THE Thirteenth Lecture.

THis third part of this third Chapter, but se∣cond Sermon of Amos to the kingdome of the ten Tribes, I stiled an 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, an Exorna∣tion, pertaining to the proposition deliuered in the second verse. It amplifieth the iniquitie of the Israelites from the testification of for∣ren nations: as thus; You, you of Israel, your sinnes are so notorious, so grosse, so palpable, that very stran∣gers, Philistines, and Aegyptians, may take notice of them. Sith you of your selues are not touched with a conscience of your euill deeds, them, the Philistines and Aegyptians, I call as witnesses and Iudges of your impurity and vncleannesse. It is the scope of this passage.

The passage consisteth of two parts,

• An Accusation, vers. 9, 10.
• A Commination, vers. 11.

In the ninth verse, a part of the Accusation, two things haue beene obserued:

An Iniunction for a Proclamation, Publish in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the Land of Aegypt, and say.

The Proclamation it selfe; Assemble your selues vpon the Mountaines of Samaria: and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof.

In the Proclamation, two sinnes were controuled: Cruelty, and Couetousnesse. Their Cruelty in their great tumults; their Couetousnesse in their oppressions.

In the tenth verse, the other part of the Accusation, those two enormities, Cruelty and Couetousnesse, are amplified from two Topickes; à genere, & à specie; from the Genus, thus: They know not to doe right. From the Species, thus: They store vp violence and robbery in their palaces. That so it is, God is produced for witnesse, for Neum Iehouah, The Lord hath said it.

These particulars yeelded materialls for my two former Sermons. Now from the Accusation I proceed to the Com∣mination, vers. 11.

The words are a denunciation of punishment: concerning which we may obserue,

• The Cause.
• The Author.
• The Punishment it selfe.

The Cause is implied in the particle, Therefore.

The Author is the Lord God.

The Punishment, is a conquest by warre, and is described,

• 1 By the Siege.
• 2 By the Victory.
• 3 By the Spoile.

An aduersary there shall be euen round about the Land: there is the Siege, the whole Land beset round about.

And he shall bring downe thy strength from thee: there is the Victory, the ouerthrow of their strong men.

And thy palaces shall be spoiled. The Spoile is at the lust of the Page  218 conquerour. An aduersary there shall be euen round about the Land, and he shall bring downe thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled.

I haue shewed you the limits and bounds of my future dis∣course. I will handle them as they lye in order, beginning with the cause of the punishment, implied in this particle, Therefore.

Therefore] It is a particle befitting a Commination. It hath relation to the former verses, and pointeth to the sinnes there touched: to the great tumults in the middest of Samaria, and the oppressions there, vers. 9. to the ignorance of God, and his will; to their violence and robbery stored vp in their palaces, vers. 10. The relation that this particle hath to those sinnes, sheweth that those sinnes are the cause of the punishment here denoun∣ced: as if our Prophet had thus spoken: Because you, that are the Princes and Potentates of Samaria, doe oppresse the poore and needie, Therefore will I bring against you mightier than your selues, that shall oppresse and spoile you.

Therefore! The obseruation is,

In this my Thesis, by euill I vnderstand malum poenae, the euill of punishment, or the euill of affliction. Affliction or pu∣nishment, whereof sinne is the cause, is two fold, internall or externall; either inward or outward. The inward pertaineth to the minde, the outward to the body. For the punishment of sinne is to be measured and defined, not only by the torments of the body, or by the mortality of this life, but also by the most grie∣uous affliction of the soule: as by the crookednesse, obliquitie, and blemish of the soule, by an euill conscience, by the wrath of God which is importable; by the guilt of sinne, whereby wee are obliged to punishment; by vitious habits whereby we are inclined to a multitude of sinnes. Foecundum est peccatum; non ibi definit, vbi incipit. Sin is fruitfull; if it once begin, it leaues not there; the worst thing of it is behinde, euen the extreme anguish and horrour of the soule.

Againe, affliction or punishment, whereof sinne is the cause, is either publike or priuate.

Publike afflictions, I call such wherof many men at once haue a sense and feeling: Such are the flouds of great waters; the ruine of Cities by earth-quakes; the waste done in them by fire, warre, euill beasts, pestilence, famine, tyrannie, persecution, the death of good Princes, heresie, schisme, euery common mi∣sery. All these are publike.

Priuate afflictions are such, as priuate men in their owne par∣ticular doe suffer; as sicknesse, griefe, infamie, pouerty, imprison∣ment, death.

Of all these afflictions or punishments, whether publike, or priuate, or outward, or inward, sinne is the cause.

Sinne! It is causa 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, it is efficiens impellen•; it is the impulsiue cause of all afflictions or punishments: it fetcheth downe vengeance from the Maiestie of Heauen. It brought that same vniuersall deluge vpon the whole world, Gen. 7.17. It brought downe fire and brimstone vpon Sodome and Go∣morrah, Gen. 19.24. It caused the Land of Canaan to spue out her inhabitants, Leuit. 18.25. It will make any Land sit mour∣ning like a desolate widow, or a distressed mother, robbed of her children, and spoiled of all her comforts. It is auouched by the Psalmist, Psal. 107.34. A fruitfull Land God turneth into bar∣rennesse, for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein. It is that, whereof the Prophet Ieremie complaineth, Chap. 12.4. How long shall the Land mourne, and the herbes of euery field wither, for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein? Turne to the Prophecie of Micah, Chap. 1.4. Behold there, the mountaines melting as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are powred downe a steepe place, for no other cause, but for the transgression of Iacob, and for the sinnes of the house of Israel.

Thus farre for the confirmation of my doctrine:

Saint Augustine Serm. 139. de tempore, thus deliuers it: Malorum omnium nostrorum causa peccatum est: Sinne is the cause of all our euills. Non enim sine causâ homines mala ista patiuntur; It is not to be imagined that men suffer affliction without cause. God is iust; he is omnipotent. Nullo modo ista Page  220 pateremur, si non mereremur. Surely, no euill could befall vs, if we deserued it not. There is not a man that sinneth not; and the least sinne that he committeth, deserueth all the misery that can be laid vpon him.

This truth may teach vs, First, in time of affliction to ac∣knowledge our sins to be the cause thereof, and to profit there∣by vnto amendment.

Secondly, it may teach vs to iustifie God, whensoeuer hee shall afflict vs, and to beare his visitation with patience. Where∣fore doth a liuing man complaine, a man for the punishment of his sinnes? Lament. 3.39. A man for the punishment of his sinnes, wherefore doth he complaine? Let vs search and trie our wayes, and turne againe vnto the Lord; we haue transgressed, and re∣belled against him, and therefore he afflicteth vs. My resolution shall be in the words of Micah the Prophet, Chap. 7.9. I will beare the indignation of the Lord, because I haue sinned against him.

And let this suffice to haue beene spoken of my first gene∣rall, the cause of the punishment here denounced, implied in this particle, Therefore. I proceed to my next generall, the Author of this punishment, the Lord God. Therefore, thus saith the Lord God.

Thus saith the Lord] It is a note wherewith the Prophets for the most part doe begin their preachings, and prophecy∣ings, to shew that they deliuer nothing, but what is of diuine credit and authority.

Thus saith the Lord] Dicit Dominus, saith the Lord. Dice∣re, with the Prophets, signifieth consilium certum, certámque sententiam, as Arias Montanus vpon this text obserueth. To say, signifieth a certaine, a determined sentence or iudgement: it implieth, not so much any verball speech, as the strength and efficacie of reason and cogitation. Saith the Lord, that is, the Lord hath in his secret and infallible counsell decreed and de∣termined to effect what is by the Prophet here denounced.

Thus saith Adonai Iehouih, the Lord God. With these two names of God, Adonai Iehouih, wee haue met twice alreadie in this Chapter, verse 7. and 8. Sith they are here Page  221 againe, they are againe by vs to be saluted: but briefly.

Adonai, the Lord. The name is found in holy Scripture 134. times. It is the obseruation of the Massorets.* Rambam maketh this name to be equiualent to the name Iehouah: so doth the Talmud. Yet is there a difference betweene them.* A∣donai is the name of God of his sustentation and dominion; but Iehouih is his name of existing or being. By Adonai wee know that God alone is absolutely Lord, Ruler and Gouernour of all things; yea and our Lord. By Iehouih, that of himselfe and by himselfe, He euer was, is, and shall be:* that of him all crea∣tures haue their being; and that he giueth a reall being to all his promises and threats.

Adonai Iehouih, the Lord God, he that is iudex iustissimus, the most iust Iudge, and suffereth not a sinne to passe without due punishment, He is here presented vnto you for the Author of the punishment here denounced. The obseruation is,

And here by euill I vnderstand as in my former obseruation, the euill of punishment, or the euill of affliction, priuate or pub∣like, internall, or externall: God is the Author of all.

It is proued aboue in this Chap. vers. 6. Shall there be euill in a citie, and the Lord hath not done it? No, there shall be none; no euill of paine, punishment or affliction, but the Lord doth it. This is it, the Lord assumeth to himselfe, Esai. 45.7. I the Lord; I forme the light, and create darknesse: I make peace, and create euill; I the Lord doe all these things. It is thus in the Pa∣raphrase: I am the Lord; and there is none else. I send into the world light and darknesse, prosperity and aduersitie: I giue peace, and with it tranquillity and abundance, and I giue that which is contrary to peace, euill, warre, and misery, and per∣turbation, and pouertie: I, the Lord doe all these things.

It is no more than what he takes vnto himselfe, Ier. 18.11. For there also, thus saith the Lord, Behold, I frame euill against you, and deuise a deuice against you: where by euill vnderstand with Tertullian lib. 2. aduersus Marcionem cap. 24. Mala non peccatoria, sed vltoria, Euill not of sinne, but of reuengement. Page  222 In which sense wee are to take euill in all those places of holy writ, wherein God either bringeth or threatneth to bring euill vpon any. By euill in all such places, as in this my Thesis, we are to vnderstand the euill of reuengement, the euill of punish∣ment, or the euill of affliction. Of euery such euill God is the Author.

God is the Author of punishment. I say of punishment, non quòd poena sit ens quoddam, not as if the euill of punishment had a being, as other things haue which God made. For God is improperly said to be the efficient of punishment; sith punish∣ment of its owne nature,* is nothing else than priuatio boni, the priuation, or absence, of that we call good; or the with-hol∣ding of Gods blessings from vs. The Father of the Schooles thus deliuers it:* Cum summum bonum perfectissimum sit, mali causa esse non potest, nisi per accidens. God being the chiefest good and most perfect, cannot be the author of euill but by accident.

The author of euill by accident! How is that? Why thus? When God withdraweth from the earth his heauenly benedi∣ctions, forbidding the clouds to giue their raine, or the Sunne his influence, and taking from vs our health, our peace, or any other temporall blessing, hee is the author of euill. And this may serue for the proofe and explanation of my second Do∣ctrine, which was,

The reason hereof is, because nothing is done in the world, but God is the principall doer of it: and therefore no euill can befall vs, but God is the author of it.

Is it thus? Hence then in the first place, are they to be re∣proued, who thinke, that the Lord doth onely suffer many things to be done. He is not only a sufferer, but an orderer, guider, and gouernour of all things and actions.

Secondly, from hence may be confuted, the vaine opinion of Fortune, whereunto many Philosophers and carnall ignorant people vse to ascribe those things whereof they see not an ap∣parant cause. What more casuall in this world than Lottery? Page  223 Yet, therein nothing falleth out by fortune, but all is wholly and altogether directed by the infinite and eternall prouidence of Almighty God: Salomon expresly affirmeth it, Prou. 16.33. The lot is cast into the Lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.

Thirdly, from hence wee learne that all our afflictions are from God; and are therefore by vs to be borne with patience. God verily loueth those that are his, and yet notwithstanding he suffereth them to be afflicted, because it is expedient for them so to be: yet in their afflictions he yeeldeth them com∣fort. Saint Paul blesseth God for it, 2 Cor. 1.3. Blessed be God, euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, who comforteth vs in all our tribu∣lation. Who comforteth vs in all our tribulation; he saith not, who suffereth vs not to be afflicted, but who comforteth vs, while we are afflicted. It is the obseruation of S. Chrysostome and Theophylact. God though he suffer vs to be afflicted, yet he comforteth vs whē we are afflicted. Our afflictions, they are Emendatoriae potiùs, quàm interfectoriae, as Saint Augustine speaketh, lib. 3. de lib. Arbit. cap. 25. They tend rather to amend vs, than to destroy vs. And sweetly Saint Cyprian. Ep. 8. Deus quem corripit, diligit: quando corripit, ad hoc corripit, vt emen∣det, ad hoc emendat vt seruet: Whom God correcteth, him he loueth: when he correcteth him, hee doth it to amend him, and he amendeth him that he may saue him.

And thus much be spoken of my second generall, the Au∣thor of this punishment, The Lord God. My third followeth, the punishment here denounced; which is a conquest by warre; and is described by the Siege, by the victory, and by the spoile. Of the Siege first, for it is the first in order. The words are,

An aduersary there shall be euen round about the Land] The old Interpreter translates it, Tribulabitur & circuietur terra; the Land shall be troubled and compassed about. Brentius, Ob∣sidebitur & circumdabitur terra, the Land shall be besieged and beset round about.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Tsar in the originall is rendred Arctator by Montanus; Tribulator, by Occolampadius; Aduersarius, by Caluin and Page  224 Drusius; Hostis, by Tremelius, Piscator, and Gualter; It is Tri∣bulatio with Vatablus and Mercer; but Angustiae with Iona∣than. Well; be it either Arctator, or Tribulator, or an Ad∣uersary, or an Enemie; or be it Tribulation, or be it Anguish; it is not in a little part or corner of the Land, but in circuitis terrae, it is in the circuit of the Land, it enuironeth the whole Land. The Septuagint haue a reading by themselues, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: Tyre shall be made de∣solate; round about shall thy Land be wasted. Saint Cyril will haue them thus to be vnderstood: From Tyre and the Land thereabout the whole countrey shall by the incursions of rob∣bers be brought to desolation. Tyrus is in Hebrew Tzor; so is it in the first Chapter of this prophecie, vers. 9. It seemes the S•ptuagint did in this place reade Tzor, as also Aquila once did reade.* But now the common reading of this place is Tzar: and Tzar is an enemie or aduersary, and hath other significati∣ons, whereof euen now you heard. Thus our English translati∣on is cleared, it is good.

An aduersary there shall be euen round about the Land] This aduersary is the Assyrian, the King of Assyria, Salmanassar; He with his armies is to come against the Citie and King∣dome of Samaria: he shall so beset and beleaguer the whole countrey round about, that there shall be no escaping for any of the inhabitants. According to this prediction it came to passe some sixty fiue yeares after,* in the ninth yeare of the reigne of Hoshea son of Elah King of Israel, as it is, 2 King. 17.6.

An aduersary there shall be euen round about the Land] Now from this circumstance of the Siege of Samaria so long before threatned, ariseth this obseruation,

Origen lib. 4. contra Celsum, saith, God punisheth no man, but whom he doth first warne, terrifie, and aduertise of the pe∣rill. And surely, herein appeareth Gods mercy, that he threat∣neth before hee punisheth, that by his threatning men might learne to amend. He threatneth, saith S. Chrysostome, Hom. 12. in Genes. Vt nobis correctis, min as ad opus minimè perducat, Page  225 that we being amended, his menacing need not take effect.

If this were not the end of Gods threatnings, why doth Ze∣phaniah Chap. 2.1, 2. thus exhort the Iewes? Gather yourselues together, yea gather together, O Nation not desired. Before the decree bring forth, before the day passe as the chaffe, before the fierce anger of the Lord come vpon you; before the day of the Lords anger come vpon you. Seeke yee the Lord, seeke righteous∣nesse, seeke meekenesse: it may be, yee shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger. He calleth vpon the Iewish Nation to returne from their euill waies by true repentance. Where behold (saith Saint Hierome) the clemencie of God, Quia non vult inferre supplicia, sed tantum terrere passuros, ipse ad poenitentiam prouo∣cat, ne faciat quod minatus est. Because Gods will is, rather to terrifie them, than to lay punishments vpon them, he incites them to repentance, that he be not driuen to doe, as he hath threatned.

This is that same 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, it is the good∣nesse, the forbearance, the long suffering of God, whereof Saint Paul speaketh, Rom. 2.4. Despisest thou, O man, the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance, and long suffering, not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance? It leadeth to repentance. It is vouchsafed vnto vs to the amendment of life. And thus is my obseruation established,

One reason hereof is; because if after threatning repentance follow, it procureth the forgiuenesse of sinne, and taketh away the cause of the punishment. Sinne is the cause of Gods iudge∣ments; this wee heard euen now. If the cause bee remoued, the effect will cease. For so saith the Lord, Ez•ch. 33.14, 15. When I say vnto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die, if hee turne from his sinne and doe that which is lawfull and right, hee shall surely liue, he shall not die.

A second reason I take from the end of Gods threatnings. The end whereat he aimeth, when he threatneth, is not the de∣struction of them that are threatned, but their amendment. For thus saith the Lord, Ezech. 18.23. Haue I any pleasure at all Page  226 that the wicked should die, and not that he should returne from his wayes and liue? This by way of interrogation. But it is by way of assertion, Ezech. 33.11. and is backed with an oath; As I liue saith the Lord God, I haue no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turne from his way and liue. As I liue, it is so. Here may wee say, as Augustine some-where said of Christ: Felices nos, propter quos ipse Deus iurat; Hap∣pie are we for whom God himselfe sweareth. But infoelices, si ne iuranti quidem credimus; Wretched are we, if wee beleeue him not vpon his oath.

I shall but point at the vses of this doctrine, because I haue handled them at large in my fourth Sermon vpon this Chapter.

The first is to teach vs, that in the greatest and most feare∣full threatnings of Gods iudgements, there is comfort remaining, hope of grace and mercy to be found, health in sicknesse, and life in death.

The second is a warrant for vs of the Ministery to propound vnto you the threatnings of God with condition of repentance: and thus we offer vnto you grace and mercy, to as many of you, as shall be of humble and contrite hearts.

The third is a warning vnto you, to all that haue this grace and fauour with God to be hearers of his holy word. It is your parts whensoeuer you shall heare of the threatnings of Gods iudgements against sinners, to stirre vp your selues vn∣to repentance, thereby to preuent the wrath of God and to stay his iudgements.

The fourth is to assure vs, that if God threaten and no repen∣tance follow, then certainly the threatnings pronounced will come to passe. God threatneth not in vaine, nor doth he terri∣fie vs without cause. If we preuent not his threatnings by true repentance, his threatnings will preuent vs by iust execution.

And so much be spoken of the first doctrine arising from this circumstance of the siege of Samaria, foretold so long before it tooke effect. A second doctrine arising from the same, is,

Enemies are by God himselfe raised vp to inuade a land for the punishment of the sinnes of Prince and people. Vnlesse God send them, they cannot come neere our Cities, they cannot besiege vs. God doth raise them vp.

He raiseth vp the Medes against the Babylonians, Esay 13.17. I stirre vp the Medes, who shall not regard siluer, nor shall they delight in gold. Their bowes shall dash the young men to pee∣ces; they shall haue no pitie on the fruit of the wombe; their eye shall not spare children; Babylon the glory of Kingdomes, the beauty of the Chaldees excellencie, shall be as when God ouer∣threw Sodome and Gomorrah.

Hee raiseth vp the Chaldeans against the kingdome of Iu∣dah, Habac. 1.6. I raise vp the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty Nation, which shall march thorow the breadth of the land, to pos∣sesse the dwelling places that are not theirs.

He raiseth vp the Romans against Ierusalem, Luke 19.43. The dayes shall come vpon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compasse thee round, and keepe thee in on euery side; and shall lay thee euen with the ground, and thy chil∣dren within thee; they shall not leaue in thee one stone vpon an∣other.

God is he that raiseth vp enemies against a Land to inuade it. Did not God send them, they could doe nothing against vs.

The reason is, because they haue no power against vs, except it be giuen them by God. So Christ told Pilate, Ioh. 19.11. Thou couldest haue no power at all against me, except it were gi∣uen thee from aboue.

The vses follow. One is to teach vs not to feare man, but God, that giues power vnto man.

A second is to admonish vs, that wee be not like the dogge that snatcheth at the stone that is cast at him without regard vnto the thrower. If God send an enemie to inuade vs, our ey• must be vpon God that sendeth him.

A third is to aduise vs, to labour to be at one with God. It will be our best bulwarke against an inuader.

And so I come to gather a third doctrine from this circum∣stance of the siege, An aduersary there shall be euen round about the land.

In circuitu terrae: He shall so beset the land round about, that there shall be no euasion for any of the inhabitants. My obseruation shall be that of Brandmyller in his Typicall A∣nalysis,

The extent or greatnesse of the Kingdome whereof thou art, what can it auaile thee? Hee that once for sinne couered the whole earth with an armie of waters, can now for sinne enui∣ron the greatest kingdome of the earth with an armie of warri∣ours. And flagellum inundans cum transierit, eritis ei in concul∣cationem, Esay 28.18. When the ouer-flowing scourge shall passe thorow, then yee shall be troden downe by it. Eritis ei in conculcationem, that is, saith Saint Hierome, you shall suffer all those torments, which you thought you should neuer haue suffered. The threatnings which you thought should neuer come to passe, shal come to passe vpon you. An aduersary there shall be euen round about the Land.

Shall be! But yet there is none. O let vs therefore with a sweet feeling acknowledge the infinite loue and compassion of God towards this Kingdome, in so long preseruing it from all hostile inuasion. There was indeed an inuasion in the yeare 88. intended against this Kingdome by a supposed inuincible Ar∣mad•. It gloried in strength, munition, ships, preparations and confederates. It was the Lords mercy towards vs to crosse, to curse that proud attempt. The winds and seas by his ap∣pointment fought against them, and we were deliuered. For that deliuerance, wee then sang songs of thanksgiuing: then were our mouthes filled with laughter, and our tongues with ioy.

Now sith it hath pleased God to continue vnto vs hither∣to our peace and plenty; and we sit euery one vnder his Vine, and vnder his Fig-tree, whilst our neighbour-nations are sha∣ken and tossed with the tempest of warres, and all things round about vs are in an vproare; Let vs blesse Gods holy name for it: and pray we for the continuance of this our happinesse: that there be no taste of the sharpnes and misery of war among vs, Page  229 that there be no assaulting of our Cities, that there be no sor∣row of heart, nor weeping of eyes, nor wringing of hands, nor shriking of voices among vs. Will you take direction for your prayer from the royall Prophet? Pray then as hee hath dire∣cted, Psalm. 144.12. Pray, that our sonnes may be as plants growen vp in their youth, that our daughters may be as corner stones polished after the similitude of a palace, that our garners may be full, affoording all manner of store: that our sheepe may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets: that our Oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets. O happy is that people that is in such a case: yea, happie is that people whose God is the Lord.

I haue done with the Siege, and am come to the Victory.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Vehoridh mimmek gnuzzek, word for word, and he shall cause thy strength to come downe. Dejiciet à te robur tuum, He shall cast downe thy strength from thee, so Tremelius, Piscator, Drusius, and Gualter; Tollet, he shall take it away from thee, so Caluin; Detrahet, he shall pull it downe, so Vatablus; Deducet, he shall bring it downe, so Oecolampa∣dius. The Vulgar Latine turnes it passiuely, Detrahetur ex te fortitudo tua, thy strength shall be brought downe from thee. So doth Brentius with his Dejicietur, thy strength shall be throwne downe.

By this same strength, be it robur, or fortitudo, Iunius vn∣derstandeth that, whereby they heaped vp the treasures of violence and robbery. Drusius vnderstandeth their strong Ca∣stles and fortified Cities. Some vnderstand Riches. And so qui opibus valent, p•tentes vocantur, they that excell in riches, are called mightie men.

Albertus Magnus will haue this strength to be, whatsoeuer it was wherein they put their trust, as in some fortification: whe∣ther it were the substance of their riches, or the munitions of their Citie•, or the multitude of their souldiers, or the armies of their adherents. Whatsoeuer it be, downe it must. When God meaneth to giue victory to an inuader, no strength shall be able to withstand him. My obseruation here shall be that of Albertus,

No strength shall be able to withstand diuine reuengement. For there is no strength against the Lord.

No strength! None at all. So saith Esay, Chap. 2.12. The day of the Lord of Hosts shall bee vpon euery one that is proud and loftie, vpon euery one that is lifted vp; vpon all the Ce∣dars of Lebanon, vpon all the Okes of Bashan; vpon all high Mountaines and Hilles; vpon euery high Tower, and vpon euery fenced wall; vpon all the ships of Tarshish, and vpon all Pictures of desire: the loftinesse of man shall be bowed downe, and the haughtinesse of man shall be made low. The Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. In that day when the Lord shall send a power against a Land, for the iniquity thereof, all strength shall faile before him.

This is that we reade, Esai. 26.5. In the Lord Iehouah is euerlasting strength; For he bringeth downe them that dwell on high; the lofty City he layeth it low; he layeth low euen to the ground; he bringeth it euen to the dust. There is no strength against him.

Erit fortitudo vestra, vt fauilla stupae, your strength shall be as the imbers of tow, & opus vestrum, and the worke of your strength shall be as a sparke; they shall both burne together, and none shall quench them, Esai. 1.23. There is no preuailing by strength against the Lord: it is the acknowledgement of Han∣nah in her song of thanksgiuing, 1 Sam. 2.9. Our Prophet Amos, Chap. 2.14. hath thus deliuered it; The strong shall not strengthen his force. And thus is my obseruation con∣firmed;

One reason is, because God ouerthroweth the greatest strength that man can erect, euen at his pleasure.

A second is, because there is no strength, but it is of God and from God. Vastatum superrobustum roborat, Amos 5.9. God aboue is he that strengthneth the spoiled against the strong, and maketh the spoiled to come with might against the fortresse.

I will but name the vses. One is, to teach vs, neuer to put any affiance in our owne strength, but so to vse all good meanes for Page  231 our defence, that still wee rely vpon the Lord for successe.

A second is, to stop vs from glorying in our strength. There is a caueat against it, Ierem. 9.23. Let not the strong man glory in his strength. If he will needs glory, let him glory in the Lord. Let his glorying be in imitation of the royall Prophet, Psa. 18.2. The Lord is my rocke, and my fortresse, and my deliuerer: my God, my strength in whom I will trust, my buckler and the horne of my saluation, and my high tower. The Lord is my strength.

A third is to admonish vs of a duty of ours, which is, in trouble sometimes, yea alwayes, to approach vnto the throne of grace by humble prayer, to begge of God his protection against all the assaults of our enemies, that they neuer preuaile against vs to take away our strength.

I am come to my last circumstance, the circumstance of the spoile, in these words,

Et diripientur palatia tua, And thy palaces shall be spoiled. The Vulgar Latine saith, Diripientur aedes tuae, thy houses shall be spoiled. Petrus Lusitanus preferreth Palaces, as best agree∣ing with the Hebrew. He is in the right. palaces are named, because Conquerours when they haue wonne a City by assault, doe enter into the fairest, stateliest, and most princely houses, presuming to finde in them the greatest booties.

These Palaces are by some taken Metonymically to signifie either the goods heaped vp in them,* or the poss•ssions belong∣ing to them.

Wee shall not doe amisse if wee follow the letter, and take these Palaces, as they are, for the Palaces of Samaria, where∣in the Princes, Magistrates, and Rulers of Samaria, did store vp the treasures of violence and robbery, as wee saw vpon the former verse. So the meaning may be thus: Palatia tua, Thy Palaces, O Samaria, which were as the receptacles, caues, or dens, in which thou didst treasure vp thy goods gotten from the poore by violence and wrong, diripientur, they shall be spoiled: thou hast spoiled others, therefore shalt thou thy selfe be spoiled. Sic erit poena sceleri consentiens; so shall the punish∣ment be agreeable to the offence. Obserue here, Page  232

This is that which is vulgarly said, In quo quis peccat, in eo punitur; as a man offendeth, in the same manner will God pu∣nish him.

They who sought the life of Daniel, sinned in causing him to be cast into the Lions den. How were they for so sinning pu∣nished? God might haue reuenged himselfe vpon them by his owne immediate hand, but would not. They were pu∣nished the same way: they were cast into the Lions den, and so perished, Dan. 6.24.

It was Dauids sinne to commit adultery with Ʋriahs wife, and to slay her husband with the sword of the Ammonites. How was he for so sinning punished? He was paid home and punished in his owne kinde. To reward and serue him, as he had serued others, God as a iust Iudge raiseth vp euill against him out of his owne house.* His owne sonnes breake out into the same sinnes; they rise vp against him, and one against ano∣ther. A tent is spread for Absolom vpon the house top, and he lyeth with his fathers Concubines in the sight of all Israel, 2 Sam. 16.22. Amnon deflowreth his sister Tamar, 2 Sam. 13.14. to reuenge this, Absolom causeth his brother Amnon to be slaine, vers. 28.

Bloud requireth bloud. Hereof are we assured, Gen. 9 6. Who so sheddeth mans bloud, by man shall his bl•ud be shed. So saith our Sauiour in the Gospell, Matth. 26.51. All they that take the sword, shall perish with the sword. The like is that in the Reuelation, Chap. 13.10. He that killeth with the sword, must be killed with the sword. Bloud requireth bloud. And though peraduenture a murtherer doe escape the hand of the Magi∣strate, yet will the vengeance of God finde him out. We see this in Ioab: he shed innocent bloud, the bloud of Abner, and Amasa, two Captaines of the Hosts of Israel. Hee escaped a long time, as if his murthers had beene forgotten, but at length vengeance came home vnto him, and suffered not his hoare head to goe downe to the graue in peace; for his bloud was shed, 1 King. 2.34.

Memorable is the example of Adoni-Bezek, who being ta∣ken by Iudah and Simeon, had his thumbes and great toes cut off. Herein he confessed that the iustice of God had found him out, and requited him in his kinde, according to his own cruelty. For saith he, Threescore and ten Kings, hauing their thumbes and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat vnder my table: as I haue done, so God hath requited me, Iudg. 1.7. Thus was cruelty repaid with crueltie in the same kinde.

A like example is that of Agag, King of the Amalekites. He hauing made many a woman childlesse, is repaid in the like; and is himselfe hewed in peeces by Samuel, with this Item; As thy sword hath made women childlesse, so shall thy mother be child∣lesse among women, 1 Sam. 15.33.

If Haman set vp a gallowes to hang vp Mordecai, Haman may be the first that shall be hanged thereon, Esther 7.10.

It is the law of equalitie and equitie, that men suffer the same things of others, which they haue offered vnto others. Our Sauiour Christ in his Sermon vpon the Mount thus deli∣uers it; With what measure yee mete,* it shall be measured to you againe, Matth. 7.2. Whereupon one saith after this manner; He that rashly and vniustly censureth others, feeleth at one time or other the smart of it in the like kinde. For God doth iustly raise vp others to censure him, that thereby he may be recom∣pensed. According to this law of equitie it is said, Reu. 3.10. He that leadeth into captiuity, shall be led into captiuity: And Esay 33.1. They that deale treacherously with others, shall haue others to deale treacherously with them; and they that spoile o∣thers, shall themselues be spoiled. This last is the very measure, that is in this my text threatned to the ten Tribes. They spoi∣led the poore, treasuring vp in their palaces the goods taken from them by violence and robbery, and therefore shall their palaces be spoiled. Thus farre is the confirmation of my do∣ctrine, which was,

Are punishments proportionable to the offences? One rea∣son hereof may be, because the iustice of God is hereby cleared, Page  230 〈1 page duplicate〉 Page  231 〈1 page duplicate〉 Page  232 〈1 page duplicate〉 Page  233 〈1 page duplicate〉 Page  234 and the mouth of iniquitie stopped. When God retaileth vs according to the sinne that we haue committed, what can we alleage or answer for our selues? Surely, we cannot haue any excuse, pretence or allegation for our selues, but must confesse with our owne mouth, and against our selues, that God is righ∣teous, and that our selues are wicked.

A second reason may be taken from the equity of this kinde of proceeding. It is meet that malefactors haue their deserts; nor can they complaine of iniustice, so long as they receiue their owne. God will giue to euery man according to his workes: he will giue them wages according to their deseruings. Vpon this equity is grounded the Law of retaliation, by which God requireth of the hands of Magistrates, that they recompence life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe, Exod. 21.23. The Law is repeated, Leuit. 24.19, 20. If a man cause a blemish in his neighbour: as hee hath done, so shall it be done vnto him. Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him againe. Now if God hath made a law for Magistrates to re∣compence the sinner according to the manner of his sinne, we may not doubt but that God himselfe will measure his punish∣ments according to the rule of iustice and equitie. Vpon the ground of these reasons, my doctrine standeth,

Now one vse of this doctrine is to teach vs, to set a watch o∣uer our selues, to keepe out the practise of sinne, that carrieth such a taile and traine after it. The sinner shall euer finde a pu∣nishment answerable to his sinne. This is a notable bridle to in∣duce vs to abstaine from all kinde of sinne: to abstaine from whoredome and drunkennesse, the sinnes that rage among carnall men. Because Magistrates are slacke and carelesse in punishing of these sinnes, God bringeth vpon such as continue in them very loathsome and noysome diseases; meet punishments for such filthy sinnes. And if we be wise to commit new sinnes, God only wise, will catch vs in our wisdom; he will be wise enough Page  235 to finde out punishments that shall be proportioned to our trans∣gressions. Pro mensurâ peccati erit & plagarum modus;* as our sinne is, so shall be our punishment.

Againe, from hence we learne to be patient vnder the pu∣nishments that doe befall vs. Sith God doth punish vs in that wherein we haue offended, when we feele that God hath found vs out, and that neither our selues, nor our sins can any longer be hidden from his eyes, let vs humble our selues vnder his mighty hand, and hold our peace, because he hath done it.*

Thirdly, this may serue to checke all cruell and mercilesse oppressours, such as grinde the faces of the poore,* and spoile the needie by their couetous and corrupt dealing, pulling from them, that which is their owne, without conscience of sinne, or feeling of iudgement to come. God suffereth such to haue their times while he holdeth his peace, and letteth them alone, to fill vp the measure of their sinnes. Yet hath God his seasons too, and hath determined what to doe, and how to deale with such offenders: the spoiler shall be spoiled, the robber shall be robbed, the oppressour shall be oppressed: and they that deale violently with others, shall haue others to deale vio∣lently with them. Wherefore, whatsoeuer you would that men should doe vnto you, euen so doe vnto them, for this is the Law of equitie.