Imatges de pàgina
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bold I have made thee small, thou art greatly defpifed.

Verf. 2.

Therefore Saint Paul repeating this prophecie, doth by way of expofition, to fhew to whom this judgment doth belong, fay, Behold jee defpifers, and mander, and vanish away, for behold A&s 13!. yee among ft the heathen.

This is Gods own word, He that despiseth me shall be dspised. Yea, as the Pfalmist faith, He poureth contempt upon Princes. Two things that are most priviledged from contempt shall here fuffer it.

Sr. The Majefty of Kings.

2. The ftrength of fortifications.

But when the fupream Majefty of God is offended and despifed, thefe cannot escape both deftruction and contempt.

This the generous nature of man doth more fear then any temporal evil: let me ake, and smart, and lose all,but let me not be defpiled.

When the Jews began after the captivity, to build again the wals of the city,they had strong oppofition by their enemies,Tobiab and Sanballat, and others, who laboured to hinder the building all they could. But when they defpifed the Jews, and fcorned their work, Nehemiah took it to heart, and grew very earnest with God in complaint against them. For,

Sanballat mocked the Jews, and faid before his brethren and the army of Samaria

What do thefe weak Jews? will they fortifie themselves? Will they facrifice? will they finish it in a day? will they make the ftones Whole again out of the heaps of duft, feeing they are burnt?

And Tobiah the Ammonite was befide him,and faid, although they build, yet if a fox go up, he fall even break down their strong

wall.

This fends Nehemiah to God, faying, Hear O God, (we are defpifed) and turn their shame apou their own head. This heavy judgment fhall God inflict upon the Jews.

40.

Nehem. 4+

The reafon is, because this is the fitteft punishment for their Reafort pride. Now they fhall fee, that fo long as a People walkech humbly before God, fo long they live in glory and reputation; but when God faileth them for their finnes, their enemies do prevail against them, and cover them with disdain.

When

When God tryed fob with all kind of corporal and temporal calamities in the agony and fmart of his paffion, he looketh back to the former mercies of God; wherein Lobferve,that he giveth the first place of his temporal happineffe to that refpect that was opgiven to him.

Job 29.7.1

Verfe 8.

Verfe9.

Verl, 10.

Verf. II.

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When I went out to the gate through the City, when I prepared my feat in the street

The young men (aw me, and hid themselves, and the aged arofe and stood up.

The Princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their

mouth.

The Nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

When the care heard me, then it, bleffed me, and when the eye Jaw me, it gave witnese to me.

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But in the next chapter recounting the miferies which had come upon him, he gives the first place to contempt.

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Job 30. 1.. But now they that are younger then I have me in derision, whofe fathers would have disdained to fit with the dogs of my flocks. They were children of fooles, children of base mens they werk viler then the earth.

Verse 8.

Verfe 9.

Verfe 10.

And now I am their fong, I am their by-word.

They abbor me, and fly far from me, and spare not to spit in my face. Read on at leasure.

But thus did the Jewes abuse Chrift: Is not this the Carpenter? And after they put on him a purple garment, and put a Reed in his hand, and crc'vned him with thornes, and faluted bim fcornfully, King of the Jews.

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They fpit on his face, and even hanging on the Croffe of pain and Thame, they laughed him to fcorn.

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Some referre the non ficur to this cfpecially. Have ye no regard all ge that passe by the way, confider and behold if ever there Lam.1.12 were forrow like my forrow which was done to me: For the grief of contempt muft needs be the greateft humiliation, becaule of the eminencie and excellencie of his perfonn v

And for Chriftian Religion in the Primitive times of the Church, the common evill opinion of it was that, it was Herefie; but the learned Grecians did call preaching foolishneffe, ubi Lapiens? ubi fèriba?

The

The way to avoid this contempt, is humility, a vertue un fe. known to the moral wifemen of former ages; it is the proper vertue of the Chriftian.

Difcite à me quia mitis & humilis.

This is the vertue, and he the only te acher of it, the best ex-
ample of it, the fulleft reward of it.
You heard from Obadiah to Edom,
The pride of thy heart hath deceived thee:

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The pride of life is the Queen of vices, as you heard then, it trefpaffeth the Majesty of God, it turned Angels inta devils, and cast man out of Paradife.Hugo. Superbia mihi deum aufert.

Humility doth make us think reverently of God, and charita bly of our brethren, and worft of our felves. Saint Paul, of whom I am chief, quelles law, wasblado & it stay at ot Humility makes us think all the leaft favours of God too good for us, and fo joyneth contentedneffe with god lineffe.

Contempt cannot fmart upon the humble in refpect of themfelves, but in refpect of God who is defpised in them; study and pray to God for this graces this keeps peace in the Church, and quietneffe in our common converfation; for only of pride cometh contention. Let me once fay with facob,

I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies, and we shall value the very crummes that fall from the childrens table, the leaft of Gods favours will be sweet to us, and God fhall be praised for them. 105d19bane ob bot to damo di And with fuch as be of a contrite and lowly spirit God will dwell, God himselfe boweth the heavens, and cometh down to fach to vifit them,atque humiles habitare cafa. Behold, Iftand at the doore and knock. Not at the door of the proud, for their selfs love keepeth him out.igovalci bagno volares ind The humble man is the Lords temple, and he faith, Here will Idwell for I have a delight therein; I will fatisfie their poore with bread, the holy ones fhall rejoyce and fing: I tooke David from the Sheepfolds, there will I make the horne of David to flourish, I have ordained a tanthorn for mine annointed. Lovia Euoni am draft

Verf. 3.

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Doct.

Ver.11.Then shall his mind change,and be shall passe over, and of, fend, imputing this his power unta bis god.

3. W Hat shall become of the Chaldeans thus victorį.

ous.

1. They fhall change their mind.
2. They fhalt male over.

3. They fhall offend.v

4. Their fault.

They fball change their mind.nob

The profperous and victorious fucceffe of the Chaldæan, fhall fo infatuate the Chaldæan, that he shall be transported with the pride thereof, and God fhall give end unto his violence; God fhall change his mind for their fakes whom he referveth as his remnant amongst the Jews.

The rod of the wicked shall not reft on the lot of the righte ous. The wicked are the sword of the Lord, he will not always chide nor strike, but he will put up his fword in his heath, his arme in his bofome,

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He guideth the hearts of all men like rivers of waters, which way he pleaseth.

polĺt is a doctrine which I lately taught out of Obadiah. Though the Church of God do live under the Croffe for a time, it fall not be always fo for as here it is declared, Their mind shall change that afflict her.

Becaute Gods quarrel is not against the Perfons of men, but against their fins, therefore he punisheth non ad vindictam, but ad emendationem vita,and it is no pleafure to God to punifa his children, therefore he will not always punish, because afflictions are of excellent force to bring forth in his children 1. Contrition. 2. Supplication.

2. He will not always punish, leaft the extream paffions of his fervants fhould breed in them a doubt of his love, and fo weaken their faith..

3, Least the righteous fhould put forth his hand unto finne. 4. Leaft the enemies of his Church fhould grow too info lent.

Further

Further we are taught, that those whom God useth as his rods 2 Doct. are limited; when they have executed his will they shall then change their minds the mind of the Chaldæan was cruelty, and oppreffion, and covetoufneffe, and ambition; this victory fhall change their mind into pride and infolencie, fo that as the wife man faith, The profperity of fools fhall deftroy them.

It is a true faying for the most part, that as the good, so the blood rifeth; men of low degree, when they rise to high places, men of poor eftate when they grow to plenty, even nations, when they overflow their own banks, and over-run others, do change their minds, they have not the fame hearts and affections that they had.

It is a fingular wifedome to use the fulneffe of profperity well.

The Paradife of God did not content our firft Parents, the forbidden fruit feemed to Evab the fairest fruit of the garden, that changed her mind from the obedience of the law of God, to be both a Prævaricatour and a tempter.

The founes of God living in profperity in the favour of God, fet their eyes on the daughters of men, and because they looked fair like Eves apple,they changed their mind from living un der the religious awe of God, to take them wives by whom the fervice of God was corrupted; for they that marry with tempt ers and take them into their bofomes, either prefume too much on their own ftrer gth,and they tempt God therein: or elfe they change their minds and religions with them.

Can aman carry fire in his bofome and not be burnt? or walke upon burning coals and not be fcorched? The Author of the book of Wifedome faith well of the righteous, That he is speedily taken away, least wickednesse should alter his understanding, or de- Wild.4.11 ceit beguile his foule.

There is a great measure of grace needful to him that would ufe profperity well; he must not be wicked; for where the good pirit of God is wanting, there is nothing but unstayed nelle and inconftancy; but David prayech, Eftablish thon me with thy free Spirit.

Davids victories and peace and profperity, did change his mind, he grew wanton, and to hide that, cruel, and to live in

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