A Golden Chain

Our fourth duty is set down by the Prophet Amos, who moving the people to meet God by repentance, addeth a reason taken from the creation: He that formeth the mountains and createth the winds, which declareth unto man what is his thought, which maketh the morning darkness, &c. the Lord God of hosts is his name. ¹The meaning of the Prophet is this: God is a terrible judge, and we are as traitors & rebels against him: therefore the best way that we can take is this: he is coming to judgement, let us therefore meet him and fall down before him, and humble our selves under his mighty hand. And the holy Ghost by the Prophet would move the people to meet God by serious repentance, by a reason framed thus: If God who is their judge, be able to create the winds, and to form the mountains, and to make the morning darkness: then he is also able to make an eternal judgement for their confusion. And therefore all such as be impenitent sinners, let them prepare themselves to turn unto him: & surely if men had grace to lay this to their hearts; they would not live so long in their sins without repentance as they do: nay rather, they would prepare themselves to meet him in the way before he come to judgement, because he is a Creator, and therefore able to bring infinite punishments upon them at his pleasure, and to bring them to nothing as he made them of nothing. And let them know it, whosoever they be that go forward in their sins, that God the creator whensoever he will, can open hell to devour them: and that he can show himself as mighty in his judgement to mens destruction, as he was mighty in the beginning in giving us a being when we were nothing. Wherefore notable is the practise of David, who inures himself to the ⟨p. 226⟩fear of God by the consideration of his creation, saying, I am fearfully and wonderfully made, &c.²

Our fourth dutie is set downe by the Prophet Amos, who moouing the people to meete God by repentance, addeth a reason taken from the creation: He that fourmeth the mountaines and createth the winds, which declareth vnto man what is his thought, which maketh the morning darkenesse, &c. the Lord God of hosts is his name. ¹The meaning of the Prophet is this: God is a terrible iudge, and we are as traytors & rebels against him: therfore the best way that we can take is this: he is comming to iudgement, let vs therefore meete him and fal downe before him, and humble our selues vnder his mightie hand. And the holy Ghost by the Prophet would mooue the people to meete God by serious repentance, by a reason framed thus: If God who is their iudge, be able to create the winds, and to forme the mountaines, and to make the morning darknes: then he is also able to make an eternall iudgement for their confusion. And therfore all such as be impenitent sinners, let thē prepare thēselues to turne vnto him: & surely if men had grace to lay this to their hearts; they would not liue so long in their sinnes without repentance as they doe: nay rather, they would prepare thēselues to meete him in the way before he come to iudgement, because he is a Creator, and therefore able to bring infinite punishments vpon them at his pleasure, and to bring them to nothing as he made them of nothing. And let them know it, whosoeuer they be that go forward in their sinns, that God the creator whensoeuer he will, can open hell to deuoure them: and that he can shew himselfe as mightie in his iudgement to mens destruction, as he was mightie in the beginning in giuing vs a beeing when we were nothing. Wherefore notable is the practise of Dauid, who inures himselfe to the