The Christian gouernour, in the common-wealth, and priuate families described by Dauid, in his 101. Psalme. Guiding all men in a right course to heauen. Herewith also a part of the parable of the lost sonne. Luke 15. Both expounded and opened by Robert Horn. With the doctrines and vses thence arising. The more particular contents see on the page following.

Vses.

* 1.1An instruction, when the hand of God is vpon a Country, in a scarcitie of graine, or other commodities, with Pha∣rao's chiefe Butler, to call our faults to minde that day, Gen. 41.9. when vvee

can say, This day this Scripture is fulfilled in our cares, Luke 4.21. or, this day there is great want in our Country, of bread and other sustenance; then, as A∣doni-bezek said, wee in a like case of pro∣portionate punishment, should say; As wee haue done, so God hath rewarded vs, Iudg. 1.7. We haue sinned in our food, and God hath diminished our food; the last yeere by want of raine, this yeere by too much raine: for, God hath left a remembrance behinde him, and vve may yet see where his finger was. What is the cause of this? Fulnesse of bread and drun∣kennesse haue raigned among vs. Some make a Noahs Arke of their bellies, vitai∣led with (I know not) how many kindes of Creatures. One is hungry, and another is drunken, 1 Cor. 11.21. And what ea∣ting with contempt of the poore? what ea∣ting, as in the dayes of Noah and of Lot, Luke 17.27.28. that is, what daintie and continuall eating? or eating like beasts, that eate all the day, and some part of the night? and eating with no re∣membrance of God; vsing Sauces to let downe excesse•• not to help the stomack,

but to oppresse it? Nature is content with a little, and Grace with lesse; but such feeders, no friends to Nature, and enemies to Grace, make it their Religion not to serue God, but that which is their God, the Belly, Phil. 3.19.

You will say, what is this to the poore? I answere, though they cannot offer so much to the belly, yet it may be the sinne as well of the poore as of the rich, to bring more then enough vnto it. A poore man may be giuen to his belly, and to consume himselfe that way, as soone as a richer man.

But let vs passe from this sinne to the sinne of Drunkennesse; and wee shall finde that rich and poore are drowned in it. For, the sinne of Gluttony, though foule in those that vse it, yet is it not so generall as this sinne of Drunkennesse, which (like the darknesse of Egipt, Exod. 10.22.) goeth ouer all the Land. Where men doe not onely, as a Assue∣rus Royall Feast, Hest. 1.7. change vessell after vessell, but emptie vessell after vessell, nor, (as then) drinke by order, but in no reasonable order: then, none might com∣pell

his fellow, ver. 8. so the King had com∣manded: Now, a man is inforced vnder the paine of the stabbe or thrust, to drinke the health or pledge of his friend: and a man giues his neighbour drinke, and makes him drunken, though the King and the Lawes of the Kingdome haue (otherwayes) commanded, Hab. 2.15. For, what drinking of healths, till men haue drunke themselues out of health, out of wit, and commonly out of common sense and honesty? I say out of common honestie. For what Goates doe they rise, when they rise from their drinke? how impure? how adulterous in their talke and doings so hard a thing it is to sleepe in Drunkennesse, and to watch against Adulterie, looke and com∣pare Prou. 23.29.33. These may bee called the Drunkards of a Land. Not they onely vvho cannot beare their drinke, and therefore fall downe like beasts, being wounded by some stron∣ger beast; but they much more, vvho are strong to poure in strong drinke, Esay 5.22. that is, are able to sit vvith the longest, and to drinke with the last

in the bottome of a Celler, turning downe bowle after bowle into some vn∣cleane Sincke-hole, or Throate, like a Sepulcher.

Townes and Countrey swarme with such dead Flyes, drowned in their po••s of excesse, Eccles. 10.1. of which wee may say, Death is in them, 2 Kings 4.40. and they Deaths guests that vse them, Prou. 9.18. For these sinnes, and be∣cause of these Pharaos, and their Host, who lye thus ouer-whelmed in the red-Sea of Drunkennesse, the Lord, this yeere, threatned our graine, both bread-corne, and drinke-corne: how farre his hand hath gone wee see, how much fur∣ther it might haue gone, who did not see, and feare, when the storme fell?

But, are these sinnes the onely sinnes that make such waste, and cause such want? or, is the Lord prouoked for these onely, to bring great necessitie vpon a Land? Surely, though these be great Wormes of the wealth of a Nation; yet there are moe consumers then these. For, haue not the Prodigall Sonnes of our Countrey (some of them) vvasted

their goods and flesh with Harlots; who rising vp full, haue neighed after their neighbours wiues, as a fed Horse after his Mate•• Ier. 5.8. Haue not some laid but all vpon vaine and chargeable bra∣uery from their Hat-string to their shooe-strings? Haue not some hid their Talent and Patrimonie in gorgeous and costly buildings, desiring to dwell in larger houses then their fathers builded, without all desire and care to keepe the good houses their fathers long main∣tayned? Haue not some turned all into smoake,* 1.2 by making that to passe through their mouth and nosthrils, in townes and Cities, which should, in good and cha∣ritable Hospitalitie, haue gone through the chimnies of their fayre Houses in the Country, whereof some (like a Plague-house) stand euer shut vp? Haue not some, hauing turned all to destru∣ction with the riots of Dice and Ga∣ming, turned beggars, who were Gentle∣men well descended and left? And how great is the number of those, who ha∣uing filled their mouths with the smoke, that hath beene spoken of, call in for

their pottels and gallons to quench it with large drunkennesse?

When wee consider such generall abuse of Gods blessings, and mens vn∣thankefulnesse for them, what maruell if God punish vs with scarcitie of fruits, and pouertie of estate? For this cause the Lord wrought fearefully in our eyes, the last Summer and the beginning of this. Let vs not forget his worke, his great worke, worthy to be remembred.

The last Summer there was little grasse to make into hay: this Summer and yeere, a great yeere of grasse; the ground neuer, in mans memorie, better clad with that commoditie. Yet how was her faire cloathing with grasse soy∣led with dirt, in many flouded Medowes within the Land this yeere? The last Summer the Sunne in his open chariot; this Summer, or the beginning of this, in his chariot couered with clouds. The last Summer, glorious: the beginning of this, wading in water. The Heauens, the last Summer, as brasse ouer our heads: this Summer, or beginning of this, as a Spring or Conduit. The last Summer,

bright and shining: this Summer, blacke (like a Hayre-cloath) ouer-cast vvith darknesse. The earth, the last Summer, as an Iron-earth: the beginning of this, as a marish-earth. The last Summer, ga∣ping with thirst: the beginning of this, drowned in raine and waters.

Doth the Lord worke so strangely and contrarily, in two yeeres so neare together, and in two Summers immedi∣ately following one another, to leaue no impression, and to get no audience? Is it not to shew what power he hath, both in his right and left arme, that the care∣lesse in our Land may feare and be humbled before his great glory? Is it not to make them to call their sinne to remembrance, and their hearts to re∣pentance? This is the end of the Lords smiting a Land with sore diseases and long dearth, that that Land by such vi∣sitation and humblings might mourne, girded with sacke-cloath, like a virgin, for the husband of her youth, Ioel 1.8. But if for all this, it laugh and reioyce with sin∣ners; the Lord hath not lost that corre∣ction: for, hee will loose nothing by

any that is hardened desperately in his sinne; but hath left it, as his witness•• among vs, of a smarter, if the easier can∣not preuaile, or of our most certaine destruction, if he shall say, why should ye be smitten any more? Esa. 1.5.

* 1.3A reproofe of those, who in a matter of such punishment, as this Land hath beene lately vnder, by two vnseasonable Sommers, looke not into their sinnes, as causes, but (altogether) into the face of the skie, and the distempers there, bla∣ming them. Wee set our sinnes against God, and hee setteth his creatures, for sinne, against vs. Wee refuse to serue God, they grudge as much to serue vs. A wise man considereth this, and consi∣dering, findeth in his Christian search, the true cause of all such distempers in the skie, and alterations on earth to be in that ill vveather, that commeth from the corrupt Ayre, and mud of the age and times, in which wickednes so aboun∣deth. Hee that gathereth other wayes, is vnwise; or, as one that is blinde, and can not see a farre off, 2. Pet. 1.9. It is so (then) that God did thunder maruailous∣ly

with his voyce, this yeere, Iob 37.5. and in these parts on the Sabbath? What maruaile, when on the Sabbath, vvee drumme against God, hee, on the Sab∣bath also should thunder against vs? two or b 1.4 three Moones haue changed, but vvith small change of the weather, from euill to better: and what maruaile if the weather bee not changed, when our hearts are not changed? and vvhen we looke into the change of the Moone, and not to the change of our wayes? If we would set the signe of the weather, not in the Moone or Starres, but in our good conuersation in Christ, we should haue better signes of better seasons then haue lately appeared.

But some, when there is any ill wea∣ther vp, talke and complaine of some Coniurings abroad. To such I may say; if they would driue out of themselues Satans great host of lusts, and those, more then seuen, or seuen-times seuen Deuils, which haue so possessed them by custo∣mary and familiar sinnefulnesse, they shall see a present calme and end in all stormes.

Iob sayth, Miserie commeth not foorth of the dust, Iob 5.6. his meaning is, these miseries that so many complaine of•• come from sinne; not from the dust of the earth, but from these bodies of dust, and the bodie of sinne. God is able to giue vs raine in season, and the appointed weekes of the Haruest, Ier. 5.24. The raine we haue had hath beene vnseason∣able and the weekes vve haue seene, haue proued vncomfortable. Commeth this from the Earth, and (altogether) from a troubled skie? no, but our iniquities haue turned away these things, and our sinnes haue hindred good things from vs, Ier. 5.25. When the childe beginneth to play vvith his meat, a wise Father will take it from him; vvee haue abused our plentie, and doe still abuse it: and what can vve looke for from so wise a Father, as our Father in Heauen, but penury and dearth after fulnesse so abused? So farre of the punishment, which was by occasion, and generall vpon the Coun∣trie; that which was particular vpon this lost Sonne, followeth.

[And hee began to bee in necessitie.] The Countrie being punished with a great dearth, the lost Sonne is here sayd to haue had his part in the generall af∣fliction: for hee (also) began to be in ne∣cessitie, that is, the generall want exten∣ded to him, as his sinne was in it, and hee tasted of the cup of the common ca∣lamitie. Hee was in want, and as appea∣reth by the 16. verse, in great want: which want, and great want, was layd vp∣on him, iustly for his wastes, and secret∣ly for his good, by his heauenly Father, to bring him to repentance; and by re∣pentance, home to himselfe. Where, wee are to consider the kinde of punish∣ment, and effects thereof, verse 15. the kinde of punishment was the straites of hunger, such as the Land endured, and he vvas in. For, the Lord set pouertie before him, and sent miserie into him, that inwardly and outwardly, hee might draw him to himselfe vvith strong cordes of loue, Hose 2.8 9. before, (no doubt) he had knocked at the dore of his heart by the word; that is, by exhortations, ad∣monitions, threatnings, promises, and

there was no opening, Apocal. 3.20. Now, hee knocketh by his iudgements, as before by his word, saying to such ser∣uants, Compell him to come in, Luke 14.23.

* 1.5The Doctrine is, when the word can∣not reclaime vs, God will vse other meanes to make vs to looke home. God doth seeke vs by his Word: if hee can∣not finde vs by it, hee will make vs to seeke him by his iudgements. Hee will beate vs gently vpon our coates: and if yet vvee continue in sinne, hee will vvhip our naked consciences. GOD would not cast away his people which hee knew before, Roman. 11.2. and whom hee deliuered from the hand of the enemie, with signes and great wonders, in Egipt, and in the terrible wildernesse: There∣fore, vvhen they left off to serue him in righteousnesse, as they did after the dayes of Iosua, and after the dayes of the Elders that ouer-liued Iosua, doing wickedly in his sight, & seruing Baalim, Iudg. 2.11. Hee taught them in mercy, by his word, and with great signes by the Iudges, whom hee raised vp, as Sauiours,

to deliuer them, verse 16. but vvhen they would not obey their Iudges, and vvhen they went a whoring after their Gods, verse 17. hee made them to crie for the affliction, Iudg. 3.9. that is, when hee could not by gentlenesse reduce them, he tried other meanes, and those of some sharpenesse, to winne them, Iudg. 3.12.15. and 4.2.3. Of this peo∣ple, further, it is said, that when they had their desire, they were not turned from their lust: Moses and Aaron could doe no good vpon them, Psal. 78.29.30. what did the Lord then? hee strooke some vvith sickenesse, and slewe some with death: and when he slew them, they sought him, verse 34. that is, when hee layd af∣fliction vpon them, and sent death a∣mong them, they would stand out no longer, but returned earely, that is, pre∣sently: though more in shew then in heart. And (thus) whom he could not reforme by his word, hee reformeth or seemeth to haue reformed with strokes. Ephraim, and the Princes of Iudah, would not giue their mindes to turne vnto God, Hose. 5.4. and though the

Lord sent Hosea, Amos, Ioel, and other Prophets vnto them, to turne them from that spirit of vanitie, and whoredomes, that was in the middes of them, and a∣mong them; yet would they not know IEHOVA; therefore hee spoiled and wounded them, that is, spoiled them in their estate, and wounded them in their persons, Hose 5.14. that they might ac∣knowledge their faults, and seeke him, verse 15. Hee hid himselfe, to weet, in his louing countenance, verse 6. that they might seeke him in affliction, verse 15. and went and returned to his place, ibid. that is, seemed (as Christ) to goe further, Luke 24.28. that they might constraine him, saying one to another, Come, let vs re∣turne to the Lord; for he hath spoiled, and he will heale vs: he hath wounded vs, and hee will binde vs vp, Hos. 6.1.

When Ionah would not come backe without a storme, God sent out a storme, or winde of commaundement, to fetch him, Iona. 1.4. As (therefore) the needle maketh way for the threed: so GOD boareth the eare by piercing troubles, that his word may enter that word,

which is the threed and twist of Euange∣licall Saluation. The reasons are:

• First, God loueth all his children; and as many as he loueth, he chasteneth. Apoc. 3.19. that is, breaketh them (as Colts) of their vnhappy touches, with his rod of nurture, Pro. 3.12. and (here) he dealeth with his children, as earthly Parents doe with theirs: they passe from words to blowes, when words can doe nothing.
• Secondly, God will loose none of his children, and (therefore) if they wan∣der (like strayes) from their Fathers house, hee will call them home by his word, or vvhippe them home with cha∣stisements, Psal. 23.4.
• Thirdly, God doth, and euer will, put difference betweene Sonnes & Bastards. Now, if wee be vvithout correction, wee are Bastards, and not Sonnes, Hebr. 12.8. and, vvho can better tell how to re∣forme the heart then hee that made it?

Notes

• * 1.1

  Vse 1.
• * 1.2

  As one said lately at the Crosse.
• * 1.3

  Vse 2.
• b 1.4

  This, at the end of the last Spring, & beginning of the last Sommer, which were alto∣gether wet.
• * 1.5

  Doctr.