Twenty-One Sermons on Amos 2, Collection of lectures · Lecture 5
THE V. LECTVRE.
AMOS 2.4.
Because they hauehave despised the law of the Lord, and hauehave not kept his commandements.
THE third part of this prophecie against Iudah is now to be examined: namely the enumeration of some particular sinnes, whereby the inhabitants of Iudah prouoked their God vntounto displeasure. The first passage in this part is: They hauehave despised the law of the Lord. Where we hauehave, the sinne of Iudah, and the obiect thereof; the sinne, contempt; the obiect, the law of the Lord.
They hauehave despised: there is the sinne. The law of the Lord: there is the obiect. First of the sinne, of the contempt.
They hauehave despised] *Zanch. de oper. redemp. Iob. 1. cap. 18. Thes. 2.Contempt is an action of the minde, by which we nothing at all, or very lightly esteeme of a thing, and therefore doe reiect it. This action, which I call contempt, is partly from the vnderstanding, partly from the will. First the vnderstanding esteemes a thing to be nothing or litle worth; then doth the will reiect it, and casts it away.
A thing may be contemned two manner of wayes; either simply, or in respect of some other thing.
First simply. So we may contemne a vile fellow, one that hath no vertue, no goodnes in him; one that is altogither vicious, giuen vpaRom. 1.28. to a reprobate sense, to drunkennesse, to wantonnesse, to worke all kinde of wickednes, euen with greedinesse. Such a fellow, is simply vnworthy to be had in any the least estimation. Such we may, we must contemne. In like sort, if a tyrant command, that which is vniust, any thing that is derogatorie to the glory of God, and threatneth grieuous punishments, vnlesse he be obeyed: in this case a good Christian, must be of a stout courage; he must despise the vniust command, and the proud threats of the tyrant; his zeale must be only for the glory of the Lord.
The storie of the three children, Dan. 3. is not vnknowne to you. The King of Babylon, Nabuchodonozor bDan. 3.1.set vp a golden image, and commanded it to be worshipped. His decree was, thatcvers. 10. eueryevery one, that should heare the sound of the cornet, trumpet, harpe, shawme, psalterie, dulcimer, and other instruments of musicke, should fall downe, and worship the golden image: who so fell not downe, and worshipped, hee should be cast into the middest of a hot fiery furnace.
This vniust decree of the King, the three children, Sidrach, Misach, and Abednego, regarded not: they could not be brought to worship this golden image; they feared not his hot fiery fornace; they knew, God wasdvers. 17. able to deliuer them from thence; if God would not, yet were they resolued in no wise to worship that image: they would not so much as outwardly consent to idolatry; so zealous were they for the glory of God. A worthy example for my present purpose, to shew, that the vniust commands of Tyrants, are very iustly contemned and reiected. So are the commands of Magistrates, Parents, and other superiours in authoritie, if they depriue God of his glory. If they diminish, remit, or abate any thing of the glory of God, they are simply to be contemned.
You see now; a thing may be contemned simpliciter, simply. It may also be contemned secundum quid, in respect of some other thing: as when a man esteemes more of his pleasure, or profit, then of the law of the Lord. Such an one may be said secundum quid, in respect of his owne pleasure, or profit, to contemne the law of the Lord. And this contempt is a sin. The fore-mentioned contempts, were not sinnes. A contempt may be a sinne, or not a sinne. You may discerne it by its obiect, or the thing contemned. If the obiect, if the thing contemned be euill, then is the contempt good; it is a vertue, its no sinne. It is no sinne to contemne a vicious fellow, in whom there is no sparke of pietie: its no sinne to contemne the impious and vniust commands of men placed in authoritie aboue vsus, as you hauehave already heard. But if the obiect, if the thing contemned be good, then is the contempt euill, it is a vice, its a sinne. Such was this contempt of Iuda, for they despised the law of the Lord. You see their sinne, Contempt. Now see the Obiect.
The law of the Lord.] The LXX. hauehave foreign [foreign] foreign, the naturall law of the Lord. But the law of the Lord, as vsually it is diuided in the schooles, is eithereDanaeus Isag. C…. par. 3. lib. 3. cap. 14. foreign, or foreign, or foreign; its either morall, or ceremoniall, or iudiciall. The word in my text is foreign a word repeated in one Psalme, Psal. 119 foure & twenty times: it signifieth not only the Morall law of God, expressed in the Decalogue, or ten Commandements, but the Ceremoniall law also, yea and the Iudiciall too: and generallyfM…ller in Ps. 1.2. totam Doctrinam à Deo patefactam, & Ecclesiae traditam: whatsoeuer doctrine is reuealed from God, and deliuered to the Church. Such was the contempt of these inhabitants of Iudah; whatsoeuer they were taught from God, by his holy Prophets, or by the reading of the Law, or by the light of nature, they despised it.
They hauehave despised the law of the Lord.] Though this word foreign generally signifie, whatsoeuer God any way teacheth; yet may it specially be taken for the Morall law, conteined in the Decalogue, or ten Commandements; which for the excellencie thereof is called the law of the Lord: and surpasseth all others for many reasons.
1. This Law was made by God himselfe, written by God himselfe, first in the hearts of men; afterwards in twogDeut. 4.13. & 5.22. & 10.2. Bellarm. Christ. Doctr. tables of stone.
2. This is the most ancient of all others: it is as the fountaine of all the rest.
3. This is the most vniuersall Law, that is, It bindeth not onelyonly Christians, but Iewes also and Gentiles, men and women, rich and poore, Princes and priuate men, the learned and ignorant.
4. This Law is immutable, it cannot be taken away, it cannot be dispensed with.
5. The promulgation of this Law was more solemne, then of any other. It was promulgated with the greatest solemnitie, that could be in Mount Sinai, hExod. 20.18.with sound of angelicall trumpets, with great thunder, with lightning from heauen, in the presence of all the people of God.
6. This Law is, of all lawes, most necessarie. Necessarie, for the preseruing and maintayning of discipline both in and without the Church. Necessarie, to convict man of sinne, and to disrobe him of that pride, which makes him to presume of his owne naturall strength. Necessarie, to represse and keepe vnderunder the obstinate and selfe-willed sinner, with feare of punishments. Necessarie, to informe and instruct the regenerate in the true seruice and worship of God.
This law of the Lord so far surpassing all other lawes for the excellencie thereof, these inhabitants of Iudah did despise; they contemned it. You see the sinne here laid vntounto their charge; Contempt of the law of the Lord. They hauehave despised the law of the Lord. The doctrine arising hence is: The contempt of the law of the Lord is a very grieuous sinne.
This truth will be plaine, if you will consider, what punishments God in his holy word threatneth and layeth vponupon the despisers, or contemners of his Sacred Maiestie, of his ceremonies, of his commandements, of his holy word.
Such despisers, or contemners, are an abomination to the Lord, Prov. 3.32. The Lord will despise them, 1. Sam. 2.30. The Lord will scorne them, Prov. 3.34. The Lord will bring vponupon them terrors, consumptions, burning agues, and sorrow of heart, Levit. 26.15. The Lord will send a fire vponupon them to deuoure them, Amos 2.5. and hauing so done, He will laugh at their destruction, Prov. 1.26. For this contempt, Pharaohs chariots, his chosen Captaines, and his hoste were couered in the deepe; they sanke to the bottome of the Sea, as a stone: they were all drowned, Exod. 15.4, 5. For this contempt, Saul was reiected from being King ouer Israel: he became his owne executioner; he fell vponupon his owne sword; 1. Sam. 31.4. For this contempt, Salomons kingdome wasi1. King. 11.11, 12. to be rent from him, and to be giuen to his seruant: it was accomplished in his sonnes dayes, in the dayes of Rehoboā: the Israelites made vntounto themselues a new King, euen Ieroboam, sonne of Nebat, 1. Kings 12.20. What was it, but this contempt, that broughtk2. Chr. 28.13. ruine to the state of Ahaz? What but this contempt, hath brought to nought many ancient and flourishing kingdomes, and nations? What else, hath laid their honor in the dust? Infinite should I be, would I produce all, that is deliuered in the Sacred Scriptures concerning this contempt of the Lord, and his holy lawes. The litle which I hauehave already brought out of that invaluable treasurie, may serue for the establishment, of my propounded doctrine; namely that The contempt of the law of the Lord is a very grieuous sinne.
You see the doctrine. Let vsus now make some vse of it to our selues.
Is it true beloued? Is it a grieuous sinne to despise the law of the Lord? Let this be a motiue to vsus to gage the very depth and bottome of our hearts, there to see, whether we hauehave sinned this sinne: whether we hauehave carried our selues contemptuously towards the law of the Lord.
Can we say concerning this law of the Lord, as that sweet singer of Israel, that holy man of God, King Dauid once said; that we hauehave not lPsal. 119.61.forgotten it; that, we hauehave not mvers. 51.declined from it; that, we hauehavenvers. 55. kept it; that, weovers. 113. louelove it; wepvers. 20. & 174 delight in it; ourqvers. 97. meditation is in it all the day; that its better vntounto vsus, thenrvers. 72. thousands of gold and siluer? Can we thus truely say? Then doubtlesse are we free from this sinne of Contempt of the law of the Lord.
But if we wilfully breake the law of the Lord: if we hauehave no feare, nor feeling of the iudgements threatned in that his holy law: if we runne on securely in our vngodly courses: if we prostitute our selues to all vncleannesse: if we be filled withsRom. 1.29. vnrighteousnesse, fornication, wickednesse, couetousnesse, maliciousnes: if we be puft vp with error, murther, debate, deceit, malignitie: if wee walke according to thetEphes. 2.2. course of the world, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of our flesh, taking delight in doing theuGalat. 5.19. workes of the flesh; then are we out of doubt guilty of this sinne, of despising the law of the Lord.
Wherefore let vsus, let eueryevery one of vsus, enter into the closet of our own hearts: examine we our selues, how we hauehave heretofore stood, and how we do now stand, affected to the law of the Lord Iudge we our selues, that we be not iudged of the Lord; condemne we our selues, that we be not condemned of the Lord. If we finde our selues hitherto to hauehave binx2. Tim. 2.26. intangled in the snares of Satan, to hauehave fashioned our selues to the manners of this sinfull world, to hauehave spent our dayes in vanities, and our nights vponupon the beds of wantonnesse, without any due regard of Gods holy lawes enacted in the high Court of Heauen to the contrary: our best way will be to betake our selues to the throne of mercy, there to begge of Him that sitteth vponupon the throne, the grace of vnfeined repentance: that sorrowing with a godly sorrow for our sinnes past, for our rebellion and disobedience to the law of the Lord, expressed in the wicked conuersation of our fore-passed liues, we may now at length become new creatures, creatures of new hearts, and new spirits, resoluing for the time to come to yeeld all obedience to the Law of the Lord, to frequent his Sanctuarie, where this law is vsually read and expounded to vsus, that God thereby may bee glorified, and our soules saued.
Thus farre of the sinne of Iudah, as it is expressed in the first branch of this third part of my text: They hauehave despised the law of the Lord. The doctrine grounded thereupon, was this: The contempt of the law of the Lord is a very grieuous sinne.
The vse made thereof vntounto our selues, was to stirre vp in vsus a desire of conforming our obedience to this law of the Lord.
The sinne of Iudah, is further expressed in the next clause: They hauehave not kept his Commandements.
Commandements] The word in the originall, and Hebrew fountaine is, foreign; a word repeated, Psal. 119. two and twenty times. The Septuagint translate it foreign: the vulgar Latin, and S. Hierome, mandata, iust as we do, mandates or commandements. Tremellius and Iunius hauehave statuta, statutes: some hauehave Ceremonias, Ceremonies; which soeuer of these translations we receiue, it will be consonant to the analogie of faith, and the precedent clause. For whosoeuer despiseth the law of the Lord, he obserueth not his ceremonies, he keepeth not his statutes, he keepeth not foreign, his mandats or commandements. So, this clause is but an exposition of the former. The same thing is twise said: 1. They hauehave despised the law of the Lord. 2. They hauehave not kept his commandements.
Is the same thing twise said? Let it be true, that by the lawes of the Lord, and the commandements of the Lord, one and the same thing be vnderstood: is it likewise all one, to despise, and not to keepe? or doth not our Prophet say lesse against the people of Iudah, where he saith, They hauehave not kept the commandements of the Lord, then when he saith, They hauehave despised the law of the Lord?
He may seeme to say lesse. But if we consider the force of the Hebrew phrase, we shall finde it to be otherwise. It is a rule,yDrusius. Hebraei per negationem contrarij vehementiùs affirmant: the Hebrewes by denying the contrary doe the more vehemently affirme. It may thus appeare. Solomon in his Prouerbs, chap. 17.21. saith, Non gaudet stulti pater, the father of a foole reioyceth not. This may seeme to be but coldly and slenderly spoken, not sufficiently to expresse that griefe, which fathers do conceiue at the disobedience of their sonnes, which the Wiseman there calleth foolishnes. But the phrase is very forcible; Non gaudet stulti pater; the father of a foole reioyceth not. Nemo quisquam vnquā ita dolet, quin idem aliquādo gaudeat, saithoDrus. obseruat. lib. 1. c. 22. a learned writer. There is scarse any man euer so grieued, but that at some one time, or other, he reioyceth: but if a man at all times, and eueryevery moment of time be grieued, of him we may truly say, Non gaudet, he reioyceth not. Non gaudet stulti pater: It is very fitly englished in our new translation: The father of a foole hath no ioy.
Here you, you who liue vnderunder the rule of your parents, be ye sonnes, or daughters, liuing vnderunder father, or mother, if you behaue your selues disobediently towards your Parents, in Salomons account you are fooles; and your Parents can hauehave no ioy in you. And, tell me, of whom should your Parents hauehave ioy, if not of you their children? S. Paules exhortation is not lightly to be esteemed by you. Heare therefore what he saith vntounto you, Ephes. 6.1. Children, obey your parents in the Lord. and vers. 2. Honor thy father, and mother. To the first he perswadeth you by a reason drawne from the schole of nature, It is right so to do. To the second he allureth you, by an argument drawne from your owne good, v. 3. So shall it be well with you, and you shall liue long vponupon the earth. and euer remember this same, Non gaudet of Salomon: Non gaudet stulti pater; The father of a foole, of a disobedient childe, hath no ioy.
A like phrase the same Salomon hath, Prou. 10.2. Non prosunt thesauri improbitatis: The treasures of wickednes profit not. This may seeme to be spoken but jeiunely, and sleightly, not sufficiently to expresse the hurt & mischiefe, that shall befall a man, for his goods vnlawfully, and dishonestly gotten. But the phrase is very forcible, Non prosunt thesauri improbitatis, the treasures of wickednes profit not. Quod in omni tempori nocet saythpDrusius, vbi suprà. one, de eo verissimè enuntiatur, non prodest. Name any thing, that at all times is hurtfull, and of it we may truely say, Non prodest, it doth not profit. Salomon hath named it: Thesauri improbitatis, the treasures of wickednesse. Non prosunt thesauri improbitatis: It is very fitly englished in our new translation, The treasures of wickednesse profit nothing, It is worth the marking: they profit nothing.
Heare you, you who heape vntounto your selues, Thesauros improbitatis, these same treasures of wickednesse, by your auarice, extortion, oppression, vsury, false-dealing with your neighbours, or otherwise vnlawfully. You may know, that these your treasures of wickednesse can profit nothing. They may be vntounto you obstacles, and impediments, to keepe you for euer without the gates of Heauen. What meaneth else our blessed Lord, and Sauiour Iesus Christ, in that his constant asseueration to his Disciples, Mat. 19.23. Verily, verily, I say vntounto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdome of Heauen? And againe, where he sayth, ver. 24. It is easier for a Camell to goe through the eye of a needle, then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God? And who is this rich man? Qui diuitijs, cor apponit; he that setteth his heart vponupon his riches, and trusteth in them: and not onelyonly he, but he also that getteth his goods vniustly, he that getteth thesauros improbitatis, those same treasures of iniquitie: whereof for the present I say no more, then what our Sauiour sayth to his Disciples, Mat. 16.26. What is a man profited, if hee shall gaine the whole world, and loose his owne soule? OnelyOnly I wish from my heart, that in your hearts were written this same; Non prosunt: Non prosunt thesauri improbitatis, the treasures of wickednesse doe profit nothing.
Will you now looke backe to my text, for the explication whereof I hauehave expounded to you a Non gaudet, and a Non prosunt. The first, Non gaudet, concerneth the Father of a disobedient childe, and importeth foreign gaudij, the privation of ioy: the Father of a disobedient sonne hath no ioy at all. The other, Non prosunt, is spoken of goods ill gotten, and importeth foreign vtilitatis, the privation of profit: Non prosunt, goods ill gotten profit nothing at all. My text hath answerable to those two, a Non obseruârunt. Non obseruârunt mandata eius, They hauehave not kept the commandements of the Lord. This may seeme to be but coldly and sleightly spoken, not sufficient to expresse the disobedience of the people of Iudah, towards the commaundements of the Lord. For there is no man liuing vponupon earth, that can keepe his commandements. And if the people of Iudah in this, sinned, but as other men ordinarily sinned, what great matter is it, that our Prophet here obiecteth to them? But the phrase here is very forcible. Non obseruârunt mandata eius: They hauehave not kept his commaundements. Here is implied foreign observantiae: a privation of obseruance. They hauehave not kept the commandments of the Lord in any one point. Couenant-breakers and apostates, as they were, they refused to be vnderunder the Lords commandements, and audaciously framed to themselues a new kind of worship, foreign, a will worship, a worship of their owne inuention; cultum plenum sacrilegijs, a worship full of sacriledge.
We see now, what it is, that our Prophet in this branch of my text, reprooueth in the people of Iudah; It is a Non obseruârunt a non obseruance, an vniuersall neglect of the commandements of the Lord. They tooke license to themselues, to innouate, to frame vntounto themselues a new kind of diuine worship; such as the Lord neuer approoued, yea, such as was contrarie to the expresse will of the Lord, and was forbidden by him. From this reproofe of Iudah, we may take this lesson:
Obedience to the commandements of the Lord, is a dutie which the Lord requireth to be performed by eueryevery childe of his. This truth is made as plaine, as the light at noone day, by the words of blessed Samuel to king Saul. 1. Sam. 15.22. Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings, and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better then sacrifice: and to hearken then the fat of Rams. For rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft, and stubbornnesse is as iniquitie, and idolatrie. In which words of Samuel, we hauehave the nature of two contraries, obedience, and disobedience, excellently disciphered. The one to be better then sacrifice: the other to be as witchcraft and idolatrie.
Obedience is better then sacrifice. ForzPer victimas aliena caro, per obedien…iam vero voluntas propria mactatur. Greg. Mor. lib. 35. cap. 10. he that offereth a sacrifice, offereth the flesh of a beast: but he that obeyeth, offereth his owne will, as a quicke and reasonable sacrifice, which is all in all. Disobedience is as witchcraft and idolatrie. For what else is disobedience, but when the Lord hath imposed some dutie vponupon vsus, wee then conferre with our owne hearts, as Saul consulted with the woman ofa1. Sam. 28.7. Endor; or as Ahaziah King of Samaria, withb2. King. 1.2. Baalzebub, the God of Ekron, whether the word of the Lord, shall be harkened to, yea, or no. Thus we set vp an Idol, within our owne brests against the God of Heauen, and despising, forsaking, not keeping his commandements, we follow the voice, and perswasion of our owne deuises.
To this place of Samuel (though of it selfe it be sufficient for the establishment of my propounded doctrine: Namely, that Obedience to the commandements of the Lord, is a dutie which the Lord requireth to be performed by eueryevery child of his) let vsus adde some other passages of holy Scripture, wherein the Lord to draw vsus to this dutie of obedience, promiseth vsus blessings.
Memorable is that protestation of Moses to the children of Israel. Deut. 11.26. Behold, I set before you this day a blessing, and a curse. A blessing if ye obey the commandements of the Lord your God; a curse, if ye obey them not. As if hee had thus said. Bethinke your selues, O ye children of Israel. Seeing God hath commaunded me to publish his law vntounto you, it is not for you to fal asleepe. He sheweth you, how you may prosper all your life long, namely, if you will obey him. Obey him, and prosper all your life long. Is not this a great blessing? But if you obey him not, the curse will ouertake.
This doth Moses more particularly deliuer, Deut. 28.1. If, saith he, thou shalt hearken diligently to the voice of the Lord thy God, to obserue and keepe all his commandements: that is, if yee hearken to the Lords voyce, to obey his commandements, and be carefull to keepe them, then shall you be blessed all manner of wayes; you shall be enuironed through Gods fauour, with all manner of well-fare, and prosperitie.
Will you a Catalogue of such blessings, as shall bee conferred vponupon you for your obedience to the commandements of the Lord? It is readie gathered to your hands, Deut. 28. Obey yee the Commandements of the Lord, so blessed shall yee be cVer. 3.in the cittie, and blessed in the field: dVer. 4.Blessed in the fruit of your bodies, and in the fruit of your grounds, and in the fruit of your cattell, and in the increase of your kine, and in the flockes of your sheepe: eVer. 5.Blessed in your baskets, and in your kneading troughs: fVer. 6.Blessed at your comming in, and blessed at your going out: gVer. 8.Blessed in your barnes, and in all that you set your hands to. These and many other blessings recited in that Chapter, are plainely promised, and shall as faithfully bee performed, if you obey the commaundements of the Lord your God.
But if you be stubborne, peruerse, and disobedient to the Commaundements of the Lord, then shall cursings as fast follow you: Then Cursed shall yee be in the cittie, andhDeut. 28.16. Cursed in the field: iVer. 18.Cursed in the fruit of your bodies, in the fruit of your ground, in the fruit of your cattell, in the encrease of your kine, and in the flocks of your sheepe: kVer. 17.Cursed in your baskets, and in your kneading troughs: lVer. 19.Cursed at your comming in, and cursed at your going out: mVer. 20.Cursed in your barnes, and in all that you set your hands to. These, and many other curses, recited in that Chapter, are plainely threatned, and shall as faithfully be performed, if you obey not the commandements of the Lord your God.
I will not too farre presume vponupon your patience. You hauehave heard of maledictions, or cursings against such as disobey the Commandements of the Lord. You hauehave heard also of benedictions, or blessings to such as obey the commaundements of the Lord. May it please you then to acknowledge this for an irrefragable truth; that,
Obedience to the commandements of the Lord, is a dutie which the Lord requireth to be performed of eueryevery childe of his.
What vse shall we now make of this Doctrine? This needs no great consultation. The vse is plaine: Is obedience, a dutie, which God requireth to be performed by all, who will be accounted in the number of his children? Then it is a dutie required to be performed by vsus. For who is there among vsus, that desireth not to be in the number of Gods children? Wherefore (dearely beloued in the Lord) let vsus betake our selues to the Schoole of obedience: And striue we eueryevery one to goe beyond his neighbour, in the offices of this Christian dutie.
Obedience! It hath praise with God and man. Obedience? It is the of-spring of the righteous! Obedience! It is, saythnIn scala paradisi. gradu de obedientia. Climacus, animae propriae perfecta abuegatio, spontanea mors, securum periculum, tuta nauigatio, iter dormiendo confectum, sepulchrum voluntatis, excitatio humilitatis. It is, sayth he, an absolute deniall of our selues; it is a voluntarie death, it is a securitie from danger, it is a safe nauigation, it is a iourney performed as it were in a sleepe, it is a sepulcher of our will, it is the stirrer vp of humilitie. The obedient man, he absolutely denieth himselfe; but, that he mayoMat. 16.24. follow Christ: he dyeth voluntarie, butp1. Pet. 2.24. vntounto sinne, that he may liue vntounto righteousnesse: though he be on eueryevery side enuironed with perils, yet is he secure, and feareth nothing: though he saile in the sea of this world, yet is his sayling safe: though hee iourneyeth in this valley of peregrination toward the Heauenly Ierusalem, yet he doth it, as it were in a sleepe, without molestation: he burieth the vnruly affections of his will; and spendeth the remainder of his abode here in the exercises of sweete humilitie. Thus shall the man be blessed that is obedient to the Commandements of the Lord his God.
It is said of the just. Psal. 112.6. In memoria aeterna erit iustus; The iust shall be in euerlasting memorie. It may bee likewise said of the obedient; In memoria aeterna crit obediens. The obedient shall be in euerlasting memorie. The Rechabites shall neuer want a testimonie of their obediēce, vnlesse the booke of Ieremy the Prophet, be againe cut with a pen-knife, and burnt, as in the dayes ofqIerem. 36.23. Zedechias. Ionadab their Father commaunded them to drinke no Wine, and for that commaundements sake, they would drinke none: they, nor their wiues, nor their sonnes, nor their daughters, Iere. 35.8. A worthy patterne of obedience. God himselfe commends it, and obiects it for a reproofe of the disobedience of his owne people, the inhabitants of Iudah. For vers. 13. Thus sayth the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Goe and tell the men of Iudah, and inhabitants of Ierusalem: The words of Ionadab, the sonne of Rechab, that he commanded his sonnes not to drinke wine, are performed; for vntounto this day they drinke none, but obey their fathers commaundement: Notwithstanding I hauehave spoken vntounto you, rising early, and speaking, but yee hearkened not vntounto me. This complaint of the Lord is redoubled, vers. 16. The sonnes of Ionadab, the sonne of Rechab, hauehave performed the commaundement of their Father, which be commaunded: but this people hath not hearkened vntounto me. May not the Lord now as iustly twit vsus, and hit vsus in the teeth, with this example of the Rechabites? He may without doubt. The Rechabites kept the commandement of their Father Ionadab, a mortall man, & now dead: but we keepe not the commaundements of our Father, our heauenly Father Iehovah, the immortall, and the euerliuing God.
Beloued, let vsus remember it. Disobedience hath neuer yet escaped the hands of Almightie God. It castrGen. 3.22. Adam and Eue out of Paradise;sGen. 19.26. Lots wife out of her life, and nature too,tNum. 16.32. Dathan, and Abiram into the mouth of the earth;u1. Sam. 15.23. Saul out of his kingdome;xIon. 1.15. Ionas out of the ship: the children of Israel out of their natiue soyle, yea, and from the naturall roote which bare them: whereof there is no other reason giuen, but their disobedience, Iere. 35.17. I hauehave spoken vntounto them, but they hauehave not heard; I hauehave called vntounto them, but they hauehave not answered.
Is not the case iust ours? God hath spoken vntounto vsus, but we hauehave not heard him: he hath called vsus, but we hauehave not answered him. He hath called vsus per beneficia, by his benefits, but we hauehave not answered him per yHugo Card. in Ierem. 35.gratitudinem, by our thankefulnesse: he hath called vsus per flagella, by his chastisements and scourges, but wee hauehave not answered him, per patientiam, & correctionem, by our patience, and amendment: he hath called vsus, per exempla, by examples, but we hauehave not answered him, perimitationem, by our imitation: he hath called vsus per praedicatores, by his Preachers; but we hauehave not answered him, per obedientiam, by our obedience to his word preached. He hath spoken to vsus, but we hauehave not heard him, he hath called vsus, but we hauehave not answered him.
Men and brethren, what shall we doe? When a multitude of Iewes pricked in the heart at the preaching of Peter, thus bespake Peter, and his fellow Apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we doe? Peters answere for himselfe, and the rest, was, Repent, Act. 2.38. This same, Repent; is the best lesson that we can learne. We hauehave not kept the commandements of the Lord our God, we daily transgresse them: and hereby are Heauen gates fast shut against vsus. The onelyonly way for vsus to hauehave them againe opened, is to Repent. Repentance is the most soueraigne medicine, that we can apply to the bitter wounds made in our soules through the sting of sinne. Oh! Let vsus not deferre, and put off this necessarie cure. One hath said very well:zDiez. Loco de poenitentia. Qui veniam per poenitentiam repromisit, diem crastinam ad poenitentiam non promisit. He that hath promised pardon to vsus, if wee Repent, hath not promised vsus, that to morrow wee shall repent.
Wherefore let vsus, laying a side all excuses: delayes, and prolonging of the time, let vsus euen this day, while it is called to day, with touched hearts and consciences resolue vponupon Repentance. Let vsus euen now hauehave setled purposes, and willing minds to forsake all sinne, and to turne to the Lord our God: this will be a good beginning of true conuersion, and Repentance. Let vsus follow it with perseuerance. Let not any idle sports, let not any houses of misrule, or disorder keepe vsus from the Church, and this place of sound instruction. Here shall wee all be taught of God, and by the mightie opperation of his holy Spirit, shall be enabled to louelove his holy Lawes, and in some measure to keepe his commaundements: that passing the remainder of our dayes in this land of our soiournings in all possible obedience, to his holy Lawes and Commaundements, we may at length be translated into that better Countrey, that Heauenly one, that cittie of God, wherein our eldest brother and sole Sauiour, Iesus Christ hath prouided places for vsus, that where he is there may we be also.