Twenty-One Sermons on Amos 1, Sermon 1
THE Firſt Lecture.
AMOS 1.1.
The words of Amos, who was among the heardmen at Tekoa, which he ſaw vponupon Iſrael, in the dayes of Vzziah King of Iuda, and in the daies of Ieroboam the ſonne of Ioaſh King of Iſrael, two yeares before the earthquake.
ONE of the Phariſees in the Goſpell, as if hee were vnwilling to be ignorant in ſo weighty a matter, as is mans ſaluation, in a tempting manner asked Chriſt this queſtion: Maſter, what ſhall I doe to inherit eternall life? Our Sauiour for anſwer put forth another queſtion, and ſaid, What is written in the Law, how readeſt thou? Luk. 10.26. Where we may note that the Law is written for man to reade, that ſo he may be inſtructed, what hee is to doe in diſcharge of his duty towards God.
The rich man in Hell, prayed Abraham that …rus might be ſent vntounto his fathers houſe to teſtifie vntounto hi… … brethren, leſt they alſo ſhould come into that place … torment. To whom Abraham anſwered, They hauehave Moſes a… … Prophets▪ duplicate page duplicate page let them heare them, Luk. 16.29. The parable teacheth vsus thus much, that vnleſſe we delight in hearing the word preached, we ſhall neuer attaine to the meanes of eſcaping eternall torments. Two notable vſes of the word of God, Reading, and hearing; They lead man as it were by the hand to the very point of his felicity. For what more bleſſed than to poſſeſſe eternall life? Yet was the Phariſee taught, that by reading of the law li…e eternall might bee purchaſed. And is it not a bleſſed thing to be freed from Hell torments? Yet was the rich man told by Abraham, that his fiue brethren by hearing of Moſes and the Prophets, might be ſaued.
It was a ſetled opinion ofaDeut 8 3. old, though vttered in fulneſſe of time by ourbMat. 4 4. Luc. 4.4. Sauiour, that a man liueth not by bread only, but by eueryevery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. The truth of which is confirmed by the practiſe of godly men in former ages. I will not trouble you with many inſtances. Many and excellent were the reuelations which God gaue vntounto the Prophet Daniel, yet notwithſtanding all them, as himſelfe witneſſeth cap. 9.2. he omitted not the reading of the Prophecie of Ieremie. Much doubtleſſe for the ſpirituall food of his owne ſoule: yet for our enſample alſo, that we ſhould be conuerſant in the Scriptures too. It was a worthy commendation which Luke gaue the Beroeans, Act. 17.11. for that as ſoone as they had heard the word preached by S. Paul, they diligently conferred the ſcriptures, to know whether it were ſo, or no; and thereby confirmed themſelues in the truth which they had heard. This their zeale and diligence, ſhould ſtirre vsus vp alſo, for the confirmation of our faith vponupon the hearing of the word, to ſearch the ſcriptures. That great heathen Lord, Queene Candaces Eunuch: as he was riding on the high way in his chariot, did reade the Prophet Eſay, and the Lord of heauen had regard vntounto him for it, Act. 8.28. So Daniel by reading, the Beroeans, and the Eunuch by reading and hearing of the word, were ſpiritually fed, and nouriſhed vntounto euerlaſting life.
To theſe holy exerciſes both of reading and hearing the ſcriptures, the ſcriptures are full of exhortations, fit for all eſtates: for Vnbeleeuers, that they would ſearch the ſcriptures, becauſe in them they thinke to hauehave eternall life, and they doe teſtifie of Chriſt, Ioh. 5.39. for Beleeuers; that beſides other parts of their ſpirituall armour, they would take vntounto them the ſword of the ſpirit, which is the word of God, Eph. 6.17. for young men; that they would rule themſelues after the word of God, and ſo cleanſe their waies, Pſal. 119.9. for all men, that they would meditate in the law of God day and night, Pſal. 1.2.
Now, that the ſcriptures, the ſword of the ſpirit, the word and law of God might be much vſed to the diuiding aſunder of the ſoule and the ſpirit, of ioints and marrow, it was decreed in acNicena Synodus decretu ſuis cauit ne quis … numero Chri…anorum ſacris Bibliorum lib… careret. Corn. Agrippa de Van. Scient. cap… …. De verbo Dei. councell of Nice; that no houſe ſhould bee without the holy Bible: whichdIn capite Je… nij. Siue de Tempore Serm. 55. Feria quarta poſt dominicam in Quinquageſima. Sic etiam autor Sermonum ad fratres in Eremo, Serm. 56. Non vobis debet ſufficere, quod in Eccleſia lectiones diuinas audiatis, ſed in domibus, & in conuiniis veſtris, & quando dies breues ſunt, etiam aliquibas horis in no… …ctioni diuinae debetis inſ…ſtere. Vt in horreo cordi… veſtri ſpiritale poſſitis triticum comparare, &c. … Homil. 2. vponupon Eſai. S. Auſten alſo intended, ſaying: Nec ſolum ſufficiat, quod in Eccleſia diuinas lectiones auditis, ſed etiam in domibus veſtris, aut ipſi legite, aut alios legentes requirite. Let it not content you to heare the holy ſcriptures read vntounto you in the church only: but in your houſes alſo at home, either read them your ſelues, or cauſe other to reade them. Vtinam omnes faceremus quod ſcriptum eſt: ſcrutamini ſcripturas. It ise Origens: Would to God we all did as it is written, ſearch the ſcriptures. Chryſoſtome fHomil. 9. vponupon the Epiſtle to the Coloſſians.ſaith, Comparate vobis biblia animarum pharmaca, ſeculares: Ye lay m… get you Bibles, for they are medicines of your ſoules. Whereof the godly and firſt chriſtened Emperour Conſtantine was well perſwaded, who therefore gauegEuſeb. de vita Conſtantini, lib. 4. cap. 36. Theodorit. Hiſt. Eccleſ. lib. 1. cap. 16. commandement that the Bible ſhould bee written out, and ſent abroad into all the kingdomes, countries, and cities of his dominion. And what other might the perſwaſion ofhIewe…. Replie Art. 15. §. 13. & 16. and Babington vponupon the Lords praier, pag. …5. Before this, K. Alfred began to tranſlate the Pſalter into Engliſh &c. Fox in Mary… …dan. 899. ex Guliel. de Regib. Ang. king Adleſtane here in England be, when he cauſed the Bible to bee tranſlated into the Engliſh tongue, that all might reade it?
The much preaching and often reading of Gods holy word in the congregations of this land in the daies of her, whom of late you loued, Queene Elizabeth, hauehave ſet vp and eſtabliſhed her neuer dying praiſes. And is not God much to be bleſſed for our good Ioſiah, our moſt dread Soueraign, King Iames? His heart is from aboue repleniſhed with a religious zeale to free the paſſage of Gods moſt holy Goſpell. His deſire to hauehave God ſincerely worſhipped throughout this land, is made knowne by the good order he hath taken to ſet before you, and all other his liege people, Gods word, if poſſible, in greateſt purity. Let God be with the workmen, I meane, the Tranſlators of the old and new teſtaments;iThis ſermon was preached in the yeare of our Lord 1605. Nou. 3. Since the Tranſlation is perfected and publiſhed; the exacteſt that euer this Land had. Let God be with them in their holy labours; and let the remembrance of our King for it, be like the compoſition of the perfume that is made by the art of the Apothecarie.
Hitherto (beloued) I hauehave by way of preface exhorted you to the reading and hearing of Gods word; and I doubt not of your obedience to it. Yet if any of you ſhall except againſt the reading of it for the hardneſſe of the phraſe, being of the Eunuches mind, Act. 8.31. that you cannot vnderſtand what you reade except you hauehave a guide; let it be your comfort, that his Maieſty in giuing his royall aſſent to thoſe laudable Canons, and Conſtitutions Eccleſiaſticall, agreed vponupon in the latek Synod at London, *Begun at London, Anno Dō. 1603.hath by the 45. and 46. canons, prouided guides for you, ſuch as are ſoberly, and ſincerely to diuide the word of truth to the glory of God, and the beſt edification of his people.
And now it being my lot to be ſent vntounto you, to you I bring an vneſtimable pearle, the word of the Lord, which the Prophet Amos ſaw vponupon Iſrael. In diuiding it, I promiſe you in the words of Paul, 2 Cor. 12.19. by the helpe of God, to doe all things for your edifying. Wherefore (beloued) giuegive …are I beſeech you, with reuerent regard and attention to the word of the Lord, as it is written, Amos 1.1.
The w…ds of Amos, who was among the heardmen at Tekoa, which he ſaw vponupon Iſrael, in the daies of Vzziah King of Iuda, and in the dayes of Ieroboam the ſonne of Ioaſh King of Iſrael, two yea… before the earthquake.
This firſt verſe we may call the title of this booke, or the preface vntounto it. It yeeldeth to our conſiderations ſundry circumſtances.
1 The Prophets name, Amos.
2 His former condition of life, He was among the heardme….
3 The place of his vſuall abode, Tekoa.
4 The matter or argument of his Prophecie, implied in theſe words, The words which he ſaw vponupon Iſrael.
5 The time of his Prophecie, In the dayes of Vzziah, King of Iuda, and in the dayes of Ieroboam the ſonne of Ioaſh King of Iſrael, two yeares before the earthquake.
Amos] Epiphanius in his booke of the liues and deaths of the Prophets, holdeth this Amos to be Eſayes father. To which opinion a learned and late DiuinelProlog. in 12. Proph. min. Danaeus ſeemeth to giuegive his aſſent. But S. Hierome is againſt it, and ſo are moſt Interpreters; ſo alſo is Druſius in his ſacred obſeruations, lib. 4. cap. 21. And worthily. For as much as the Hebrew writing of theſe two names,mforeign. the name of Eſayes father, andnforeign. this our Prophets name, is euidence and proofe ſufficient, that they were not one but two names: and conſequently not one but two men. Againe Amos the father of Eſay, is by interpretation fortis, & oHieronym. Nic. de Lyra.robuſtus, ſtout and valiant, but Amos our Prophet ispHieron. ep. ad Paulin. Onuſtus, a man burdened and loaden; orqHier. Lyran. auulſus, one that is ſeparated from others. Theſe diuers interpretations of theſe two names, the name of Eſayes father, and this our Prophets name, is euidence and proofe ſufficient, that they were not one, but two names, and conſequently not one but two men. Beſides Amos our Prophet is in the ancient monuments of the Hebrews ſurnamedrforeign, id eſt, balbus. a ſtutter…r, ſtammerer, or maffler, as Druſius noteth vponupon my Text. We finde not any ſuch ſurname giuen Eſayes father. Therefore our Amos is not Amo… the father of Eſay. From our Prophets name let vsus come t… …s condition of life, and vocation, expreſſed by himſelfe in theſe words, Who was among the heardmen.
There are two ſorts of heardmen: the one is of ſuch as doe vſe the feat and trade of graziers, or are ſheep-maſters; ſuch as hauehave vnderunder them in pay other heardmen, and ſhepherds. In this ſenſe Meſa King of Moab, 2 King. 3.4. is called a heardman, or ſhepherd; and is regiſtred to hauehave rendred to the King of Iſrael an hundred thouſand lambs, and an hundred thouſand rammes, with the wooll. The other ſort of heardmen, is of ſuch as are hired to keepe cattle, to ſee to their feeding, and ſafetie: ſuch we properly call heardmen, or ſhepherds, and ſuch a one was Amos our Prophet: witneſſe himſelfe, cap. 7.14. I was no Prophet, neither was I a Prophets ſonne, but I was a heardman, or ſhepherd. You ſee now his former condition of life, profeſſion and vocation; ſee alſo the place where he liued.
At Tekoa] This towneſLib. d…vit. Prophet. Epiphanius aſcribeth to the land of Zabulon: tApud Mercerum.R. Dauid to the inheritance of the ſonnes of Aſer: but S. Hierome (whom with the reſt of the expoſitors of this booke I chuſe to follow) placeth it in the tribe of Iuda, ſix miles ſouthward from Bethlehem. Adrichom in his deſcription of the holy land ſaith it is two miles from Bethlehem. More or leſſe; its not much pertinent to my preſent occaſion. For the place it ſelfe: Tekoa is 2 Chron. 11.6. rehearſed among all thoſe ſtrong Cities which Rehoboam built in Iuda. Beyond the City Tekoa (as Saint Hierome obſerueth) there was not any little village, no not ſo much as a cottage; onelyonly there was a great wilderneſſe, called 2 Chron. 20.20. the wilderneſſe of Tekoa; a fit place for a ſhepherds walke. Here Amos for a time led a ſhepherds life. At length God ſeparated him to carry his word againſt Iſrael. Which is the fourth circumſtance of this verſe, the matter or argument of this prophecie, implied in theſe words.
The words of Amos which he ſaw vponupon Iſrael] The Hebrew manner is to call ſermons, words; as Ierem. 1.1. The words of Ieremie. And Eccleſ. 1.1. The words of the Preacher. And Haggei 1.12. The words of Haggei. And Luk. 3.4. The words of Eſay. By theſe words we vnderſtand ſermons; the ſermons of Ieremy, Eccleſiaſtes, Haggei, and Eſay. So here the words of Amos, are the ſermons of Amos.
Which he ſaw] this adiection ſheweth that theſe words of Amos were committed to him, by that kinde of propheticall inſtinct, and motion, which is tearmed viſion, as Arias Montanus obſerueth in his common diſputes of the propheticall bookes. Indeed viſion is one of the kindes of prophecie: In which regard (as Sauls ſeruant beareth witneſſe, 1 Sam. 9.9.) Prophets were in the old time called ſeers. Well then doth Druſius expound this place; The words which Amos ſaw] that is, the words which God did diſcloſe or reueale vntounto Amos in a viſion. Theſe words which Amos ſaw] this viſion, or prophecie was concerning Iſrael, vponupon, or againſt Iſrael.]
VponUpon Iſrael] Iſrael was a common name to the 12. tribes which iſſued out of Iacobs loynes; and was ſo from the beginning of Sauls reigne to the end of Salomons. After whoſe death a rent was made in the kingdome. Ieroboam ſonne of Nebat ſeduced 10. tribes. Rehoboam Salomons ſonne could keepe with him but two. Thus of one kingdome, Iſrael, were made two: Iuda and Iſrael. A ſtrange diuiſion. Iſrael diuided from Iſrael: ten tribes from the other two. Two tribes, the tribes of Iuda and Beniamin, continued in their obedience to the houſe of Dauid: the other ten forſooke it, and fell away. The two tribes, Iuda and Beniamin (called but one tribe, 1 King. 11.13. becauſe of the mixture of their poſſeſſions) theſe two tribes ſetled in their faithfulneſſe and obedience to the ſeed of Dauid, are in holy Scripture called ſometimesuAmos 2.4. Iuda, ſometimesxIerem. 6.1. Benjamin, ſometimesyMicah. 1.1. Ieruſalem, ſometimeszAmos 6.1. Sion, ſometimes*Zach. 12.7. the houſe of Dauid. The other ten tribes which fell away from, and forſooke their rightfull King, and holy religion, hauehave in like ſort their diuers appellations:aHoſ. 10.15. Bethel, bHoſ. 10.5.Bethauen, cMicah. 1.1.Samaria, dHoſ. 2.22.Ieſreel, eAmos 5.6.Ioſeph, fHoſ. 4.17.Ephraim, gHoſ. 10.11.Iacob, hHoſ. 10.1.Iſrael. Theſe are the names in the ſanctified writings of the holy Prophets appropriate to ſignifie the 10. reuolted tribes: Iſrael you ſee is one of them; and that is the Iſrael in my text. Thus was Amos by the holy ſpirit deputed, and directed with his meſſage peculiarly, and properly, to the kingdome of the 10. reuolted tribes; the kingdome of Iſrael. Some mention is made of Iuda incidently, and by the way; but the ſcope of the prophecie is Iſrael. The time, which was my laſt circumſtance, followeth.
In the dayes of Vzziah King of Iuda, and in the daies of Ieroboam the ſonne of Ioaſh King of Iſrael.
The time is ſet downe in generall, and in particular. Firſt in generall, thus.
In the dayes of Vzziah, &c.] Ʋzziah, or Ozias, called alſo Azarias, 2 King. 14.21. ſucceeded his father Amazias in the throne of Iuda. This he did in the 27th yeare of the reigne of Ieroboam in Iſrael, as appeareth 2 King. 15.1. That ſame Ieroboam (that you may diſtinguiſh him from a former King of the ſame name) is called in my text Ieroboam the ſonne of Ioaſh. Hereby we ſee in generall, the time of his prophecie; which is more particularly ſet downe in the laſt words, two yeare before the earthquake.] Hee meaneth that ſame notable and famous earthquake, mentioned alſo Zach. 14.5. Yee ſhall flie (ſaith hee) like as yee fled from the earthquake in the dayes of Ʋzziah King of Iuda. In what yeare of Vzziahs reigne this earthquake hapned, it is not to be collected out of holy ſcripture. Flauius Ioſephus, Lib. 9. antiq. Iudaie. cap. 11. ſaith that this earthquake happened then when King Vzziah vſurping the Prieſts office went into the temple of the Lord to burne incenſe. Ribera diſproues Joſephus his iudgement; and ſaith that the earthquake happened within the fourteenth yeare of the reigne of Vzziah. Some doe hold it was in the 22th yeare; And the Hebrewes (whom Funccius followeth in his Chronologie) doe aſcribe it to the 25. yeare. For my part I ſay not in what yeare it happened. Why ſhould I ſpeake where the holy ſpirit is ſilent? It is out of doubt that there was ſuch an earthquake, in the dayes of Vzziah, witneſſe the Prophet Zacharie: two yeares after Amos had begunne this propheticall function; witneſſe Amos here in my text.
Thus (dearely beloued in the Lord) hauehave I briefly run ouer the expoſition of this firſt verſe: let mee now vponupon it build ſome doctrine, for the building vp of our ſelues in our holy faith. You will be pleaſed to remember with me, that Amos of a heardman or a ſhepherd became a bleſſed Prophet to carrie a terrible word, and fearfull meſſage from the liuing God, to the King, Nobles, Prieſts, and people of Iſrael. The doctrine to be grounded hereupon, I deliuer in this propoſition; God chuſeth vile and deſpiſed perſons, to confound the great and mighty.
Vile and deſpiſed perſons, I call ſuch, as to the world, to humane wiſdome, and to the eye of reaſon are of no price, eſteeme, or worth. Such as Ioſeph was, when he kept ſheepe in Canaan with his brethren, and was by them ſold to the Iſmaelites, Gen. 37.2, 27. Such as Moſes was, when firſt he was caſt into the flags, Exod. 2.1. Such as Dauid was while he medled with ſheepfolds, and followed the ewes great with young, Pſal. 78.70. Such as were Peter, Andrew, Iames, and Iohn, while they buſied themſelues about mending of nets, and catching of fiſh, Matth. 4.18.21. Theſe, Joſeph, Moſes, and Dauid, ſhepherds; Peter, Andrew, Iames, and Iohn, fiſhermen, vile and deſpiſed in the account of the world, were choſen by the wiſdome of the great God of heauen, one to be a ruler in Egypt; another to be a leader of Gods people; the third to be a King; the reſt to be Chriſts Apoſtles.
Heare now a word of eternall verity, and full of comfort. You ſhall finde it, Pſal. 113.7, 8. The Lord who is high aboue all nations, and glorious aboue the heauens, he raiſeth the needy out of the duſt, and lifteth vp the poore out of the dung, to ſet him with Princes. S. Pauls diſcourſe touching this point is more large and ſpatious. You ſhall find it, 1 Cor. 1.27, 28. God hath choſen the fooliſh things of this world to confound the wiſe, and the weake things to confound the ſtrong, and vile things, and things deſpiſed, and things which are not, to bring to nought the things that are. The reaſon of Gods dealing thus in the aduancement of the fooliſh, weak, vile, deſpiſed, needy & poor, to places of dignity, is expreſſed, 1 Cor. 1.29. It is, that no fleſh ſhould reioyce in his preſence, that is, that no man ſhould glory before the Lord. In this reaſon are two things worthy our religious conſiderations, as Muſculus well obſerueth. For hereby our God firſt ſuppreſſeth and beateth downe the pride of fleſh, and takes from it all glory of wiſdome, power and nobility; and ſecondly, whatſoeuer glory there is of wiſdome, power and nobilitie, he doth claime and challenge it for his owne peculiar. Thus hauehave you (dearely beloued) the confirmation of my doctrine. The doctrine was: God chooſeth vile and deſpiſed perſons, to confound the great and mighty.
Be patient, I beſeech you, while I point at ſome vſes of it.
The firſt vſe is to lift vp our minds to the contemplation of Gods good prouidence. Poore ſhepherds and fiſhermen God exalteth and aduanceth into the higheſt places of dignitie in Church and common-wealth. Hereby wee know that neither Empire nor Kingdome, nor place in them of dignitie, prioritie, or preeminence, Eccleſiaſticall or politique, is gotten by the induſtrie, wiſdome, wit, or ſtrength of man: but that all are adminiſtred, ruled, and gouerned by the deputation and ordination of the higheſt power, God almightie.
A ſecond vſe is to ſtop blaſphemous mouths, ſuch as are euermore open againſt heauen, withiCic. d…nat. Deor. Epicurus, andkCic. ibid. Diagoras, and their adherents, to affirme that the God of heauen, in as much as he is abſolutely bleſſed, is not to trouble himſelfe with cares for this lower world: that it ſtandeth not with Gods maieſty to care for the vile, abiect, and deſpiſed things of this world. This impious rabble, and Sathans brood, doe thinke that al things below the Moone are ruled by their blind Goddeſſe Fortune and by Chance.
Here muſt I beſeech you, to let your hearts be ioyned with mine in the conſideration of God his ſweet, and neuer-ſleeping care and prouidence ouer this lower world.
Let vsus not ſuppoſe our God to be a God to halfes and in part only; a God aboue, and not beneath the moone: a God vponupon the mountaines, and not in the vallies; a God in the greater and not in the leſſer employments. The holy ſcriptures doe teach vsus, that our God examineth the leaſt moments and tittles in the world, that we can imagine, to al1 King. 17.14. handfull of meale; to amIbid. cruſe of oyle in a poore widowes houſe, to the falling ofnMat. 10.29. ſparrowes to the ground, to theoMat. 6.26. feeding of the birds of the aire, to thepPſal. 29.9. caluing of hinds: to theqMat. 6.30. See my 2 Ser. on Luk. 9. p. 32. clothing of the graſſe of the field; to therLuk. 12.7. numbring of the haires of our heads: to the trickling of ſPſal. 56.8.teares downe our cheekes. Why then are wee troubled with the vaine conceits of lucke, fortune, or chance? Why will any man ſay, this fell vntounto me by good lucke, or by ill lucke? by good fortune, or by misfortune? by good chance, or by miſchance?
We may and ſhould know, that in the courſe of Gods prouidence all things are determined and regular. This is a ſure ground: we may build vponupon it.
The fiſh that came to deuoure Ionas, may ſeeme to hauehave arriued in that place by chance; yet the ſcripture ſaith, the Lord had prepared a great fiſh to ſwallow Ionas, Ion. 1.17.
The ſtorme it ſelfe which droue the pilots to his ſtreight, may likewiſe ſeeme contingent to the glimſe of carnall eyes; yet the Prophet ſaith, I know that for my ſake this great tempeſt is vponupon you, Ion. 1.12.
The fiſh which Peter tooke might ſeeme to hauehave come to the angle by chance, yet he brought in his mouth the tribute which Peter paid for his Lord and for himſelfe, Mat. 17.27.
By the diuerſity of the opinions among the brethren touching the manner of diſpatching Ioſeph out of the way, wee may gather, that the ſelling of him into Egypt, was but accidentall, and only agreed vponupon by reaſon of the fit ariuall of the merchants while they were diſputing and debating what they were beſt to doe: yet ſaith Ioſeph vntounto his brethren, you ſent me not hither, but God, Gen. 45.8.
What may ſeeme more contingent in our eies, than by the glancing of an arrow from the common marke, to ſtrike a traueller that paſſeth by the way? yet God himſelfe is ſaid to hauehave deliuered the man into the hand of the ſhooter, Exod. 21.13.
Some may thinke it hard fortune, that Achab was ſo ſtrangely made away, becauſe a certaine man hauing bent his bow, and let ſlip his arrow at hap hazard, without aime at any certaine marke,t1 King. 22 34. ſtrooke the King: but here we finde no lucke, nor chance at all, otherwiſe, than in reſpect of vsus, for that the ſhoot… did no more than was denounced to the King by Micheas fro… Gods owne mouth before the battell was begun, 1 King. 22.17.
What in the world can be more caſuall than lottery lyet Salomon teacheth that when the lots are caſt into the lap, the prouidence of God diſpoſeth them, Prou. 16.33.
See now, and acknowledge with mee the large extent of Gods good prouidence. Though his dwelling be on high, yet abaſeth he himſelfe to behold vsus below. From his good prouidence it is, that this day we are here met together, I to preach the word of God, you to heare it, and ſome of vsus to bee made partakers of the bleſſed body and bloud of our Lord and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt. Let vsus powre out our ſoules in thankfulneſſe before God for his bleſſing.
You are now inuited to the marriage ſupper of the lambe; eueryevery one that will approach vntounto it, let him put on his wedding garment. A garment nothing like the old ragges of the Gibeonites which deceiued Ioſhua, Ioſ. 9.5. A garment nothing like the ſuit of apparrell which Micah gaue once a yeare to his Leuite, Iud. 17.10. A garment nothing like the ſoft clothing worne in kings courts, Mat. 11.8. But a garment ſomething like the garment of the high prieſt, which had all the names of the tribes of Iſrael written vponupon his breſt, Exod. 28.21. For this your garment is nothing elſe but Chriſt put on, in whoſe breſt and booke of merits are written and regiſtred all the names of the faithfull: but a garment ſomething like Elias Mantle which diuided the waters, 2 King. 2.8. For this your garment is nothing …lſe but Chriſt put on, who diuideth your ſinnes and puniſhments, that ſo you may eſcape from your enemies, ſin and death: but a garment ſomething like the garments of the Iſraelites in the wilderneſſe, which did not weare: 40. yeares together they wandered in the deſart, and yet ſaith Moſes, neither their clothes nor their ſhooes waxed old, Deut. 29.5. For this your garment is nothing elſe but Chriſt put on, whoſe righteouſneſſe laſteth for euer, and his mercies cannot be worne out.
Hauing put on this your wedding garment, doubt not of your welcome to this great feaſt-maker. If any that heareth me this day hath not yet put on his wedding garment, but is deſirous to learne how to doe it; let him, following S Pa… his counſell, Rom. 13.12. caſt away the workes of darkneſſe, and put on the armour of light: let him walke honeſtly as in the day, not in gluttony and drunkenneſſe, neither in chambering, and wantonneſſe, nor in ſtrife and enuying: let him take no thought for the fleſh, to fulfill the luſts of it: ſo ſhall he put on the Lord Ieſus.
uPſal. 24.7.Lift vp your heads you gates, and be you lift vp ye euerlaſting doores, that a gueſt ſo richly apparelled may come in, and ſup with the King of glory. And the King of glory vouchſafe ſo to clothe vsus all, that thoſe gates and euerlaſting doores may lie open to vsus all. So at our departure from this vally of mourning, we ſhall hauehave free and eaſie paſſage into the citie of God, where our corruptible ſhall put on incorruption, and our mortality ſhall be ſwallowed vp of life. Euen ſo be it, (bleſſed Father) for thy welbeloued ſon Ieſus Chriſt his ſake, to whom with thee in the vnity of the holy ſpirit, bee all praiſe and power, might and Maieſty, dignity and dominion for euermore. Amen.