THe firſt verſe plainly ſheweth us who are meant here in the ſecond, even the children of Iſrael, and the whole family that came out of Egypt. Neither are theſe laſt words to bee counted a tautalogie; for after the revolting of the ten tribes from the houſe of David, Iſrael was one King­dome, Iudah was another; wee'l goe no farther back to cleare it, then the title of this prophecy, which runneth thus; The words of Amos, which he ſaw concerning Iſrael (that is Iſrael and Iudah) in the dayes of Uzziah King of Judah, and in the dayes of Jeroboam the ſonne of Ioaſh King of Iſrael. Now though but ten tribes were revolted from David, yet all twelve tribes were revol­ted from God, the children of Iſrael, and the whole fa­mily that came out of Egypt.

〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as Caeſar once ſaid to Brutus; will Gods children of Iſrael and Iudah be ſuch rebells? ingratum ſi dixeris, &c. ſo an heathen could conclude, that ingrati­tude was the abſtract and abridgement of all ſinne, as if it had been〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the great offence. And even un­reaſonable creatures will not be guilty of unthankfulnes, the oxe knoweth his owner, he will not gore him, and you remember the gratitude of that Roman Lion in the ſtory. Nay to goe one ſtep lower, non ingratus ager, that which hath not ſo much as ſenſe is not unthankfull, the earth doth not entomb, or alway keep the ſeed cloſe2 priſoner, but moſt thankfully returneth it to the ſower with increaſe. Yet the land of Iſrael proved a barren common, whereon nothing but weeds, nothing but un­thankefullneſſe would grow; whereas the inhabitants ſhould not ſo much as have rendred evill for evill, they continually rewarded God evill for good, he did not fa­ſter multiply his benefits upon them then they did their tranſgreſſions and rebellions againſt him. And ſhall I not viſit for theſe things, ſaith the Lord ſhall not my ſoule be avenged on ſuch a nation as this? Yes, ſeeing faire meanes will worke no good on them, I will trie what foule will doe, foraſmuch as they have forſaken me, and not walked in my judgements, having broken my Statutes, and not kept my commandements, I will therefore viſit their offences with the rod, and their ſins with ſcourges. You only have I knowne of all the fami­lies of the earth, therefore I will puniſh you for all your iniquityes. In which words any one will ſay there are two generall parts, Cōmemoratio beneficii, the rehearſing of a former benefit, You only have I known of all the fa­milies of the earth, and Comminatio ſuplicii, the threat­ning of a future judgement, Therefore I will puniſh you for all your iniquities, And of theſe with all the brevicy and plainnes that I can. But before I come to handle the parts in their order, it will not be amiſſe to premiſe ſome brief explication of the words. Firſt then you only have I knowne; I thought that God had been ommniſcient till now, but the Text ſeemeth to deny it, in Jury is God knowne, and God knoweth none but Jury, You on­ly have I knowne of all the families of the earth. But we muſt obſerve that this word, Know, hath divers ac­ceptions in holy Scripture. I ſhall inſtance but in three. Firſt, to know, is to behold, to overlook, or to diſcerne. Thus God knoweth the whole world, and all that there in is, he knoweth all the foules upon the mountains, and the wild beaſts of the field are in his ſight, there is not a word in our tongue, nor a thought in our heart, but he knoweth it altogether, and before we knew it, before3 we either ſpake or thought it. Secondly, to know, is to give approbation, and to allow of. Thus the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, that is, he approveth of it. Pſal. 1. ult. As for the ungodly (ſuch as are the re­formers of our age) it is not ſo with them, our Savi­ours word to theſe will be〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. I never knew you, that is, I never liked your doings. Luke. 13.27. Thirdly, and laſtly, to Know, is to bleſſe, to pitty, or ſhew mer­cy to. And the phraſe ſeemeth to be borrowed from a cuſtome among men, who ſeldome ſhew any kindneſſe; but to perſons that they know, Ig••ti nulla cupid•, a ſtranger can ſcarce get any thing, but ill words; Da­vids ſervants were ſtrangers to Nabal, and therefore the churle would give them nothing, Shall I take my bread, ſaith he, and my water, and my fleſh, and give it unto men whom I know not whence they be? 1. Sam. 25.11. No, few or none will relieve any but only ſuch as are well knowne to them. And to this cuſtome God ſeemeth to allude here in our text. You onely have I Knowne, that is. I have bleſſed you only, on you have I multiplyed my favours, and loving kindneſſes, on you only, or at leaſt chiefly of all the families of the earth. And in this ſenſe is the word knowne uſed Pſal. 31.7. I wil be glad and rejoyce in thy mercy, for thou haſt conſi­dered my trouble, et cognoviſti, and haſt knowne my ſoule in adverſities, thou haſt known, that is, thou haſt pittied, thou haſt had compaſſion on my ſoul, Cognoſcere eſt miſe­rari, ſo Agellius expoundeth the place. And Solomon hath a paſſage that may be referred to this purpoſe, Pro. 12.10 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beaſts. Novit juſtus, ſo, it is in the Latine verſion, a righteous man knoweth, but〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, ſo it is in the Septuagint, a righteous man is mercifull to the lives of his beaſts. If now we put the Latine and Greek together, we ſhall find that to know, is to ſhew mercy to. In which ſenſe the word is likewiſe uſed here in our text, You onely have I knowne of all the families of the earth.

But if the Commemoration muſt be ſo conſtrued, why followeth there a Commination? becauſe God had been4 ſo good to Iſrael, is it therefore that hee threatneth them? this ſeemeth ſomewhat ſtrange. But if wee take middle and both ends, this will ſoon be reconciled; You onely have I knowne of all the families of the earth, we muſt halt here a while, Deſunt nonnulla, there ſeemeth to be ſomewhat wanting, but it commeth in at the end of the verſe, wee may paraphraſe therefore upon the Text after this manner, the words are in effect, as if Almighty God ſhould have ſaid, I have nouriſhed and brought up children, and (like our pretended Parlia­ment) they have rebelled againſt me, deſtruction and unhappineſſe is in their way, and the way of peace have they not known; I have known them, but they have not known mee, the oxe knoweth his owner, and the aſſe his maſters crib, but Iſrael doth not know, my people doth•ot conſider, I threaten them not for the good I have•one to them, but for the notorious evill they have done•o mee; You onely have I known of all the families of•he earth, therefore I will puniſh you for all your iniqui­•ies. Idcirco therefore. Sinne is the cauſa impulſiva, that which moveth and as it were, compelleth Almighty God to puniſh. The Prophet Jeremy putteth the queſtion, Lam. 3.39. Wherefore doth a living man complain? and he giveth an anſwer to it before the verſe be out, A man for the puniſhment of his fins, that is, a man is puniſhed for his ſins and therefore our old tranſlation readeth it thus, Let him murmure at his own ſins, this, this is the only cauſe of all his ſufferings idcirco therefore. There­fore I. Shall there be evill in the City, and the Lord hath not done it? Amos 3.6. Siracides telleth us indeed of ſpi­rits that are created for vengeance, and theſe evill ſpirits many times lay on ſore ſtrokes; but they have Gods commiſſion, at leaſt permiſſion for what they doe, they doe this to pacifie the wrath of him that made them Ecclus. 39.28. As all puniſhment is for ſin, ſo it is from God. But how can this conſiſt with his good­neſſe? Yes, the very next particle will ſhew us, for hee ſpeaketh not in the preſent, but the future tenſe, hee giveth Iſrael warning of his intention, before hee proceedeth to execution, that, if they had any grace,5 they might repent and ſo prevent the judgment threatned; and he threatneth them but after a milde & gentle manner, he threat­ned not to ruine and conſume them, but onely to viſit and cor­rect them; You onely have I knowne of all the Families of the earth; ther­fore I will puniſh you for all your iniquities. And ſo much for the co­herence and explication of the words. It is now high time to come neerer to the parts. I begin therefore with the firſt; which is Commemoratio beneficii, the rehearſing of a former benefit; You••ely have I knowne of all the Families of the earth. There are many other Scriptures very like this Text, I will give you but one or two, the firſt ſhall be Deut. 4.8. What Nation is there ſo great, ſaith Moſes, who hath God ſo nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? The ſecond ſhall be Pſal. 147. ult. He hath not dealt ſo with any Nation. And that we may know how well God dealt with the people of Iſrael, we may obſerve, that he beſtowed upon them two ſorts of bleſſings, Privative and Po­ſitive ones. I begin with the firſt, Gods privative bleſſings. The children of Iſrael were for a long time bound Apprentices in Egypt, where they were grievouſly oppreſſed by Pharaoh and his Task-maſters, who compelled them not onely to make Bricke, but, it ſhould ſeeme by the ſtory, they would have had them make ſtraw too. From which intolerable ſervitude God ſet them free at laſt, he eaſed their ſhoulders from the burden, and their hands were delivered from making of Pots, He brought forth his people with joy, and his choſen with gladneſſe, and gave them the Lands of the Heathen, and they tooke the labours of the people in poſſeſſion. As for Pharaoh and his hoſt they were overwhelmed in the red Sea, they ſunke downe to the bottome as a ſtone. After this, God made good his word to Joſhua, not ſuffering a man to ſtand before him all the dayes of his life. And what ſhall I more ſay? for the time would faile me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Sampſon, and of Jephthah, and of Da­vid, what mervailous deliverances God wrought for his people, diſcomfiting their enemies both by thoſe Worthies and by o­ther Champions; the Sunne, Pſal. 19. is compared to a ſtrong Champion, and rather then Iſrael ſhall be worſted, inſenſible Champions ſhall fight for them, the Sunne ſhall ſtand ſtill in6 the midſt of heaven, the Stars in their courſes ſhall fight againſt Siſera; ſo mightily did God deliver his people, even the ſonnes of Jacob and Joſeph: You onely have I knowne of all the Families of the earth. And as God beſtowed many Privative bleſſings upon Iſrael, ſo many Poſitive bleſſings too. And theſe were of two ſorts, Temporall and Spirituall. I begin with the firſt, Gods temporall bleſſings, which are recorded Iſ. 5.1, 2. My beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitfull hill; and he fenced it, and gathered out the ſtones thereof, and planted it with the choyceſt Vine, and built a Tower in the midſt of it, and alſo made a Wine-preſſe therein. It will be no digreſſion to touch briefly upon each of theſe particulars; the ſituation of the Vineyard meeteth us firſt, which was in clive u­berrimo, in a very fruitfull hill. The hill of Sion was a faire place, and the joy of the whole earth. Iſrael had a goodly heritage, Ca­naan flowed with milke and honey. And the fruitfulneſſe of it is deſcribed at large Deut. 8.7, 8, 9. Next to the fruitfull ſituati­on, Gods fencing of the Vineyard followeth. He made a wall a­bove it, ſaith the Margin, and Mat. 21. it is ſaid he hedged it round about. And you know that an hedge ſecureth for two uſes; for diſtinction, and for conſervation. Iſrael was hedged about both wayes; for diſtinction they had the Law, by this they were diſ­cerned from other Nations. What Nation is there ſo great, ſaith Mo­ſes, that hath Statutes and judgements ſo righteous, as all this Law which I ſet before you this day? Deut. 4.8. Other Nations dwelt, as it were, in a Champion Countrey, without any hedge, without a Law, but Iſrael was incloſed, and hereby diſtinguiſhed from all other people, God dealt not ſo well with any other Nation, neither had the Hea­then knowledge of his Lawes. And as Iſrael had an hedge for diſtin­ction, ſo they had another hedge for conſervation; which was the providence of God, and the protection of his Angels; The hils, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, ſtand about Jeruſalem, even ſo ſtandeth the Lord round about his people from this time forth for ever more.

In the next place, God gathered the ſtones out of his vineyard, whereby we are to underſtand the wicked Nations, according to that of the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 80.8. Thou haſt brought a Vine out of Egipt; expuleras gentes, thou haſt caſt out the heathen; God gave away their land for an heritage, even for an heritage unto Iſrael his7 people; that is the next thing preſented to us, he planted it with the choiceſt Vine, the Vineyard of the Lord of hoſts was the houſe of Iſrael, and the men of Judah were his pleaſant Plant. The next obſervable is, Gods building of a Tower in his Vineyard, and Turris, authoritas eſt Sacerdotalis, ſaith Aretius, the Tower in Gods Vineyard, is the office and authority of Gods Miniſters; for as watchmen from a Tower overlooking all the coaſt, give notice when any corporal enemies are approaching; ſo Gods Miniſters who are〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the watchmen of his Church, theſe give her warning of her ghoſtly enemies; ſo that neither the Boore of the wood can waſte her, nor yet the wilde Beaſt of the field devour her. In the laſt place, God made a wine-preſſe in his Vineyard; and by this ſome underſtand the diſcipline of the judiciall law, whereby the juice of good living was to be, as it were, preſſed out of the people. But to explain all this in three words, by the fence, by the Tower, by the wine-preſſe, by all this care and coſt beſtowed upon the Vineyard, there is ſignified Gods abundant love toward his people Iſrael, ſo that he could not poſſibly do a­ny elſe for them, having done more for them already, then for all the world beſides; You onely have I known of all the families of the earth: And as God beſtowed upon Iſrael many temporall, ſo ma­ny ſpiritall bleſſings, which are mentioned by the Apoſtle, Rom. 9.4, 5. where ſpeaking of the Iſraelites, he telleth us, that to them pertained the adoption, and the glory, and the Covenant, and the giving of the law, and the ſervice of God, and the promi­ſes; theirs were the Fathers, and of them, as concerning the fleſh, Chriſt came. It will not be amiſſe likewiſe to examine briefly theſe particulars: and firſt, to the Iſraelites pertained the adopti­on, they were culled out of all nations to be Gods peculiar peo­ple: the quotatiōs to this purpoſe, are almoſt innumerable, I ſhal cite but onely one, which is Iſa. 43.1. Thus ſaith the Lord that cre­ated thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Iſrael, fear not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine. Called thee by thy name? nay, I have thee by mine own name, ſo it is 2 Chron. 7.14. my people, which are called by my name. And Dan. 9.19. Thy city ſaith the Prophet, and thy people are called by thy name. Whence we8 may obſerve, that there was a twofold relation between God and I•rael, of father and children and of husband and wife: firſt, they were related as father and children: children bear their fa­thers name: God therefore calling Iſrael by his own name, this ſheweth, that he was their father, they his children: And the Prophet in their name, teſtifieth as much, Iſa. 63.16. Doubtleſſe thou, O Lord, art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Iſ­rael acknowledge us not. Secondly, God was related to Iſrael as an husband to his wife; the wife beareth her husbands name, it hath been thus ever ſince Iſaiahs time I am ſure, for God threat­ned by him to ſend a ſword upon Judah and Jeruſalem, which ſhould make ſo great a ſlaughter and dearth of men, then ſeven women ſhould take hold of, or ſhould come a wooing to one man, ſaying, We will find our ſelves meat and cloathes, we will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparell, onely let us be called by thy name, Iſa. 4.1. Called by thy name? what do the women mean by this? why the very next words will ſhew us, which are, to take away our reproach: a〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, barrenneſſe was a reproach among the Jewes; let us be therefore called by thy name, to take away our reproach; that is, let us be married to thee, be thou our huſ­band: God then calling the people of Iſrael by his own name, this ſheweth that he was, as it were, their husband, they his wife: and God maketh them a promiſe of marriage in one place, where the Banes, as it were, are asked twice betwixt them in one verſe, Hoſ. 2.19. I will betroth thee unto me for over, yea I will betroth thee unto m•in righteouſneſſe and in judgement, &c. And in another place, the match ſeemeth to be conſummated, for God ſpeaketh in the preſent tenſe, I am married unto you, ſaith the Lord, Jer. 3.14. God was to the Iſraelites both a father and an husband, as a fa­ther he nurtured them, as an husband he nouriſhed them; never did any one hate his own fleſh: God therefore muſt needs be loving unto Iſrael, they being, as it were, bone of his bone, fleſh of his fleſh, they were his Spouſe, they were his ſons, to them pertained the adoption; and the glory, ſaith the Apoſtle, that is next, which glory ſome would have to be a conſequent of their adoption, and indeed to be Gods own people was no ſmall9 dignity: But this glory may be taken rather for the glorious preſence of God amongſt them, w^ch he manifeſted moſt eſpe­cially from off the Mercy-ſeat, that was upon the ark, and therefore when the Iſraelites had loſt the ark, Phinehas his wife concluded, that they had loſt the glory too; the glory, ſaith ſhe, is departed from Iſrael, for the ark of God is taken, 1 Sam. 4. ult. And as the adoption and the glory pertained to Iſrael, ſo the Covenants too; for the covenant that God made with Abraham runneth thus, Gen. 17.7. I will establiſh my Co­venant between me and thee, and thy ſeed after thee in their genera­tions, for an everlaſting Covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy ſeed after thee.

The next priviledge that Iſrael had, was the giving of the Law; that is, the morall Law was given to them, and almighty God himſelf was their Law-giver: The Promi­ſes were theirs too; the promiſe of long life here, and of eternall life hereafter, of the life that now is, and of that which is to come; to Abraham and his ſeed were theſe pro­miſes made, Gal. 3.16.

And as the Promiſes were theirs, ſo theirs alſo were the fathers, that is, the Promiſes were made as well to their fathers as to them, according to that of Saint Peter, Acts 3.25. Ye are the children of the Prophets, and of the Co­venant which God made with our fathers, ſaying unto Abraham, And in thy ſeed ſhall all the kindred of the earth be bleſſed. In thy ſeed, that is, in Chriſt, who was the Iſraelites own Countryman, which is their laſt prerogative recorded by the Apoſtle, of whom as concerning the fleſh Chriſt came.

Thus you have ſeen how God loaded the Iſraelites with bleſſings, with privative and poſitive, with temporall and ſpirituall; You onely have I knowne of all the families of the Earth. And now Iſrael, as MOSES once ſaid, Deut. 10.12. What doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his wayes, and to love him, and to ſerve the Lord thy God10 with all thy heart, and with all thy ſoul? But alas, the God of Iſrael is here forced to complain, that notwith­ſtanding all the coſt he had beſtowed upon his Vineyard, whem he expected grapes from it, it brought forth wilde grapes; notwithſtanding thoſe many benefits he had be­ſtowed upon his people, they continually rewarded him evill for good; they thought not of his hand, nor of the day when had delivered them from the hand of the enemy, how he wrought his miracles in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan; neither deſtroyed they the heathen, but learned their works; for they ſhed innocent blood, even the blood of their ſonnes, and of their daughters, whom they offered unto the Idols of Canaan, and the land was de­filed with blood.

In generall termes, their ſinnes are ſet down, Deut. 9.6, 7. but they are more particularly deſcribed in the third and fifth chapter of Iſaiah: in the third chapter you may ſee their womens ſinnes, the Prophet bringeth you, as it were, into the Exchange, he ſheweth you the pride and vanity of their womens dreſſings, he giveth you ſuch an inventory of their toyes, as is able to make a very Ca•o change his countenance: In the fifth chapter the Prophet ſheweth you their mens ſinnes; after the catalogue of God's benefits, he giveth you another catalogue of their ſinnes; at the ſeventh verſe he ſheweth you their op­preſſion and injuſtice; I looked for judgement, but be­hold oppreſſion; for righteouſneſſe, but behold a cry. At the eighth verſe, their encroaching covetouſneſſe in joyning houſe to houſe, and field to field, untill there was no place, that they might be placed alone in the middeſt of the earth. At the eleventh and twelfth ver­ſes, their drunkenneſſe and riot in riſing up early to follow ſtrong drink, and continuing untill night, till wine enflamed them, having the Harp and the Viol, the Tabret and Pipe, and wine in their feaſts. At the eighteenth and nineteenth verſes, their contempt and ſlighting11 of God's Word; in defiance of this drawing iniquity with coards of vanity, and ſinne, as it were, with a cart-rope; ſaying, let him doe his worſt, let him make ſpeed and haſten his worke that we may ſee it, and let the counſell of the holy one of Iſrael draw nigh and come that we may know it. At the twentieth verſe, their Hypocri­ſie, in calling evill good, and good evill; in putting dark­neſſe for light, and light for darkneſſe; in putting bitter for ſweet, and ſweet for bitter. At the one and twentieth verſe, their ſelfe conceit, being wiſe in their owne eyes, and prudent in their owne ſight. At the two and twenti­eth verſe, their Pot-valour, in that they were mighty to drinke Wine, and men of ſtrength to mingle ſtrong drinke. At the three and twentieth verſe, their bribery and cor­ruption, in juſtifying the wicked for reward, and in ta­king away the righteouſneſſe of the righteous from him. And ſhall I not viſit for theſe things, ſaith the Lord; ſhall not my ſoule be avenged on ſuch a Nation as this? Yes, the wrath of God was kindled againſt his people, inſo­much that he abhorred his owne inheritance; for three tranſgreſſions of Judah and for foure, he reſolveth that he will not turne away the puniſhment thereof. And ſo I am fallen upon the ſecond part of the Text, which is Comminatio ſupplicii; the threatning of a future judgement; therefore I will puniſh you for all your iniquities. You have heard that God beſtowed upon Iſrael two ſorts of bleſ­ſings; both which he threatneth to withdraw for their unthankfulneſſe.

Firſt, his private bleſſings; they muſt expect no more deliverances from him. He brought them forth out of the Iron Furnace, even out of Egypt; but they had ſo provoked him, that he threatned to binde them Ap­prentices there the ſecond time. Apprentices? nay worſe, he threatned to make Slaves of them, ſo wee read Deutr. 28. ult. The Lord, ſaith Moſes, ſhall bring thee into E­gypt againe with Ships, by the way whereof I ſpake un­to12 to thee; thou ſhalt ſee it no more againe; and there ſhall yee be ſold (offer your ſelves at leaſt) unto your enemies for Bo•d-men and Bond-women, and no man ſhall buy you. God threatneth to ſell his people for nought, and to take no money for them. And whereas the Iſraelites were wont to have the better of their Enemies, they had ſo angred the Lord of hoſts, that he threatned to give their Enemies the victory, ſo we read Deutr. 28.25. The Lord ſhall cauſe thee to be ſmitten before thine enemies, thou ſhalt goe out one way againſt them, and ſhalt flee ſeven wayes before them, and ſhall be removed into all the Kingdomes of the earth.

And I am ſure they have beene thus dlſperſed for many hundred yeeres; they are ſtrangers in all Countries; they have loſt both their place and Nation.

Secondly, God threatneth to withdraw his poſitive bleſ­ſings from them: We have a plaine Text for this, Iſa. 5.5, 6. I will tell thee, ſaith God, what I will doe to my Vineyard; I will take away the hedge thereof, and it ſhall be eaten up; and I will breake downe the wall thereof, and it ſhall be troden downe; and I will lay it waſte, it ſhall not be pru­ned nor digged: I will alſo command the Clouds, that they raine no more upon it. So true is that of the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 107.34. A fruitfull Land maketh he barren, for the wickedneſſe of them that dwell therein. For though the Land of Canaan were as the Garden of Eden, yet for the iniquitie of the Inhabitants, it ſhall be turned into a Wilderneſſe; and though the Iſraelites had the bleſ­ſings of the right hand, and of the left, yet for their ingratitude and diſobedience, God threatneth to with­draw both; You onely have I knowne of all the Families of the earth; therefore I will puniſh you for all your ini­quities.

Therefore I will puniſh you; You that were my darling, mine owne peculiar people; you that were as deare to me as the apple of mine eye; becauſe ye have broken my Cōmandemēts13 and been unmindfull of my loving kindneſſe, therefore I will puniſh you for all your iniquities.

And the obſervation from hence for our inſtruction is moſt obvious; Gods hatred againſt ſin is ſuch, that he will not let it go unpuniſhed in his dea­rest children. Adam was the maſter-piece of all Gods workmanſhip, and highly in favour with him at the firſt, and yet as ſoone as ever he had taſted of the forbidden tree, God baniſhed this ſame Adam out of Pa­radiſe. Moſes is often ſtiled the ſervant of God, but indeed he ſeemeth to have been more, with reverence be it ſpoken, to have been Gods fami­liar acquaintance, for Exod. 33.11. the Lord ſpake unto Moſes face to face, as a man ſpeaketh to his friend. Yet as great, and gracious, and familiar as Moſes was with God, for one ſin of infidelity God fell out with him, as we read Numb. 20. where when the people murmured for water, God bid Moſes but onely ſpeak to the rock, and it ſhould give forth water: But Moſes thought that ſpeaking would not do it; not a word therefore, but a blow, two of them for failing, he ſmote the rock twice; And for this he had his doome immediately, that he ſhould not en­ter into the land of promiſe. He that Propheſied againſt the Altar at Be­thel was Gods favourite, a man of God. Yet foraſmuch as he diſobey­ed the mouth of the Lord, in going back to eat and drinke with the old Prophet, his carkaſe muſt not come to the Sepulcher of his fathers. I ſhall give you but one example more, which is without example, our Saviour himſelf, that Lambe without ſpot, the onely righteous perſon that ever lived upon the earth. Though he were. Gods boſome Son, and had not the leaſt ſin of his owne, onely took ours by imputation, yet how harſh­ly did his father handle him, never was there any ſorrow like unto his ſor­row, wherewith the Lord afflicted him in the day of his fierce anger. And if theſe things be done in a greene tree, what ſhall be done in the dry? Luke 23.31. The righteous ſhall be recompenced in the earth, much more the wicked and the ſinner, Prov. 11. ult. If judgement begin at the houſe of God, what ſhall the end be of thoſe men that obey not the Goſpell of God? And if the righteous ſcarcely be ſaved, where ſhall the ungodly and the ſinner appear? 1 Pet. 4.17, 18. If an Iſraelite indeed in whom there is no guile, if this man ſhall be recompenced, ſhall be puniſhed in the earth; with whom ſhall hypocrites have their portion, that are full of deceit and fraud, and under whoſe tongue is ungodlineſſe and vanity? If a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God, and ſtriveth to eſchew evil, if this man ſhall be recompenced, ſhall be puniſhed in the earth, what will become of14 him that hath no fear of God before his eyes, but liveth as if there were no God, committing all uncleanneſſe even with greedineſſe? If a man of a ſtrict life, and a tender conſcience muſt be puniſhed, what will be­come of the rebellious reformers of our age, whoſe conſciences ſeeme to be feared with an hot iron? If Jeruſalem the holy City muſt be puni­ſhed, Lord, what will become of London and Westminster, places every whit as ſinfull as Sodome or Gomorrah? If God go ſo roughly to worke with them he knoweth, oh how will he handle ſtrangers without mit­tons? if he execute his judgements upon Jury where he was known, oh what fiery indignation will he powre out upon the heathen that have not known him, and upon the Kingdomes that have not called upon his name?

This teacheth us to flee from ſin, as from the face of a Serpent, conſi­dering how odious and abominable it is in the ſight of God, though Co­niah the ſon of Jeboiakim King of Judah were the ſignet upon his right hand, yet, for ſin God threatned to pluck him thence, Jer. 22.24. The King of England will not pardon wilfull murther, though his chiefeſt favourite ſhould commit it. The King of heaven will let no ſin go un­puniſhed, no not in his favourites, in his owne people. And he will ne­ver connive at ſin in us, that threatneth here to puniſh it ſo ſeverely in Iſrael, You onely have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore will I puniſh you for all your iniquities.

And ſo I have gone through the parts of the Text; a few words now of Application, and I have done.

Truly God, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, is loving unto Iſael, and truly he hath been as loving unto us, he hath beſtowed many private, and many poſi­tive bleſſings on us. Firſt private, many late deliverances, I will Inſtance but in three.

The firſt was from Popiſh tyranny and ſuperſtition, a tyranny more then Aegyptian, an Antichriſtian tyranny. The damned glutton Luk. 16. deſired onely a little water for his thirſt, But water will not quench this thirſt of Babilon, the whore muſt have blood, till ſhe hath made her ſelfe ſtarke drunk with it, no blood of Beaſts, it muſt be blood of Men, no blood of ſinners, it muſt be the blood of Saints, and theſe Martyrs none of Mahomets, they muſt be Martyrs of Jeſus. Rev. 17.6. Sad experience of this tyranny we had in Queen Maries daies. Non miſſura cutem niſi plena cruoris hirudo, the Romiſh horſeleach would not give us over, till ſhe had full gorged herſelf with our blood. Or indeed15 it is a queſtion whether ſhe would ever have been fatisfied, had we not been ſtrangely delivered from her tyranny, by the Queen of Queens, or rather the King of Kings, You o•ely have I known of all the fam•lies of the earth.

A ſecond deliverance was from the Spaniſh Armado in the year 1588. Which Fleet had it prevailed, our Thames had been named Tyber, Ro­miſh ſuperſtition had invaded us once more, and then by the waters of Ba­bylon we might have ſate downe and wept, as often as we remembred this our Sion. But God brake the ſhips of the ſea through the Eaſt wind, You only have I known of all the families of the earth.

A third deliverance was from that horrid Powder-treaſon, Novemb. 5. 1605. which was carried on with ſo great ſecrecy, that it made the man of ſin inſult — Tequehis, ait, eripe flammis, who is that God that ſhall deliver them out of my hands? But he that dwelleth in heaven laugheth the Biſhop of Rome to ſcorne, and pluck't us as it had been fire-brands out of the burning, You onely have I known of all the families of the earth.

And as God has befriended us by his private, ſo by his poſitive bleſ­ſings, anſwerable to thoſe which he beſtowed upon his Vineyard. And firſt we may compare with Iſrael for a fruitfull ſcituation, being neither under the torrid nor the frozen Zone, neither burned away with par­ching heat, nor benummed away with pinching cold, but ſeated in a tem­perate climate & afertile ſoile; our folds are ful of ſheep our vallies ſtand ſo thick with corne that we may laugh and ſing. God hath alſo fenced us about, like the Iſraelites in the red ſea with a wall of water, the wa­ters are as a wall unto us on our right hand, and on our left. But eſpe­cially God hath fenced us by his protection, ſalvation hath the Lord ap­pointed for wals and bulwarks. He hath likewiſe gathered the ſtones out from us, he hath caſt out the Romiſh rabble, and hath planted our Land with the choiceſt Religion, that of Proteſtants. And he hath builded a Tower among us, he hath ſet up Epiſcopall authority. Some thinke this Tower too high, and would faine have it quite demoliſhed, downe with it, downe with it, ſay they, even to the ground. But theſe are an Aſſembly of birds that would faine build in others neaſts; there are Preſbyterian Levellers as well as Independent; but let them both do what they can, I hope I ſhall never ſee the day wherein theſe Towers fall. God hath made, as it were, a winepreſſe among us too, no Nation under heaven hath better Lawes then we, many of them or theſe ſeven years have16 been caſt into a deep ſleep, but I truſt that within few moneths they will be wakened. And that in telling you of one bleſſing more I may ſhew you all the reſt, God hath ſet over us a prudent, and moſt pious Prince, a King for His faith and life unſpotted from the world, a Patron and a Patterne of good men and goodneſſe, a maintainer of His Countries Laws, and, however Rebellion hath traduced Him, a zealous profeſſour and Defender of the Chriſtian Faith. O fortunatos nimium, bona ſi ſua nôrint, Augligenas! Happy Nation we to be in ſuch a caſe, happy Na­tion we to have the Lord for our God, to have him as kind and good to us, as he ever was to Iſrael, You only have I known of all the families of the earth. And now, England, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walke in all his wayes, and to love him, and to ſerve the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy ſoul? But here God may as juſtly complaine of us as he did of Iſrael, that when he looked for grapes from us, we have brought forth wilde grapes, there is not a ſin Iſa. 5. charged upon Iſrael, but we ſtand guilty of it. I have not time to arraigne all the ſins that reigne among us, the time would faile me to reckon up the oathes and imprecations. Our ſins therefore being as many, nay, more, I doubt, then thoſe of Iſrael; of two things one we muſt either plead more priviledge to ſin then they had, which I am ſure we cannot, or elſe without great mercy we muſt looke yet for grea­ter judgements, at leaſt to have God ſo threaten us, as here he threatens the people of Iſrael, You onely have I knowne of all the familes of the earth, therefore I will puniſh you for your iniquities. I will puniſh You. You that have ſeven years ſate in Councell, been in Covenant for, yet armed your ſelves againſt, and have at laſt moſt trayterouſly impriſoned the Lords Anointed, you that have turned judgement to wormwood, you that have turned our ſtill waters into blood, you that have turned the Kings houſe, nay, the houſe of God into a den of theeves, you that imagine wickedneſſe and practiſe it you that have ſet your ſelves in no good way, you that dare do any thing, but juſtice, you that dare rob your Sove­raigne, nay, even God himſelfe, you that are made up of couſenage and contradictions, you that have no Religion but rapine and Rebellion, you that are againſt Papiſts in practice, though ye will not owne that name, you that neither fear God, nor honour the King, you that would begger all that refuſe to be ſuch Rebels as your ſelves, you that, with Herod, are deepely died in bloud of Innocents, that make no more of cutting off a mans, then of cutting off a dogs neck, you that have filled17 the grave with bodies, and hell with ſouls, therefore I will puniſh you for your iniquities.