Gods Husbandry, Sermon 2 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Containing the firſt vſe of the poynt: viz. the magnifying of Gods Iuſtice.
Vſe 1 FIrſt then let the God of heauen hauehave his due honour, The ruine of Hypocrites muſt cauſe vsus to praiſe the Wiſedome and Iuſtice of God.in the due puniſhment of theſe moſt ſecret malefactors: as the keeper of the Vine is praiſed for his good huſbandry, in the ſeaſonable cutting of the dry and withered boughes of the Vine. For how ſhould the Lord more cleerly reueale to the ſonnes of men, his moſt exact wiſedome, and ſtrict righteouſneſſe, then in finding out, and caſting off theſe wicked offenders, for all their cunning diſguiſement, and ſubtill diſſimulation? Hereby hee makes it apparant, that hee is ſo perfect in vnderſtanding and in righteouſneſſe, as there is no way of finding fauour with him, but by being good, and truly good, and by walking in his wayes, and being ſound in the ſame. It will not ſerue the turne to be cloſe and retired, it cannot auaile to be of ſmooth and fine carriage; all colouring, all cloking is idle and bootleſſe. It is not poſſible to eſcape his eye and hand, but by caſting away our ſinnes in good earneſt, and a true and hearty obedience. Let the Hypocrite offer thouſands of Rammes, and riuers of oyle; let him not ſpare the fruit of his body, euen his owne ſonnes and daughters, and put himſelfe to neuer ſo much coſt and charges; all is one, God will not be bribed by theſe gifts to tolerate his wickedneſſe. Let him ſpeake the Lord neuer ſo faire in words, and make neuer ſo many & long prayers; let him carry himſelfe neuer ſo deuoutly and religiouſly, and weare Gods cloth, as it were, and call him Maſter, and Maſter, and tread in his Courts, and frequent his Houſe, ſtil he loſeth his labour, God will not beare with him, nor ſpare him for all this, ſo long as hee hath reſpect to iniquity in his heart, he ſhall neuer be accepted.
Men are oftentimes partiall to them of their owne family, and will not deale ſo rigorouſly with thoſe that vſe them kindly, though they ſin; but the Lord is vtterly voyd of all partiality, euen to thoſe that ſhrowd themſelues vnderunder his elbow, as it were, and ſeeme to bee as good ſeruants to him as may be, and giuegive him the ſweeteſt words that they can inuent. Oh how pure and ſearching are the eyes of our God? how cleerly doth hee ſhew vntounto vsus, in the ouerthrow of Hypocrites, the truth of that, that the Pſalmiſt ſingeth? His eyes behold, his eye-lids try the ſonnes of men: but againe, Euill ſhall not dwell with him, the fooliſh ſhall not ſtand in his ſight; and he hateth all the workers of iniquity. Looke we therefore vponupon the ruine of Saul, Achitophel, Ioaſh, Amaziah, Iudas, Ananias, Saphira, and the reſt of thoſe whom the Scriptures doe tell vsus of; conſider wee alſo of the examples of our owne time, wherein our eyes may hauehave ſeene the experience of the Lords ſharpneſſe againſt ſuch as hauehave trod in the euill ſteps of theſe forenamed, not learning to auoyd the waies of miſchiefe, wherein they hauehave ſeene others to be ouerwhelmed before them; and in all ſuch accidents let vsus contemplate the righteouſneſſe, ſeuerity, wiſedome and prouidence of God, admiring his iuſt gouernment of his Church, that will not bee ſlacke (according to his threatning long ſince) to make deſolate the congregation of Hypocrites: and learne wee here-hence to eſtabliſh a louing and awfull admiration of ſo great iuſtice, mixed with ſo great wiſedome.
It is a great fault to rob God of the glory of his glorious workes, and not to take notice of his excellent attributes, diſcouered vntounto vsus in the rare effects thereof. The Lord deſireth to hauehave vsus thinke and talke of theſe wonderfull workes of his, and to implant in our owne ſoules a cleerer knowledge, and a deeper reuerence of him, by meanes of them. For he knowes, that nothing is more beneficiall to our ſoules, then if we doe thus vſefully behold the lifting vp of his high hand: wherefore wee muſt not ſuffer our naturall dulneſſe to preuaile againſt vsus, and to turne away our thoughts from obſeruing ſuch obſeruable things: which yet in this particular caſe, wee are moſt apt to doe. For I know not how it comes to paſſe in men, that whereas thoſe of them that are not extremely carnall and earthly-minded, can conſider the workes of his goodneſſe and mercy, with ſome admiration, wondring to finde ſo great kindneſſe ſhewed to creatures, that can ſo little either deſerue or requite the ſame: yet it is farre otherwiſe in the workes of his Iuſtice: here a kind of vniuſtifiable pity of the perſons miſery, ſtops our eyes from beholding the beauty of Gods righteouſneſſe, and men are nothing apt to praiſe him for the ſtrict proceeding of his iudgements againſt malefactors. Doubtleſſe this is a corruption in vsus worthy to be blamed.
We ſeldome praiſe God, for ſhewing himſelfe iuſt againſt Hypocrites. Indeed if in the practice of their malice againſt the Church, and the true members of it, they fall downe wounded, as often it falles out, here our intereſt maketh vsus to be ſomewhat glad, and wee can finde in our hearts to thanke God, for that which procured our owne eaſe and ſafety: but if it fall otherwiſe, that the Lord execute his vengeance againſt thoſe whom himſelfe ſees worthy to be hated, wee not hauing any part in the quarrell, we doe not make ſuch executions a part of the matter of our thankeſgiuing, as if wee regarded Gods workes nothing at all, further then ſome benefit redounds therefrom vntounto our ſelues, or as if wee thought them worth nothing, further then they ſerue our owne turnes.
But now let vsus learne, that it is a neceſſary duty for vsus to praiſe the Lord, for ſhewing himſelfe ſeuere, as well as gentle, for exerciſing his rigor, as well as his grace, and for making knowne his hatred of ſinne, as well as his louelove of the righteous. Praiſe thou him, for that as hee doth fauourably accept the meaneſt endeuours of the true-hearted; ſo he will by no meanes be deceiued, by the glorious oſtentation of hypocrites: praiſe him, for that as he will not let a man, that in truth of charity doth giuegive a cup of cold water, to loſe his reward; ſo he will not reſpect him, that out of other reſpects, deſtitute of charity, ſhall giuegive all his goods to the poore. Praiſe him, that as hee doth accept and requite the poore widowes mite, that came from ſoundneſſe of deuotion; ſo did hee nothing heed nor affect the rich and pompous bounty of the wealthier perſons, that ſerued their Idoll of vaine-glory, in ſeeming to make their offerings vntounto him Praiſe him, for that as he highly prizeth the neglected and deſpiſed ſeruices of thoſe that are ſound in his precepts, ſo hee doth count thoſe things no better then abomination, that ſeeme glorious in the eyes of men, when they are done for ſiniſter ends.
We doe obſerue in Princes, as well their prudence and iuſtice, in finding out, and taking and executing the crafty offenders that liue vnderunder their charge, as in ſhewing bounty, and liberality, and courteſie towards their better ſubiects. If a King hauehave declared himſelfe to be ſo wholly deuoted to right and equity, that if his neereſt fauorites doe things worthy of death, or bonds, hee will not ſpare them, and that no gifts nor bribes can purchaſe fauour for thoſe that are bold to build their faultineſſe vponupon ſuch hopes of impunity: how doe the preſent liuers honour him, how doe they applaud his vprightneſſe, and giuegive him all the titles of honour that they can inuent? yea, how doe thoſe that write ſuch hiſtories, inlarge their words and diſcourſes in his commendation, and aduance him to the skies, for the moſt hearty louer, and conſtant follower of equity that might bee? Why ſhould not the King of Kings enioy the praiſes of the iuſt and ſeuere executions that hee hath done, and daily doth vponupon the hollow-hearted? Though men call themſelues after his name, though they make long prayers, though they profeſſe great louelove, and feare of him, and make a ſhew of much deuotion, though they preach him in the ſtreets, and worke miracles in his name, and make as if they were the beſt affected to him and his honour that can be; yet when hee comes to them, and ſees them deſtitute of a true godly conuerſation, not ſoundly reformed in heart, not vniuerſally obedient in life, not vpright hearted, he makes no more adoe, but cuts them off by the ſword of iuſtice, and ſweepes them away with the beſome of deſtruction. Why doe wee not extoll the name of the Lord, in theſe workes of his hand? why doe we not open our mouthes to ſhew forth his praiſe, and ſay with the Pſalmiſt, Righteous art thou, O Lord, and vpright are thy iudgements: and thou haſt troden downe all them that erre from thy ſtatutes, for their deceit is falſhood, and thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like droſſe: and my fleſh trembleth for feare of thee; and I am afraid of thy iudgements: for thou doſt iudge the world with equity, and the people with righteouſneſſe. If a Iudge doe behaue himſelfe diſcreetly, for the ſearching out of a matter, and doe cleerly lay open a cunning pack of cloſely contriued villany, all that heare him, applaud him, and praiſe his prudence and great vnderſtanding, as they did Salomons, in the difficult caſe of the two harlots, about the dead, and liuing childe. Now when the Lord doth order matters with ſo great diſcretion, as to bring to light the wickedneſſe of the hypocrite, which he with ſuch exceeding cunningneſſe of skill, and ſhifting and turning doth ſtriue to hold vnderunder darkneſſe, and to keepe from the knowledge of men and Angels, yea often of himſelfe (and of God too, if he could go beyond the Lord) ſhould not the ſeeing and hearing of theſe moſt righteous iudgements of the Lord, cauſe vsus to breake forth into his praiſes, and to honour and feare him as a Iudge, before whom it is to no purpoſe to double and to wind? Yea if a man incompaſſed with deceitfull and hollow meaning ſycophants, who ſeeke by all ſmoothneſſe of behauiour to make him thinke well of them, and account them among the number of his friends, ſhall yet with ſo happy an inſight, diſcerne their falſhood, as that he doe not at all ſuffer himſelfe to reſt vponupon them, or to be beguiled in them: doe not wee commend ſuch a man, for his wiſdome and care, and wonder at his prudence and circumſpection? The Hypocrite is one of Gods flatterers, hee would faine win fauour with God, by ſeeming and ſhewes, and worke himſelfe into Gods fauour, by a ſmooth behauiour of his outſide: but it will not be, the Lord lookes into the bottome of his ſoule, perceiues all his trickes, plainly findeth that he doth but flatter, and therfore quickly diſcardeth and puniſheth him. Why doe wee not returne vntounto him the glory of his deepe and all-ſearching wiſedome, and magnifie his name for his infiniteneſſe in that excellent property, whereof a drop or a ſhadow rather in a creature, doth take vsus with ſuch approuing and admiration, that wee cannot chuſe but extoll it? Know therefore that from hell, as well as from heauen, we are to fetch matter of thankeſgiuing, and by the damned as wel as the ſaued, to grow acquainted with Gods moſt holy properties, and to louelove, feare and honour him for them. Princes and Iudges are in great reputation for their wiſdome and iuſtice, as well as for their mercy and bounty: and ſo muſt the Prince of princes, and the Iudge of Iudges.