Twenty-One Sermons on Amos 1, Sermon 7
THE Seuenth Lecture.
AMOS 1.3.
Becauſe they hauehave threſhed Gilead with threſhing inſtruments of iron.
THis is the third part of this Prophecie: the deſcription of that great ſin by which the Syrians ſo much offended. Let vsus firſt examine the words.
Gilead] Gilead, or Galaad, or Galeed, in holy Scripture is ſometime a hill, ſometime a citie, and ſometime a Region, or country. A hill, Gen. 31. So named as appeareth verſe 47. of the heape of ſtones, which was made thereon, as a witneſſe of the league betweene Iacob and Laban: for Gilead is interpreted anaAceruus teſtimonii. heape of witneſſe.
This mountaine Gilead, is thebAdrichom. greateſt of all beyond Iordan: it is in length 50. miles; and as it is continued, and runneth along, it receiueth diuers names. From Arnon to the city Cedar, it is called Galaad; then to Bozra it is named Seir, afterward Hermon, and ſo reaching to Damaſcus it is ioyned to Libanus: and therefore as S.*Comment. in hunc locum. Hierom ſaith, in the 22. of Ier. verſe 6. Lebanon is called the head, or beginning of Galeed.
Gilead, or Galaad, or Galeed is alſo a city built vponupon mount Gilead, as S. Hierome witneſſeth. Here was borne and buried the valiant Captaine and Iudge of Iſrael, Iephte, when he had iudged Iſrael ſix yeares; as Iudg. 12.7 Againſt this city Hoſeah propheſieth, cap. 6.8. Gilead is a city of them that worke iniquity, and is polluted with bloud.
Gilead, or Galaad, or Galeed, is alſo a region or country, called D…ut. 34 1. The land of Gilead, poſſeſſed by the Reubenites. Gadites, and halfe the tribe of Manaſſeh, as Num. 32.33.
If Gilead the city, be the Gilead in my text, it is a figure; the figure Synecdoche: a part for the whole; one city, the Metropolitane city for the whole country. If the land of Gilead bee the Gilead in my text, it is a figure too; the figure Metonymia; the land of Gilead, for the inhabitants thereof. The inhabitants of the land of Gilead were Gods owne people, his people Iſrael, of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manaſſeh: againſt whom the Syrians of Damaſcus did ſo rage, as that they are noted in my text to hauehave threſhed them with threſhing inſtruments of iron.
Theſe threſhing inſtruments are not in vſe among vsus. Yet will I, as well as I may, out of the ancient, and learned, deſcribe them to you. One of the Hebrew DoctorscMercer. Pagnin. i… L…t… foreign R. Dauid Kimchi makes them to be planks of wood, to the which on the nether ſide are faſtned little ſtones, to part the wheat from the huske, and chaffe; which cannot be the threſhing inſtruments in this place, becauſe theſe were of iron.
Saint Hierome ſaith, they were a kinde of waines, or carts, with wheeles of iron, and toothed, to beat out corne from the huske, and to bray or bruiſe ſtraw, and ſtubble to be meat for cattle, when hay is ſcarce. Nicolaus de Lyrâ ioyneth with Saint Hierome in opinion.
dIunius.Some doe take theſe inſtruments to bee*Tribalis ferreis. iron flailes, or carres, or corne carts, or ſome ſuch like inſtrument, of old time in vſe for the threſhing out of corne. Of this opinion Iunius by his tranſlation ſeemeth to be, and Caluin diſallowes it not.
Here ſome doe …er … …y…rak… … Gualt… …reeRaſtris ferreis fTrahis ferreisdreyes or ſleddes of yron, as Marinus in his Arca No…, …uregRotis ferreis wheeles of yron, as Theodotio, and Symmachus; ſomehSerris ferreis. ſawes of yron, as the Septuagint, and Caluin; ſome*Auec herſes de ſer. harrowes of yron, as the French tranſlation. Whatſoeuer were the threſhing inſtrumēts in this place; whether waines, or carts, or carres, or dreys, or ſleds of yron, or wheeles of yron, or flailes of yron, or rakes of yron, or harrowes of yron, or ſawes of yron: it is out of doubt, that the holy Spirit by this kind of ſpeech (they threſhed Gilead with threſhing inſtruments of yron) noteth the extreme cruelty practiſed by the Syrians, againſt the people of God, the Gileadites, the Iſraelites, of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manaſſeh.
They threſhed Gilead] Winckleman here noteth a Metaphore, or tranſlation, put by the holy Spirit to deſigne, or ſignifie the notorious cruelty of the Syrian Kings vponupon the Gileadites; but I take it to be a proper ſpeech of a true thing, indeed acted by Hazael, King of Syria, againſt the Gileadites; according to the word of God which came to Elizeus the Prophet touching Hazael, 2 King. 8.12. where Elizeus weeping thus ſpeaketh vntounto Hazael: I know the euill that thou ſhalt doe vntounto the children of Iſrael: their ſtrong cities ſhalt thou ſet on fire; their young men ſhalt thou ſlay with the ſword; thou ſhalt daſh their infants againſt the ſtones; and rent in peeces their women with child.
But you will ſay, what is this to the Gileadites? I anſwer, very much; as you may ſee, 2 King 10.33. where Hazael is ſaid to ſmite the Iſraelites in all the coaſts of Iſrael, from Iordan Eaſtward, euen all the land of Gilead, the Gadite…, & the Reubenits, and them that were of Manaſſeh, from Aroer, (which is by the riuer Arnon) and Gilead, and Baſhan. All theſe regions did Kng Hazael grieuouſly torment, and bring to much woe, and miſerie; but ſpecially the Gileadites, who therefore are twiſe mentioned in the fore-cited conqueſt of Hazael: The Gileadites did Hazaell, King of Aram, deſtroy, and make like duſt beaten to powder, 2 King. 13.7.
They threſhed Gilead with threſhing inſtruments of yron] The like torments hauehave beene inflicted, with the good approbation of Almightie God, by King Dauid vponupon the Ammonites, duplicate page duplicate page 2. Sam. 12.31. where you ſhall find, that King Dauid after his victorie ouer Rabbah, a citie of the Ammonites, carried away the Inhabitants that were therein, and put them vnderunder ſawes, and vnderunder yron harrowes, and vnderunder axes of yron, and caſt them into the tile kilne.
Thus did Dauid, guided by Gods owne Spirit, deale with the Ammonites. His courſe was warrantable, becauſe hee was guided by Gods good Spirit; whereof Hazael being deſtitute, could not but grieuouſly offend God, by threſhing Gilead with threſhing inſtruments of yron. Dauid, Gods friend, dealt ſo with the Ammonites, a people without God: whereas Hazael, Gods enemie, dealt ſo with the Gileadites, the people of God.
He threſhed Gilead with threſhing inſtruments of yron] A courſe that God can bee content ſhall be taken with Moab, Eſai. 25.10. Moab ſhall be threſhed, as ſtraw is threſhed: but that his owne people Iſrael, or any part of them, as the Gileadites, be thus vſed, God likes it not. Witneſſe my text, where the Lord proteſteth that he will not turne Damaſcus, that is, that he will not recall the Syrians from their errour into the right way, that he wil not bring them againe into his fauour, that he wil leaue them to themſelues; becauſe they hauehave threſhed Gilead with threſhing inſtruments of yron.
Now let vsus ſee what leſſons may bee taken from hence for our further inſtruction, and meditation. Gods diſlike with Damaſcus, for threſhing Gilead with threſhing inſtruments of yron, yeeldeth vsus this leſſon; God is neuer well pleaſed with too much crueltie.
This truth will well appeare vntounto vsus, if we doe but conſider how God hath euermore rewarded cruelty. The cruell tyrant Adonibezek did cut off the thumbes, and great toes of ſeuenty Kings, and cauſed them to gather the crums vnderunder his table, Iudg. 1.7. but what was his reward? As he had done to thoſe captiue Kings, ſo did God doe to him againe. The Iſraelites vnderunder the leading of their captaine Iudah, tooke Adonibezek priſoner, and cut off the thumbes of his hands, and great toes of his feet, verſe the 6.
Agag King of the Amalekites by his ſword had made many a woman childleſſe, 1 Sam. 15.33. but what was his reward? You may ſee in the ſame verſe what Samuel ſaid, and did vntounto him. Samuel ſaid, As thy ſword hath made women childleſſe, ſo ſhall thy mother be childleſſe among other women; and Samuel hewed Agag in peeces before the Lord in Gilgal.
The Babylonians were wonderfull cruell and hard hearted againſt the inhabitants of Ieruſalem: they ſpared none of them, no not their young children, but cruelly deſtroyed them, and all theirs. But what was their reward? You may ſee it by the propheticall denuntiation of the ruine of Babel, Pſal. 137.8, 9. O daughter of Babel, worthy to be deſtroyed: bleſſed ſhall he be that rewardeth thee as thou haſt ſerued vsus; bleſſed ſhall he be that taketh and daſheth thy children againſt the ſtones. This reward of Babel is enlarged, Eſay 13.16. Their children ſhall be broken in peeces before their eyes: their houſes ſhall be ſpoiled; and their wiues rauiſhed.
Thus not to trouble you with many examples, we ſee by the reward of cruelty in the examples of Adonibezek, Agag, and the Babylonians, that God abhorreth it. God abhorreth cruelty, howſoeuer he doth puniſh it with another cruelty. God repaieth cruelty with cruelty, according to the well knowne prouerbe, Matth. 7.2. With what meaſure you mete, with the ſame ſhall men meaſure to you againe.
The vſe of the doctrine now confirmed, is to work in vsus the louelove of clemency and mercifulneſſe. When we are well aſſured, that the cruel themſelues ſhall taſte of cruelty by way of puniſhment, we will be afraid to behaue our ſelues towards any cruelly. All cruelty is checked by the law of God, by the ſixt commandement, Thou ſhalt doe no murther; or Thou ſhalt not kill.
The law that is written, Deut. 25 3. touching forty ſtripes, and not aboue, to be giuen to an offender, ſhould draw our cruel rage and fierce affections to pity and compaſſion. The tenour of the law is: If a wicked man be condemned to be beaten, the Iudge ſhall cauſe him to lie downe, and to be beaten before his face according to his treſpaſſe vntounto a certaine number: fortie ſtripes ſhall he cauſe him to hauehave, and not paſt, leſt if he ſhould exceed, & beat him aboue that with many ſtripes, thy brother ſhould appeare deſpiſed in thy fight.
We may be many waies guiltie of crueltie.
Firſt, if we exerciſe tyrannous cruelty, in inflicting puniſhmēts. This we know by the aboue cited place out of Deut. 25.
Secondly, if we fight with, or beat our neighbour, or maime his body. This is a cruelty & a breach of the ſixt commandement: but ſpecially checkt, Leuit. 24.19, 20. If a man cauſe any blemiſh in his neighbour; as he hath done, ſo ſhall it be done to him. Breach for breach, eie for eie, tooth for tooth, ſuch a blemiſh as he hath made in any, euen ſuch ſhall be repaied to him.
Thirdly, if we procure any way the death of our neighbour, whether it be by the ſword, by famine, by poiſon, by falſe accuſation, or otherwiſe. This is a cruelty, and a breach of the ſixt commandement. The offender in this behalfe may bee rankt with Cain, Gen. 4 8. where it is ſaid: Cain roſe againſt his brother, and ſlew him.
Fourthly, if wee vſe any of Gods creatures hardly. This is a cruelty, and a breach of the ſixt commandement: but ſpeciallie controlled. Deut, 22.6. If thou find a birds neſt in the way, in any tree, or on the ground, whether they be young, or egs, & the damme ſitting vpō the young, or vpō the egs, thou ſhalt not take the damme with the young, but ſhalt in any wiſe let the dāme goe, and take the young to thee, that thou maieſt proſper, and prolong thy daies. This ſpeciall cruelty is taxed, Prou. 12.10. where we are told, That the righteous man regardeth the life of his beaſt.
Fiftly, if becauſe of our neighbours infirmities, we vſe him diſcourteouſly, and make him our laughing ſtock, or taunting recreation. This is a cruelty, and a breach of the ſixt commandement: but ſpecially checked, Leuit. 19.14. Thou ſhalt not curſe the deafe; nor put a ſtumbling blocke before the blinde.
Sixtly, if we iniurie a ſtranger. This is a cruelty, and ſpecially controlled, Exod. 22.21. Thou ſhalt not doe iniury to a ſtranger, neither oppreſſe him.
Seuenthly, if we moleſt any widow, or fatherleſſe childe. This is a cruelty, and ſpecially checkt, Exod. 22.22. Ye ſhal not trouble any widow, or fatherleſſe child.
Eightly, if we wrong the poore. This is a cruelty, & a breach of the ſixt commandement. This cruelty we are guilty of many wayes.
Firſt, if we lend mony to the poore vponupon vſury. This cruelty is taxed, Exod. 22.25. If thou lend mony to the poore with thee, thou ſhalt not be as an vſurer vntounto him, ye ſhall not oppreſſe him with vſury.
Secondly, if we pay not the poore labourer his hire. This cruelty is taxed, Deut. 24.14. Thou ſhalt not oppreſſe a needy and poore hired ſeruant: thou ſhalt giuegive him his hire for his day: the Sun ſhall not go downe vponupon it, for he is poore, and therwith ſuſtaineth his life; leſt he cry againſt thee to the Lord, and it be ſin vntounto thee.
Thirdly, if we reſtore not the pledge of the poore. This cruelty is taxed, Exod. 22.26. If thou take thy neighbours rayment to pledge, thou ſhalt reſtore it vntounto him before the Sun go downe. For it is his only couering and garment for his skin.
Fourthly, if we withdraw our corne from the poore. This cruelty is taxed, Prou. 11.26. He that withdraweth corne, the people will curſe him. Whoſoeuer he be that withdraweth his corne from the market, where it ſhould be ſold, keeping it againſt a deare time, the people will curſe him: they will ſpeake, as they hauehave iuſt occaſion, all manner of euill of him, as that he is a couetous and miſerable wretch.
Now (dearely beloued) you hauehave beene taught out of the eternall word of truth, that many wayes you may be guilty of cruelty, and ſo breake the ſixt commandement of Almightie God. If you fight with, or beat your neighbour, or maime his body: if by any meanes you procure the death of your neighbour: if you vſe your neighbour diſcourteouſly, or make him your laughing ſtock, or taūting recreatiō? if you vſe any of Gods creatures hardly: if you iniury ſtrangers: if you moleſt fatherleſſe children, & widowes: if you be too ſeuere in puniſhing your ſeruants, or children: if you wrong the poore, either by lending him your mony vponupon vſury: or by not paying him his hire: or by not reſtoring him his pledge: or by withdrawing your corne from him; if you offend but in the leaſt of theſe, you are guilty of cruelty, and tranſgreſſors of Gods moſt holy commandement. The conſideration whereof if it worke in you the louelove of clemencie, and mercifulneſſe, happy are you: if not, I hauehave diſcharged my duty.
Thus farre hauehave I beene carried by my firſt doctrine, grounded vponupon theſe words, They hauehave threſhed Gilead with threſhing inſtruments of iron. My doctrine was: God is neuer well pleaſed with too much cruelty. Now be patient, I beſeech you, while vponupon the ſame words I ground a ſecond doctrine.
They hauehave threſhed Gilead with threſhing inſtruments of iron:] They] that is, the Syrians, Gods enemies, hauehave threſhed Gilead] that is, ſome of the Iſraelites, Gods owne people, with threſhing inſtruments of iron. The leſſon we learne from hence is; God often humbleth his ſeruants vnderunder his foes, and their aduerſaries.
This point is notably verified, in Lot ſore preſſed vponupon by the Sodomites, Gen. 19.9. in the Iſraelites, hardly dealt with by the Aegyptians, Exod. 1.11. &c. in the 70. brethren, ſons of Ierubbaal, perſecuted by Abimelech, moſt of them to the death, Iudg. 9.5. in Ieremie twiſe euill entreated; firſt beaten, and put in the ſtockes by Paſhure, Ier. 20.2. and a ſecond time beaten and impriſoned by Zedechias his nobles, Ier. 37.15. In the three children, caſt into the fiery furnace by Nabuchodonoſor, Dan. 3.21.
Many more are the examples regiſtred in the booke of God, fit to proue this point: which alſo may further appeare vntounto you, in thoſe bloudy perſecutions after Chriſt his death by the Romane Emperours, in thoſe ſtrange torments which they deuiſed to keepe downe religion, and religious profeſſors, men & women;Ler Serm. D. Laurent. Prudent. hymn. in S. Laurent. they plucked off their skins quick; they bored out their eyes with wimbles; they broiled them aliue on gredirons; they ſcalded them in boiling liquors; they encloſed them in barrels, and driuing great nailes thorow, tumbled them down mountaines, till their owne bloud ſo cruelly drawne out, ſtifled, and choaked them in the barrels: womens breaſts were ſeared off with burning irons, their bodies rent, & their ioints racked. Many more were the grieuous torments endured by the faithfull in the time of the ten firſt perſecutions in the primitiue Church. All, and eueryevery of which doe ſtrongly proue my doctrine; God often humbleth his ſeruants vnderunder his foes, and their aduerſaries.
The reaſon why God humbleth his ſeruants, vnderunder his, and their enemies, is their diſobedience to his word. This is plaine, Deut. 28.36, 37. If thou wilt not obey the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep and to doe all his commandements, and his ordinances, the Lord ſhall bring thee, and thy king vntounto a nation, which neither thou, nor thy fathers hauehave knowne; and there ſhalt thou ſerue other Gods, wood and ſtone: and thou ſhalt be a wonder, a prouerb, and a common talke among all the people, whither the Lord ſhall carry thee. Where you ſee captiuity, and baniſhment, denounced to Gods owne people, if they diſobey his word.
You hauehave now my doctrine, and the reaſon of it. My doctrine, God often humbleth his ſeruants vnderunder his foes, and their aduerſaries.
The reaſon is, The diſobedience of Gods ſeruants to the word of God. The vſes of this doctrine.
1. To ſhew vntounto vsus how great Gods anger is for ſinne, that doth puniſh it ſo ſeuerely, euen in his deareſt children. The conſideration hereof ſhould worke in vsus a loathing, hatred, and deteſtation of ſin. Yet ſuch is the peruerſity of our corrupt natures, that we daily fleet from ſin to ſin, like the flie that ſhifteth from ſore to ſore: we tempt the Lord, wee murmur, wee luſt, we commit idolatry: we hauehave our eies full of adultery, our hearts exerciſed with couetouſneſſe, our bodies weakned with drunkenneſſe; by all meanes we ſerue the fleſh, ſitting downe to eat, and riſing to play. Neuer more need than now, to ſmite our breaſts, and pray with the Publicane, Luk. 18.13. O God be mercifull vntounto vsus ſinners.
2. To teach vsus, not to meaſure the fauour of God towards our ſelues, or others, by the bleſſings, or aduerſities of this life, ſeeing the wicked doe often flouriſh whē the godly are in great miſery: and on the other ſide, the godly doe proſper, when the wicked are in diſtreſſe.
In my text we ſee the Gileadites, a portion of Iſrael, threſhed with inſtruments of yron, by the hands of a wicked people, and Gods enemies, the Syrians of Damaſcus. Behold the proſperity of the wicked. In Exod. 14. we ſee the children of Iſrael paſſing thorow the red ſea, as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians aſſaying to doe the like were drowned. Behold the proſperity of the Godly.
Meaſure not therfore the fauour of God, by the bleſſings or aduerſities of this life. Whatſoeuer out eſtate be now, or hereafter ſhall be, let vsus therewith be contented. If God be pleaſed to bleſſe vsus with peace, plenty, and prosperity, bleſſed be his holy Name: & if he ſhall not like ſo to bleſſe vsus, but ſhall rather chaſtiſe vsus with trouble, want, and aduerſity; yet ſtill bleſſed be his holy Name: and his will be done.
3 To make vsus powre out our ſoules in thankfulnes before Almighty God, for our preſent eſtate and condit ō. We know that our ſworne enemies, the Popiſh crew, and faction, of long time enuied, and maliced our happy peace. Had they had power according to their will, how would they hauehave vſed vsus? Would they not hauehave threſhed vsus with threſhing inſtruments of yron?
What mercy, or pitty, could be expected from them, who with ſo inhumane, barbarous, and cruell a plot, their plot of gunpowder, the like whereof was neuer before heard of, would hauehave blowne vp, & torne peecemeale, the King, Queen, Prince, Lords, and Commons, the fift of Nouember iThis Sermon was preached Sept. 21. 1606laſt, as you well know? what ſhall we render vntounto the Lord, for this ſo great a deliuerance? Let vsus render the calues of our lips applying Dauids ſong of degrees, Pſalme 124. to our preſent purpoſe.
1 If the Lord had not beene on our ſide, (may great Britaine now ſay.)
2 If the Lord had not beene on our ſide, when the Popiſh ſect roſe vp againſt vsus.
3 They had ſwallowed vsus vp quicke, when their wrath was kindled againſt vsus.
4 Then had theirkSeuen ſparks of the inkindled ſoule by R.B.P. Pſal. 2. pag 33. fury flien forth as thunder, the flame had Burſt out beyond the fornace.
5 Then had we beene likelIbid. ſtubble in their way.
6 Praiſed be the Lord, who hath not giuen vsus a pray vntounto their teeth.
7 Our ſoule is eſcaped, euen as a bird out of the ſnare of the fowlers: the ſnare is broken, and we are deliuered.
8 Our helpe is in the name of the Lord, who hath made heauen and earth.
To this thankfulnes, I purpoſe further to incite you, if God giuegive life, and leaue, vponupon the fift of Nouember next, the day appointed by Act of Parliament for your publique thankſgiuing for that moſt happy deliuerance. My text ſhall bee the Pſalme now applyed vntounto vsus, the 124. Meane time let vsus beſeech Almighty God to giuegive his bleſſing to that which hath beene ſpoken, that it may fructifie, and bring forth fruit in vsus, in ſome thirty, in ſome ſixty, in ſome a hundred fold, to the glory of Gods holy name, and the ſaluation of our owne ſoules.