the Bench then they cry and take on Therefore the Church prayes Lord leave us not Thou art our hope in the day of evil Jer. 17.17 God is said to be the strength of his people in Psal 37. and Psal 39. Now if their strength be gone they must needs be weak Christ rebukes his Disciples for fearing when they were in the Ship and he was with them but when God leaves a people Oh what cause of fear is there then The Church implies so much Jer. 14.9 thou art in the midst of us leave us not we are in a sad condition already yet oh Lord do not thou leave us Now if we would not have God to leave us let us take heed we do not leave God How to keep God with us would you have God be for you in adversity then be you for God in prosperity nor forsake him when he is afflicted which is when his people and cause suffer Many will be for the Saints and own the Cause of God when all things goes well and their side prospers but in trouble when they are in disgrace or sorrow then they forsake them as if they knew no such people know that in thus doing thou leavest God and God may justly leave thee in thy affliction But now 't is Godâ— promise to his people That he will not leave them Psal 31.7 8. Psal 34. 17 18. God may bring thee into their power and jurisdiction that are evil but wait thou on the Lord and he shall deliver thee We use to say when we are in any trouble to our dear friend What will you also leave me will you not now own me and stay by me Aâ— Christ himself said to his Disciples Will you also leave me simile and go away but God will never leave his people in this manner The Shepherd may suffer his dog to hunt the sheep to bark at them to fetch them together but never suffers him to worry and kill them so God may suffer the wicked to hunt the Saints and perhaps to fasten upon them sometimes but then God will call them off again for his promise is not to leave them as he doth the wicked in their afflictions Heb. 13.5 five negatives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Heb. 13.5 I will never leave thee nor forsake thee in which words we have in the Greek five negatives to affirm the truth of this conclusion that God will never forsake his people I will not not leave you yea but the people of God might say but Lord we seem to the eye of the world to be forsaken no saith the Lord I will not not leave you there it two negatives to leaving and three to forsaking from whence we may see how strongly God hath engaged himself for his peoples security And return unto my place Expos Gods place Deus est habitaculuÌ„ mundi non mundus habitaculum eius These words are something difficult What is Gods place Is God contained in any place God is rather the place of the world than the world his place but here 't is meant Heaven I will return unto my place That is I 'le go to Heaven again not that God is there only containd but that is the place from which he reveals himself most there the holiness of God shines in most glory There is but little of God in this world to what there is in Heaven the glory of all the world is but as a dungeon to that place of Gods presence we are like children born in a dungeon who think there is no better place because they never saw better but Heaven is our Fathers place and Christ who is our elder brother is gone thither before us to provide mantions for us let us therefore have conversations in Heaven answerable to the holiness of that place this world is like unto the out-housing stables or kennels belonging to some pallace or stately building even as these are very inferior to the rooms in the house so is the pomp and state of this world unto Heaven God hath given the world unto worldly men for their portion but the Saints have a better inheritance reserved for them even in Heaven I will return to my place When was God from His place Expos when did He come from thence Thus when he did rend and tear them appearing against them as a Lyon and as a young Lyon then it was as if God should come down to rectifie and set in order things which were amiss and out of their place as we may see in the case of Sodom Gen. 18.21 I will go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of their sin the sin of Sodom fetcht God from his Throne So in Isa 26.21 Behold the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their cruelty and wickedness the earth also shall disclose her blood and shall no longer cover her slain God compares himself to a Prince upon his Throne who goes from his place of State into Countries to quiet mutinees and rebellions among his people The Note from hence is That sin desturbs He even â—nd Earth God cannot be quiet in Obs 1 Heaven for sinners Just it is with God to trouble sinners on Earth Obs 2 In times of publick judgment God doth in a manner leave his Majestie and Roialty in Heaven to set things in order here on earth And surely it will be to their cost when God thus comes do but view the terribleness of Gods coming down in Psal 18.9 10. Darkness and coals of fire were under his feet God seems to speak as a father to his children what must I come to you will you force me to come among you if I do it shall be to your cost Revertar ad habitaculum sanctitatismeae Chald. paraphrase I will return unto my place When I have afflicted them I will go to Heaven and there will I sit and my administrations shall be such towards them as if I regarded them not as a Prince that goes from the poor subject to his seat of dignity and mindes not the poor prisoner Obs 3 The administrations of God sometimes even to His own people may be such as if He regarded them not they may be so left in the hands of the wicked that they may think God hath forsaken them and given them over into their hands and Gods people may conclude so and think that God is gone and hath now hid Himself for ever as a poor child in misery in one Country and his father in another thinks thus I am in trouble and sorrow simile and I have a father but he is in another Country and I know not when he will come again so God may go to His place and the soul may seek Him but he is now gone He is in another place the Saints should be encouraged notwithstanding to look up to God and know though God be gone
Let us only encourage our selves in the Lord our God let us take heed of the goodness of our cause thereby too much to rest upon it 1 Sam. 4.3 the people said Let us fetch home the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord that when it cometh it may save us they thought the bare having of that among them would deliver them Know that it is not the goodness of our cause that can bear us up and carry us through difficulties if we do not turn to the Lord. Now that your spirits may not sink under these troubles Motives to courag let me give you a few props to lean upon If we have been faithful in our work we may have this testimony that what iâ— our place to do as creatures is performed by us Gods part is only remaining to be done and know though there were much weaknesses in our performances yet we have to deal with a God who loves sincerity in infirmities If we suffer God suffers more this should mightily encourage us in sufferings when God is contented to be our partner Know that God sees further than we and knows what is best for us when the wars first began we promised our selves a present end of them and we thought it would be best but God saw it was not had we had peace at the first we should not have known what to have done with it it would even have undone us by that time Consider things are no more difficult now than they were at the first unto God God knows as well how to deliver in the greatest straits as if there were none at all God usually works by contrary means bringing light out of darkness saving Israel in the red Sea when in the greatest danger of drowning Know that God will be seen in the Mount God hath his time his set time to appear for his people and before that time come he will not shew himself the soul is very prone in misery to run into a double extream either of presumpâ—ion or dispairing by unbeleef presumption that puts the evil day far off and unbeleef that puts the good day far off therefore take heed of both these Object But could we have the encouragement of this people could we say that we have returned it were something Answ Now for this know that if the consideration of Gods healing mercy is more prevailing with us to turn than any misery whatsoever if we are willing and desirous to turn the other may be made good that God is willing to heal and bind us up Can we but make out the first part of our turning I dare affirm the second of Gods healing though perhaps it may be very painful the Lord hath put a deep tent into us to eat out our putrified flesh therefore we ought more earnestly to desire a through and sound healing than an easy and sudden cure Obs 3 When God intends good to a people he gives them an intimation of his love to them How did this people know that God would heal them and that He would bind them up Thus they argued it out from Gods goodness from his Name and from his Covenant Oh would God but put into our thoughts to consider the mercy of God to us in the Covenant Quest But I fear this would be presumption in me may some say Answ I answer No if thy beleeving and resting upon the promise sanctifies the heart and not make it secure if thy laying hold upon the promise doth more break the heart and make it humble and submissive it is a right supporting the heart upon the promise and not presumption Os The apprehension of what mercy is to come will readily cause the heart to turn to him Many say God will not be gracious mercy is past there is no hope therefore we will give over waiting No but we will seek him still and wait longer for mercy to come Lastly This people being turned to God do not make the hopes of Obs 5 their healing a fruit of their returning but a fruit of Gods mercy Many poor souls think that they must not beleeve till they are so far humbled and so much broken This is an errour we should exercise our faith more upon Gods healing than our returning and this will cause us to be humbled Works Faith humiliation will soon follow after this Good works are a good nurse to faith but if we make works the mother of faith that faith is not right it 's a bastard faith VER 2. After two daies will he revive us in the third day he will râ—ise us up and we shall live in his sight GODS Works are Comments upon his Word and it hath been so frequently in the opening of this Prophesie as Christ said of that Scripture Luke 4.21 This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears so may I say of this Scripture at this time how hath God litterally fulfilled it The last Exercise you heard of Gods wounding and of his healing How hath he healed us in a gracious manner and how are these words fulfilled in the litteral sence After two daies he will revive us But two daies after our humiliation he revived us and the third day we lived in his sight and if we follow on to know the Lord we shall know more of his counsel and though the darkness of the night be not yet over yet the morning is prepared But may we have such ground to think so as this people when any people may apply the promise that God will revive uâ— and that we shall live in his sight If we can prove our turning unto God and our returning from sin the other may be made good that he will revive us in our sorrows The scope of these two verses is to express a further confidence scope and sum of repenting beleeving Israel in Gods goodness before he smote them and now he would revive them but before this reviving comes perhaps we may be as dead men yea lie a day that is a certain time as dead men forsaken of God quite out of his minde yea we may lie the second day also that is a second time wherein we expected help yet then also the enemy may triumph over us yet shall we live in his sight that is all shall see that the eye of God was on us for good he will revive us and God shall be in our sight as we shall be in his glorious things is he about to make known to us though it be night now yet know his mercy is a coming even as the morning followeth the dark night this is the sum of these words Yet for the further opening of them know that interpreters differ they keep a great stir to know what 's meant by two daies some think it spoken of the Jewish captivity others of the second coming of Christ the Messias therefore Luther Luther seems to contemn their inceties saying he thinks them not worthy to
the seventy yeers were at an end ibid Answered 2 In their captivity by the Romans ibid Answered 3 At the calling of the Jews ibid Quaere 2 How did they seek God in any of these times ibid Answered from several Scriptures ibid Obs 1 In the sorest afflictions which befals the people of God he intends their good in them Page 522 Obs 2. God hath little honor in this world Page 523 Use God takes it ill when he seldom hears from us but in our extremities ibid Obs 3 Times of affliction are times of seeking God ibid Obs 4. When God is pleased to work grace in the heart that heart is taken off from all creature helps ibid Obs 5. We are not to be discouraged in seeking God though afflictions drives us to it ibid Use Despair not in afflictions ibid Obs 6 We must seek God early else not sufficient Page 525 Opened in Three particulars ibid Quest What is it to seek God diligently Page 526 Answered in Five particulars ibid Use Admonition to England Page 527 AN EXPOSITION Of the PROPHESY of HOSEA CHAP. 4. VER 1. Hear the Word of the LORD ye Children of Israel for the LORD hath a Controversie with the Inhabitants of the Land because there is no truth c. IN this Chapter we have 1. A suit commenced 2. God declares 3. Judgment is pronounced 4. Exhortation to Judâ—h to beware she comes not into the same condition 5. Execution the giving up Ephraim to himself and unto Gods wrath For the fiâ—st Israel is cited Hear ye the Wâ—rd of the Lord ye children of Israel The knowledge of any truth hard and grievous to flesh and blood to be the Word of the Lord Obs is a special means to prepare the heart to receive it with reverence and all due respect It was a hard Message that Hosâ—â— had to bring to tell them of Gods Controversie he therrefore makes thiâ— preface 〈◊〉 Word of the Lord. Hard truths are hardly born but when the Authority of the Infinite God appears in them be they either making for us or against us our hearts must bow to them they lay bonds upon the conscience and bind over to eternal death if you reject them 2 Chron. 26.12 Zedekiah a King is charged that he did not humble himself before the Prophet Jeremiah Though the Prophet be never so poor and contemptible in himself yet if he brings the word of the Lord Zedekiah the king must humble himself before him Ye children of Israel In this appellation God puts them in mind of the covenant he had made with them and theâ— with him you are not Heathens you are the children of Israel in covenant with me a people neer to me yet I have a controversie with you Obs The neerness of a people to God exempteth them not from Gods contending with them for sin Neither should neerness to us exempt any from our contending with them Deut. 13.6 If thy brother the son of thy mother or thy son or thy daughter or the wise of thy bosom or thy friend which is as thy own soul intice thee secretly to worship a strange god Verse 8. thine eye shall not pity him neither shalt thou spare neither shalt thou conceal him but thou shalt surely kill him thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death Controversies between those that are neare are very grievous Quid dicturus es ò Propheta qui tanta diligentia vocas ut audiatur verbuÌ„ Domini OecoloÌ„p in locum 3. The neerer the â—â—lation is between any the more grievous is the controversie if there be a controversie at all Hear the Word of the Lord ye children of Israel It is a sad thing for one Nation to have a controversie with another much more for a people to be at controversie with it self Yet more when when the controversie comes nearer into the family between husband and wife between father and child between dearest friends who were before to each other as their own souls controversies there are very sore and grievous Prov. 18.19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong Citie and their contentions are like the bars of a Castle Wind within the body is most troublesom and dangerous Hear ye O Prophet saies Oecoloppdius upon the place what is it thou hast to say that with so much earnestness thou callest to have the word of the Lord heard This is the solemn message of the Prophet to this people The Lord hath a controversie with the inhabitants of the land The word translated Controversie signifies a debate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his expostulatio judiciuÌ„ The Sepuag in t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 judicium the same word traÌ„slated by them also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iob 29.16 Ministers must plead for God take heed they plead not against him a contention it comes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Contendere vel privatim vel coram judice to contend privately or to come before a Judge somtimes a cause pleaded in Law As Exod. 23.3 Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause That 's the same word with this here a Controversie The Lord hath a cause to plead with this people it is the controversie of the Lord the Prophet stands up for God in his Name to plead against them he pleads for the King the King of Heaven So should all faithful Ministers be sure they be on Gods side pleading his cause For all Ministers are Gods Sergeants at Law his Attourneys his Soliciters The Kings Lawyers are sworn they shall never plead against him or take fee on the other side And yet how many even in the exercise of their Ministry shew that they have taken fee on other side How do many plead against God against his Sabbaths against his Ordinances yea plead somtimes against the power of Godliness against those things wherein the chief dignitie glory of God consists somtimes perhaps pleading for them but pleading more against them at another time The Devil hath not more cordial Solicitors and pleaders for him than those who would be accounted the Prophets of the Lord. The Lord. As if the Prophet should say Know you have not to do with me nor with Amos who was contemporary with Hosea a Prophet to Israel though you think you can make your parts good with me and with the other Prophets know God will not now stand pleading with you so much by his Ministers he will take the cause into his own hand and will plead by his Judgments he will now take up the controversie himself The Lord tells the people Gen. 6.3 that his Spirit should no longer strive with them what 's that That is it should no longer strive in the way of Noâ—h's Ministry but he would come and strive himself after another manner by bringing the flood upon them 〈…〉 God 's pleading is the more dreadfull It is most dreadful for sinners for God to take the
Lord calls to contend by fire Surely the Lord doth it at this day he calleth to contend with England by fire in a most dreadful way and who knows what the end shall be That he hath a most dreadful controversy against England at this day will appear if we further take these considerations First That a people complaining of bondage heretofore yet when God offered deliverance should be so far left of God as they shall now rather be willing to make themselves and their posterity bond-slaves Surely God hath a dreadful controversy against us it were else impossible that such a thing should be in the hearts of men Men love liberty they groan under bondage We did groan but a few yeers ago and the Lord was coming to help us and yet we are now so left of God that we even turn again to our former bondage and would have our ears to be bored that we might be perpetual slaves Secondly It is not only that we wil turn again to bondage but this is out of a spirit of enmitie against the yoke of Jesus Christ This is the very ground and bottom of it in a great part of the Kingdom whatsoever yoke they have upon them they are resolved they will not have the yoke of Christ out of a spirit of enmity against the Godly party who desire and endeavor Reformation At the beginning of this Parliament when we began to have hopes of some liberty and reformation Oh what a joy was there generally in the Kindom all men agreed together but when those that were wicked and carnal began to see that their godly neighbours rejoyced that they blessed God for what was done that they had their minds now they turn out of a spirit of malice against them rather than they shall rejoyce rather than they shall have their minds we will turn back again to the bondage we were in before and we will stand and oppose that which heretofore we rejoyced in Certainly here is the very ground of so much contradiction as there is at this day They have therefore turned Malignants against that Cause which a man would wonder that ever rational men should be against But there is a spirit of malice against Christ and his Ordinances fearing a reformation they would have their lusts and they think if reformation come they should not have them with that liberty they have had here is the very reason that the Gentry and others in the country are opposite Surely God hath a controversie with us Thirdly That men should so vily desert those whom they have chosen and trusted who have been faithful those Worthies in Parliament who have ventured their lives for them basely and unworthily now to desert them it is one of the greatest judgments of God upon the hearts of men and therefore upon a nation that ever was If they complain of them now they would much more have complained of them if they had complyed suppose the Parliament had made up a patched reformation and a crazie peace that uppon any occasion we had bin in danger to have had war broken out again would not the people of the land have cried out of their unfaithfulness But now they venture themselves and labour so hard for a sound peace therefore to be deserted An unworthy generation a generation that we have cause to fear is become the generation of Gods wrath and the people of his curse People are affected according as success is we complain of those in Parliament because of some difficulties that are in the work yet if they had not done what they did they would have complained much more So of Ministers sometimes Ministers speak and stir up people because their consciences tell them they should be unfaithful to their country and to the cause of God if they did not now they cry out as they did of Luther that they are the trumpets of sedition and rebellion whereas on the other side if they should say nothing then people would have cryed out that they had betraied their Country and that they were not so faithful in their places as they should therefore people were so bad as they were Thus hard it is for God or man to please people Again That not only people should desert them but that so many of Nobles and some Members of the Parliament themselves should desert their Brethren there and joyn with Papists French and Walloons When as not long since a company of vile wretches being gathered together to fight against our brethren of Scotland and yet those vile people could not be brought to fight against them by any means But now not the vile ones but Nobles Knights and Gentry can be brought to fight against the Parliament their own Brethren Is not here a mighty hand of God against us Could this ever be if God had not a dreadful controversie against England Fourthly That men should be so blinded as to think the Protestant Religion should be maintained by an Army of Papists that the Laws and Liberty of the subject should be maintained by an Army of Delinquents and strangers yea that the King with Papists Delinquents French and Walloons should better maintain the Liberty of the Subject and the Protestant Religion than with the Parliament That people should come to beleeve this is not the hand of God upon the people of this land Are they not infinitely besotted can we think that men indued with reason should do this Surely were not the Judgment of God fearfully upon their souls it could not be beleeved that ever this should be done by people that had any rationality in them Fiftly God surely calls to contend fearfully with us in that he should suffer such an ill cause to prosper so as it hath done and to get to that height as it is It is that which is the amazement both of England and the Countries about us that such an ill cause should get so high and prosper so much as it hath done Surely the Lord is against us or else it could not have been Sixtly When there shall be such a desperate design so long a hatching drawn forth in such a season and so driven on and now breaking forth in such violence and yet men cannot see it The tract of the design is aâ— cleer as the Sun at noon day and drawn on from one step to another by comparing of one thing with another we may see it as apparantly as the light Would you not think it a besotting thing if there should be a train of Gunpouder laied along in the streets from such a place to the Parliament House to blow it up and yet that men should pass by and say they see no such thing Certainly the drawing on of the design against our Religion and State to bring us under tyranny and slavery the tract is as evident and plain as ever there was train of Gunpruder laid to such a place that men would willingly blow up and yet
it our consciences would have upbraided us the generation to come would have cursed us the Nations about us and our very enemies would have scorned us and derided us for our base cowardliness for our sordid spirits for an unworthy generation that should see it self and posterity sinking into misery and brought under slavery and out of base fear and sluggish litherness of spirit and effeminate softness should suffer all to be brought into bondage to the humors and lusts of a few men We can therefore with comfort and boldness stand at Gods Tribunal and plead the uprightness of our hearts and justness of our cause in this Controversie whatever becomes of it But in the controversie that God hath against us there we fall down at his feet and acknowledg our selves guilty before him yea we come with sackcloath upon our loins and ashes on our heads with ropes on our necks and plead only mercy for our lives And this is the work that we have to do in all the daies of our humiliation to seek to make an Atonement between God and our souls and the Land in regard of that dreadful controversie he hath against us Now blessed God because thou tellest us in thy word Because I WILL do this therefore prepare to meet thy God O Israel Thou threatnest hard great and sore evils and thou callest now to us because Thou wilt do this England O England prepare to meet God We come Oh that this might be our answer we come Lord and meet thee with our souls bowed towards thee with our hearts bleeding that we have provothee to cause so much bloodshed of our brethren amongst us O Lord our hearts are open to thee and with trembling spirits we cry to the Lord what wilt thou have us do If thou proceedest against us in thy controversie we are undone we are undone Oh Lord forgive Oh Lord arise and be merciful we beseech thee for by whom shall Jacob rise for he is small by whom shall the people arise by whom shall the power of godliness and thine Ordinances be maintained How happy were we think some if the controversie between the King and us were at an end that we might have peace Oh if the people were happy that were in such a case how happy the people that were at peace with the King of Heaven If the controversie between God and us were at an end we should be happie indeed The Lord and the Land is at a controversie and this controversie makes us cry out unto God but yet wo unto us here is the misery we yet keep our sins that make the controversie Jer. 35. Will the Lord reserve his anger for ever will he keep it unto the end Mark what the answer is Behold thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest Thus you have said but what is the fruit of this You have done evil as you could We in the daies of our Fasts cry Lord wilt thou reserve thine anger for ever wilt thou keep it unto the end Behold thus we speak but yet we continue to do evil as we can Isa 59.9 We looked for light saith the text but behold obscuritie for brightness but we walk in darkness we grope for the wall like the blind We indeed grope as if we had no eyes and we stumble at noon day as if it were night Men to this day are ready to cry out and say what shal we do as if the way were not cleer before us what we should do The way is cleer enough if we had hearts but we grope as if we had no eyes and we stumble at noon day as in the night In many places of the Kingdom they roar out as bears and they have cause to do so For they are miserably spoiled their wives ravished their houses plundered themselves imprisoned and for the rest of us we mourn like doves night and day and we look for judgment and there is none and for salvation but it is far from us Mark what follows For our transgressions are multiplied before thee there is the ground of al the controversie between God and us and as for our sins they testify against us and our trangressions are with us Surely my Brethren God is willing to be at peace with England again the controversy is great and sore yet we may confidently speak that the Lord is yet willing to be at peace with England and the sufferings of England go as neer the heart of God as ours Oh that we knew then what it is that is the great make-bate between God and us that we might get rid of it Would you know it 2. Sam. 20.21 saith Joab there Deliver us Sheba the son Bichri and we will depart from the Citie and go every one unto his tent If amongst us Delinquents were punished as they ought if the hearts of people were prepared to have the remainders of superstition and Idolatry cast out if they were willing to receive Jesus Christ as King among them the sound of retreat would soon be heard the controversie would soon be at an end and except this be the foundation of our peace either there will be no peace at all or it will not hold long In our raising of forces therefore to help our selves and our brethren seing we pretend we will do more than before and it is time we should if we be not a people destinated to destruction and ruine be sure we begin here let us do more than ever we did before to make up this controversie with God It is reported of Achior one of Holopherness his Captains that he counselled Holopherness to enquire first whether the Jews had offended their God before he attempted to make war against them for if they had he then assured him that that would be their ruine and he might go up and overcome them but if he could not hear that they had sinned against their God it was in vain for him to strive against them Truly it concerns us neerly to make up our peace with God that when our adversaries come out against us they may not indeed be made use of to avenge Gods quarrel upon us for then they will easily improve all their advantages this way and say indeed that they are not come out against us without the Lord Every victory they now get they are ready to please themselves in this and say that God fighteth against us and God approveth them they tell us the reason they prevail is because God is against us and so we know Rabshekah did though a foul railer yet saith he Are we come up without the Lord And the enemies of David Psalm 71.12 Mine enemies have said God hath forsaken him now persecute and take him for there is none to deliver him Thus they will be ready to say upon any occasion now the Lord hath left them now let us take them And certainly if the Lord should suffer them to prevail many of them would think
get any thing by any fair way then they invent lyes and make lyes their refuge It is the Maxim of the Jesuites Câ—lumniare audacter aliquid herebit Calumminate and ly stoutly to purpose and somewat will stick for every one that shall hear of the report shall not come to hear of the answer that can be given to it And that is their policie to spread abroad lyes as much as they can and especially to invent lyes of those that are most eminent and active in publick affairs and that is the reason of those strange inventions that are raised of such as are most active in Parliament and also in the City and in the Ministry things so hideous that if they were true would render men altogether unfit to be entertained in a Common-wealth But you will say what can they get by it when it proveth to be false Yes because their lyeâ— spread a great way further than the answer to them can spread And those in Jer. 20.10 do fully set out the condition of these men I heard the defaming of many saith the Prophet how Report say they and we will report it This was their plot against Jeremiah the truth iâ— we must defame Jeremiah we see he hath got a great deal of credit and prevails with the people and we know not how to help our selves only if we can but defame him if we can but raise up something that may take away his esteem with the people we may then have our end Ier 20.10 Opened therefore devise somewhat report and we will report it we will spread it abroad we will put it into a frame and print it As now if a company of Malignants get into a Tavern there they wil talk against this Minister and the other against thiâ— Parliament man and the other against this Citizen and the other what shall we do say they we see they prevail let us devise somewhat that may defame them report somewhat and we will spread it This hath been the way to this day to maintain that Antichristian partie that great Lye Jer. 9.3 They bend their tongue like their bow for lyes and ver 5. They have taught their tongue to speak lyes They are now become artificial in it and they do it the rather because they know it will please some great ones It was so in former times Pro. 29.12 If a Ruler hea ken to lyes all his servants are wicked If any Officer or any that are about him see that it will humour him to raise ill reports against Gods servants the servants of such a Ruler will be wicked and raise lyes enow And amongst other places that is famous Hos 7.3 Hos 7.3 the text saith there They make the King glad with their wickedness and the Princes with thâ—ir lyes Opened It is spoken of Jâ—roboam and the other Kings that followed him that set up false worship How there were a great many in Israel whose consciences would not give them leave to follow that way of false worship upon that there were a company of Promoters and Apparitors and Baylifs and some Courtiers they would invent lyes against those that would needs go up to Jerusalem to worship and would not content themselves with the Calves that the King set up Now when they had invented lyes of some of the most zealous men amongst the people they brought these tales to the King and said thus Did your Majestie hear such a thing There are such men in your Majesties dominions that dwell in such Toâ—ns and they are forsooth so scrupulous they will not be content with that Religion that the Law hath established but they must go up to Jerusalem to worship yea and at sâ—ch aâ— mâ— they get into a corner and there they commit sâ—ch and such wickedness and they live in these and these wicked waieâ— And thus they came and told the King tâ—les of them and the text saiâ—s They madâ— the King glad with their tales the King was tickled with it and rejoyced at it and he gave them his hand gave them encouragement Certâ—inly amongst uâ— there hath not been wanting men that have endeavoured this that wâ—â—ld have accounted this their happiness to get a tâ— iâ—â—o tell of a Puritan or of a godly Miniâ—â—er though it were never so false Thus we have briefly paâ—â— over this second charge in this second verse â—weaâ—ng and Lying The next follows The Lord hath a contrâ—â—◠〈◊〉 with 〈…〉 of the land for Murder for Killing Murder that is a provoking sin God seldom suffers it to go unrevenged in this world Whence are all those discoveries of Murders scarce any one but can tell strange stories of the discovery of murder We have a vain distinction of murder man-slaughter as 't is call'd that forsooth if a man be angry and in a passion kills another thiâ— is man-slaughter and no murder God will not own that distinction for if you shall by your passion make your self a beast and so kill a man God will require this at your hand for Gen 9.5 God saith that he will râ—quire the blood of man at the hand of every beast much more at the hand of a man that by his passion makes himself a beast The life of a man is precious to God and God will not suffer any creature to have absolute power over it he keeps the dominion of mens lives unto himself Mr. Ainsworth upon Gen. 9.6 citeth the the Jewish Doctors affirming that a Murderer though it were possible for him to give all the riches of the world yet he must be put to death because the life of the murdered is the possession of the most holy God this is their argument Certainly it is not in the power of any man upon earth to save a murderer be he what he will be The greatest man upon earth hath no liberty from God no prerogative to save a Murderer but he that sheds blood by man must his blood be shed God avengeth the blood that Manasseh shed a long while after his death 2 King 24.4 And for innocent blood that he shed which God would not pardon Though Manessâ—h did repent and so we have cause to hope wel in regard of his soul and his eternal estate * Though Calvin seems to be of the contrary opinion Deut. 28. yet the Lord came upon the Nation after his daies and would not pardon his shedding of innocent blood What adoe do we find in the Law concerning the killing of a man When a man was found dead in the field nigh unto a City the Elders of that City they must come to the dead body wash their hands over the heifer to be slain and â—ake a solemn Oath that they had no hand in the murder and so clear the City from the guilt of it This shews how precious the life of man is in Gods esteem and that God hath a controversâ—e with a land for shedding of blood And if this be
but upon the rule according to what God had required They understood not this They were led away meerly with the fair shews and pomp of Religion but they did not understand that al the acceptation of divine worship cometh from having a divine rule Most people at this day understand not this and that is a great evil Thirdly They did not understand this That their safety did more depend upon the true worship of God than upon all the politick wisdom that possibly could be They understood not that their protection depended upon Gods service and worship but they thought to go politickly on to provide for their own safety and they thought their safety depended upon their wise men that understood better than they And then Fourthly They did not understand that whatsoever was commanded by their Governours or taught by their Priests yet if it was against the mind of God it would not excuse them from judgment and deliver them from the wrath of God though their Migistrates did command it and their Priests did teach it They did not understand these four things and for not understanding these four things they shall fall This was that which brought them down and did ruin this people There are divers degrees of not-understanding First When people do not understand meerly for want of the means of knowledg This excuseth not wholly but they shall even fall though they have no means Secondly When men have means yet thorough their negligence in the use of the means they do not understand Thirdly When they are not only guilty of negligence but they oppose and shut their eyes wickedly against that means of knowledg Then they shall fall indeed Fourthly When having knowledg heretofore now they lose it by their often resisting of knowledg and so come to fail in their understanding Lastly When they so provoke God as that he hath given them up unto a sottish spirit soâ—â— at they shall not understand Now these people fall deepest Where all these five are as they are in many places surely that people must needs fall My brethren have we not cause to fear our not understanding at this day in these five degrees Applic. And in a great part even in those four Generals The not-understanding the vain pretences of our adversaries of what our Cavaliers say First That they fight for Religion and they make such and such kind of protestations and they intend nothing but the liberty of the subject many people are led away with these pretences and understand not that their design is to bring them under slavery and to take away their Religion And this want of understanding is like to cause us to fall Secondly People understand not that the worship of God must have the word of God to be the rule and that the government of the Church must be according to the word They think what shall be most sutable to the reasons of understanding men that is best Because men understand not this we are in danger to fall Thirdly People at this day think there is too much to do about Religion and let us rather go in a way of policy to provide for our selves as for that why should we injure or trouble our selves so much we have troubled our selves too much already People think not their safety is in Religion therefore they shall fall Fourthly people think if they be taught so by their Ministers that's enough for them Is it not so with us now Therefore we have cause to fear that the Lord intendeth us a grievous fall Yea as those four Ojects so the four degrees of want of understanding In many places they have no means many Towns and Countries have scarce a Sermon in half a yeer In many places where there is most means there they are negligent of it they rebel and shut their eyes against it and are weary of it And others that have had knowledg heretofore have resisted their light are grown sottish yea it is to be â—eared that God hath delivered many amongst us over to a sottish spirit it is impossible they should remain so ignorant as they are if God in his just jugment had not delivered them up unto a sottish spirit To instance in this Is it not a sottish spirit of men that after all their oppression and misery that they have suffered yet they will not understand but joyn with those that have opprest them and lay all the blame upon them that venture their lives to deliver them Surely this is most gross sottish ignorance that when men shall come and spoil them of their goods and ravish their wives and children yet in the mean time they rather cry out of those that venture their lives to do them good as if the cause of their misery was from them Surely these people do not understand can it be expected but that these people should fall themselves and their posterity into the depth of misery to be made slaves for ever They shall fall Idolatrous people shall fall that 's the next note An Angel proclaimeth this Babylon is fallen is fallen It is fallen already my brethren how ever Idolaters seem to lift up their heads high yet they are falling and fal they shal God hath pronounced it and the time is at hand they have fallen off from God and fall they shall by the hand of God and the prouder they grow the nearer they are to their fall Pride goes before a fall while the Gospel of Christ and his pure Ordinances that are now so opposed they shall stand and all superstitious waies and persons they shall fall That is observable that place before named Revel 14.6 Rev. 14.6 Opened An Angel flyeâ— in the midst of Heaven and preacheth the everlasting Gospel and within a vers or two another Angel cryes out Babylon is fallen is fallâ—n When Babylon with all their Idolatrous wayes shall be fallen then shall the everlasting Gospel be preached the Gospel and the Ordinances of Christ shall be everlasting shall continue for ever when all superstitious vanities shall fall We find it so how ever they thought to bear up all their superstitious waies by all the means that ever the devil or wicked men could devise to keep them up to perpetuity yet have we not found that God hath blasted them and many of them are fallen and though God bring his people into affliction yet they shall rise the wayes of God shal rise Zion shall rise Babylon shal fall the people that understand not they shall fall A word or two about the meaning of the word in the original The word is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is nor often in scripture very rare and I find divers translations of it Shall be beaten so some Shall be brought into captivity so others And others again give this the meaning of the word and so it doth properly signifie Shall be perplexed The word signifies to be
of God to people when they understand not only the way of Gods worship in the lump but they understand the form and the fashion and the Ordinances and the Laws the circumstances and all the several waies the exactness of the worship of God Note For we must not look upon any thing in the worship of God as worthy to be neglected but we must have respect to all the forms and fashions and Ordinances of Gods house God standeth much upon his worship in every punctilio and it is a great mercy of God to reveal to us every point of his worship It is true man stands much upon form and God standeth much upon form Many deny the power of godliness but keep the form of it they are much set upon their forms and God is much set upon his forms If you be set upon forme for worship look upon Gods worship he is much set upon forms in his woâ—ship And mark then when we are ashamed of what we have done then we shall understand the Laws of the house but first we must be ashamed and throughly humbled for our former superstitious sacrifices and then we shall come to understand the right way of Gods worship in his own Temple we must not expect it before Many people they cry out we are at a loss we know not what to do we have rejected indeed false worship and in some measure we see that that is vile but we know not what way to set up in Gods house what are the forms and fashions thereof and the hearts of people tremble to think what may come to be determined fearing lest things will not be found out fearing dissentions and disagreement Would you but know how you should come to understand the right way of Gods house in the worship and government of it Be ashamed of your sacrifices be ashamed of what you have done And above all men those that are betrusted to find out the Laws Ministers and forms fashions and Ordinances of Gods house above all men they are to be ashamed of what they have done to be ashamed first of their sacrifices And that should be your prayer that God would humble them for all their former superstitious sacrifices that so they may come to have revealed to them the form and fashion of Gods house and being revealed to them they may reveal it to you There is a necessity that those men that have been guilty of superstitious waies of worship that they should be ashamed first of that before they can come to understand the right way of the house of God Let them be men of never such excellent parts and abilities Note yet except they be first ashamed for what they have done and thoroughly humbled they cannot expect to understand the waies of Gods house in the forms and fashions and ordinances of it In Ezek. 44.10 11 12 13. there God threatneth those Priests that did depart from him when Israel dedarted that did depart from him to false worship that they should beare their iniquity that they should never come neare to him seeing they departed in the general departure and did not keep close to the true worship of God they must bear their iniquity they must not come near unto God only God would be content they should be imployed in some meaner out-services Applic. And therefore it may be that God will not use some men of choice parts in any great work of his to do him any great service that 's the meaning of the text that those that did depart from God when there was a general departure of the Nation when Israel did depart they would comply with them to save their skin and they would conform to those superstitious waies then did the Lord swear lift up his hand against them that though they shall be imploied in some meaner services yet they shal not come near him And I say it maâ— be feared that the Lord may do so against some of us How ever except there be extraordinary repentance taking shame unto themselves though they may be men of excellent parts the Lord may remember what they have done when Israel departed from God what their compliances were And though the Lord may make still use of them in some ordinary work yet he may lift up his hand against them that they shal never be imployed never blest in any choice work he hath to do God may justly leave them to such waies as that they shall cast themselves in a great measure out of the hearts of the Saints because he doth not delight to use them in any special service and so their shame shal stick upon them while they live and the more honor they seek the more shame will God certainly cast upon them Jer. 3.25 saith the Church there We lie down in our shame Oh there is cause that such men should lie down in their shame those that are of discerning spirits and observe the waies of men and the waies of God they cannot but see that those men should lie down in their shame for so long as yeilding to superstitious vanities and submission to false power was useful to them to save their estates their liberties and livings they would yeild and they would submit and then their judgments alter when times alter when other waies come to be countenanced publickly then they are of other judgments than they were before so long as they could not make use of another way they were not of that judgment now when they can make use of it and there is more countenancing of it how soon is their judgment altered yea and so altered as presently to grow even bitter against their brethren of another judgment Note Surely a great deal more cause there is that they and we all of us should take shame to our selves lie down in our shame a while and so carry things in all humility in all meekness in suspition of our selves and of our own judgments in love to our brethren remembring that we our selves were of another judgement and opinion not long since And therefore our hearts I say should be very low and gentle and very tender and meek even toward all with whom we have to do And further God hath a time to make al carnal men ashamed Obs 2 of their sacrifices We will a little raise up our meditations somewhat higher from this They shall be ashamed of their sacrifices All sacrifices not only superstiâ—â—ous and idolatrous but all other sacrifices that come short of the rule will at length cause shame As carnal men that tender up many services unto God and that lay such weight upon their services as to lay their claim to Heaven and interest in God upon their sacrifices God hath a time to make them ashamed of all these sacrifices Al now when God shal discover the vanity of their prayers if God should but shew to us al and to the whol company here each
in them Note that it doth so hurry on their hearts that they cannot with a ny calmness with any quietness of spirit hearken unto any thing that may take them off from their errour That 's a spirit of errour God gives them up to the efficacy the spirit the activity the power of error to beleeve a lye Is in the â—â—lst of them That is Exposit Difference of obssâ—ssion and possession ay Satan in respect of sin it is come into them and sitteth as a King and ruleth in their hearts An evil spirit may beset the godly may compass them about but it getteth not into the midst oâ— them they keep it out from the throne it doth not come to reign over them The coming into the midst of them noteth the ful possession that this unclean spirit that this Impetus and strong inclination of spirit hath over them And therefore you find in Prov. 8.20 Pro. 8.20 opened that it is said of Wisdom I leade in the way of righteousâ—ess in the midst of the paths of judgment In the midst of the paths that is wisdom doth not only bring men to the verge of Gods waies to be a little taken with the outside of them but brings them into the midst of the paths of judgment that is they come wholly into them so as tâ—â—y are even possest of them So here the spirit of uncl â—nness is in the midst of her So in the 1. Sam. 4.3 you have the same word Let us fetch the Ark unto us say they there that when it cometh among w it may save us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words in the Hebrew are that â—he Ark mâ—y come in the midst of us and there have the full oppâ—â—ation to dâ— us good and save us They depended much upon the Ark and yet it failed them By the way then we may depend too much upon a good cause the cause may be good A good cause may be lost by too much depending on it and yet depending upon the goodness of the cause and neglecting our own persons in reforming our lives we may fail as they did here But that by the way The spirit is come into the midst of them Many men receive an evil spirit quickly into the midst of them when God knows the good Spirit of the Lord standeth knocking at the door of their hearts and can have no entertainment so much as into the outward room It follows Exposit And they have not known the Lord. That is they know not My greatness My holiness they know not what a jealous God I am Idolaters have low and mean apprehensions of God The right knowledg of God will put the heart upon seeking after the right manner of the worship of God but when men know not God see not God in his glory and greatness and excellency they think to put off God with any kind of worship Here is the reason that men do so stick to their own waies to will worship to their own fancies and conceits because they know not the Lord neither do they understand the glory and holiness of God nor what a jealous God he is When once the soul cometh to know what God is such a soul dares not tender up unto God any worship but His own Now from the connection of these words The spirit of whoredom is in the midst of her and they have not known the Lord the special Note is this which indeed is very observable Obser strong inclinations blind the mind When men have an Impetus of spirit that is a strong bent and inclination of spirit in any evil way it is that which blinds their minds The spirit of whoredoms is in her and then follows they have not known the Lord Whatsoever is said then against their way they cannot be convinced of it And men do not consider how they come to be blinded We find it in ordinary experience when men are stirred in passion they have a spirit to such and such a thing that they have a mind to their spirit is strongly set and they must have it and I will and I will and I will have it Come then and say any thing to them and they understand nothing they are blinded When their spirit is up when there is an Impetus a strong inclination of spirit to any thing say what you will they do not understand you So it is true in other affections of love when the heart is set upon a thing to love by an Impetus a strong bent of spirit though the love be falsly placed come and say what you will against their way they do not understand it their minds are blinded they do not know any thing So it is true of fear of sorrow any affection when it is set with a strong bent and inclination to the object of it it doth much blind the mind Some have a spirit of sluggishness and they love their ease a spirit of covetousness and they must have their estates a spirit of ambition and they must have their honor and respect a spirit of pride and self-love they must not yeild themselves as ignorant and mistaken by no means therefore they cannot see the truths the waies of God But now let God humble these men that have such a spirit of pride self love covetousness and the like let the edg of their spirits be taken off A little hint of Truth prevails with a subdued heart let God come and but mortifie this their lust in them and then they come to see that which they could never see before and that with far less ado then a little hint of any truth prevaileth with their hearts whereas before all the means of conviction could not do it Oh my brethren Use when we come to examin truths let us look to our spirits Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord him will the Lord teach in his way that he should chuse When a man humbling his soule before the Lord and being jealous of his own spirit examineth a truth and crieth unto God to subdue what is evil in him and then cometh with a teachable heart to find out the truth suppose that yet he cannot find it let such a man walk according to his light whereunto he hath attained and he may have comfort God in due time will shew him more But that is the thing that is evil in Gods eyes and in the eyes of the Saints when men are hindered from seeing a truth by a spirit of opposition to it There is no gracious heart can take it ill if he see one that hath a spirit subject unto God a spirit wherein the fear of God appeareth so that he desireth unfeignedly to know what the mind of God is suppose this man for the present I cannot make him understand what I would he is not of my mind yet so long as his spirit is thus under God I have no cause to be provoked against
honor him Thou mayest pray with comfort Lord do not utterly forsake me As those that are godly may depart from God Saints departing frō God but yet as in Psalm 18.21 I have not wickedly departed from my God they do not depart from God as other men do So God may depart from the godly but yet not so as he departs from the wicked Let us take heed of withdrawing from God Admonit of withdrawing our souls from any way of truth If we in prosperity withdraw from God and think we can live without him he will make us know in adversity that he can be blessed without us too It is usual for men in prosperity to rub out with God wel enough but when thou comest into adversity the Lord wil make thee know though thou perishest as dross and dung from the earth yet he will remain a blessed God without thee to all eternity God hath no need of us If thou thinkest thou canst do well enough without him he wil shew that he can do well enough without thee And thus much for this Sixth Verse VER 7. They have dealt treacherously against the Lord for they have begotten strange children now shall a month devour them with their portions IN the words before the Lord threatneth to withdraw himself from Israel When he shall be seeking of him with his flocks and herds he shall not find him A dreadful sentence that the God of mercy shall withdraw Himself in a time of mercy from his creature that seeks unto Him for mercy But what is the cause of all Why will God withdraw Himself from them though they seek Him with their flocks and their herds There is reason enough for it Conexiō They have dealt treacherously against the Lord. The word that is here translated Dealing treacherously 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat of the word signifies Perfide agere to deal perfideously they have been perfideous And it signifies likewise Decipere they deal deceitfully And it signifies especially that fraudulent dealing that there is in breaking of covenants that 's the propriety of the word and it is often applied unto men breaking of covenant with their wives as in Mal. 2.14 15. And I find Luther translate it they have contemned the Lord and so according to some it is divers times translated Sperno to contemn God And from thence Luther hath this note What saith he do they seek the Lord with their flocks and herds and yet despise God how can this stand together They seem as if they would honor God exceeding much yet here they are charged for contemning and despising God He answereth it to this effect Whatsoever men pretend saith he in honoring of God yet if they do not obey and keep to his word and that especially in the way of His Worship these are guilty of contemning and despising God We may be plentiful in outward services and yet in the mean time our hearts despise God despise the Authority and Majesty of God English translat But the word ordinarily is used according to that we translate it here they have been treacherous they have been false with me And mark the connexion They come to seek Me with their flocks and their herds Conexiō but I have withdrawn My self from them for they have dealt treacherously Hence the Note is briefly this That Obser When ungodly men come to seek God then God remembreth all their wickedness that they have formerly been guilty of and looks into the wickedness of their hearts as it is for the present They have dealt treacerously As if God should say Here comes a company of wretches base false-hearted hypocrites treacherous perfideous ungodly wretches to seek Mee with their flocks and herds Are they like to be heard are they like to be regarded in all their services No they are base perfideous wretches they have vile wicked and cursed hearts Oh consider this you that have not yet done away your sins in the blood of Christ and made up your peace with God Use of Admonit The guilt of your sin is yet upon you and the filthiness of it yet doth stick you will come to God in prayer and seek Him and cry unto Him for mercy Know that all the wickedness that ever you committed in all your lives is fresh in the presence of God God looks upon all as if it were now present Here cometh saith God a filthy old whoremaster Prosopopoeia an unclean wretch he cometh now to pray unto me and here comes an old drunkard a wicked scorner and blasphemer When thou comest to seek God then all thy wickedness is remembred before him and upon this God justly doth cast thy services back again in thy face Thus it is here Oh learn therefore to cleanse thy heart in the blood of Christ by faith in Him and by repentance and then though thou hast been vile heretofore when thou comest to seek the face of God thy sins shall not be remembred before Him That for the connection But for the words Themselves and first in that proper signification Expos 1 of them They have dealt trecherously the meaning is they make a great deal of shew of Religion but it is only for their own ends and under that shew of Religion they do that which dishonoreth me they betray my glory Here is treacherous dealing indeed treachery against the God of Heaven these are treacherous spirits to make profession of Religion to make protestations to make any use they can of Religion so far as it wil sute with their own turns but when it will serve their turns no longer to cast it off yea if it prove cross to them to persecute it This is trerchery against God in a high degree Again Treacherous in that they break their Covenant Expos 2 with God that is the special treachery here intended they have broken that Covenant in which they were engaged Treachery against God as our King Husband They did give up themselves to be the Lords O but they have basely forsaken the Lord and dealt treacherously with him So that this treachery relateth either to the Oath of allegiance unto God as our King or to the Covenant that we make with him as our Husband And from thence Note That Obs The sins of such as are engaged unto God in Covenant are sins of treachery They are sins of a more deep dye than other mens sins are Other mens sins are transgressions against God they are disobedience to the will of God yea but they are not so properly treachery but the sins of those that are engaged unto God in Covenant have another stamp put upon them than the sins of other men their sins are treachery against God And we know there is nothing accounted more vile amongst men than treachery Trechery the greatest sin It is the highest expression of our indignation against a man that can be to say such a man take
other either willingly you must come in and give it unto Him or He will force it out from you If the joyful sound of mercy be not received the dreadful sound of war must fill your ears Fourthly What occasions of war soever there be in a Land the Obser 4 principal cause is Gods displeasure against the sins of that Nation and especially the cause is those that are superstitious and idolatrous in that Nation For so it is here They have dealt treacherously they have begotten strange children therefore a month shall devour them Blow ye the cornet in Ramah and the trumpet in Gibeah c. Upon this ground because of their treacherous dealing with God and bringing up of their children in waies of Idolatry It is true when danger is come to a Nation the people of the Land are ready to lay it upon those that are most free from it Who is it that men at this day lay the troubles of this Nation upon but upon those that have al this while stood in the gap to prevent dangers to the Nation and that have with more prayers tears sought God than those that are so ready to charg them with it But this hath been in all ages the Saints have been made the troublers of a Nation But is it not Thou and thy fathers house saith the Prophet speaking even to Ahab Himself The troublers of Israel lie not in the Prophets lie not in the Ministers as men cry out that they preach sedition And it was wont indeed to be the title of Luther that great instrument of God they called him the trumpet of rebellion and not a new thing therefore is it that the Ministers of God that first preach the word of Reconciliation and then seek to shew people their danger no marvel they be accounted the causers of their troubles because they will not let people go on quietly in their waies but in the Name of God oppose and reprove them But we know where our trouble lies it lies in those that are most superstitious and idolatrous they bring the sword Do not attribute it to this and the other cause it is the provocation of the most high God that brought these wars in upon us If therefore we be weary of war let us be weary of our sins I remember Polanus Polanus upon this text hath this Note and indeed he hinted it unto me saith he The Jesuits they cry out of the Gospel in Hungary a place which is near the Turks and the Turks you know have often made incursions upon those Countries and your Papists and Jesuits they cried out of your Evangelici of your Gospellers as if they were the cause of the Turks coming in amongst them But the Lord knows where to lay the burden right Again in the next place from those words Cry aloud at Beth-aven Beth-aven According to that interpretation I gave you it was the place where one of the Idols were set and a most superstitious and Idolatrous place Now mark the difference it is but only blow the Cornet and Trumpet in Ramah and in Gibeah but it is cry aloud or shrike out and howl Oh Beth-aven From thence these two Notes First That superstitious places in the time of Gods judgment Obser 1 are in the greatest distress of all and so superstitious persons When Gods hand cometh out against a Nation it will fall heaviest upon those that are Idolatrous and superstitious It is true Gods hand hath hitherto fallen heavie and very heavy upon many of our brethren upon Gods dear Saints but hath it not fallen heavily upon Idolaters and superstitious ones How ever mark the end stay till God hath done and you will find that the hand of God will be heaviest upon them Howl O Beth-aven Those places that have been the nests of superstition and Idolatry those are the places that His wrath wil be most against And indeed they do begin to howl and cry out already For though some of Gods people have felt hard things yet Have two Nations lifted up their hands to the most high God to extirpate Gods people But they have lifted up their hands to endeavor to extirpate a superstitious people amongst us therefore Gods hand is heaviest against Beth-aven Secondly In times of greatest trouble those that are ungodly Obser 2 and superstitious they are in such perplexity as they know not what to do Instead of repairing unto God by faith and repentance all that they have to do is to cry out and to howl Howl O Beth-aven they were far enough from coming to humble their souls to the Lord and in a gracious manner to accept of the punishment of their iniquity and to bear the affliction that God laies upon them Oh no but their spirits were vexed and enraged they could howl and cry out and that is all Applic. Is not this the way of many that heretofore Oh how diligent were they in their prayers and worshiping of God yet when they come into affliction what do they but vex and rage howl and cry out but far are they from giving glory unto God according to that way he requireth they howl upon their beds saith God but they did not seek unto me And God threatneth this in Amos 3.10 Amos 3.10 opened and that Prophet was contemporary with Hosea I will turn the songs of their Temples into howlings They had their singing service before saith God I will turn those into howlings for it is no other their crying out under affliction and trouble it is no other before God but as howling The Lord accepteth in another manner of the cryings of His people under oppression they cry unto God and send up their prayers of faith and the incense of a broken heart and God accepteth of the sighs and of the moans that they make unto Him and they do prevail exceedingly with the Heart of God But for the crying out of wicked and ungodly men under Gods hand He regards it not no more than howling Thus it is here Howl O Beth-aven much like those in Esa 51.20 that in the time of distress are described to lie in the head of all the streets as a wild bull in a net fil'd with the fury of the Lord howl and cry out and that is all After thee O Benjamin Benjamin The meaning of the words I gave you The Notes from thence are these Obser 1 First That it is an ill thing to have ill neighbors an il thing to have il neighbors Benjamin was neer Beth-aven therefore he must fare the worse for Beth aven Use To dwell amongst ill neighbors is a dangerous thing and we should take heed of it I remember a Commentator upon this place upon this occasion makes a grave exhortation to men that when they are to hire Houses and Farms they should enquire what neighbors were to be neer them and to take heed of dwelling nigh unto wicked men for saith he
than to think to have strength enough to repel them when they come Thus in general And then As Kingdoms so particular persons they should lay to heart Gods judgments neer to them As thus Dost thou see Gods hand upon thy neighbor after thee O sinner thy turn may be next what is Gods hand stretched out upon your fellow-servant upon your brother upon your deer friend after thee O sinner thou art guilty of the same sin thy turn may be next Is Gods hand out upon thy companion after thee O sinner Oh lay this to heart think with thy self my turn may come to be the next and it may soon come to be my turn The very thought of this when God hath struck some with sudden death in a fearful manner God hath sanctified this to some what thought they if God strike me next such a one is sent down for ought I know to his place I may be the next the thought I say of this hath been so setled upon the heart of some that it hath been a meâ—ns of their conversion The Lord make it so to every sinner that sees his fellow his neighbor sinner struck before him VER 9. Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke among the Tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be IN the words before you heard that the Lord by the Prophet did not only threaten war but summon the Cities of Israel Judah and Benjamin as if war were at the gates But what if troubles do come we shall do well enough they will have an end and blow over again we shall wear them out we have been delivered out of great troubles and so we may be out of these No 't is otherwise now Ephraim shall now be desolate Ephraim that is the ten Tribes shall be desolate Leshamnne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies a most stupendious thing the the hand of God shall be upon them even to amazement they shall come into desolation in the time of his rebuke in the day of his trouble The words are plain the Notes from them are these That the day of Gods peoples affliction is the day of their rebuke Obs 1 See this proved in Numb 12.14 Moses saith If her father had spit in her face should she not be ashamed When God afflicts His people he doth as it were spit in their faces and ought not they much more to be ashamed what ever that wanton generation think or say that God never chastiseth his people for sin there is nothing more frequent in Scripture than this that God chastiseth His for sin But they tell us it was in the old Testament Old Testament and herein they shew their weakness and a meer cavel but that which seems to have some shew of strength is this They tell us Obj. That it derrogates from the satisfaction of Christ But the force of this is nothing Answ for Christ satisfied for them under the Law as well as for us they were saved by the same satisfaction that we are therefore if it now derrogates from Christs satisfaction under the Gospel it did then also under the Law A second Note is God hath his set times of rebuke As they have Obs 2 their daies of sinning so God wil have his daies of correcting you have your daieâ— of prosperity now riches honor plentie in abundance but remember it may be the day of rebuke is coming 'T is good to put this very case to our selves I have mercy now both for soul and body and Oh how comfortable is it and how happy is my condition but is there not a day of rebuke coming when all these will be taken from thee and then what wilt thou do Oh my soul Isa 10.3 and what will you do in the day of visitation When wicked men stand out lesser judgments and corrections they Obs 3 have cause to fear a day of utter desolatiâ—n Ephraim had daies of lesser chastisements but slighting them God would try him no more there are times in which God wil utterly pursue sinners to destroy them not for instruction but destruction the Lord hath his houses of instruction correction and execution when the first cannot effect Gods end the third shall and yet the Lord be just and righteous for the Lord hath no need of us what is it to him if we should perish everlastingly He could have his glory from us in our damnation That is a dreadful time when the Lord comes so to rebuke a people Obs 4 as tâ— destroy them when the hand of God shall be so upon them as he is resolved never to take it off again even as it was upon Ephraim at this time I intend not to mend him but to ruine him this now is a most dreadful time For Reas 1 1. All that wrath which they have treasured up breaks in then upon them Now as wicked men treasure up wrath so doth God Rom. 2.5 Now God lets out the floudgates of His wrath against such a people Reas 2 2. Because then all a mans sins comes together into Gods remembrance Exod. 32.34 In that day I 'll visit for this saith the Lord God It may be you are for the present spared but the time is coming that God will visit and then look to it Reas 3 3. In this day the cries of justice prevails against such men I speak of wicked men mingled and intermixed with the godly In this day God will not call back His anger there are times in which God doth not stir up all His wrath as in Psal 78.38 Many times Gods anger is coming against a Nation family or person but God cals it back again but in this day of rebuke God wil not call it back again but let it forth to the uttermost Reas 4 4. Because in this day Mercy leaves such a people and wil never own them to to them any good Ezek. 7.5 An evil an only evil behold it is come But that place is most remarkable for this Ezek. 22.20 I will bring you into the fornace and there I will leave you God brings His people into great troubles sometimes but never leaves them there But there are some whom Mercy leaves and forsakes in their troubles and this is a most sad condition for by this God shews that He will have no more honor by them in their servings of Him but in their sufferings God saith thus Seeing they would not give Me My glory in a way of duty I will extract and force it from them in a way of suffering Reas 5 5. Because the Lord then intends hurt to such a people the Lord perhaps brings you out of an affliction but in that deliverance He intends your hurt and no good at all Jer. 24.9 I intend nothing but hurt to such a people in all My dealings Reas 6 Because then al Creatures leaves such an one and dares not own him God being against thee the Creatures cannot help
God in Scripture are often set out unto us by this similitude of water as in Isa 28.17 Nahum 1.8 look as their anger ran like water so my wrath shall run upon them until they are consumed That Gods wrath is very hot against wicked Governours such as break the bounds of Religion Laws and Covenants the Lord is much displeased against great ones when wicked Numb 25.4 the people of Israel committed a great evil in provoking God by their Idolatry joyning themselves to Baal-Peor and the Lord said Take the heads of Israel The people offended and it was by the encouragement of the Governors therefore their heads must off the people sin and the Governors must suffer because they reproved them not nor restrained them but countenanced them Hence we may note That we had need to pray much for Princes Fearful are the examples which historiaans report of concerning the judgments of God upon wicked Princes Leander in the discription of Italy reports of a cruel Tyrant who perswaded himself that he must give an account to no man none could call him to an account for what he did at last God gave him into the hands of the people who strip'd him naked bound him upon a planck and drew him through the streets in the sight of all the people then made a great fire by him and heated tongs red hot in the fire when they had done thus then proclaimation was made in the Market place that seeing he had wronged so many that he was never able to make satisfaction for the wrong he had done therefore all that had suffered by him should come and have a pull at his flesh with the red hot tongs Another fearful example we have of latter times concerning Charls the 9th about the massacre in France who at that time pretended great love and kindness to the Protestant party invited them to a great marriage feast and at that time by his Commission calls in those bloody miscreants who cruelly murdered the Protestant party there he broke bounds but see how God met with him in a most grievous disease through the violence of which there spurted out blood from him in several parts of his body so that he wallowed in his blood before he died God powred out His wrath upon them in blood who in their life time thirsted after blood Secondly The bounds of Religion and Laws as they keep in obedience Obs 2 so they keep out judgments Pure Religion and good Laws as they are bounds to keep us in duty so they keep judgments and wrath from us And we ought to look upon Laws in both these notions not only to keep us in order and duty but also to keep out wrath if we break our bounds we must look that wrath should break in upon us therefore we had need to do as men that live neer the Sea when the Sea breaks in upon them they presently leave all their other businesses and go about that Our bounds are broken and who is the occasion of it the Lord knows and wrath is broken in upon uâ— at our breaches therefore let us now as one man set about the making up of our breaches Obs 3 Thirdly God punisheth according to mens sins They break the bounds God breaks in with wrath upon them are they resolute in sinning God will be as resolute in his judgments upon them see that text Jer. 44.25 You have sworn and vowed to your superstitions and I have sworn to bring judgment upon you and it shall come to pass Therefore when judgments are upon us Use if we would have them removed we should diligently observe what sins we are guilty of which answereth to the judgment which is upon us for many times we may trace the cause of a judgment by the sin that we are guilty of and if we ever look to have troubles removed we must first remove sin the cause of them VER 11. Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment because he willingly walked after the commandement WRATH in the former verse was threatned against the Princes of Judah who removed the bound And here the Lord returns again to Ephraim in this 11. verse and the 12. verse to Judah and Ephraim both together they being both a provocation to God are plagued both together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word Oppressed in the original is Nashuk translated by Hierom Calumnia Ephraim suffered and was oppressed by false accusations and slanderings for there is an opposition in mens names and estates which the Seventy usually translate by Sycophantia The 70. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then we may render iâ— thuâ— Ephraim by Sychophants doth suffer a great deal of wrong When there are false reports raised against men they suffer wrong by it false reports are as a false Medium which represents things in another manner than they are As put a staff into the water simile and it shews to be crooked but take it out and 't is not so So the actions of men in the reports of others may seem crooked when in themselves are strait and good And thus was Ephraim broken in judgment though his cause was good yet 't was made bad if he were wronged he could have no releef for himself So that good causes by bad men are many times perverted but the Sainâ—s may support themselves with Pauls comfort who passed not much for mans judgment In this signification the Seventy Translators do often take the word but in this place they express it by another word thus * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 English translatioÌ„ Ephraim hath over-powered his adversaries and so hath trod down judgment they interpret it actively But the words are well rendred in your books in the passive participle and so they are to be read Ephraim is broken in judgment Concussus judicio concussio is a Law word signifying such a kind of breaking and oppression as threatneth the utter ruine and undoing of a man by Law As many rich men threaten poor men when they do them any wrong I 'le be even with you I 'l ow you a good turn Or as Magistrates that are corrupt and wicked when they cannot bring poor men to say or do what they would have them they will threaten to undo them or if ever it lie in their power they wil ow them a good turn of which carriage Samuel cleers himself 1 Sam. 12.3 Crimea coÌ„cussionis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whom have I defrauded or whom have I * oppressed the word is the same here That is used my power to threaten men to yeeld up their liberties their rights their enjoyments by any power which was in my hands This was the sin of the great Princes here of the ten Tribes Broken in judgment That is Expos Not in Gods judgment upon them but in the judgment of their own cause they were crushed in their estates liberties and laws and that not only by their own Magistrates
together in an unanimous way saying Come and let us set about the Lords work with one shoulder every one encouraging each other then there is hope the times of mercy are nigh that people Use a sad presage to But this is our misery the divisions and the rendings that are amongst us being diâ—-joynted each from other Oh the wantones of mens spirits now among us for which God is much displeased and certainly is one great stop in the way of mercy that notwithstanding God hath us in the fire and threatens even our consuming yet that we should not joyn and unite together Obs 4 True penitent hearts seek to get others to joyn with them Oh how glad are they to see any comming on to seek the Lord with them and how careful are they to give encouragement example they perswade them with al gentleness saying Come let us go up to the house of the Lord we have found the Lord very gracious to us Oh come he is good still yea and good to you if you wil come into him if the husband have found God good to him he will perswade the wife the child the servant to come to Christ Thus much of their resolution to return the reason follows For he hath smitten us and he will heal us Hence observe Obs 1 That in times of the greatest sufferings a true penitent heart retains good thoughts of God God hath torn wounded and smitten us what then run away from God think hardly of him No think well of him and bless his Name even when you God in former times have practised Nehemiah Ezra Ezra 9. Neh. 9. Dan. 9 Psal 44. and Daniel in all their miseries how careful were they to acquit and cleer God to be just in all that was come upon them yea the Church in the time of her desertion retains Christ as a King and calls him so so that they have as high esteems of God now in their low condition as in their prosperous estate and as they dare not entertain hard conceipts of God so neither of his Cause nor his People they are not sorry that they have been so far engaged for them Many people are like bad servants simile Use of reproof who while they have every thing fitting that becomes them can give their masters family a good report but let them be crost of their minds and go away in a discontent Oh how vily do they speak of it and as sturdy beggers while they find releef and succor they can give good words and they are their masters and best friends but let them be sent away empty and then what name is bad enough for them so when things goes well with the cause of God and his people they will be on Gods side Oh take heed of being sorry that ever you were engaged so far as you are or thinking to draw back that it had been better you had not been so forward as you have been this is a base and vile spirit see but how low the Church was in affliction and yet with what a gallant spirit she carried it out Psal 44.12 13.15 and 17. verses in these times how is this text fulfilled in the 15. verse how do they complain that men do blaspheam deride and scorn them and in the 17. verse All this is come upon us What then Is not God good and his Cause good that we maintain No God forbid such a thought should enter into us Although all this evil be come upon us yet have we not dealt falsly with thee in thy Covenant Oh let us lay up this truth and it would be a mighty comfort and stay to us in these times and it would be a very good rise to prayer for mark in the 23. verse Awake why sleepest thou Oh Lord arise and help us Those can pray to purpose who in the sorest afflictions can manifest the most fear of God and exercise the most love towards God and his waies notwithstanding Obs 2 A repenting heart is not a discouraged heart It is such a heart as sinks not down in discouragements saying as some do we are a lost people and undone there is no hope we had been better never to have ventured so far as we have but give over what we have done it dares not draw conclusions from what hath been to what is and what will be this is too much presumption for any man David in the Cave can trust in God and hide himself under Gods wing Psal 57.1 So long as there is a God in Heaven this soul will expect help from him a true penitent will expect mercy notwithstanding Gods severity and justice the severity of justice in God cannot keep him from waiting for and expecting of what God hath promised if the soul can but get over this difficulty the deep gulf of Gods justice it will easily get over all other dreadfulness of mens displeasure a repenting heart is a purged heart and therefore not a discouraged but a supported heart those which are unclean of foul and filthy spirits are alwaies jealous of God and his dealings towards them Oh let it appear that we are not of discouraged and sinking spirits by the cleanness of our lives and the purity of our conversations carnal hearts are not discouraged when they have carnal helps to underprop them and shall we be afraid of any difficulty who have God for our help Remarkable is that place The Philistines motive to courage in the battel 1 Sam. 4.9 concerning the speech which was made to the Philistims upon the coming of the Ark into the camp of Israel what a fear were they put into yet how do they encourage themselves Let us fight valiently for our wives and children and estates that we and our little ones be not slaves to the Hebrews So say I let us be couragious in these times and fight for our Liberties Laws and Religion Did we but spend that strength in returning unto God which we do in discouragements Oh how soon would help come for us were we but thus resolved Now though we must not be discouraged when helps and means fail but yet humbled we must be for our sins which cause these breaches see how the Prophet Habackuk mannages this disposition c. 3. v. 16 17. we should improve our humiliation as they did Judges 20. who though in a good cause Judg. 20. a cause which God approved of yet lost fourty thousand men at two battels in the prosecution of it what do they now leave it off and run away No but put on courage and resolution fasted and prayed and humbled themselves before the God of their fathers and then they prospered Oh let us be humbled that we may not be discouraged And as we must not be discouraged so must we not falsly encourage our selves as they said The bricks are fallen down but we can build with hewen stone so say not this Army is lost but we can raise another quickly
find out the meaning of a text who stand so curiously upon such inceties The meaning the meaning therfore of the words are after two daies that is although God do not come presently after two daies yet he will come mercy though it staies long yet it will come two daies in Scripture signifies a little and a short time as Numb 9.22 whether it were two daies or a month or a yeer that the cloud stayed upon the Tabernacle two daies that is when we shall be in any great extremity of pain or misery Mercer Mercer quotes R. Abrah R. Abrah Ezra filium who saies that wounds and gashes in a mans body pain and smart more at two daies end than at the first so God may let us lie in the smart of pain and sorrow two daies but in the third day mercy shall follow Interpreters generally conceive these words to have reference unto the two daies that Christ lay in the grave Christs resurectioÌ„ prophesied in this scripture and Luther saith that this is the Scripture which Paul speaks of in 1 Cor. 15.4 That Christ rose the third day according to the Scripture what Scripture why this the third day we shall live in his sight though the text Notes the confidence which repenting Israel had in Gods mercy towards them yet hath it reference also unto Christ as if they should say our straits and miseries may be great and we may lie in them a while so did Christ but he was raised the third day and so shall we Mr. Calvin Calvin saith that God gave a famous and memorable example of Israels mercy after their captivity by Christs rising from the grave and this may well be meant of Christ as that Scripture shews Hosea 11.1 When Israel was a child then I loved him and called my son out of Egypt Who would have thought that this had meant Christ but that the Scripture applies it unto Christ in Mat. 2.15 And he departed into Egypt untill the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled c. How darkly was Christ shadowed out in the old Testament as by Jonas in the Whales belly three daies Oh what cause have we to bless God who lives in the times of the Gospel where Christ is manifested so cleerly what dark and mistical intimations had they of Christ in those daies this was one of the cleerest and that of Jonas in the Whales belly When at any time God would comfort his people in distress what doth he do Christ Gods usual medium to comfort his afflicted people Luthers Object he reveals a prophesie of the Messias to come as in Isa 7.14 and in Isa 9.6 and when was this when the rod of the oppressor was broken in Zacca 9.9 and so here God having smitten wounded torn them he comes and heals them promising life and reviving to them But here now Luther makes an objection If these words had reference unto Christ they should run thus He should live in his sight not we and he answers it himself that it notes the efficacy of his resurrection Answ Ostendit fructum resurectionis Christi we are risen live in Christs resurectioÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad facies ejus not only for himself but for many others We shall live in his sight that is comfortably mortis habet vices que trahitur vita genitib before his face that is His favor shall be towards us for mercy as the turning the face away shews anger so the turning of Gods face towards us signifies favor 2. We shall see his face with comfort and reâ—oyce in the sight of it 3. We shall eye his face in acts of obedience and he will eye our duties with acceptance 4. It notes security in his presence As when we are in the presence of a King his very presence is our security and safety so we shall live in his â—â—ght that is we shall be safe in his presence The Notes from hence are Obs 1 That Gods own people may not only he smitten and wounded by God but may lie for dead in their own eyes and in the eyes of all about them for a time see it in the case of Heman Psal 88.8 14. verses Lord why castest thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from me verse 10. Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead shall the dead praise thee Ezek. 37.3 we reade there of drie bones which should be made to live and Revel 11. the witnesses shall be slain and lie dead in the streets the beast shall overcome them the generallity of those that stand for Christ shall be slain by the beast and overcome by his power Reas God works by contraries The reason of this may be because God can work about his glory by contrary means This is a great affliction yet not so great as sin is when God fetches out his glory from the afflictions of his people it costs him not so much nor so deer as when he fetcheth it out of sin now if Gods glory be so dear to him that he will suffer sin to be in the world thereby to fetch his glory out of it why should we be unwilling that God should suffer afflictions to be upon us seeing by them he fetcheth out glory to himself Exod 15.7 In the greatness of thine excellency hast thou overthrown them which rose up against thee how should God manifest his glorious power in raising them up were they never brought very low In Heaven God will manifest his glory so to us that we shall not need such dark shadows to have it set out and opened unto us as here it is Use Care to be well grounded in a cause thâ—t may suffer If this be thus take heed of drawing darker conclusions from Gods dealings than they will bear as to say the Lord hath forsaken us and God will have mercy no more upon us he hath forgotten to be gracioos or to say he hath left his cause and turned his back upon his inheritance therefore we should labor to be well informed in the grounds upon which his cause stands and is maintained and which may uphold us in the maintenance of it for know that God may put thee to the tryal and if thou art not throughly grounded thou wilt apostatize God leaves his people in that dead condition for a time the first Obs 2 day they may look for help and it may not come and the second day he may let them lie when help is look'd for and this may be after their seeking of God This people they said Come let us return unto the Lord yet what do they say after two daies he will revive us it must be some time first God is a great God and his creature must wait there is much grace exercised in an afflicted condition when the soul quietly submits to God and patiently waits upon his pleasure let his dealing be never so hard towards them God
his Covenant with thee he never yet broke Covenant so long as Christ is thine and thou art his Gods faithfulnesse in keeping Covenant is also thine what if those that stand for Christ and his Cause be sometimes beaten must they therefore give over No but venture still and if our sins hinder not though we may lie dead to day and to morrow yet the third day we may live in his sight Obs 5 Mercies after two daies death are reviving mercies After two daies I will revive you Promises in times of afflictions are sweet indeed Oh then how much more deliverance Such mercies are resurection-mercies which God sends after killing afflictions And such mercies hath the Lord given us at this very day the Lord hath revived us when almost dead Applicat for Engl. therefore would we give God the glory of such mercies and render unto him due and seasonable praise for such seasonable mercies Let us observe these rules First Look back to your base unbeleeving hearts formerly and chide them upbraid them with this now Oh vile heart of mine did not I begin to say Alas I am undone all iâ— now lost my hopes are now abortive was not I sorry that ever I was so engaged as I am were it to do again I would be better advised did not I think newters which had never manifested themselves for God in his Cause in a far better estate than I and wish my self in their condition how hath the Lord been dishonored by me what secret pining and grudging thoughts have I had even against God Himself because of the various dispensations of providence Say now oh base vile unbeleeving heart how hath the Lord confuted thee and made thee to see thy shame and ignorance in beleeving sence rather than faith Secondly Hath God bestowed reviving mercies upon you then be willing to give God the glory of them and resign them up to him upon thiâ— ground because we have forfited them by our unbeleef an unbeleeving heart forfits all mercies before he hath them 't is true God gives many precious mercies to sad dumpish froward discontented spirits but you cannot have that comfort in your mercies which others have because they are forfited and though God through his bounty lets you enjoy them yet you are in fear continually lest God should take his forfiture Oh beleeve your mercies in the promise through the difficulties Thirdly Remember the Covenants which you made unto God in the times of your trouble and keep them 'T is a provoking sin to break Covenant with God God complains of it against Israel Psal 78.38 They flattered him with tâ—â—ir lips in making Covenants to him in their trouble but they were not sâ—eadfast in their Covenants Oh how usual is it with men in any misery to Covenant largely with God and presently to forget what they have done this is a sign of a false heart therefore take heed of it Lay more wait upon your Covenants which you make if ever you mean to give God real praise for any mercy Fourthly Consider how much better it is to give God the glory of a mercy willingly than force him to extort it from you in a way of wrath God is better pleased with active praise than passive for his mercies consider glory he will have for his mercies Oh put not God to that trouble to force his own glory so due to him from you if you give not God the glory of a mercy in possession he in wrath will take it from you and had not God given us this reviving mercy it might have been our case to have been forced to give God his glory in a passive way Fiftly Whatever God câ—lls for now from you be willing to give it up to him freely whatsoever we would have been willing to have given for such a mercy in our misery had God indented with us for it let us be ready and willing to give it to him now the mercy is come had we known our danger and the miseries which would have flowed in upon us had not mercy prevented if God should have said thus What would you do what would you suffer what would you part withal for me and you shall be delivered out of this danger and possess the contrary mercy Then seeing God hath given us such a mercy without this indenting make this an argument to come off freely in giving God that which he now calls for you have been perhaps in bodily fears and danger of death by some sickness now if God should have cald for your estates would not you have given them to him Do that now which you would then have done Lastly Lay up against unbeleef for time to come Hath God remembred us in our low estate let us say with David We will trâ—st in him so long as we live we will never determine so as formerly we have either against our selves or the cause of God we wil never entertain hard thoughts of God more but we are resolved to do what belongs to us as creatures and leave the success of the business to God apply this any way and it will be very useful hath God helped us in any soul-trouble revived thee in the depths of sorrow when God hid himself from thee lay up the passages of God towards thee in this case against all the risings of unbeleef whatsoever resolve upon this that thy soul shall relye upon him for help whatsoever becomes of thee this is to give God the glory of reviving mercies Psal 18.1 2. thus doth David apropriate God to himself and gathers strength from this to support him David at this time was in a great straight by Sauls persecution of him that he gave all for lost I shall one day perish by the hands of Saul but he soon recals himself again It was in my hast he said in his hast the Prophets of God Gad and Nathan they are lyars they tell me that I shall be King that I shall sway the Scepter in Israâ—l but 't is nothing so I am like to be kild and betrayed every moment such enemies wait to catch me and is it ever likely that I should fit upon the Throne and be King So men in their hast are ready to think that God will forsake them and leave his cause upon every frown and hard word which he speaks but David found a reviving mercy presently upon it in the 1. and 2. verses of the 18. Psalm where he praised God for that mercy which formerly he would not beleeve before in this 2. verse he sets out God in way of praise by eight titles 8. Relations of God in Psal 18.2 with the Believers propriety in them and all his propriety in them for strengthening of his faith 1. My rock 2. my fortress 3. my deliverer 4. my God 5. my strength in whom I will trust 6. my buckler 7. the born of my salvation 8. my high Tower from all these titles of God as his he
pleasant is it It is like the dew of Hermon and like the dew that descended upon the mountain of Zion as that refreshed the grasse so is this affection of mercy and love in the Saints He compares it not to a dew that dried up presently but to a dew which descended down and there the Lord commanded his blessing Psa 133. expound Church-fellowship even life for evermore There Where Even in the communion of his Saints This is spoken particularly of Church fellowship Oh then take heed that your mercy and bounty in releeving your brethren and persecuted Saints be not as the dew that passeth away the Lord hath not made his mercie no not his mercy in dewing the earth as a morning cloud that vanisheth away and comes to nothing Oh let not our mercy and love be only in shows and proffers withot any truth and reality our mercies should come like showers upon those who have been parched with the burning rage nnd malice of the adversary help those that suffer for a good cause Now the Lord expects more from us in this duty than at other times we must not only pity them and give them good words saying Alas my Brother and alas my Sister and no more I would I could help you the Lord pity you and help you you must not only do thus but in actions and reality you must releeve them with your money and provisions Is it not with too to many of us as it was with those in James 2.15 who say to a brother Depart in peace be ye warmed and filled but give them not wherewith to do it what good doth this passing cloud do them it is but an overture but perhaps you will say that you have not been as an overture a cloud passing away you have bedewed the Saints in their need you have given something but perhaps t is but a poor pittance and that out of your abundance know that this is not sufficient it must be a constant dew and proceed on in degrees of mercy we should rejoyce that God gives us an opportunity to shew our love and mercy and not think much at it doing that you do forcedly or repiningly therefore let not our mercy be as the dew that passeth away Thus much of the words in this signification of mercie Now if we take the words in a large sense as in Scripture they are often taken and in this place also for their goodness and piety and in this sense there is much of the mind of God in the words they are so full of marrow and sweetness as can be desired Now in that God should express godliness and piety by such a word as mercy Note from thence The necessity of this grace of love and brotherly kindness in regard Obs 1 godliness it self receives its name from them though by nature men are passionate and rugged grace will mollifie them of covetous men it will change them to liberal and make them free-hearted for grace is part of the Divine Nature Nothing is so communicative as God the highest good The more excellent the nature the more cōmunicative and according to the height of any creature is the communicativeness of it as the Sun being sublime and excellent is most communicative so a gracious man hath he parts they are not for himself but for the Church hath he an estate he distributes and communicates of it to the Saints and according as grace ariseth in the soul wil communicativeness arise a true Christian is not close handed If grace hath its denomination from hence Then surely this Obs 2 grace of mercy is most excellent because the whol frame of the new man is set out by it and by this it is expressed When we use to set out the whol of any thing by a part we do not express it by an inferior part but in some thing which is eminent in it as by prayer many times is expressed the whol worship of God as be that cals upon the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved Rom. 10. Expos 1 As the morning cloud and as the early dew In these words God charges this people for three things in which their notorious hypocrisie was expressed Clouds and dew passing what they imploy For their vacuity and emptiness their words were empty sounds they were clouds without water as Jude expresses it Jude 12. 't is the high commendation of Christians to be full of God of Christ and ful of grace and knowledg of which Ephraim had a shew but it was but a shew Expos 2 For their falfness and desembling they had a heart and a heart towards God they dealt treacherously with God they were all in shows but in the bottom nothing but vanity Expos 3 For their unconstancy and sickleness As rain in the clouds shews much but is by the wind presently blown over the clouds now are all black and lowring but in a short time are blown over and there is a perfect cleer sky even thus it was in their goodness though they made glorious shows in their reformation yet were they all empty false and unconstant Thus it was in the general in the reformation of the Land when things were reformed in the Kingdom it was but by halves and in their particular turnings it was but as the morning cloud many times there was great appearences of reformation but they were like the early dew which presently goeth away The ten Tribes and Judah did make such beginnings in reformation and setting up the worship of God that if God were truly worshiped by any people in the world it would be by these that they would set God up high in their thoughts high in their practices and this was very burdensom to the Spirit of God therefore he saith What shall I do unto thee Ob Ephraim What shall I do unto thee Oh Judah We find glorious shows of reformation to come to nothing as appears in these many examples 2 King 1 9. and the 10. chapters Jehu made great shows when Joram asked him Is it peace Jehu he answered him What peace so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many And in the 10. chapter what a slaughter doth he make upon the Priests of Baal Well what came of this reade but on in the chapter verses 29. and 31. it is said That Jehu departed not from the sins of Jeroboam who made Israel to sin What a cloud of hopes was there in Ahahs time 1 Kings 18.39 all the people cryed The Lord is God the Lord he is the God upon the miracle which was wrought by Elijahs prayer when the fire came down and consumed the sacrifice but this all vanished in the people and for Ahab himself the text saith he did abominably in following of Idols so that there was none like unto him who sould himself to work wickedness 1 Kings 21.26 27. When the Prophet comes to him
cruel persecutor of the Christians who studied and invenâ—ed cruel deaths for them that when he came to the Crown could not endure blood to be shed no not for sacrifices 'T is also reported of Nero Nero. that for five years he was so pitiful and full of mercy that when they came to have his hand to the sentence of execution of a â—alefactor He would wish that he could not have writ Quam vellem literas non didicisse that so he might not be used in any such thing and yet where had the Common-wealth of Rome or the Church of God a more desperat enemy or cruel persecutor Oh that God would grant this may never be our case What had we at the first Applic. to the Parl. of Engl. in the beginning of the Parliament how did they show themselves and did great things stood against Arbitrary government impeached great ones executed justice upon a Peer or two and kingdom What a mighty spirit was raised in the countries to second and stand by the Parliament now where 's the man that ever thought there would be such a party of Lords and Commons found to joyn with a company of Papist Atheists Malignants and Irish Rebels against the Cause of God and the Gospel and every thing that is truly good Oh most horrid apostasie that this morning cloud which in the beginning shined so gloriously should thus vanish and come to nothing And for others that are not in publick places though perhaps not so bad as others And privat men yet how cold and flat spirited are they slack in their moving for publick good private interest self and their own ends ruling in them more than the prosperity of the publick nay so we can gain our own ends though with losse to the publick we care not Oh what shall God do with us who are such an untoward people Mutato nomine Change but the name and this Scripture is ours O England what shall I do unto thee Your spirits for Reformation are down you care not for a deliverance but are willing to crouch under your burdens but let me tell you should these beginnings of reformation end as and prove to be as the morning cloud and early dew we should be the most miserable people in the world losing the greatest opportunity to do our selves good that ever any people had procure the greatest curse to our selves and posterity that ever was upon a people the generations that are yet unborn may if we lose this opportunity curse the time that we lived before them therefore be encouraged to venture in this work and do you still own the cause for God will own it and never leave it that so the work may be finished and we may say with the Saints Lo this is our God we have waited for him and he hath heard us Isa we should consider that it is a mercy the Lord hath made use of such false spirited men in his work to do his people good by and seeing the Lord is gone so far in the work let us intreat him that he would follow it on and not only bedew us but even wet us to the root It is Gods promise very remarkable in the 14. chap. of this Prophesie and the 5. verse I will be as the dew unto Israel he shall grow as the lilie they shall have the dew and be like the lilly but the lillie is a poor weak fading thing but saith God I will moisten the roots of it like Lebanon my mercy shall be perfected towards them the Lord grant this promise may be made good to us And thus much of their reformation in the general as it concerned the publick State and Church Now touching the particular reformation of themselves and their hypocrisie in it The note from thence is 2. Reformation in particular persons Obser That for any man to make good beginnings and overtures in the waies of God and let all fall again and come to nothing is a thing very grievous to God and dangerous to himself Psal 78.36 37. Nevertheless they did flater him with their mouth and they lyed unto him with their tongues for their heart was not right with him neither were they steadfast in his Covenant what then ver 58 59. For they provoked him to anger with their Idols God greatly abhorred Israel they were as a deceitful bow hypocritical in all their waies which the Spirit of God cannot endure for these reasons Reas of the first part The Spirit of God is a holy Spirit but this is a slight fickle a very vain spirit no soundness in it The Spirit of God is unchangable and constant in all its motions but in this spirit there is nothing but changableness 't is said of God that there is no shadow of change in him and in such a heart as this is there is no shadow of constancy in it Such men as these stifle the very conceptions of the Spirit of God in them it is accounted murder in a woman to stifle the conception in her womb or any waies to hinder it now if this be such a vile thing is it not much more to stifle the conception and first breathings of the spirit in the soul Oh take heed of such a spirit as this is There can be no trust put in such men as these they are fit for no imployment neither God nor man can trust them or use them in any service they are up and down fickle and wavering we our selves cannot endure to have to deal with such a man as is so They manifest by this that there is no fear of God before their eyes for were the fear of the great God in them it would over-awe them so that they durst not do thus This is a great pollution of the Name of God Jer. 34.16 when they had let their servants go and in an hypocritical manner cald them home again in this thing God saith they polluted his great Name This is an argument that the things of God and matters of Religion are looked upon by you as things indifferent that there is no great matter in them things of little consequence when thou hast a mind to them thou canst use them or thou canst let them alone is not this a mighty dishonor to the Spirit of God This shews that such people never had any good beginnings or sound Principles in them at the first far from the life of Christ which is said to be a steadfast life and the life of every Saint should be like unto his their hearts were not right with him neither were they steadfast in his Covenant Now as it is grievous to God and to his Spirit Reas of the 2d so it is very dangerous to our selves For We lose many an opportunity many a soul-stirring which at our first awaking we have had When the soul is first convinced Oh the many stirrings and good motions which are put
the iniquity of his covetousnesse was I wrath with him and smote him I hid my face from him and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart Now what may we think will become of him surely now nothing but desolation and distruction No saith God I have seen his way and will heal him I will lead him and restore comforts unto his mourners Jer. 3.22 Return ye back-sliding children and I will heal your back-slidings Oh that the answer of this people might be ours Behold we come unto thee for thou art our God How God heals Now the Lord cures accuratly as Chyrurgions do by purgation and allaying the misery so the Lord heals his people by taking away the cause and the malignancy of that trouble which is upon them So thou that art under any particular trouble or affliction if God sanctifie that trouble by taking away the cause of it God may be said to heal though the affliction be not quite taken away Then God may be said to heal by Foementation as Chyrurgions use to do when the part is able to resist and oppose that which would feed the humour so when the Lord puts strength into the soul to oppose disquieting and vexing thoughts that sinks into the soul from its afflictions now where this work is accomplished the soul is healed That God in willing things doth not alwaies will them according Obs 3 to his Omnipotent power I would have healed Ephraim That is I would and I did use all the means that was possible to heal them and which might have done it But it may be objected Object If God see that we are unable of our selves to be healed how can we be healed when we have no power to be healed Now for answer to this we must know Answ That men are not so much healed it proceeds not so much from the want of ability as their will men do not do what they can therefore they do not will to be healed God doth not make men unwilling but speaks to us after the manner of men though there be also an inability yet because men think not of that in not turning or because the inability is chiefly in the perversness of the will 't is not a metaphysical inability as I may so speak but a formal wilfulness though men think that God is in all the fault that they are not healed but God wil make this one of his works at the day of judgment to cleer Himself from those aspersions now men are so proud that they think themselves too good and too lofty for God but God will cleer and shew Himself to be righteous in their destruction There is much wickedness lies hid many times in a Kingdom or Obs 4 person till the means appear to cure them It was thus with Paul Rom. 7.9 he was sinful before but when the Law came sin revived and I died yet notwithstanding God by his almighty power helped him over them all As when a man comes to repair an old house which is rotten and decayed simile he doth not conceive the trouble of it till he comes to remove the rubbish Who would imagine the wickedness that is in many mens hearts which discovers it self when the means comes had not God set many servants in good families the vileness and the vanity of their spirits had not discovered it self Servants Englands wickedness certainly this is our condition some few yeers since there appeared much wickedness in England but how much more since God hath sent the means to cure it As appears By a bitter spirit of malignancy against the power of godliness No people so wicked as we were before but now it is much more our wickedness is now grown to a spirit of malice and oppoposition against the Word and the Saints At the first men cried out for a reformation and cried down Bishops but when Gods people began to rejoyce and thought that they should have a day of a sudden what a desperate spirit of pride a spirit of malignancy was there raised to oppose with all the might that could be the way of reformation so much desired and this so much the more vile because of their malice against reformation agravated 1. Blind mens eyes so that they cannot see their misery by reason of the falsities and flatteries and treacheries which is used against Scotland Ireland and England nay .2 these men rather than they wil be subject to the yoke of Christ they will be slaves to men any men yea the worst of men and that to their vilest lusts rather than yeild to the way of Christ and doth not this shew a desperate spirit against God What a base sordid spirit is there now among us that rather than men will be contented to suffer a little trouble will rather endure perpetual enslavery by vile men A most treacherous spirit appears in the most for their own private gain and advantages when men shall betray Kingdoms overthrow States and deceive the trust and confidence that is put in them undermine and destroy Parliaments doth not this manifest a most vile spirit in the people of this Kingdom Heretofore the rascality of the people could not be brought to fight against the Scots yet now there can be found a Gentry to fight against the Parliament What a blasphemous spirit is there abroad this sin abounded before but how much more is it now encreased nay are there not now new oaths invented and pressed A cruel bloody spirit is now risen in the people of the land some few yeers since who could have imagined the cruelties that have been used by English men What a spirit of division is there among us we should have thought that in a time of publick calamity we should have sodered together when there was private persecution more love was expressed and that which makes the rents the more sad is that they are between the best people What an oppressing tyrannizing spirit is there now in many men who have been formerly oppressed by oppressors are now turned oppressors themselves what doth this but presage what these would do had they the power in their hands this iniquity is now discovered A spirit of envy and jealousie if any man be in publik place and active in it how are they envied and spited how many stand newters now and upon this very ground because they see others not so rich in estates as they made use of therefore they fit still and fret themselves and seek to hinder them that are active in publick service and so the work is hindered A spirit of superstition Would ever any man have thought that the Parliament should ever have met with such a party to oppose them in their way of reforming we might rather have thought that there should have been a general spirit rising against these superstitious vanities to have kickt them out Oh what misery doth these rotten teeth put this Kingdom unto at this very
day this iniquity is also discovered A wanton erronious spirit such opinions as were never known before doubting of the Immortallity of the soul that there is no visible Church upon the face of the earth and all this under the Name of Christ and free grace Now what doth all this but shew thus much that when God would have healed us then our iniquities did appear what sad passages are these of our miseries approaching What an unmerciful spirit is there among us Every one seeking his own and how he may make him and his great in the world and neglecting the poor and those that are in distress we have cause to say Oh Lord what shall become of us Know this that I may not altogether discourage you though our times are miserable yet are they not like unto Israel altogether it cannot be denied but that our Court hath seconded Ephraim which was their Court Court and though the City of Samariah did joyn with Ephraim yet the Citie City with us hath not joyned with Ephraim but the bulk of it hath kept faithful with their God for which mercy the children He lived not to see the late dissention which yet was not total blessed be God though prevailing long yet unborn will have cause to bless God A fift observation is this That when a people grow worse upon the means of healing it is a sign that their condition is desperate Isa 1.15 why should you be smitten any more Ye will revolt yet more and more Jer. 51.9 We would have healed Babylon but she would not forsake her In thy filthiness is lewdness because I have purged thee and thou wouldest not be purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more untill I have caused my fury to rest upon thee Now certainly had not God found a party in this Kingdom which closed with him when he would have healed us we might have had occasion to make use of this Scripture how just were it with God to leave such a people as we are in our healing because we are so impatient under the rod and oppose him even in our healing Arius Montanâ—s quotes it out of Hippocrates that the Physitians in his time Ar. Mont. were bound by an Oath to leave such under their wounds to perish by them that were incorrigable and would not endure the Chirurgions to cure them When a man is engaged in a bad cause and means is used for the convincing of him and yet oft times he will proceed and fly out the worse Oh the vileness of mens spirits in this thing we had need take heed what we engage our selves in that the thing be good the cause warrantable how many men are there which break their consciences rather than yeild to take shame to themselves for their sin Oh what cause have we to fall down and be humbled for our iniquity and to say as they in Jer. 14.18 19 20. So for particular Towns and places where God sends the Gospel the means of grace and that people is the worse for it they have cause to tremble at it do not cry out against the preaching of the Word as if that were the cause of it wheÌ„ men are worse for preaching an evil sign this were most wicked and abominable it was thus in Christs time we never read of any possessed with Devils before Christ came now shâ—ll we say it had been better that Christ had not come Oh blame not the Ministry but your own hearts and consider of this you that God is working upon the Lord comes close by the Ministry of his Word to heal you and then you discover your wickedness and rotten hearts the Lord he stirs such a conscience and begins to heal the soul now 't is the Devils policy to spoil such beginnings now thinks the Devil if I can make such a soul to commit a sin against conscience or live in the omission of any known duty the word then will never work more to do such a man good I have heard of a man who being troubled in conscience for committing that great sin of uncleanness the Devil tempting him to commit it again and told him if he would he should never be troubled more for it the poor man yeilding to do it and venturing upon it again after he had done it he was never tempted again nor troubled more but presently lay in a wanzeing languishing senceless condition and so died Oh take heed of this you that are convinced in your consciences of the evil of such and such courses for it is the great policy of the Devil to make thee who art convinced in conscience to sin against conscience and then he thinks the work is lost the Devil doth not much fear the Words working upon him whom he hath prevailed over to live in secret known sins and to venture upon the commission of sins against conscience you who are under Gods hand of cure be silent and submit quietly under Gods hand and be not froward as many are in their troubles of conscience but hearken for a word from God Troubled Consciences as the men of Benhadad did from that King in 1 King 20.33 hearkened diligently whether any words of comfort fel from him and they catched at them hastily Know that it were just with God to make you as that people Isa 6.10 that your hearts should be made fat This concerns all people but especially those that are in trouble of conscience those that God begins to stir and work upon take heed I say doth Christ himself begin to work upon you doth he desire to heal you is he willing to offer his blood to cure you by applying it to your wounded consciences Let not the corruptions of your hearts now break forth now take heed of sins against conscience lest he let you to perish in your lusts be willing to let God alone to do his work in you lie quiet and still take heed of murmuring and repining speeches but follow on the work begun and beseech him not to leave you till the work be compleated in you and the great hazard of your miscarrying over little do you imagine the wait and burden of those sins will be upon conscience which now you commit against conscience what a torment will it be to thy conscience to think that at such a time I felt Jesus Christ coming to heal my soul in the Ministry of his Word Oh happy had it been for me if I had lain under his hand and to have kept his salve upon my sore but because it was for the present troublesom and smart I cast it off and went into such company and listened unto such temptations and by this means have wounded my soul anew most desperately and now what can I expect but that the Lord should for ever forsake me and leave me to die in my sins and wallow in my blood and his eye not pity me make me to inherit
against my people and worship and it may be this is the cause why the Lord keeps our arms still broken that we might learn to submit for when at any time God hath begun to bind up our arms England how have many improved all opportunities to set up themselves and their waies VER 16. They return but not to the most high they are like a deceitful bow their Princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt THEY return They make shows yea somthing they do This verse hath reference to the story of Jehu who did very much there were very great beginnings in his time to cast out Idolatry but neither he nor the people did come up to the full height that God required of them but they would have some mixtures of their own And thus it is in many peoples reformation they are very hot at it in the beginning and even among us England how high did the hearts of people rise but what a damp is there since that time though blessed be God great things are don among us But saith God that is not yet done amongst them which I would have done it is true they honor me indeed but it is as the Nations round about them honor their Gods they do not honor me as the Infinite Eternal First being of all things I am not worshiped by them as the Infinite High Eternal God people should so labor to reform themselves that they may hold forth the honor of God as he is Infinite Glorious Eternal How we should honor God and having all power in his hands The Notes of Observation from the words are these That God is the most high God the supream Majestie of Heaven Obs 1 and earth he is so high that he humbles himself to behold things done in Heaven 't is a stooping in him that he takes notice of things in Heaven surely then much more for things done on the earth surely then he is a high God and when ever we come before him in prayer we should come before him as unto such a God who is so glorious and high above all things betwixt whom and us there is an infinite distance A true repenting sinner should have the sight of this high God alwaies Obs 2 in his eye and great would be the efficacy of such a sight as this is upon the spirit it would be very profitable for the soul For This would make the soul to be very serious with God not daring to dally with him who is infinitely above it It would make the soul abhor it self in dust and ashes Job 42.5 there is nothing humbles the soul more than this sight of Gods Majestie It shews unto the soul the infinite evil which there is in sin in that I should do nothing but cast dirt in the face of God That there is no standing out against this high God that I must crouch before him for he will have the better of me That he is infinitely worthy of all that I am or have and all that I can do and this very thing would answer all temptations against God This fight of God would inform us that it is not every sorrow and slight mourning for sin which will serve the turn but it must be such a sorrow as is becoming such a God In this sight of God I behold that which hath power in it to raise my soul above all things here below self the world and all creature comforts all things must be looked upon as under our feet else we cannot close with God I see by this sight enough in God to make me blessed and that I may bless my self in him in the loss of all the world and that there is enough in him to make me amends for all the troubles I have met withal for him These are the thoughts of a true penitent heart concerning God Now the soul can say the Lord is God and there is no such God as the Lord and by this you may put your repentance to the tryal Trial of repentanc whether it be of the right kind or no by your thoughts of God Have you sorrowed for sin as before such a glorious high God as the Lord is that those that see â—ur humiliations may see glory and honor and praise written upon them to the Lord The want of this these people were charged for here and this hath been our case many times the Lord help our reformers to carry on the work of reformation begun as before the high God If we lose this opportunity we lose such an opportunity as yet was scarce ever granted to any Nation upon the face of the earth Now wicked proud men may lift themseves high in the world and be thought to be somebody for it but it is the low broken penitent soul which it the high man because he returns to the high God But secondly They return but it is not to the yoke as some render the words They will not come under obedience to Gods commands for there is but a little difference namely in the pricks between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jugum and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alitissi and if we understand the word thus then it notes that they promised much and made many fair shews of doing much but they would not come under the yoke they will still be sons of Belial without yoke So many people upon exhortation and intreaties will promise fair they will return and they will do much but when it comes to see the yooke Oh they flinch back and hold off Oh it is too hard for them It follows They are like a deceitful bow Thus did their progenitors they trode in the same steps Psal 78.57 They kept not his testimony Deceitful bow but turned back and dealt deceitfully as did their fathers that were turned aside like a deceitful bow Now a bow is deceitful two waies When it causeâ— the arrow to turn from them it was levelled to hit and recoils upon him that shoots it These people were Gods bow Zachariah 9.13 saith God I have bent Israel as my bow to shoot at evil doers How vile and wicked are those men into whose hands God hath committed power to execute justice and judgment against evil doers and they shall turn all their power against the Saints and those that do well A bow is deceitful when it carries the arrow the wrong way though the Archer see the mark and aim at it yet it carries quite contrary Just thus did these people many of them had good aims and intentions and purposes but yet they carried the matter quite contrary these words refer unto Jehu's time he was a notorious deceitful bow Come see my zeal for the Lord yet an hypocrit Oh let us look to our hearts there may be secret warpings in our hearts which may cause us to miscarry for ever if we take not heed many