A Mirror both for Saints and Sinners, Treatise · Chapter 28 – Chapter 29
CHAP. XXVIII. Examples of Gods judgements upon false Witnesses, and Liars.
FOrbidden, Exod 20. 16. Deut. 5. 20. Mat. 19. 18. Mark. 10. 19. Luk 18. 20. Rom. 13. 9. Lying, Lev. 6. 2, &c. & 19. 11. Col. 3 9. Jam. 3. 14. 1 Tim. 4. 2.
How to be punished, Deut. 19. 16, &c. Rev. 21. 27. & 22. 15. Ps. 63. 11. Prov. 19. 5, 9. & 29. 12.
Odious, Prov. 6. 19. & 12. 17. & 14. 5. & 21. 28. & …5. 18. Ps. 40 4. & 58 3. & 62. 4. & 101. 7. Prov. 30 8. Whence it proceeds, Mat. 15. 19.
Scriptural examples: Against David, Ps. 27. 12. & 35. 11. & 119. 69. Against Christ, Mat. 26. 59. Mark. 14. 56, 57. Against Steven, Act. 6. 13. Ananias, and Sapphira, Act. 5. 3 &c. Som. Rev. 3. 9. False Prophets, Jer. 27. 10, 14, 16. & 29. 21, 31. Ezek. 21. 29. Diviners, Zach. 10. 2. the Devil, Joh. 8. 44. Iewes, Isa. 28. 15. & 59. 3. 4. Jer. 9. 3, 5. & 23. 14. Lying Kings, Dan. 11. …7. Princes, Hos. 7. 3.
Forbidden, Lev. 19. 11. Eph. 4. 25. Col. 3. 9.
It's a great sinne, Lev. 6. 2. Job 6. 28. Prov. 14 5. & 10. 18. & 38. 8. Ps. 40. 4. & 58. 3. & 62. 4 & 101. 7. Pro. 29. 12. & 30. 8. Psal. 119. 29, 163. Esa. 28. 15. & 59. 3, 4. & 30. 9. & 32. 7 & 59. 13. Jer. 29. 23. & 9. 45. & 23. 14, 32. Dan. 11. 27. Hos. 7. 13. & 11. 12. & 12. 1. Amos 2. 4. Mich. 6. 12. 1 Tim. 4. 2.
Threatened, Ps. 63. 11. Prov. 19 5, 9. Jer. 16. 19. & 20. 6. Nahum. 3. 1. Hos. 4. 2, &c. Ps. 59. 12.
Scriptural examples, Satan, Gen. 3 4. 1 King. 22. 22. 2 Chron. 18. 21. Joh. 8. 44. Sarah, Gen. 18. 15. Abraham, Gen. 12. 13. & 20. 2. Isaac, Gen. 26. 7. Jacob, Gen. 27. 19, 24. Rachel, Gen. 31 35. Patriarchs, Gen. 37. 31, 32. Potiphars wife, Gen. 39. 14. Gibeonites, Jos. 9. 8, 9. Sampson, Judges 16. 13, 14, &c. A woman, 2 Sam. 17 20 the Harlot, 1 King 3. 22, 23. False witnesses, 1 King. 21. 13. the old Prophet, 1 King. 13. 18. Gehazi, 2 King. 5. 22. Hazael, 2 King. 8. 14, 15. Peter, Mat. 26. 70, 71. Midwives, Exod. 1. 18, 19. Rahab, Jos. 2. 4, &c. Michael, 1 Sam. 19. 16. David, 1 Sam. 20. 2, 7. & 21. 9, 13. Hushai, 2 Sam. 16. 17. 18. Ananias, and Saphira, Act. 5. 2, 8. Demetrius. Act. 19. 25, 26. Tertullus, Act. 24. 5.
Ahab, and Jezabel, that suborned false witnesses against Naboth, had this message sent them from God, by Elijah, Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, shall they lick thy blood also: and as for Jezabel, dogs shall eat her by the wall of Jezreel, and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, &c. 1 Kings 22. 1, 22. 2 Kings 9.
Amaziah the Priest of Bethel, who falsly accused the Prophet Amos to the King, as having conspired against him, met with this message from the Lord, Thy wife shall be an harlot in the City, thy sonnes and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line, thou shalt die in a polluted land, Amos 7. 17.
Haman, who fasly accused the Jewes to Ahasuerus, see what judgement befell him, and his house, Esth. 7. 10. and 9. 10.
The envious Courtiers who falsly accused Daniel to King Darius, for breaking his decrees, were themselves thrown to, and devoured by the Lions, Dan. 6. 24,
Antiphilus a Painter, the envier of the Art, and excellent workmanship of Apelles, that most famous Painter, falsly accused him to King Ptolemy, to have caused the defection of Pelusium from him, whereby he had almost oppressed Apelles: But the King by examination found out his falshood, and the cause of it: whereupon he gave Apelles one hundred talents, by way of recompence, and rewarded Antiphilus that falsly accused him with perpetual servitude. Theat. Hist.
How God punished Ananias, and Saphyra, for their lying, See Acts 5. 5. 10.
Maximus the Emperour one of the cruel persecutors of the Christians, amongst other of his wicked practices, caused lying, and blasphemous books to be published of a conference between Pilate, and Christ, causing them to be taught in schooles, that children might no sooner speak then learn them: He suborned also certaine lewd women, to say that they had been Christians, and to avouch that much filthinesse, and uncleannes was daily committed by them, &c. But these liars, and false accusers▪ were one after another plagued by God with notable judgements, and Maximus himselfe was consumed with wormes, as afore. Euseb. Niceph. l. 7. c. 27.
A wicked wretch under Commodus the Emperour, accused Apollonius a godly Christian to the Judges for certaine grievous crimes, which when he could not prove, he was adjudged to have his legges broken, according to an ancient law of the Romanes. Niceph.
Certaine Arians suborned a filthy strumpet to come with a childe in her armes, into a Councel of two thousand five hundred Bishops, & there to accuse Eustathius a godly, and Orthodox Bishop of Antioch, of Adultery, and to sweare that he had got that childe of her body, whereupon he was deposed, and banished from his Bishoprick: But shortly after Gods heavy judgement falling upon the woman, in her sicknesse she confessed that she was suborned by the Arians to accuse this holy man, and that it was one Eustathius a Tradesman, that had gotten that childe. Niceph. l. 8. c. 46. See the like practice against Athanatius in his Life, In my first Part of the Marrow of Ecclesiastical History.
In the reigne of King Canutus, at a Parliament held at London, the King asked the Lords, and Nobles, whether in the Agreement made betwixt King Edmund, and him, there was any mention made of the children, or brethren of Edmund to have any part of the land divided to them? The Lords flatteringly answered, That there was none: Yea, they confirmed their false words with an oath, thinking thereby to have procured great favour with the King: But he on the contrary ever after mistrusted and disdained them, especially such as had sworne fealty to King Edmund: Yea, some of them he exiled, many he beheaded, and divers of them by Gods just judgement died suddenly. Speed.
In the Reigne of King Henry the eighth, one Richard Long bore false witnesse against a Minister in Calice, falsly accusing him for eating meat in Lent: But shortly after Gods wrath did lie so heavy upon his conscience, that he desperately drowned himselfe. Aze. Mon.
About the same time Gregory Bradway accused one Brook falsly for stealth; but shortly after through terrors of conscience, he sought to cut his own throat, but being prevented he fell mad.
In Queen Maries dayes one William Feming accused an honest man called John Cooper, because he would not fell him two bullocks, as if he had spoken traiterous words against the Queen, and suborned two false witnesses to depose it: Cooper was hanged, and quartered, and all his goods taken from his wife, and nine children: but shortly after one of these false witnesses being well, and at harvest-work, was stricken by God, so that his bowels fell out, and he died, miserably See My English Martyrology.
The Egyptians had no punishment for lying, and therefore no measure in lying.
One Thespis, a Poet in Athens made a play wherewith the Citizens were much delighted, and grave Solon himselfe went to see it: but when the play was ended, wherein Thespis himselfe acted a part, Solon called him to him, and asked him if he were not ashamed to lie so openly in the face of all the City? Thespis answered, that it made no matter so long as it was but in sport: But Solon beating the ground with his staffe, said, If we commend or allow lying in sport, we shall shortly finde it used in good earnest, in all our bargaines, and dealings. Plut.
Artaxerxes M. having found one of his souldiers in a lie, caused his tongue to be thrust through with three needles. Plut.
Putting away lying, speake every man the truth with his neighbour, for we are members one of an other.
Eph. 4. 25.
CHAP. XXIX. Examples of Childrens Obedience, and Love to their Parents.
COmmanded, Eph. 6. 1. and why? v. 2. Col 3. 20. Prov. 4. 1. & 6. 20. Exod. 20. 12. Deut. 5. 16. Mat. 15. 4. & 19. 19. Mark. 7. 10. & 10. 19. Luk. 18. 20. Commended. Mal. 1. 6.
Scriptural Examples, Shem, and Japhet, Gen. 9. 23. Isaac, Gen. 22. 6, &c. Jacob, Gen. 28. 1, 5. Ioseph, Gen. 37. 13. Ruth, Chap. 1. 16, 17. Solomon, 1 King. 2. 19.
Other examples. Pomponius Atticus, making the funeral Oration at his mothers death, protested that having lived with her sixty and seven years he was never reconciled to her▪ Because (said he) there never happened betwixt us the least jarre which needed reconciliation. In vita Attici.
Cyrus King of Persia, having overcome Croesus King of Lydia in battel, Croesus fled into the City of Sardis: but Cyrus following, took the City by storme: and a souldier running after Croesus with his sword, Croesus his sonne that had been dumb all his life-time before, with the violence of natural affection, seeing his father in such danger, suddenly cryed out: O man, kill not Croesus: and so continued to speak all his life after. Pez Mel. Hist.
Miltiades a famous Captaine of the Athenians, died in prison for debt: his sonne Cimon to redeeme his fathers body for burial, voluntarily went into the prison, and submitted to be cast into chaines there, till the debt was paid. Iustin.
Cleobis, and Biton, two brethren in Greece, loved their mother dearly, insomuch as she being to go to Juno's Temple in her coach drawn by two oxen: the oxen being out of the way, they willingly harnessed themselves, and drew her thither, she much rejoycing that she had borne two such sonnes. Plut.
Olympias the mother of Alexander M. was very severe, and morose in her carriage towards him, and once Antipater, Alexanders deputy in Europe, wrote large letters of complaint against her, to whom he returned this answer: Knowest thou not that one little teare of my mothers, will blot out a thousand of thy letters of complaint. Plut.
King Demetrius being overcome by Seleucus; and taken prisoner, his sonne Antigonus hearing of it, mourned exceedingly, and wrote lamentably to Seleucus, in the behalfe of his father, proffering to deliver up into his hands all the Countreys which he yet held, and to become a pledge himselfe for his father, so that he might be delivered out of captivity. Diod. Sic.
The carriage of Master Herbert Palmer towards his parents, was very dutifull, and obsequious: not only during his minority, but even afterwards: which was very evident in that honour, and respect which he continued to expresse to his aged mother, to the day of her death: being also a special help to her in the wayes of holinesse. See his Life at the end of my General Martyrology.
Honour thy father, and thy mother, that thy dayes may be long upon the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee,
Exod. 20. 12.