except thou repent.Gen. 42.21. Neither ſhall thy conſcience denie, but confeſſe with Iacobs ſinnes in Egypt, Verely we hauehave ſinned againſt our brother, &c. and therefore is this trouble come vponupon vsus. And others that behold thy trouble ſhall ſay (as Baruch did to Iſrael) If thou haddeſt walked in the way of God truely, Bar. 3.13.4.thou ſhouldeſt hauehave dwelled ſtill ſafe in thine owne land. But lo, they that liued ſo delicately, do nowe periſh in the ſtreetes: O learne then where is wiſedome, Lam, 4.5.where vertue is, when vnderſtanding is: that thou maiſt know alſo from whence commeth long continuance, and life, the light of thine eyes and quietneſſe. Iſa. 55.6. Hoſ. 14.2.Returne yee then vntounto the Lord your God, for ye are fallen by iniquitie. Take vntounto your words, and ſay vntounto him: Take away all our iniquities and receiue vsus graciouſly. Why wil ye die? Repent, repent, repent, and ye ſhall ſurely liue (ſaith the Lorde of hoaſts) elſe will I make lamentation ouer you, as I beganne, and ye ſhall not be able to comfort me.