OfHearing thevord. 335 of God,I fhall draw neerertohis wrath, ifnottomy faluation, furetomy deftru&ion. g We oft heare the word, butnotas thewordof the Lord, and thereforewee heare it Wemidiheart but in part,becaufewe thinke it is the wordofEfai,of Feter,orof theMinifter, weethinke thtniordas itisHof,orPaulthatfpeakes ,butnottheLord. Well,ifwewilltarievntilltheLordhim -Go sword, felfecome,wee !hall not heart norfeehim, vntill theheauens roll vp together as afaole, avp:le#i> day anda globeof fireconfume theface oftheearth,vntill theSunne be turned as blacke as a pot,and the fea bode as apot ofoyle,and thenwemuff rathergiue an accompt ofourhea- ring,than ftand to heareagain.Well then howarewefaid to hearethe word acheLord? Firlt we muff know,that Chrift receiuedacommiffion from the Lord, This is my &lotted fonne,héarehim. Here is his commiflion. Thenour Sauiour Chrift being to goe to his Fa- ther,lefca commiffon withhis Apoftles,whofo hearethyou,hearethme, whoforeceiuethyou, thefamereceiuethme: but whoforefufeth7au,refufethme. So that to heare the Mindters is to heareChrift,and to heareChrift is tohearetheFatherYotiiat toheare theMinifters is toheare God. And thewords of Hofe,and ofPeter, they be the Lords words. And all this wordfent fromGod(hall beas effebluall by themouth ofthe Minifters, to convert, as if theywere fpoken by Chrift himfelfe. Andwee know that Chrift being the Minifter ofcir- cumcifion,conuertednot allhis auditors,nayhe conuertedbuta fewof his hearers. Peter conuertedmoeatone fermon, whowasbut hisApoltle, thanwee reade that bee himfèlfe euerconuertedall hislifelong. But ifit willnot be,but 1h11 wethinke it is theword ofche Preachers,furelyby your owne imaginations the Lordwillpunifh you, that is, itfhall be vnco you a mans word,Hofèes word, or Petersword, nottheword ofthe Lord. And then ifwe heare it not asthe wordofGod,butas the wordofman, it will neuer doevsgood, it may breedeforcelittle purpofèinvs,buticwill neuerbreedeinvs any great praigifeto our comfort. Sothen ifweheart it butasfrommen ,ee (hall rotin our frnne, andfo lye frill, vntillthe Lordfinde vs out inthe fearching dayofhis iudgeoent. 4 Becaufe thedoótrine ofaccufrng,co;rdemning,and threátning, isa fcripture vnwii- Itis good re Tingly regeiuedofinen,and wee (hall Itemmolt-ad-le Prophets fo long astheyprophetic heareofthe . peace,andfpeake ofheauen, ofgrace, ofmercie, they are willingly heard : butifat any threass sgs as time they(take on theother itring,the peoplewouldno longerheare,but oft breakforth, promifes. and fay, prophecie peace voto vs : becaufe (Ifay) thepeoplehauing madea league with death and hell,cannot abide toheare fuchvnfauourieand nipping fpeeches, it muff needs be,that the Lordfometime vfe!peechesofquarrell andcontrouerfre,andofhis fallingout with thç people. Iknow that befidesthat it isthe generali corruption ofnature, it is a fpe_ ciall faultofthefe times and ofthisage,that iftheMinifter ofGodthunder out the threat- ningsof God,he (hall be ftraight difcharged to be aMinifter ofChrift, he (hall be now the minii'ter ofthe Law and of Afofes. For the words ofgrace,mercie, andfaluation are simile. fweete words,andmen can wellaway toheare them: but the Sonneof God bath not al -» waiesaftreame ofmilkeand hony running out of hismouth, but fometimeatwo edged » fword,Apocal.r. and it is asprofitable for God his children fometime to hauea Fong of Sinai,as a longofSion, andthen fpecially is this requtfite, when the merciesof God come notby the *hynn, orby thepeck, or by fmall portions,but by thegomer,by the ephath, '7h is ix and infull meafure. Becaufe thenwe may bedrawne intoforgetfulnes,and thereforeleaft pro/jieazririe. diefethings (houldcloyvs, it is good for eueryman in the dayofpeace to thinke of the dayofcontrouerfie, and in our molt quietnes to know theLord hack: an inditement and anaflionagainit vs,thoughwhen this age is rippedvp, wee (hail fee theLord his indite- mentrightly framed,andhisnifsprires, (poly put vp againft vs: yet when the day of the iudgements of Godbethreatned, we mutt notfaythey appertaine to ltrangers, weemutt take the aftionto proceedeagainft our felues. ç Though theMiniflerstake theLords quarrel! in hand and iudge his taufe, as the yyl theZord Lord biddeth Ezechiel to auenge his quarrel!: thoughthe Prophets, I fay, doe this, or if oft rhreatnerh they ceafe todoe it,the very(tones, and creatures (haildoe it againftvnbeleeuers ; yet at inhis owns othertimes wefee in theProphetshow all ceafe,and theLord himfelfe pieades the contro- Per ¡on: uerfre. Though therefore we could armeour felues and make our part in goodagainft the treacures,and could fhiftoffhis Prophecs;yet the Lordhünfclfe cutting Ifs ablion againft VS,
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