A view of the threats and punishments recorded in the Scriptures, alphabetically composed with some briefe observations upon severall texts / by Zachary Bogan ...

Sacriledge.

It is threatned with a Curse. Will a man rob God? Yet yee have robbed mee. But yee say, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and of∣ferings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation, Mal. 3. 8, 9.

It hath been punished.

1 With Shortnesse of life. As in the fa∣mily of Eli; whose sonnes Hophni & Phine∣has used to take away the flesh, which the people brought for offerings, to rost it for themselves. But what said Eli of this sinne? 1 Sam: 2. 25. If one man sinne against another, the judge shall judge him; But if a man sinne against the Lord, who shall entreat for him? not∣withstanding, they hearkned not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay thē. See the punishment denounced from v. 31, to the end of the Chapter.

2 The death of the party. Achan, (who at the taking of Jericho, stole some of the gold and silver, which was before consecrated for the Lords treasury, Josh. 6. 19.) was by God's speciall sentence condemned to bee burnt, ch: 7. 15. and accordingly the people stoned him first, and burnt him afterwards, vers. 25.

3 The conquest of the people, to which hee belonged. Josh. 7. 5. Hitherto may you reduce the example of Belshazzar King of Babylon.

who upon a time (in his jollity) commanded to be brought forth to drink in, the golden and silver vessels, which his father Nebu∣chadnezzar had taken out of the Temple at Jerusalem. But it is said, that before one hour passed, the hand came forth, and wrote in the wall, those words that told him, his king∣dome was divided and given to the Medes & Persians, Dan: 5. 2, 5, 28. If I would follow others, I might give you for examples, Asa, and Jehoash Kings of Judah, Shishak King of Egypt, and Ananias and Sapphira. But be∣cause I take the sin of the two last, to be no proper sacriledge; & that it was not so much the detaining of the mony, that was puni∣shed. And because I meet with no particular relation of Shishak••s punishment, as inflicted for this sinne▪ And lastly, because of the two first, it is not onely not mentioned, that they were punished for this sin; but said, that they were punished for other causes; Asa, for relying on the King of Syria, 2 Cor. 16 7: and Jehoash, for the blood of the sonnes of Je∣hoida the Priest, 2 Chron. 24, 25: I think it is not best to make this use of them. I might also present to you for your use, examples out of the Maccabees. As I Alcimus a Commander under Demetrius. who as he be∣gan to pull downe the wall of the inner Court, and the works of the Prophets (Hag∣gai

and Zachary, by whose perswasions the walls were built) was stricken dumb, and di∣ed suddenly, 1 Mac. 9. 54. 2 Heliodorus. who when hee came to the treasury of the temple to take it away, saw a strange appa∣rition, and was stricken to the ground, 2. Mac. 3. 25. and 27. 3 Menelaus, one who had committed much sacriledge first & last. Against him it is said, the King of Kings mo∣ved the mind of Antiochus; who caused him to be put to death, after the manner as sa∣crilegio••s persons were* 1.1 wont to be at Be∣rea. 2 Mac. 13. 4. But, because the faith of these relations is suspected, I doe but name them. Whether these and other examples that might be brought, bee truly related, or not; of this you may be confident, that, hee who takes a thing sacrilegiously, is most ta∣ken himselfe. For, It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, Prov. 20. 25

Notes

• * 1.1

  See the manner de∣scribed 2 Macc. 13. 5, 6, 7.