A20559:113
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandments gathered from the mouth of a faithful pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholar in Cambridge.The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandements gathered from the mouth of a faithfull pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholler in Cambridge.
London: printed by John Harison for Thomas Man, 1603London: printed by Iohn Harison for Thomas Man, 1603
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
So Isaiah 6. God did send him about such a piece of work, as he knew would be full tedious unto him, and go against his stomach, namely that he must preach to harden the hearts of the people, and be a minister of death unto his hearers, which was as bitter as death to him, and he could never have yielded to it. But now God comes not with the bare precept, for that would have done little good, the thing was so contrary to Isaiah, that he would never have obeyed, but he shows him self to him in a vision and lets him see his majesty in such a fearful sort, as that he falls flat on the dust for fear, and his body quakes and he cries out, what shall I do? I am a man of polluted lips and dwell among people of polluted lips. I shall surely die, for I have seen the Lord. When he was thus throughly affrighted and the pride of his flesh was beaten down, with the apprehension of Gods infinity, then when God asks who will go, he is ready and sayeth, Lord send me, and so God sends him, and he goes immediately and willingly, ⟨image 29⟩there is no disputing now, nor reasoning the matter, for all the objections that men make, and all their disputing, that they think Gods commandments be hard and grievous, and why should they deny them selves? why should not they have their pleasure? Hence it comes, that they fear not God, they do not think of his greatness, nor consider his wonderful might and strength, for if they could bring their hart once to consider his exceeding greatness, their hart would soon stoop, all arguments would fall to the ground, & all would be quiet straight. For this will tame the fierceness and boisterousness that is in mens harts, and make them gentle and still enough. As we see in Job, though he was a very good and patient man, yet when his flesh began a little to work, and his hart was disquieted and vexed by the words of his friends, then he would needs be dealing with God, he thought he had reason to speak, & imagined that he could say much for himself, he would fill his mouth with arguments, and fain he would have God to come to hear what he could speak, in his own defence, and to show what wrong was done to him.
So Isaiah 6. God did send him about such a peece of worke, as he knew would be full tedious vnto him, and goe against his stomacke, namely that hee must preach to harden the hartes of the people, and be a minister of death vnto his hearers, which was as bitter as death to him, and he could neuer haue yelded to it. But now God comes not with the bare precept, for that would haue done litle good, the thing was so contrarie to Isaiah, that he would neuer haue obeyed, but he shewes him selfe to him in a vision and lets him see his magestie in such a fearfull sort, as that he fals flat on the dust for feare, and his body quakes and he cries out, what shall I doe? I am a man of polluted lips and dwell among people of polluted lips. I shall surely die, for I haue seene the Lord. When he was thus throughly affrighted and the pride of his flesh was beaten downe, with the apprehension of Gods infinitie, then when God askes who will goe, he is ready and sayeth, Lord send me, and so God sends him, and he goes immediatly and willingly,