ed, and he is a jealous God, vifiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children.

The trefpafles against our brethren in the breach of the fecond Table, be immediate fins against God. For as when the plate is not cut for the mint, to clippe it is no breach of the law, but when it hath the ftamp impreffed, and is coine, then to clippe or wash, it is treason, not for the matter, but because of the ftampe.

So the matter of our brethren is but earth,and the violation of it is but the defacing of earth but bearing the image of God in it, it is a trefpaffe against him whole image is therein insculped, to wrong it.

1:

2. Because every punishment, as it is poena à punishment, fo it Reafon 2, is vindicta a revenge, and God layeth claim to that by Prerogative, vindicta mea my revenge; no man can take the word out

of his hand it is virga tua faith David thy rod.

:

A

3. Because none but God can fearch the heart where finne Reaf. 3. breedeth, and knoweth how to proportion punishment to the finne. Punishment is the Phyfick of the Church; as Augustine, Quod pateris medicina eft, non pena, that thou fuffereft is thy medicine, not thy punishment. He only knoweth how to temper the medicine for the health of the Patient, for he knoweth wherof we be made, he only can work good out of evil.

A&S 2.23.

4. Because there is none but God that doth whatfoever he Reaf. 4. will, none but he can ordain or eftablifh judgement: the judgements are called Indicia dei the Judgements of God; in that cruel execution done upon Chrift in our flesh, as there were the wicked hands of the Jews and the Romanes, fo there was the determinate counsel and fore-knowledge of God'

r. Let us not therefore finne against God, and make an idol of him, by making him all mercy; for though we call him fre doubtieffe there is a God that judgeth the world, who upon the. wicked will rain fnares, ftormes and tempeft, this fhall be their portion to drink, rather meet a temptation with Iofeph, and fay, How then Shall I do this great wickedneffe and fo fin against God? For our God is a confuming fire, And

It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
2. Let us not fret at the means ordained by God for our cor-

rection

rection, remembring that God hath established them for our Pfal.39.9. chaftifement: but let us rather fay with David, obmutui && non aperii os meum quia tu domine fecifti: I was dumb, &c. because thou Lord haft done it let us know and confeffe who it is that fmiteth us, and fay, Thou hast fmitten me and thou wilt heale

me.

*

Ufe. 3. 3. Let us remember when God taketh off his hand and restoreth us again to the chearful light of his countenance, to acknowledge his mercy to us, and as Chrift faith, to finne no more, leaft fome more heavy judgement fall upon us.

Let us with David remember the vows which we made to God in our affliction, and spend the time of our iojourning here in feare.

Use 4. 4. Laftly, Seeing God hath comforted us, let us alfo comfort 2 Cor.1.9. our brethren, as the Apoftle faith; for God comforteth us in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort them which be in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith our felves are comforted of God: fo as Chrift faid to Peter, when we our felves are converted we shall strengthen the brethren, and the God of Peace and all Confolation ball give unto us the bleffing of his Peace,

2. The Prophets difpute with God.

The Prophet feemeth amazed at the course of Gods proceed, ing against the Jews by the Chaldæans. And the remain of this chapter doth contain his expoftulation with God; wherein 1. He layeth a ground of this Argument,

Pipeyes of God are pure...

2. He queftioneth God how thefe inconveniences following are born withal by him, which are thele.

Grievances, or pullsizeoɔ and (1. How God should look on Whilft men deal treacherously v. 13. 12. How God should hold his tongue whilst the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous, then he, verf, 13.

3. How God can expofe the Jems his People as a prey to the

ん

Chaldeans, ver. 1445593

And thou make men as the fishes of the fea, and as the creeping things that have no Ruler, From which liberty given to them. af ma

They break forth ins a all extremes of cruelty, vex, 15. They take

up all with their Angle, they catch them in their net, and
gather them in their dragge.

4.They infult over the conquered, ver. 15. They rejoyce and
are glad.

They commit felf-idolatry, ver. 16.

Therefore they facrifice to their net, and burn incense to their
dragge, because by them their portion is made fat, and their
meat plenteous.

5. How God can fo long difpenfe with the enemies of his
Church, and whether he will faforfake them, ver. 17.

Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually
to flay the nations ?

1. Of the ground of his conteftation, Thou art of pure eyes, This phrafe is according to the capacity of humane understanding, and it is doubly figurative,

f1. In that eyes are attributed to God.

2. In that they are faid to be pure.

1. It is a thing frequent in Scripture to give the parts of a mans body to God, the eye, the eare, the hand, the heart, the foot, the bowels, the arme, the face, the back-parts; whereup-` on certain hereticks literally understanding those phrases, have believed and taught that God is like to man in fhape of bodie and that the image wherein God made man, was corporeal. These hereticks are called Anthropomorphites, because they af cribed to God the image and corporeal likeneffe of man.

Whom fome ignorant Perfons have used to point in the reprefentation of a grave old man, against the clear text of Scripture and warrant of truth.

Of this I will only tell you what Saint Auguftine writing to Fortunatianus a bishop concerning the judgment of another Bishop, who maintained this herefie, faith,

The text of Scripture attributing the parts of humane bodies to God, must not be literally understood; for then we must allow God: alfo to have bodily wings, for we read also often of the wings and fear thers of God.

But faith he, as by the wings of God, we do understand divine Protection: fic cum audimus manus operationem: pedes præfentiam: oculos vifionem faciem juftitiam: brachium potentiam :

Epl. I.

So by hands divine operation, by feet Prefence, by eye vifion, by face luftice, by hands divine Power.

And to thew that neque folus, neither alone, nec prior,nor first he is of this opinion, he citeth Saint Hierome,Saint Gregory, Nazianzen, St. Ambrofe, St. Athanafius,all of the fame judgment.

And furely because this errour is yet in the minds of many fimple and ignorant people of the world, it will be fit that you do learn that when you do either give thanks to God, or pray, or think on God, you do not conceive him in your thoughts in any fuch manner, but as he hath revealed himself to us in his word; God is a spirit eternal, immortal, invifible, infinite in Wifedome, Juftice, Holinefle, Power, Mercy, Goodneffe, Seeing and foreiceing all things doing whatfoever he will in heaven and in earth, and in all deep places, governing all things by the word of his power.

Mofes who fearched as deep into this facred and fecret myftery of God, found that the face of God, that is, bis heavenly nature could not be feen, only his back-parts, that is, the effects of his attributes might be feen.:

No doubt God took that occafion in Mofes to teach the Church, how they fhould conceive him in their thoughts. Ex 33.23.7 how shalt see my back parts..

Deut. 4.

Gregor.Nylene. We must follow after God, for he goeth before us, and guideth us, as David. He teacheth the way that we should chufe.

Qui autem fequitur,non faciem fed tergum afpicit,Procopius.Invifibilia dei videntur ex creatione.

For we must remember how tender God was of appearing in any forme which might have been reprefented in picture or fculpture for fear of idolatry ar

Take yee therefore good heed unto your felves, (for yee faw no manner of fimilitude on the day that the Lord fpuke unto you in Horeb, out of the midst of the fire.)

Verf. 16. Leaft ye corrupt your felves, and make you a graven image the fimilitude of any figure,&c.

Neither is it neceffary for adoration, that we do affigne any fet figure toGod in our thoughts, feeing every one of us doth believe that he hath a living foule in him, whereby all the parts

of

of the body are both directed and enabled in their feveral offices, yet no man can conceive any fet forme or fimilitude wherunto it may be refembled,~

2. Another figurative speech here is, where the Prophet calleth thefe eyes of God pure eyes; for wickednes and evil cannot defile the fight: it is faid of the fair eye of heaven, that it shineth upon the juft and unjuft."

And David faith, that God feeth all the thoughts of mans heart, why he then feeth much vanity and much iniquity.

But thofe are called pure eyes which do behold nothing that is evil, to approve it in it felfe, to abet it in our brother, to imitate it in our felves, and in this fenfe the eyes of God are faid to be pure, that is, abhorring fin.

Again, the Purity of Gods eyes doth import the clear judg ment of God, which is of fuch penetration as nothing can con ceal it felf from him, in which sense David faith,

The Lord is in his holy Temple, the Lords Throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try the children of men; upon which words Saint Auguftine faith, that there is apertio and opertio ocu lorum dei, an opening and a covering of Gods eyes.nl

He is faid to fee with his eyes, when he declareth himself to fee and take notice of any thing: but he doth tty with his eye lids, when he maketh as though he flept and confidered not, winking for a time at the iniquities of men. 02

Pf. I. 14.

Our leflon from this double figure of specchiis,. Doct. That God is a fevere fearcher and punisher of finne for fearch he trieth the hearts reinstfor punishment judgment begins at his own houferthis certain rule of truth we mult lay hold & be. leive, that the Juftice & truth ofGod can't fail,the whole courfe of Scripture, the experience of all times doth make this good ov The fin of the Angels that kept not their firft eftate, was foon found out and punished; the first news we hear of them was that one of them was a tempter, and deceived our first Parents.

There was a light fhining in darkneffe, which the darknesse comprehended not. The Manichees feeing the devil went fo early againft God, thought and taught that there were two priza cipia,two beginnings, one good God the Author of all good, another evil God the Author of all evil, not knowing the fall of

the