ing our sins

and plagues

in us.

own lusts, and so perish in our own wickedness. When we read and hear this sturdy disobedience towards God, we think this people to be the worst under heaven; and if we had been in their case, we would not have been so disobedient: but if we look at ourselves, and without flattery examine our own consciences and behaviour towards God, we shall find that we have been plagued no less than they, and have had God's long sufferance and benefits shewed towards us no less than they; and yet we have not learned so much, yea, less than they. God of his goodness amend it in us for Christ's sake!

And because they had been so negligent in not considering God's plagues and works among them so many years; yet twice again in this verse he wills them not lightly to consider it, nor forget it any longer, as they had done before times, but deeply to weigh why those plagues had fallen upon them. God works nothing in vain, but for our learning and great profit, that we may remember our duty the better, and more reverently worship him hereafter. It is no small fault so lightly to consider God's works towards us for that we might the better do it, he hath given man only reason as a chief treasure, that we may do the same; and also taught us by his word to do so. Therefore, if we do it not, we are worse than beasts, which have not reason to consider such his workings.

No kind of fruit, corn, vines, figs, pomegranates, olives, had prosperously increased of all these years; which could not be but for some great cause: and yet they passed but lightly, on it, neither fearing God the more, lest he should increase the plagues, nor amended their lives, that he might Remember hold his hand from plaguing them any longer. Often and work good earnest remembering of our disobedience towards God, and considering his scourges for the same, works in all good hearts an earnest amendment of life. The unthrifty son in the gospel, that had spent all his portion of goods unthriftly, when he was driven by hunger to remembrance of himself and his misbehaviour, comes home to his father, submits himself, confesses his fault, saying, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and thee, and am not worthy to be called thy son;" and so is received to mercy. The publican, acknowledging his

Luke xv.

sins, went home righteous. St Paul, remembering how he 1 Tim. i. was a persecutor, cruel, a blasphemer, is kept in an humble and lowly knowledge of himself. Esdras and Daniel, con- Dan. ix. fessing their disobedience and sins of the whole people, knowledge their misery, God's justice in punishing, and so obtain mercy. Moses, to teach the Jews to be pitiful to strangers, bids them remember, how they were strangers in Egypt and Exod. xxii. slaves to Pharao: for in so considering their old estate and heavy case that they were in before, they should learn the better to pity strangers and consider their heaviness. This by remembering diligently, our case and state past with God's punishment for our sins, we shall learn our misery, call for help of God, and be more ware hereafter, that we fall not into the like sins, and so procure God's anger and heavier hand, heaping our own damnation. God sends such things to teach us our duty; and if we do not learn, he will cast us out of his school. No good schoolmaster will suffer such lewd scholars in his school as will not learn, when they be sufficiently taught both by gentleness and sharpness, by things past and present, by example of others and experience of themselves.

And where these plagues began to fall upon them, even after the ground-work of the temple was laid, and when they left off building; a man would think God dealt extremely with them, which would not spare them any thing at all, but for the first fault punishes so sharply and continues so long. But, as the Machabees teach, when he hath reckoned the cruelty 2 Mace. vi. and persecution of Antiochus, lest a man should think God hated his people for dealing so sharply with them, he saith, "God did it for love, and that he loved them more than all God's punishing other people, because by correction he would so soon call them is a token back, and not let them live in sin still, as he did other nations." The Gentiles whom he punished nothing so sharply, but let them live at their pleasure, they knew him not, worshipped him not; he gave them not his word nor his prophets, but let them take their pleasure, as though he cared not for them. David, considering the divers plagues and sickness which God laid on him, said, "It is good for me that Psal. cxix. thou hast corrected and humbled me; for before I was cor

of his love.

Malac. i.

rected, I sinned." For as a man' will suffer those beasts which he appoints to be killed, to go where they lust in the best pastures, and to break his hedges, that in so doing, the sooner they be fat, the sooner they may be slain; so God, those people which he loves not in Christ his Son, he lets them take their pleasure, corrects them not for their amendment, but lets them work their just condemnation, in giving them up to their own lusts. "Every father," saith the apostle, 66 corrects his children; and those which he corrects not be bastards." And although correction of God seem sharp and bitter for the present time, and seems to come of hate and not of love; yet the end is sweet, loving, and profitable, that he may give us his holiness. A vessel, if it be foul, must be scoured before wine be put in it; and he that will make his ground fruitful, must first pull up the weeds, before he sow good seed: so by these sharp medicines of God's correction must the body be purged, that the mind may bring forth his due fruit in fear and reverence.

Let us in England therefore remember God's plagues, which we have suffered of God's good will, so long and many, for our amendment; and let us lament our hardness of heart, that have been so grievously and long punished, and yet have not duly considered the heaviness of God's hand, nor the greatness of our sins which have so provoked his anger upon us. We are sufficiently taught by all examples before us, if we will learn, and by these present plagues that we feel, what a grievous thing and horrible sin it is in God's sight to leave God's house unbuilt: and yet, like unreasonable beasts and unsensible, we neither fear our good God as a Lord, nor love him as a father, as Malachy saith, “If I be your Lord, where is the fear ye owe me? If I be your father, where is the love that is due unto me?"

From henceforth God promises "to bless their fruit and works:" and they had not so great scarceness before, but now So that when man turns when man amends, God

God turneth they should have as great plenty. unto God, God turns unto him:

to us, when we turn to him.

[The first edition reads, the butcher will―altered in the second to the a man will-where the first word appears to have been left by mistake. ED.]

looks cheerfully on him, where before he was angry: when man leaves sinning, God leaves plaguing: when man builds God's house, and maintaineth his true religion, God blesseth his house and all that is in it. As Moses teaches: "If Deut. xxviii. thou hear the voice of the Lord thy God, to do his commandment, thou shalt be blessed in the city, in thy house, in the field, &c."

moves

plagues.

And how came all this to pass, that they were so amended? By preaching rather than plaguing: for that which could not Preaching be obtained in forty years' plagues, was gotten in three weeks' more than preaching. Aggeus came the first day of the sixth month, and the twenty-fourth of the same they began to work; so they had no more time to preach in, nor to prepare their tools in, but three weeks and three days. Such a strong thing is the word of God, sharper than a two-edged sword, Heb. iv. and piercing to the division of the mind and soul: and where it is earnestly received, it makes many to fear no death nor displeasure, nor to think any thing painful, so that he may please his God. Therefore let us have it in reverence, use it, hear it, read it, mark it, remember it, and practise it : for in it is shewed unto us all the counsel of God; and it is set for a sufficient doctrine to us, to stir us up to the doing of our duty and salvation of our souls, to the worshipping of God, and understanding his goodness offered unto us. Also a worthy example it is to be followed of all that have Gentleness correction of other, that when the rod will not serve, to prove than sharpwords and counsel for often many be such, that they will do more for a word than a stripe; and often strokes harden the heart, when gentleness wins and persuades.

is oft better

ness.

v. 20. The word of the Lord was spoken the second time unto The text. Aggeus, in the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying,

21. Speak to Zerubabel, the ruler of Juda, saying, I will trouble heaven and earth also.

22. And I will destroy the seat of the kingdoms, and I will break in sunder the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen, and I will throw down the chariots and the riders in them: the horses shall fall down, and the riders on them; and the noblest shall be slain by the sword of his brother.

God blesses

them that build his house, and

preachers.

23. In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, I will take thee, Zerubabel, son of Salathiel, my servant, saith the Lord, and I will put thee as a signet; because I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts.

The people of God, now going diligently about to build the Lord's house, and working at it now three full months, sends them did so well please the Lord, that he sent his prophet twice on a day to comfort and encourage them in their doings, lest they should faint or be slack in going forward, as they were before. Such a loving Lord is our good God unto his people, that he will maintain and set forward all such as go about diligently to walk in their vocation, and build his house to their power. Every month, from the beginning of the restoring of this temple, they had one message or other from God by his prophet, to will them to continue and go forward in this well doing and building God's house.

Zech. i.

Luke xix.

Felix.

In the sixth and seventh month came this prophet Aggeus with God's message unto them, as is said before. In the eighth month comes Zacharias the prophet. In the ninth month comes this prophet again twice on a day from God, with comfortable promises: in the eleventh month comes Zachary again. So while they were thus diligent to do their duty, God was as ready to shew them mercy; and will be to all which do the like, as he hath promised that "to every one that hath it shall be given." Therefore, if we be desirous to have increase of the Lord's blessings, let us be diligent to increase that little which we have given us first, and it shall be increased to much more. He brings the Lord's message and not his own, like a true servant; not for money, as the pope's pardoners and priests do, but freely and willingly comes twice a day, as the Lord appoints him. Contrariwise, if the people follow not that which they be taught, God takes his word and prophets from them. It is written of a holy father called Felix, which when certain desired him to preach, he said, "In time past, when men did as they were taught, God opened many preachers' mouths: now the people will not learn; therefore God stops their mouths'."

[1 Vita Patrum. Lib. v. Libell. iii. 18. p. 566. Antverp. 1615. The sequel is: Quæ cum audissent fratres, ingemuerunt dicentes, Ora pro nobis, pater. ED.]