Twenty-One Sermons on Amos 2, Collection of lectures · Lecture 21
THE XXI. LECTVRE.
AMOS 2.15, 16.
And he that is swift of foote shall not deliuer himselfe, neither shall he, that rideth the Horse, deliuer himselfe.
And he, that is couragious among the mightie, shall flee away naked in that day, saith the Lord.
I Now bring you the remainder of the fourth part of Amos his first Sermon. I called it heretofore a Commination. I still call it so. It conteineth menacings, or threats against the kingdome of the ten tribes, the children of Israel for the foulnesse of their ingratitude. These menacings or threats proceeding from him who onelyonly is omnipotent, and al-sufficient to effect what he threatneth, euen from the Lord, Iehovah, doe plainely demonstrate, that Gods iudgements are ineluctable, not to be auoyded. If God will the punishment of any, there is no place for refuge, no euasion, no meanes to escape. Neither he that is of an expedite and agile bodie, nor the strong man, nor the mightie, nor the bow-man, nor the swift of foote, nor the horseman, nor the couragious, and stout of heart shall be able to helpe himselfe in that day, in the day of Gods vengeance.
Seauen particulars are here disabled from helping themselues, in that day, when the Lord will be pleased to execute vengeance for sinne. Of foure of them, you heard at large in my last Lecture out of this place, that, neither he that is of an expedite and agile bodie, nor the strong man, nor the mightie, nor the bow-man, can any way helpe themselues. Let it please you now to giuegive eare; and you shall heare as much of the other three; of the swift of foote, of the horseman, of the couragious and stout of heart. Begin we with the swift of foote. It is the next branch that followeth, vers. 15.
And he that is swift of foote shall not deliuer himselfe.
THe originall is; the swift of foote shall not deliuer. Shall not deliuer! What shall he not deliuer; Supply the defect according to the last clauses of this and the former verse: and the full shall be, Velox pedibus, non liberabit animam suam, the swift of foote shall not deliuer his soule; His soule, that is, his life, or himselfe.
The Author of the Vulgar Latin here readeth, Velox pedibus suis non salvabitur the swift of foot shall not be saued. So doth S. Hierome; so the Septuagint; so an oldaIn Bibliothecâ Nicolsonianà in aede Christi Oxen. English Manuscript. Some read thus: The swift of foote shall not escape, as the Caldee Paraphrast, and Montanus, and Munster, and our late Church Bible.
Admit of which reading you will, you cannot misse of the true vnderstanding of the place. Read if you will; the swift of foote shall not be saued, or, shall not escape, or, shall not deliuer himselfe; you will forth-with vnderstand, that, a man cannot by the swiftnesse of his feete out-runne God. This is the very marrow of that lesson, which we are to learne from hence. The lesson is: The swift of foote hath no aduantage aboue others, for the sauing of himselfe, if God doe once resolue to punish.
This agreeth with that which I hauehave obserued vponupon the first clause of the 14. verse: The flight shall perish from the swift. With that, this which we hauehave now in hand is coincident. The flight shall perish from the swift, and, The swift of foote shall not deliuer himselfe; these two, to the vnderstanding are but one, and doe yeeld vntounto vsus one and the same obseruation. The obseruation is,
When God resolues to punish man for sinne, there is no refuge for him, no euasion, no escaping by flight, though he be of a swift, an expedite, and an agile boate.
This truth stands ratified with that in the ninth Chapter of this Prophecie, vers. 1. Non erit fuga eis, quisugient, & non salvabitur ex eis, qui fugerit. He that fleeth of them, shall not flee away; and he that escapeth of them shall not be deliuered. And with that Eccles. 9.11. There is no race to the swift, or, In running it helpeth not to be swift: that is, as Ionathan expounds the place; Though men be as swift as Eagles, yet shall they not by running helpe themselues, or deliuer themselues from death in the day of battell.
The many euidences of holy Writ, which are vsually brought to proue, that God is eueryevery where present, and in all places at once, may serue for a further ratification of my propounded doctrine. For if God be eueryevery where present, if he be at once in all places, then certainely there is no refuge for man against him, no euasion, no escaping by flight. Nor the caues of the earth, nor the secrets of walls, nor the darkenesse of the night, nor the distance of place by land or by sea, can hide vsus from his presence.
Can they not? How then may that be excused which we read of Adam and his wife, Gen. 3.8. that they HID themselues from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden? How that which we read of Cain, Gen. 4.16. that he went cut from the presence of the Lord? How that which we read of Ionah, chap. 1.3. that he, when he was sent to Ni…iveh, rose vp to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the L…rd.
These scruples I am now to remoue: The first concerneth Adam and his wife, their hiding themselues among the trees of Paradise. Some say; Adam hid himselfe through feare, not as if he could flee from God, but because hee thought himselfe vnworthie to come into Gods sight. So Irenaeus lib 3 adversus haereses cap. 37. He seemes to take in good part this flight of Adam, and his endeuour to hide himselfe, as if it proceeded from a pious and profitable feare and dread of an humble and repentant soule.
Other say, that Adam exceedingly troubled in mind, much ashamed and afraid, that he had transgressed the commandement of God, like vntounto a mad man, that knows not which way to turne himselfe, went about to hide himselfe. So S. Austine lib. 11. de Genesi ad literam cap. 33.
A third opinion there is, that taxeth Adam and Eue of infidelitie and impenitencie, for hiding of themselues: as if guiltie of transgression, they had thought simply to hide themselues from the presence of God. Of this opinion I find Rupertus, who Comment. in Genesin lib. 3. cap. 12. thus expresseth himselfe. Abscondendo se, vter{que} de Deo malè sensit, & sibi insipienter providit, tanquam impaenitens, tanquam infidelis. Adam and his wife in hiding themselues thought amisse concerning God, and prouided foolishly for themselues, as if they had beene impenitent and vnbeleeuing.
It is no ill or idle opinion, to say that, Perhaps Adam and his wife, for want of experience (for they had neuer fallen before) might thinke, that by running among the trees of Paradise they might hide themselues. But when God had once found them out (and quickly he found them out) they could not any longer so thinke. Then they could not but be resolued vponupon this; that there is no fleeing away, no hiding of our selues from the presence of God.
Thus is the first scruple remoued. Adam and his wife hid themselues from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of a garden. They hid themselues, that is, they would hauehave hid themselues, they would but could not.
The second scruple, concerneth Caine his going out from the presence of the Lord. If Cain could goe out from the presence of the Lord, how is the Lord eueryevery where present?
For answere hereunto we are to note, that the presence of God doth sometime in holy Scripture betoken the place of his presence; the place where God was first worshipped by sacrifice, and shewed visible signes of his presence: And that it doth sometime signifie the grace of God, his fauour, his care, his prouidence, and protection. In both these respects may Cain be said to hauehave gone out from the presence of the Lord. For first he was expelled from the land of his natiuitie, from that land where God was wont to shew his face, and vnderunder the visible forme of humane nature, to talke with man familiarly: and secondly he was excluded from Gods grace and fauour.
Thus much doth Cain himselfe confesse, vers. 14. Lord, saith he, Behold, thou hast driuen me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid, and I shall be a fugitiue and a vagabond in the earth. Thou hast driuen me out this day from the face of the earth, that is, Thou expellest me from my natiue soyle, which to me is most deare & sweete, wherein I was borne, hauehave beene bred vp, and hauehave liued with my parents and kins-folke euen vntounto this day: thou driuest me out from a most fruitfull and pleasant land, a land, that is next to the Paradise of the earth; a land, which thou hast consecrated to thy selfe, to be the land of thy sacrifices oblations, and holy worship; a land wherein thou art wont to manifest thy selfe vntounto men, and to instruct them by thy sacred oracles, and answers. From this land, the land of my natiuitie, thou driuest me out.
And from thy face shall I be hid] I shall for euer and eueryevery where, find thee displeased with me, angry at me, and mine enemy, to the intollerable horrour and amazement of my minde: thou wilt not deigne to looke vponupon me with the eyes of thy merciemercy, but wilt for euer hide thy face from me, and so depriue me of thy singular beneuolence, care, tutele and protection. So was Cain hid from the face of the Lord, and so went he out from his presence. Otherwise hee could not be hid, he would not goe out from the presence of the Lord.
The third scruple concerneth Ionah his fleeing to Tarshish, from the presence of the Lord. If Ionah could flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, how is the Lord eueryevery where present?
Of this fleeing of Ionah from the presence of the Lord, there is a twofold vnderstanding. Some thus vnderstand it; that he left the whole border and ground of Israel, where the presence of the Lord, though it were not more then in other places, was yet more euident by the manifestations of his fauours and graces towards them. There was the arke of the couenant, and the sanctuary, there the Lord gaue them answere by dreames, and oracles: there were other more speciall fauours of the Lords abode there.
Others by this fleeing of Ionah from the presence of the Lord, doe vnderstand his turning his backe vponupon the Lord, his shaking off the yoke of the Lord, his wilfull renouncing the Commandement of the Lord; his departing from his dutie and from the execution of his office, enioyned him by the Lord.
In the language of the Scripture, they are said to be in the Lords presence, or to stand before the Lord, who doe carefully attend his pleasure, and are readie to receiue and execute whatsoeuer he imposeth. In the 10. of Deut. vers. 8. The Tribe of Levi is separated by the Lord, to stand before the Lord. To stand before the Lord, that is, as it is there expounded, to minister vntounto the Lord, and to blesse in his name.
So is the phrase vsed by Elias, 1. King. 17.1. Where thus saith he, vntounto Ahab: As the Lord God of Israell liueth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor raine these yeares, but according to my word. The Lord God, before whom I stand; that is, the Lord God, whom faithfully I doe serue. And so is it by Elizeus in those his words to Naaman the Syrian. 2. King. 5.16. As the Lord liueth before whom I stand, I will receiue no blessing of thee. As the Lord liueth before whom I stand, a witnesse to my actions, the searcher of my heart, whose honour and seruice I tender more then mine owne gaine, I will receiue no blessing, no reward of thee.
Now if they, who duely serue the Lord, are said to stand before the Lord, and to be in his presence, then may they who cast off the yoke of the seruice due vntounto him, well be said to hide themselues from the face of the Lord, and to flee from his presence.
We see now what this phrase of fleeing from the presence of the Lord doth meane. It giues vsus to vnderstand, that Ionas, as a fugitiue and refractary seruant ranne from the Lord, breaking his bonds of dutie, and making no conscience or care to doe him seruice.
Thus are the scruples done away and my doctrine stands good,
There is no refuge, no euasion, no escaping, no hiding, no fleeing from the face of the Lord, from his presence, from his iudgments, no not for the swift of foote.
Well. What if the footman for all his swiftnesse cannot saue himselfe; fares it not better with the horseman? Cannot he deliuer himselfe? No. He cannot. He is disabled in the next words,
Neither shall he that rideth the horse deliuer himselfe.
This rider of the Horse is in the Septuagint foreign, the horseman. Cyrill calls him so. So doth Castalio, and Taverner, in his English translation. In the Vulgar Latin he is Ascensor equi. So is he in S. Hierome. The appellation pleaseth Luther, and Calvin, and Osiander. Nor doth Gualter dislike it. For he hath, Qui ascendit super equum. Ascensor equi, or qui ascendit super equum, he that mounts on horsebacke. He is with Tremellius, and Iunius, insidens equo; so is he with Vatablus, with Mercer, and with Piscator: Insidens equo, he that sits on horsebacke. With Drusius he is Vector equi, with Brentius Vestus equo. Vector equi, or Vectus equo, he that is carried on horsebacke. With Oecolampadius, he is equitans Equum, he that rideth the horse. This last reading is that which the learned translators of our now English Bible hauehave made choyse of. He that rideth the horse. This rider of the horse, this horseman, mounting, sitting, or, carried on horsebacke shall not deliuer himselfe.
Shall not deliuer himselfe. In the Hebrew it is, he shall not deliuer his soule. So is it in the Chaldee. The reading is retained by Brentius, Calvin, Drusius, Vatablus, and Mercer. In the Septuagint it is foreign, he shall not saue his soule. It is the very reading of S. Hierome, and S. Cyrill, and the author of the Vulgar Latin: and is followed by Luther and by Munster.
He shall not deliuer, he shall not saue his soule. His soule, that is his life. Whence some doe read: He shall not saue his life; so Castalio, so Osiander, and so our countryman Taverner in his old English translation. Let the reading be Soule, or Life, man himselfe is meant: and therefore some hauehave read, He shall not deliuer himselfe. So Tremellius and Iunius, and Piscator: and so we read in our newest English Bible, He shall not deliuer himselfe.
Thus hauehave you the Grammaticall sense and vnderstanding of these words, He that rideth the horse shall not deliuer himselfe: This rider of the horse, this horseman mounting, sitting, or carried on horsebacke, shall not deliuer, shall not saue his soule, his life, himselfe. The lesson we are to learne from hence, is, He that is mounted on horsebacke, hath no aduantage aboue others, for the sauing of himselfe, if God doe once resolue to punish.
Be thine horse eueryevery way answerable to that Horse (of which thou maist read in the Booke of Iob chap. 39.) whose necke is clothed with thunder, the glory of whose nostrils is terrour; that paweth in the valley, and reioyceth in his strength, and goeth on to meet the armed men; that mocketh at feare and is not affrighted, and turnes not backe from the sword: no, though the quiuer rattle against him, though the speare and shield doe glister, yet swalloweth he the ground with fiercenesse and rage. The sound of the trumpet terrifieth him not, but rather reioyceth him: for he smelleth the battell a farre off, the thunder of the Captaines, and the shouting. Be thine horse eueryevery way answerable to this horse, yet repose not any confidence in him for thy saftie: for he will fayle thee.
He will doe so. What else is it that thou readest, Psal. 33.17. An horse is a vaine thing to saue a man, neither shall he deliuer any by his great strength. Let S. Austine instruct thee, Mentitur tibi equus, quandò promittit salutem: if thy horse promise thee safetie, he lyeth vntounto thee. The promise of a horse! Nunquid equus alicui loquitur, & promittit salutem? Doth a horse speake to man? doth he promise him safetie? It cannot be. Yet when thou considerest the comely feature and proportion of thy horse, his stout courage, his admired swiftnesse, ista omnia, velut promittunt tibi de illo salutem, all these things doe, as it were promise thee saftie by him. Sed fallunt, si Deus non tuetur, but without the especiall blessing of God all these things will fayle thee. For, Mendax equus ad salutem, an horse is a lying thing for safetie, a vaine thing to saue a man, and shall not deliuer any man by his great strength.
This is it, which you may read in the Booke of Prouerbs chap. 21.31. The horse is prepared against the day of battell, but safetie is of the Lord. Let the horse be made readie, let him be throughly furnished for the warre, yet relie not vponupon him for thy safetie. For safetie, all safetie is of the Lord, and of him alone. Let the Lord rebuke, yea, let him but speake the word, both the chariot and horse shall be cast into a dead sleepe. So we read, Psal. 76.6. The meaning is: By the onelyonly word of the Lord it often comes to passe, that they who trust in their Chariots and Horses, doe vanish & come to naught, like a dreame, yea, like the shadow of a dreame.
Pharaoh, proud and cruell Pharaoh, sory that he had let the children of Israel goe, would needs goe fetch them backe againe. He assured himselfe before hand of successe, either to spoyle them, or to reduce them to bondage. In the strength of his conceit, furnishing himselfe with horses and chariots of warre, six hundred chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, accompanied with his nobles, captaines, and souldiers he marched furiously and pursued the Israelites, euen to the middest of the Red Sea: To the middest of that Sea they came, & no one waue rose vp against them, to wet so much as the hoofes of their horses. When they were come so far (too farre to returne) they were sodainely striken with their last terrour. Their chariots and horses, in which they trusted, fayled them, as hauing done them seruice enough, to carry them into perdition. For the Sea shut her mouth vponupon them, and swallowed them vp in her waues: you know it to be so, Exod. 14.26. Where is now the safetie, which they promised themselues by their Horses and Chariots? I must againe say, Mendax equus ad salutem, A horse is a lying thing for safetie, a vaine thing to saue a man. Thus is my doctrine confirmed; He that is mounted on horsebacke, hath no aduantage aboue others, for the sauing of himselfe, if God doe once resolue to punish.
Now let vsus make some vse of this doctrine. It may first serue for reproofe of such, as for the time of warre doe glory in the multitude and strength of their horses, and presume that they shall preuaile and get the victory by the valour of their horsemen. The holy Scripture would hauehave them to be of an other minde, and to be perswaded, that victory is euer from the Lord, and from him alone, and that without him the horse and the rider can doe nothing. But they will not change their mind, they will not be thus perswaded. To these therefore thus saith the Lord God, the holy one of Israel, Esa. 30.15. In returning and rest shall yee be saued, in quietnes and confidence, shall be your strength; and ye would not. But ye said; No, for we will flee vponupon horses, and will ride vponupon the swift. Will you flee vponupon horses? therefore shall yee flee. Will ye ride vponupon the swift? therefore shall they that pursue you be swift. A thousand of you shall flee at the rebuke of one: or at the most at the rebuke of fiue shall ye flee till yee be left as a beacon vponupon the top of a mountaine, and as an ensigne on a hill.
Against these there is a curse gone forth, Esa. 31.1. Woe be vntounto them that goe downe to Egypt for helpe, and trust in horses, and comfort themselues with chariots, because they are many; and with horsemen, because they are lustie and strong: but looke not vntounto the holy one of Israel, nor seeke the Lord.
Concerning these I now say no more. I goe on with a second vse: and that is, to admonish our selues, that we put no trust, no confidence in horse, chariot, horsemen, or like externall meane for safetie. Sith it is euident, that these cannot deliuer vsus, from any the least iudgement, that God in his displeasure shall lay vponupon vsus. Let vsus for euer trust in the Lord alone, and his power. It is a sweete straine which the faithfull hauehave in their song, Psal. 20.7. Hi, curruum, & illi equorum; nos vero nominis Iehovae Dei nostri recordamur. Let it be the matter of our meditation in the day of trouble and distresse. Say we in faith and a sure hope; Some trust in Chariots, and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. We will remember him, to put our trust in him, and to settle our hope on him alone. So shall a blessing attend vsus. It is promised, Ierem. 17.7. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. Blessed is he! What is that to say? It followeth: Hee shall be as a tree planted by the waters, that spreadeth out her rootes by the riuer, whom the heat, when it commeth, cannot hurt, whose leaues are alwayes greene, that is not carefull in the yeare of drought, and neuer ceaseth from yeelding fruit.
In this comparison betweene a faithfull man, that trusteth in the Lord, and a tree planted by the waters side, we may note the stedfastnesse and stabilitie wherewith the faithfull people of God are supported, so, that they can neuer fall away from faith, and from the grace of God: whereby is condemned the doctrine of doubting, that Popish doctrine, very pernicious, yea, deadly to eueryevery soule, that shall drinke it in. But I will not here make any excursion. Let that which hath alreadie beene deliuered suffice for the explication of the 15. verse. The sixteenth followeth.
And he that is couragious among the mightie shall flee away naked in that day, sayth the Lord.
HE that is couragious among the mightie] This couragious man is in the Hebrew thus described, the stout of heart among the mightie. In the Vulgar Latin thus: Robustus corde inter fortes, the strong of heart among the stout. This reading is embraced by Brensius, and Osiander, and Luther, and Calvin, and Gualter. Some vary the phrase; as thus; fortis animo inter robustos, the stout of courage among the strong; so Drusius. Some thus, fortis animo inter potentissimos, the stout of courage among the mightie; so Tremellius, Iunius, and Piscator. Some thus, qui roborat cor suum inter robustos, he that strengthneth his heart among the strong, so Vatablus Munster thus translates it, qui inter fortes virili est corde, he that is of a manly heart among the stout. In Tauerners translation thus I read; He that is as manly of stomacke as a Gyant. In our late Church-Bible thus; He that is of mighty courage among the strong men.
The reading of the Septuagint is farre different. They thus: foreign. It is so in the Franckford Edition. S. Hierome thus renders it; Inventum cor eius inter potentes, his heart is found among the mighty; for foreign, some hauehave foreign, so it must be, inventum cor eius in potentatibus, his heart is found in potentates or dominions. Its obscure enough. S. Cyrill vnfolds it: he findes his heart mightily oppressed with terrors, and without resistance giues the victorie to the spoyler.
The former readings, Latin and English, are more naturall, and doe better expresse the originall. Ours is good; He that is couragious among the mighty foreign bagibborim in potentibus, or inter potentes, among the mighty. The Hebrewes by the particle ב In or Inter, doe vse to signifie the highest degree, the superlatiue. Iael the wife of Heber the Kenite, Iudg. 5.24. is stiled, benedicta inter mulieres, blessed among women. The phrase is vsed by the Angell in his Ave Maria, Luc. 1.28. Benedicta tu in mulieribus. Elizabeth repeats it, vers. 42. Benedicta tu inter mulieres. Benedicta in mulieribus, or inter mulieres, Blessed in, or among women, that is, Benedictarum benedictissima, of women, that are blessed, the most blessed; blessed aboue all.
Such is the exposition that Petrus Lusitanus giues of these words, robustus corde inter fortes, the strong of heart among the stout, that is, saith he, robustorum corde robustissimus, & sortium sortissimus, of the strong of heart the strongest and of stout men the stoutest: or as Castalio hath it, militum animosissimus, of soulders the most couragious & hardiest. With vsus, he is the couragious among the mighty.
Of this couragious man, couragious among the mighty, notwithstanding his strength, his might, his manhood, his valour, his stoutnesse, his hardinesse, his couragiousnes, it is said, that he shall flie away.
foreign ianus, he shall flee away. Shall he flee away? How is it possible? Is not the contrary already confirmed by all the passages of the two precedent verses, the 14. and the 15? Yes it hath. I therefore vnderstand by this flying away, not simply a flying away, but onelyonly a desire, or an endeauour to flie away. He shall flie away, that is, he shall desire to flie away, or, he shall endeauour to flie away; yet to his litle or no aduantage, though his desire or endeauour be to flie away naked.
He shall flee away foreign hharom naked. A man is sometimes said to be naked, when he wanteth necessaries for the supply of present occasions. It is said of Saul, 1. Sam. 19.24. that he stript off his clothes, and prophecied, and was all that day and all that night naked. I cannot imagine, that Saul was indeed altogither naked, but he is said to be so, because he had laid aside his princely robes; as R. Chimchi thinketh; or because he had put off his militarie apparell, and was now as another common person, as Iunius supposeth; or because he was sine pallio prophetico, because he had not on a Prophets cloake, as Drusius affirmeth obseruat. lib. 14. c. 14. So is Esay said to hauehave gone naked, chap. 20.2. because he was nudatus veste suâ propheticâ, because he had loosed the sackcloth from off his loynes, and had put off his propheticall attire.
In the second of Samuel, chap. 6.20. Michal telleth Dauid, that he had vncouered himselfe, or made himselfe naked. And why? but because he had put of his princely apparell, and danced in a linnen Ephod.
Naked also may they be said to be, that hauehave no good apparell, no good clothing on. So are the Apostles said to be naked, 1. Cor. 4.11. Euen to this present houre we both hunger and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and hauehave no certaine dwelling place. VVe are naked, that is, saith Drusius, non ita bene vestiti, we are not very well clothed. No more were that brother and sister, of whom S. Iames speaketh, chap. 2.15. They were naked: Naked, that is, male vestiti, or necessario vestitu destituti; they were ill clothed, or wanted necessarie apparell.
By the places now alleaged you see, that he may be said to be naked, that is not simply and altogither so. So of the couragious man in my text it is said, that he shall flee away naked. Naked, that is, vnarmed, without armour: hauing cast away his weapons, and all other instruments of militarie discipline; content to escape with life, if he may be so happy; but shall not: for there is no escaping, as you well know by that you hauehave already heard.
But when shall this couragious man be in such a streight, as that he shall be faine to flee away naked? It shall bee, saith my text foreign Baijom habu, in that day. In that day, the day of Gods iudgement: in that day, when God will exercise his iudgment against the rebellious, and refractarie.
This day may be called the day of the Lord, whereof we read, Esai. 13.6. Howle yee, for the day of the Lord is at hand: it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. It is so called, Ioel 1.15. Alas for the day: for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.
This day, the day of the Lord, for the horror thereof, is by our Prophet Amos called darknesse, chap. 5.18. Woe vntounto you, that desire the day of the Lord: to what end is it for you? The day of the Lord is darknes and not light. A day, and yet darknesse! a day and no light in it! Its euen so: and is repeated by an foreign, vers. 20. Shall not the day of the Lord be darknesse and not light? euen very darke and no brightnesse in it. I cannot better set forth vntounto you the state of this day, then the Prophet Zephaniah doth, chap. 1.15. Read him, and you shall finde this day, the day of the Lord, to be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distresse, a day of wastnesse and desolation, a day of darknesse and gloominesse, a day of clouds and thicke darknesse, a day of the trumpet and alarme. No maruaile then if our couragious man, the couragious among the mighty, shall endeauou or desire to flee away naked in that day.
But shall he endeauour, or shall he desire to do it? Yes. He must be faine to doe it. For it followeth by way of confirmation foreign Neum Iehovah, saith the Lord.
Saith the Lord.
THis is the conclusion and confirmation of all. The Lord, theaDeut. 32 4. God of truth, whobNum. 23.19. Tit. 1.2. Ha…. 6.18. lyeth not nor deceiueth, whose words arec2. Cor. 1.20. yea and amen, who euerdNum 23.19. doth according to that he saith, and accomplisheth what he speaketh, he it is, that here threatneth the couragious among the mighty, that they shall flee away naked in the day of their visitation. And so out of doubt it came to passe.
It came to passe in the dayes of Peka K. of Israel, at what time Tiglath Pilesar K. of Assyria came vp against the Israelites, tooke diuers of their Cities, the whole Region that was beyond Iordan, the possession of the Reubenites, Gadites, and halfe tribe of Manasseh, yea all the land of Nephthali: and carried some of their inhabitants captiue into Assyria. 2. King. 15.29.
After that in the dayes of Hoseah sonne of Elah, the last of the Kings of Israel, this prediction was fulfilled, at what time Salmanasser King of Assyria invaded Israel, the Kingdome of the ten Tribes, tooke Samaria, and carried much people away into Assyria. Of this we read 2. King. 17.6.
In that day, that day when Tiglath Pilesar preuailed against Israel, and that day wherein Salmanasser was conqueror, he that was couragious among the mighty, was faine no doubt to runne away, and that naked, according to this prediction, He that is couragious among the mighty, shall flee away naked in that day. My obseruation from hence is this: It is not a stout courage, a valiant heart, or a bold spirit, that can steed a man in the day of Gods vengeance.
Beleeue it, it is not. For in that day, the stoutest, the most valiant and bold, shall be striken with astonishment of heart, Deut. 28.28.29.and shall grope at noone dayes, as the blind man doth in darkenesse. It shall then be with him, as it was with Belshazzar the King, Daniel 5.6. His countenance shall bee changed, his thoughts shall trouble him, the ioynts of his loynes shall be loosed, and his knees shall smite one against the other. Yea then (for then will the Lord arise to shake terribly the earth) then shall he goe into the holes and clefts of the ragged rockes, and into the caues of the earth, for feare of the Lord, and for the glory of his Maiestie. So saith Esay elegantly, chap. 2.19, 21. And say you now, what can a stout courage, a valiant heart, a bold spirit steed a man in that day, in the day of Gods vengeance? You must needs confesse, it can steed him nothing.
Nothing! Let vsus then for our good make some profitable vse hereof. We shall the better make it if we will summe vp together those naturall abilities, which our Prophet Amos hath here disabled, from yeelding any helpe vntounto vsus in the day of God his reuengement: If neither he that is of an expedite and agile bodie, nor the strong man, nor the mightie man, nor the bow-man, nor the swift of foot, nor the horseman, shall in that day be able to deliuer or helpe himselfe: if he that is couragious among the mightie, shall be faine to runne away naked in that day, whence then shall we in that day looke for safetie? It must not be from any ayde of man.
Now the Vse we are to make hereof is, that we trust not in man, or in any thing that is in or about man. To this dutie we are aduised by the Prophet Esai, chap. 2.22. Cease yee from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of? If you will be safe and without danger in the day of trouble, Cease from man; See that yee hauehave no confidence, no affiance in him, as though against God or without God he were able to helpe you. His breath is in his nostrils; his soule, his vitall spirit, his life is but a blast, and is gone with a puffe. Then where is his helpe? Weake, fraile, and brittle man, wherein is he to be accounted of? Is he to be accounted of for any thing that is in him? for his actiuitie, for his dexteritie, for his valour, for his wisedome, or the like? No: for if he be gone, all these are likewise vanished.
But may he not be accounted of for somewhat that is about him? for his riches, for his munition, and weapons of defence, for his honour, and the reputation he holdeth in the state wherein thou liuest? No, no. For what cares the Almightie for these? The Psalmist was not ill aduised, Psal. 146.3. Where he thus aduiseth vsus: Put not your trust in Princes, nor in any sonne of man, in whom there is no helpe, his breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth, in that very day his thoughts perish. See man here pictured and drawne forth in liuely colours: Put not your trust in Princes] not in Princes? Why? Is not their authoritie and pre-eminence here exceeding great? Yes. But they are sonnes of men] Well. Be it so. The sonnes of men are creatures not farre inferiour to the Angels. True. But there is no helpe in them] no helpe in them? Why so? Their breath goeth forth] They dye. What if they dye? Is there no place for them in Heauen among the starres? No, they returne to their earth] there to participate with rottennesse and corruption. What if corruption be in their flesh, may not their intendments and deuises be canonized and kept for eternitie? No, they may not. For in that very day their thoughts perish] their thoughts are as transitorie as their bodies, and come to nought. And therefore put not your trust in them; not in Princes, nor in any son of man.
Wherein then shall we put our trust? Euen in the Lord our God. To this trust in the Lord, we are inuited, Psal. 118.8, 9. It is botter to trust in the Lord then to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord, then to put confidence in Princes. Is one better then the other? Why, then both may be good, and it may be good to put confidence in man. Not so. You may not take the word better in this place to be so spoken. For if you put any confidence in man, you rob God of his glory; which to doe can neuer be good. I therefore thus expound the words: It is better] by infinite degrees, absolutely and simply better, to trust in the Lord] to trust stedfastly in him alone, then to put any confidence] any manner of trust or confidence, in man] of what estate or dignity soeuer he be, though he be of the rancke of Princes, who hauehave all the power and authoritie in the world. Its eueryevery way better to trust in the Lord, then to trust in such, euer good to trust in the Lord, but neuer good to trust in man. Trust we in the Lord, and blessed shall we be: but cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arme; the Lord himselfe hath said it, Ierem. 17.5.
Now therefore, O Lord, since thou hast from hence taught vsus, that from the ayd of man there is no safetie to be expected, neither from him, that is of an expedite, and agile bodie, nor from the strong man, nor from the mightie man, nor from the bow-man, nor from the swift of foote, nor from the horseman, nor from the couragious among the mightie, nor from any thing else that is in man, or about him, giuegive vsus grace we beseech thee, that in thee alone wee may place all our hope and confidence. In thee alone our God and Father of mercies doe we trust: and doe thou according to the multitude of thy compassions looke vponupon vsus. Heare the supplications of vsus thy poore seruants, liuing far, as banished men in a sauage Countrey. Protect, wee beseech thee, and keepe our soules among the many dangers of this mortall life, and bring vsus by the conduct of thy gracious fauour into that thy sacred habitation, and seate of eternall glory. Grant this vntounto vsus, most deare Father, for thy best beloued Sonne Iesus Christ his sake.
FINIS.