way of Gods worship because some in authority as the Parliament seek to take away corruption in the worship of God Parliam abundance of people cry out that they are enemies unto all Religion that they will take away all Religion Thus it is reported by your countrey people that dwel far off as in Wales and in other places the people are there perswaded that the Parliament are a company of vile men that seek to take away all Religion out of the Kingdom But this is so but in the understanding of a Rabshekah that thinks the taking away of high places to be the taking away of Religion The other King is Jehosaphat that is commended for taking away the high places and it is noted of him that his heart was lifted up more than ordinary in the waies of God when he did it For this sacrificing upon the high places was such a thing that the people were so set upon it what say they is it not a brave decent thing that we should go up to a high place to offer unto the high God therefore when Jehosahhat took them away the text saith his heart was lifted up in a more than ordinary manner So it should be with Governours when they see corruptions in Gods worship though the people stick close to them yet they should have their hearts lifted up with courage and zeal to go on in the work Use In 2 Chron. 17.6 there you have it His heart was lifted up in the waies of God Moreover he took the high places and groves out of Judah Here is two things that Israel is charged for the high places and the groves Jehosaphat took away and he took them away out of Judah He was of a lift up mind and his heart took boldness for the waies of God so the old Latine hath it But mark what course what way did Jehosaphat take to remove the high places and the groves In the 7. verse of that chapter you find this He sent to his Princes to teach in the Cities of Judah Mark here Princes are become Preachers He sent to his Princes to teach in the Cities of Judah Princes preachers and with them Levites and Priests and they taught in Judah and had the book of the Law with them and they went about all the Cities of Judah and taught the people This is the course to take them away If he had only by an Edict removed them he could not have done so much but he took this wise course he sent faithful Preachers thoroughout all the Countrey in all the great Cities especially He was careful they should have faithful Preachers and then the work would be easily done So that it appears it was because of the ill Preachers they had before or because they had no Preachers at all that the high places were so hard to be taken away How easie would it be in England at this day to make a Reformation preaching the way to remove superstitioÌ„ to take away corruptions from the worship of God if in all Cities and Towns there were faithful Preachers For we see apparantly that people that have been brought up in ignorance they stick most to these things Let a faithful Minister come into a Congregation and take pains so that the people may see and be convinced that he takes pains and expound the Scripture unto them they will begin to confess we get more by this than by all the reading of prayers all this while and this is more painful to the Minister They would I say be convinced of this if they had teaching This was Jehosaphats way and Oh how happy were it if we took the same course But there is one thing more observable it is said in this 7. chapter that Jehosaphat took away the high places but in Chap. 20. ver 33. 2 Chron. 17. with cap 20.33 reconciled it is said he took them not away but how is it It is put upon the people the text saith The high places were not taken away for as yet the people had not prepared their heart unto the God of theâ—â— fathers The people were the cause Now for the reconciling of these two places it seems Jehosaphat did what lay in him In chap. 17. therefore God accounts it as being done for his part but because when he had done what he could yet the people were so stubborn and stout and would not yeild to the command of the King therefore in this 20. Chapter it is all layed upon the people As if God should say they were not taken away because the people had not prepared their hearts but as for Jehosaphat he did what lay in him for the taking them away God will accept of the intention of Governours Let them do what they can in it and if it be not done the fault will lie where the cause is You may see by this that people may hinder the work of Reformation much their hearts were not prepared that is they were not fit to receive such instructions as were sent unto them And truly in England many people are not yet prepared to receive the work of Reformation We never read that is observable too of any difficulty of any of the Kings either of Judah or Israel to bring in any false worship observe it in all the stories of the Kings or Chronicles when there was any King that would bring in any false worship there was never any difficulty in it Obser But when good Kings did seek to bring in true worship and to cast out false it was too difficult a work for them Thus mens hearts do cleave more to false worship than they do to true And this is one thing further observable for the high places that it is not said here in the Text only that they sacrificed upon the Mountainâ— but upon the top of the mountains There are two things very observable from hence First It noteth the publickness of their way of Idolatry They would not do it in a corner in a hole but they would go to the mountains Observ to the top of the mountains and were not ashamed Idolatry is brazen faced it is impudent and loveth to be publick Use Oh why should we not have the true worship of God as publick It is a lamentable case when the true worship of God must get into holes and corners and dare not appear in publick yea when they are persecuted because they are in corners and they say they get into holes and corners and there they do thus and thus Well my brethren let us pray and endeavor what we can to bring in the true worship of God to the most publick way that may be that we may not be ashamed of it in publick before the world In Revel 14.6 Revel 14.6 there is mention of an Angel flying in the midst of Heaven having the everlasting Gospel in his hand to preach unto them that dwell on the earth Now
When the Saints see Gods hand against them in any thing this trombles them and humbles them more than any thing else Reas 2 2. It is a special means to quiet the heart with patience Psal 39.9 It quiets I was dumb and spake not because thou Lord didst it See it in Ely It is the Lord let him do what he wil with me and in Christ himself shall not I drink of the cup which my father shall give me Is God my God and doth this come from my Father I will take it I am sure it will do me no harm but much good 3. By this means the soul is put upon the enquirie why Reas 3 this affliction is upon it It puts up on search what the cause of this trouble may be when we see nothing but man the instrument of an affliction we look not so much at it it never puts us upon soul-search and tryal of our selves but when God is seen in a cross the soul begins to consider what have I done what 's the matter oh my soul Thus did the Church Mica 6.9 Hear ye the Rod and who hath appointed it There are letters written upon Gods rods which the man of wisedome can reade 4. It causes the soul to receive content and satisfaction in Reas 4 nothing but God alone and in peace with him Causeth the soul to make out for God to get him our friend when we look upon judgments only in the second cause we are apt to think that second means will make up the breach again which sin hath made as they in Isa 9.9 10. The bricks are fallen down but we will build with hewn stone for all this his anger is not turned away why so in the 13. verse we have the reason For the people turned not unto him that smiteth them neither do they seek the Lord of hosts They would not see the hand of God nor give glory to him for if they did they would say as this people in the next chapter Come let us return unto the Lord for he hath wounded us and He will heal us Thus much for the doubling the expression It follows I even I will tear you and go away The Lyons when they tear their prey they are not afraid of what they have done Expos but walk majestically before the dead carkiese as it were bidding defiance to al other creatures they run not away as the Fox doth but walk as it were in state for so the words in the original carry I even I will tear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As if God did challenge all the creatures in Heaven or Earth for to grapple with him I wil tear them It implies how God wil deal with Judah He will not be afraid of them what He doth it shall be in an open way He will not come against them in secret but in a publick way Applic. enemies of Engl. The judgment at this time upon our enemies is not in a secret but an open way the Lord doth not deal subtilly and by craft with them as they do with his people and though the Lord deal as a Lyon with them tearing and rending them yet they will not see him neither are they able to resist him nor can any rescue them out of his hands Let the means be never so weak in Gods hand yet when he is in a way of wrath there shall be no delivery out of his hands Isa 26.6 opened Isa 26.6 The feet shall tread it down tread down what the lofty City by what feet even the feet of the poor and the steps of the needy Jer. 37.10 The Lord tels them that though they had smitten the whol Army of the Caldeans and there remained but wounded men among them yet should they rise up every man in his tent and burn their City with fire When God intends ruin and desolation to a people 't is impossible for any to deliver them out of his hands Obser Further we may note That when God comes against a people He takes them to do when they are the strongest and greatest in power and most confident in an arm of flesh that none at that time may deliver our of His hands Isa 24.21 And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones which are on high When he is in his greatest pride gets the greatest victories conquers and obtains the greatest Cities of refuge and Towns of harbor And 't is very observable Applicat for Engl. that since our enemies got their greatest advantages they have lost the most God then puld them down when they were most proud God will go on in his work though men are never so proud and strong therefore 't is our wisdom to give our selves into Gods hands yea though into his afflicting hand although no power can rescue out of his hand yet there is a way to change the operation of his hands by humbling our selves falling down before him willingly submitting to him and this way now God hath his will upon us in the most acceptable way that can be God had rather have men voluntarily give him his glory than to compel him to force it from them I now come to the last VER 15. I will go GOD repeats it again which notes 1. Expos The glory of the work that he is not ashamed of what he hath done Gods people ought for to be like God in this let their actions be warrantable such as they may with comfort own and stand to yea suffer for if it so come to pass not like the proverb to set a Town on fire and run away from it leaving others to quench it 2. It notes the Irresistibility of Gods work as if he should say let any try whether they can oppose me 3. And chiefly it implies I will bring them into captivity and there I 'le leave them Whence note Obser That 't is a heavy judgment for God to tear and wound a people and then lo leave them God saith if they return not I will rend and tear them make them very miserable and in that condition will I leave them I 'le be a stranger to them and will not own them Ezek. 22.20 I will gather you in mine anger and in my fury and I will leave you there God in another place promiseth to be with His people in the fire and in the water but there is a time that Gods people may so provoke God that he will bring them into the fire and there leave them when the Philistims fell upon Saul it was a sad time to him because God had left him Oh how terrible was it when God left Christ upon the Cross but for a little while This we all deserve and this is the portion of the damned in Hell While the Judg is present upon the Bench the Malefactor hath hope simile but when the Judge goes off
in the waies of his administration he declares that he will have glory from his creature he hath sworn by Himself and the word hath gone out of his mouth in righteousness that every knee must bow to him and every tongue confesse his Name he seems now to resolve he will have it so indeed he will have all to bow before him It is no time therefore now for us to have controversies with God to have controversies with God and man both with Heaven and Earth and Hell and with our own consciences and all What shall become us Be not thou a terror O Lord unto me saith Jeremiah for thou art my hope in the day of evil If God be a terror and the daies be evil Ier. 17. what will become of us It is time to fall down and make peace with God Consider of this you who are so often in controversies with your Neighbors Remember in all your controversies that God hath a great controversy with you And satisfie not your selves in this that you are able to cleer your selves before men what is that so long aâ— this controversy continues It is a dangerous thing to go on long in this controversy with God it is wisdom to make an end of it betime Pro. 17.14 The beginning of strife is like the letting out of waters wherefore leave off contention before it be medled with The beginning of strife especially with God is most dreadful if thou goest on but a little while thine heart may be most desperately set against God and for ever left to strive against him never to come in and be humbled before him This is the reason I verily beleeve of the most horred wickedness of some men amongst us we wonder at it that ever any man should dare to venture upon such horrid wickednesses one after another Surely here is the reason at first it may be when they were young there was some dreadful breach between God and their souls they fell though the world perhaps knew it not into some foul and abominable sin and having made such a dreadful breach between God and their souls then they now go on desperately and fight against the God of Heaven in such a desperate manner as never any age can cell us any examples of such desperate fighting against God as is in this age God hath a controversie with Nations also for their sin Those who are to suit for God may wel charge us that the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land at this day If ever he had a controversy with a people he hath it with us The Lord hath a fearful controversy with us he hath most fearful things to charge this land with I might instance in some things that are more peculiar to this nation than to any other upon the face of the earth As the hatred contempt persecution of the power of godliness No nation upon the face of the earth hath that guilt in this regard upon it that England hath nor never had since the world began Persecution of faithful godly Ministers of the same Religion holding all fundamental Truths yea all the Articles of Religion every point of the Doctrine of Religion together with them I say never any Nation was guilty of that persecution as we of this Kingdom are Silencing many for â—rifles and toyes Persecuting for keeping the Sabbath It is true other countries are loose in their practice or the Sabbath but no country upon the face of the earth hath ever persecuted the keeping of it as England hath done and that by the câ—untenance of those in authority We are si ner and others are sinners but the Lord hath a controversy with us for these things in a more special manner than with any people upon the facâ— of the earth this day This controversy the Lord hath against us is an old controversy too I may apply that text Jer. 32.31 that God speaks concerning the City of Jerusalem unto us This Citie hath been to me as a proâ—ocation of mine anger and of my fury from the day that they built it even unto this day So ever since the Reformation hath begun have we bin a provocation to the Lord. Thirdly A general controversy even with all sorts a controversy with our Kings and Princes with our Nobles oâ—r Gentry our Cities Countries Universities Common people with wicked people with godly people with the Saints with all Fourthly It is the most unkind controversie in regard of our parts that ever was in any Nation for God had dealt with us in such a loving way as he hath not done with any Nation in the world besides he hath made us even as the dearly beloved of his soul and yet for all this we have contended against him This unkindness goes even to the very heart of God Fiftly The Lord hath sent many faithful Ambassadours to plead his cause with us He never to any Nation upon the earth sent more faithful Ambassadours that have pleaded his cause with more power and evidence of the Spirit than to us in England yet we have stood out Sixtly We have had as many offers of mercy as ever people had Many a time we have been upon the brink of Judgment and the bowels of God have been towards us and he hath said it shall not be Seventhly The Lord hath been as patient he hath staied as long as ever he did with any people before he came to execution Where do we reade of any people that have had a hundred yeers peace Ours is not much less Never that I know of in all the Scripture Eightly The Lord hath had us at advantages as much as can be we have broke as many treaties as ever people broke When we seemed to yeild unto God we have but flattered him with our lips and dealt dissemblingly with him Ninthly God hath broken the backs of others with whom he hath had a controversy He hath had a controversy with Germany and how hath he dealt with them Thus he beginneth to deal with us It is reported that in Germany when the war was but twenty or thirty miles off them they went on in their trading and followed their businesses buying and selling and hoped that they should be safe so it is with us Is not some part of England at this day as desolate as Germany it self Tenthly Those that knew most of Gods mind have been so afraid of this controversie that they have fled for fear of the wrath of God and we have slighted jeered them for it thought it was their foolish timerousness and melancholly conceit The Lord now seems to justifie their fear The Lord is now for the present out against us in as dreadful a way of wrath as ever he was against any people of the earth I never read in Scripture nor in History of a more dreadful wrath of God against a people all things considered than is against us at this day Amos 7.4 The
and force have ye ruled my people They have turned judgment to wormwood Amos 5.7 Their Courts of Juducature that should have been for right judgment have been turned into bitter wormwood and have been full of cruelty What have many of them cared for the lives for the comforts of thousands for the extremitie of all misery they shall suffer so be it their own humors and their own lusts might be satisfied as if all other men were but as dogs except themselves The Lord doth at this day charge this upon some of them and will charge it more I remember once a speech of a reverend Divine in this Citie now with God whom you all honored when he was alive being put into that Court the high Commission when he came home one day from thence he tells this story of what he observed there I heard saith he crying out much of Grace and please your Grace and much crying out of peace if there were any noise then peace peace but I saw no MERCY thâ—re saith he nothing at all but Cruelty Jer. 50.17 you may see in what indignation God doth take it for men though the greatest upon earth to be cruel to his people This Nebuchad rezzaâ— King of Babylon hath broken his bones Who was this Nebuchad rezzar A mighty great Prince yet God looks upon him with indignation when he sees him breaking the bones of his people We have amongst us those who as Psal 27.12 breath our cruelty and indeed they act nothing less there is cruel hatred in their hearts and waies according to that Psalm 25.19 No marvel therefore though heretofore our brethren left the Kingdome because they found such cruelty here there was no mercy in the land they did but according to that which the Church calleth the members of it to Cant. 4.8 Come with me from Labanon from the Lyons dens from the mountains of the Leobards When they went from us they went from the Lyons dens and from the mountains of the Leopards No marvel now the Lord is so severe against our Land because there hath been so little mercy in the land That is the second Article against Israel That there was no Mercy The third is Nor no Knowledg of God in the land In the Hebrew it is And no knowledg but now Vau that is there for And it signifies sometimes quia as well as et And so it may indeed be well rendred here Because there is no knowledg of God in the land the reason why there is no mercy is because there is no knowledg of God The knowledg of God will make wicked men to be merciful men Cruel men know not God These two are put together and joyned most elegantly in Psal 74.20 The dark places of the earth are ful of the habitations of crueltie saies the text The knowledg of God will make men civil and humane at least but when there is no knowledg of God men grow cruel and savage And do we not find this to be true at this very day From what places are men that do now rise up to be plunderers to shed blood to be cruel in most desperate outrages from what places are these men beholden for their assistors and abettors this way Are they not beholden to places where they are in ignorance where they have no knowledg of God where there is no preaching In the Countries round about observe those Parishes those Towns where there hath been least or worst preaching where they have had least knowledg of God there you have most malignants that are bloody and cruel No mervail then that our adversaries are such enemies to the faithful preachers of the word of God no marvel then they are made the But of their malice for indeed if they bring the knowledg of God into the land they will bring humanitie civilitie they will bring mercy and love and there wil be few or none that will be fit for their turns Indeed it is their complaint of the Parliament that they set ignorant men in places but certainly this complaint is but a pretence for it were better for their turns that all the congregations in England had but ignorant men had no men to bring the knowledg of God amongst people but they know well enough what ever they say that those that are sent are such as do bring the knowledg of God among people and there is nothing does them more hurt than this knowledg of God No knowledg of God This is a heavy charge indeed Powr out thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not Jer. 10.25 Though they be Heathens and yet know not God the wrath of God is to be poured forth upon them surely then Gods wrath must be upon Israel that know not God And Isa 2â— 11 They are a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy upon them he that formed them will shew them no favour 2 Thes 1.8 The Lord Christ shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance upon those that know him not What no knowledg of God what glory then can God have from such a people God hath done great things in the world he hath manifested himself an infinite and a glorious God and his end in all that he hath manifested himself in is that Angels and men might behold this might adore admire worship fear and praise him but where there is no knowledg of God there all Gods glory passeth by and there is no notice taken of it to what purpose is the world made such an one can never sanctifie the Name of God in any duty of worship in the use of any creature where there is no knowledg of God there al good is kept out there the unclean spirit a spirit of darkness dwels when the Crow hath picked out the eyes of the Lamb then it makes a prey upon it As in dark vaults there are toads and filthy creatures so in dark soul there are crawling and filthy lusts As in blind Alehouses there is abundance of disorder so in a blind heart there is abundance of distemper and disorder No knowledg of God The Septuagint turn this word Knowledg * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a word that signifies acknowledgment there is no acknowledgment of God in the land People should walk so in all their waies as to hold forth the glory of that great God they do profess If they know God to be such as he is revealed in all his Attributes and works they should in their lives I say so walk as to hold forth this before the children of men I appeal to you in this Perhaps some of you can speak concerning God and tell us what God is and concerning his Attributes yet are your lives in your families in your conversations so as that one beholding them may see written the glorious Attributes of God upon them that you hold forth these glorious Attributes that in all your waies you carry with you the
glory of the great God holding forth your fear of this God your love of this God and giving up your selves to this alsufficient God who is worthy of all There should be thiâ— acknowledgment of God as well as knowledg and God hath a controversâ—â—e with a land with a-familie with a particular soul when there is not an acknowledgment of God in their waies But no knowledg of God in the Land In the land here is the Emphasis Oh this is a very sad thing What not in the land of Israel no knowledg of God Psal 76.1 In Judah is God known his Name is great in Israel It is expected that God should be known in their land and for God not to be known there he was not known to any people in all the world but Judah and Israel and here ten Tribes are charged for not having the knowledg of God in their land Surely they refused to know the Lord they shut their eyes against the knowledg of God they say to God depart from us we desire not the knowledg of thy waies Men may live where there is the means of knowledg and yet be ignorant all their daies How many men of excellent parts in respect of all outward affairs in the country and Citie come and speak to them about matters of State they will speak understandingly about them they have deep reaches for State affairs speak to them about the affairs of Merchandize of their trades they will speak understandingly but speak to them about God about Christ about the things of eternal life how poorly how weakly how childishly how sottishly shall you have them speak about those things Men of parts and living under much means yet may be very ignorant of the knowledg of God Howsoever the want of knowledg may seem to be a little matter even in plâ—ces where there is means yet let men know that it is a fearful brand of reprobation for people to live under the means and not to have the knowledg of God 2. Cor. 4.3 If our Gospel be hidden it is hidden to those that are lost And it is pronounced as a great curse for a man to live without knowledg Job 36.12 They shall perish by the sword and they shall die without knowledg Oh how many at this day do perish by the sword and die without knowledge It concerns us now to get the knowledg of God because the sword may be neerer us than we are aware of and what will become of us if it fall out to be our portion to perish by the sword and to die without knowledg But though they had some means of knowledg yet their means did grow very short And there are two special reasons why Israel at this time was without knowledg why there was no knowledg of God in the land of Israel First Because that Jeroboam had in the defection of these ten Tribes of Israel set up the lowest of the people in the place of the Priests Office Any man that desired to be a Priest though never so base and vile Jeroboam would set him up In the 1 of King 12.31 there you shal find it He made an house of high places and made Priests of the lowest of the people which were not of the sons of Levi no mervail then they had not the knowledg of God amongst them Thus it hath been in Ireland and therefore no mervail so little knowledg of God there any tradesman that scarce understood right reason lesâ— divinity he was set up there to be a Priest and what horrible cruelty hath been there So in England howsoever some of them complain of ignorant men that are in the Ministry the truth is they have set up men of far less understanding in former times for a little money to a Bishops Clark might not any tradesman any cast butlar from a gentlemans house any cast servingman might they not come into orders and reade their prayers and so become a Priest This hath been the cause of much ignorance How many cast Serving-men have had places in doing what they can do when as learned and godly Divines must be cast out of the Kingdom and denied to have any libertie to preach the knowledg of God unto his own people Here is the reason of our ignorance even that which was Jeroboams sin the letting of the lowest of the people in the Ministrie And now that there is an examination of men we find what abundance of vile men there are in places and those people in those places are alike to them such Prophet such People and the truth is people love to have it so That which is complained of in 2 Chron. 15.3 that for a long season Israel had been without the true God and without a teaching Priest This Israel includeth both Judah and Israel for sometimes it doth so in Scripture Israel had been saith he without the true God and without a teaching Priest thiâ— was a sad condition indeed that Israel should be without a teaching Priest and without the Law And mark how they are joyned and without God A people are without God that are without a teaching Priest without the Law If they have not means to instruct them in the knowledg of God they are a people without God But now maâ—k what follows upon this ver 5. In thâ—se times theâ—e was no pâ—ace to him that went out nâ—r to him that came in but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries and Nation was destroyed of Nation and City of City for God did vex them with all adversity Truly our condition comes to be almost like to the condition of Israel at that time And here we may see what the fruit of this controversie was they were without a teaching Priest and without Law and in those time there was no peace to him that went out and to him that came in but great vexation there was Citie destroying Citie and Nation destroying Nation for God did vex them with all adversity Oh how doth the Lord even vex us at this very day and this as a fruit of Gods controversie with us because there is so little knowledg of God in the land And the second reason why there was so little knowledg of God in that land at that time is this Because the pure Worship of God and his Ordinances were sâ—ut out of doors and mens inventions were brought in in the roâ—m of them For so it was after the ten Tribes defection from Judah then they left the right worship of God to worship in the Temple at Jerusalem and they set up their Calves in Dan Bâ—thel and so brought in their own inventions instead of the true worship of God And no mervail though there came dismall darkness upon the land when this was That is certain my brethren When ever the pure Ordinances of God and the right way of his worship is shut out from a Kingdom there will come wofull darkness upon that Kingdom The right
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
sense and reason imagin any safety but by subduing that partie Is that a way to prevent the shedding of your blood to lay your necks upon the block for that which commeth under such a specious name may be in truth no other but a laying your necks upon the block and giving up your wives and children to be a sacrifice to their malice The Lord hath a controversie for Blood We know when we have to deal with Papists what they have been of old and therefore we hope God hath a controversie with that partie that as they have drunk the blood of the Saints so they shall at last swell and burst themselves in pieces In France they had as good terms of Agreement as we can expect in the time of that Massacre and yet Histories tel us of more than ten thousand Protestants that were murdered in one night in Paris and that at that time when they were in as fair a way of peace as possibly could be and there was a Marriage solemnized and a great deal of rejoycing for the Union of one partie with another and yet I say in that night so many were slaine and you may expect no other if the Malignant partie get power You will say They have not done so to other Cities which they have taken No they have not got the day yet they are but in their design yet if once they get this Citie then they have got the day and having gotten the day you may expect all manner of cruelty from them And this Massacre in France went on to other Cities for within a few daies after there were fourty thousand more computed to be murdered I remember that Historie of France tels us of that King Charls the 9th by whose Commission this was done that afterward God struck him with such a disease as that there issued out of his body at several places nothing but blood so that in that sickness he would sometimes fall down and wal-himself in his own blood Be men great or small yet being guilty of blood at one time or other the Lord will manifest that he hath a controversie against them And so much for that third Charge The fourth follows and that is Stealing God setteth bounds as to mens habitations so to mens estates and he will not have one break in upon another no not so much as to covet that which is anothers In seeking therefore an encrease of our estates to get in any sinful way in that we do as it were say Gods care is not over me to provide needful things for me seeing I cannot have them from God I will see if I can have them from the Devil This is the language of all kind of gain that we get by any unlawful way you do not say so in words indeed but this is the language of your actions Saith a poor body well I see I am in want I want bread for my family and cloaths and many outward comforts money to pay my Rent c. I see in Gods providence he doth not provide for me well I will go unto the Divil then I will see whether the Devill will do more for me than God I cannot have it by Gods allowance for if I might have it by his allowance I might have it by lawful means therefore saith he I will have it whether God will or no. This is the language of all kind of stealing And the curse of God is upon that that is got so unjustly and all the repentance in the world is not sufficient for such a man as hath gotten his estate unjustly unless he make restitution of it again to the uttermost of his power And this stealing is not only meant of your Pilferers or Robbers by the high way or such as cut purses but any wrongful gain that is gotten by way of trade If I were preaching of this argument at large much might be said to those that live by a way of trade But for the present take that one Scripture Ezek. 28.18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities by the iniquity of thy traffick Let Merchants and Tradesmen that have gotten any thing unlawfully take this text home with them Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the iniquitie of thy traffick It may be by trafficking unjustly you have gotten such an estate and you come to Gods sanctuaries as if you were very holy and no body should suspect you for your false books and gettings that way God saith in this Text that you defile all the Ordinances by the iniquitie of your Traffick Perhaps you think after you have gotten unjustly to give somewhat to adorn such a place as this 't is well enough but you do defile them So for all kind of oppression that is meant by stealing too Latimer in one of his Sermons before King Edward saith that the greatest man in the Kingdom cannot hurt an oppressing man so as a poor widdow may and with what arms I pray saith he Can he bring the Judges skin over his ears The arms are these the tears of the poor run down from their cheeks and go up to Heaven and there cry for vengeance So that the text here speaks not of the meanest but of the greatest theeves Saith Calvin upon the place those that had the most power by their honor and riches and were oppressors of the people they are the theeves here spoken of And Isa 1.23 Your Princes are rebellious and companions of Theeves And Isa 33.1 When you shall cease to spoil you shall be spoiled This is a text for our spoilers at this day it may be God will let them go on till they have done their work and then God cometh upon them and then not at the first when they begin to spoil but when they have done spoiling they shall be spoiled Oh this controversie seems to be upon England that was threatned and was upon the people in that place we reade of Isa 42.22 This is a people robbed and spoiled they are all of them snared in holes If they had come into the field perhaps it had been better with them but they crept into holes and they are snared and spoiled They are a prey and none delivereth them they are for a spoil and none say restore Who amongst you will give ear to this Mark what the text saith Who amongst you will hearken and hear for the time to come Who gave Jacob to the spoil and Israel to the robbers Did not the Lord he against whom you have sinned for they would not walk in his waies neither were they obedient unto his Law therefore he hath powred upon them the fury of his anger he hath set them on fire and who hath laid it to heart We are a people robbed and spoiled and it is upon this because we have not walked in the waies of God nor been obedient to his law and the Lord hath powred his fury upon England at this day and his
that hath but the Calves and hath not the right Ordinances of God among them whatsoever they do yet let not Judah offend that have the true Ordinances of God and the true Priests and Ministers of God among them Observ Oh those that enjoy Gods Ordinances in his own way and the Ministers of God in a right way of calling they should take heed of doing as other people do And then Thirdly Judah was not compell'd by her Governours to Reas 3 do so as Israel for Israel you know by Jeroboam and other of the Princes was compeld to do what they did and they might pretend that it was for their own safety to save their lives and to save their estates but there was no such necessity for Judah to do it for God many times sent godly and gracious Princes to Judah and there was not such waies there to compel them they were not so necessitated to that way of false worship as Israel was if we may call it any necessity to that which is evil Obser When people have liberty and are not forced but God doth give them liberty that they need not except they will be Idolaters yet for them to close with waies of Idolatry and superstition when they need not this is more sinful It is true heretofore there might have been some excuse we were forced to it it was as much as our estates were worth we must have been cast into prison and persecuted and that made us do that we did The Lord be merciful to us for that we rather than we would suffer would joyn in those superstitious waies that were amongst us But now thorough Gods mercy we are delivered from that bondage we are not so compel'd yet that now for all this our hearts should yet cleave to those old superstitious waies this makes our sin so much the greater Reas 4 Fourthly Let not Judah sin for what then should become of Gods worship For God had no other people upon the face of the earth but Judah and Israel to worship him well Israel is gone from him and will Judah go too what will become of the worship of God A mighty argument to those that make profession of godliness to keep them from the waies of false worship and wickedness in any kind Obser If you depart from God too as others do what honor will God have in the world what will become of the service of God in the world Is not God worthy of all honor and of all service from all his creatures It is pitie there should be any creature in the world that should not honor and serve the blessed and infinite God But we see most do not and there are but a few a handful of people that regard to worship God aright and shall this few this handful forsake God where then shall God have any honor in the world Shall Judah go away too then the Lord will have no Church no worship no service in the world Fiftly God had much mercy in store for Judah more than Reas 5 for Israel therefore let not Judah offend For Christ was to come from that Tribe of Judah and the Lord promised that he would shew mercy unto Judah when he had said he would reject Israel as indeed he did Though Judah was carried into captivity as well as Israel yet God was with Judah in their captivity and promised them a return from it but he never promised Israel a return in the like manner as Judah Therefore since God had the more mercy in store for Judah let not Judah offend From hence these Notes are to be observed First We must not do as others do especially in point of Obs 1 Gods worship we must not make the example of men not of any sort of men not of our brethren not of those that profess Religion not of those that prosper in the world we must not make them an exemplar or rule in any thing especially in the matters of Gods worship Indeed the consideration how others sin against God should be so far from being an argument to draw us unto sin as it ought to be the greatest argument to draw us from sin Thus every sin against God it is a striking at God simile It 's true if there be a common enemy come into a City or Town every one desires to have a blow at him and when men make this an argument for their sin because others do it they deal with God as those in a Town would deal with a common enemy that is thus why such and such and such go on in such wicked waies they strike at God therefore let me strike at God too when thou pleadest that argument and saiest because such and such do sin therefore I may sin thou doest in effect as much as say such and such strike at God let me have a blow at him too Is there any force in this argument For ever take heed of pleading the example of others in waies of wickedness and remember this one expression that thou doest in effect as if thou shouldst say others about me they strike at God and I must have my blow at him too as well as they In any sin we must take heed of example but above all in matters of worship Hence Deut. 12.30 Take heed to thy self that thou be not snared by following of the Nations after that they be destroyed from before thee and that thou enquire not after their gods saying How did these Nations serve their gods even so will I dâ— likewise Take heed saith God thou dost not so much as enquire how these people serve their gods and say I will do so likewise God would not have us use that argument Take heed therefore of pleading thus other people do so and so and other Nations why may not we do as other Nations do It is a very ill argument to plead example in matters of worship I mean that worship that here Judah is forewarned of that is worship that is by institution and above all things the examples of men are not to be followed in points of institution In any thing in the world there may be more plea for example than in instituted worship and the reason is this Note Because that other things have somewhat of them written in the Law of nature in mans heart all matters of morallity are in some degree or other written in mans heart by nature every man hath somewhat of the moral Law written in his heart but institutions they are such things as depend meerly upon Gods revealed will and are not written in the heart of man Therfore though we might have a plea to follow the example of others in point of morality yet there can be no just plea to follow the example of others in point of Institutions there we must be sure to keep to the rule of Gods Word to look above all things in points of Institution to what is written and
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
will shew mercy God is a Lyon Lyon and strong and fierce in his wrath yet merciful to those that submit unto Him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ordinary word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to tear or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 validus Gesner the Lyon The word here translated Lyon it is not that ordinary word that is for a Lyon but Shacal that signifies a fierce Lyon And so you have it in Joh 4.10 the roaring of the Lyon and the voice of the fierce Lyon Shacal So that God threatneth here to be a fierce Lyon This creature is very fierce and therefore Gesner in his Historie of living creatures saith That nature hath so ordered it that because the Lyon is so fierce of himself that alwaies he hath a kind of a quartan feaver or ague upon him to mittigate or refresh his fierceness And it were well with many if it were so with them Many that are fierce and of Lyon-like spirits for their lusts and for the satisfying of their own humors but are sheepish enough for the cause of God But mark God was before a moth and a little worm but now He is become a Lyon I will be a moth unto Ephraim and a little worm unto Judah for so you may translate it And now I will be a Lyon to Ephraim and a young Lyon to Judah Why a Lyon that is He will appear in the fierceness of his wrath against Ephraim The different expression of the text But what is the reason of the difference of these expressions here As he said before He would be a moth to Ephraim and rottenness to Judah so here he saith He will be a Lyon to Ephraim and a young Lyon unto Judah Here is a different expression and the reason is the same here that was there As there it was to shew that God though He intended the destruction of Ephraim and of Judah both yet Ephraim sooner and Judah later so here though God would be terrible in His wrath to Judah yet He would be more terrible in His wrath to the ten Tribes For we find that though Judah was carried into captivity yet that captivity lasted but for seventy years and Judah returned again but Israel he was torn in pieces so as he was never made up after They were both sinners but Judah retained somewhat of Gods true worship therefore God would spare them a little Though wicked men will spare the Saints so much the less because of their godliness and will take so much the more advantage of their frailties because they are professors yet God will pitie them The observations from hence are these First When Gods lesser afflictions work not Obser 1. there God will be most terrible You heard of the moth and little worm before they are lesser afflictions and it seems the moth and little worm did not work their hearts to repentance to bring them unto God therefore God doth turn to be a fierce Lyon and a Lyons whelp unto Ephraim and Judah Gods wrath is as Elijahs cloud that at first appeareth but as a handbreadth but within a while after the whol Heavens were overspread with it It is as the thunder that when you hear it first it is simile 1 but a little roaring noise a far off but stay a while and it will be a dreadful crack It is as the fire that at first burneth a little within upon a few boards but when it prevaileth it simile 2 bursteth out in a most terrible flame As in that known place Levit. 26.18 If you will not yet for all this saith the Lord hearken unto me then will I punish you seven times more for your sins and again seven times more and seven times more God will go on in His wrath from a little unto a great deal of wrath From being as a moth and as a little worm to be like a Lyon Such degrees there are in Gods wrath You had need look to it when the hand of God is stretched out but a little against you though it be but as a moth and as a worm yet if you look not to it there may be such a gradation of Gods wrath upon you For as great a difference as is between a moth and a fierce Lyon such a difference may be between wrath now and that which is to come Thus the Lord is many times unto mens spirits Many men have gripes and nips of conscience Admonit to those that are a little touched in spirit and God causeth secretly that worm of conscience to be gnawing upon them and there is some kind of trouble but notwithstanding they go on in their sins and at length God cometh upon them as a Lyon tearing their spirits Did you never see a sinner lying upon his death bed in the torment of his soul Gods wrath like the pawes of a Lyon preying upon the very caul of his heart A dying terrified conscience when he lies roaring out he is damned he is damned and now he sees yea feels the heat of the wrath of God against him Thus God comes as a Lyon to prey upon those that will not regard the gnawings of the worm When the worm was but little and small they slighted it and that caused God to bring the greater judgment So it is with families God cometh upon families sometimes in a little sickness in a child or in a servant and that is not regarded afterwards God cometh with plague of pestilence or some other dreadful judgment So in Kingdoms the Lord cometh first with little judgments and then with greater As in Ireland Ireland for many yeers together there the Lord was as a moth and rottenness but of late how like a Lyon hath he there appeared How hath He torn and rent that Kingdom in a most dreadful manner Yea the truth is the Lord had been to England England as a moth and rottenness And this very text I make no question but some of you have heard many yeers ago applied unto England when as those Ministers that preached upon this text did little think that ever there should be such a hand of God against many parts of England as now there is at this day In many parts of this Kingdom the Lord is at this day as a Lyon We all hear the roaring of the Lyon and who can but tremble Oh it is time for us all to fall down to the ground before the Lord. It is true God hath not yet come to this Citie as a Lyon to tear and rend it as other places in the Countrie London but yet we have heard the roaring of the Lyon abroad and God calleth us to fall down before Him that He may not be so to us that he may not come and tear us likewise Certainly the Lord will have glory of His creature God hath sworn by Himself and the word hath proceeded out of His mouth in
work Obs 12 There can be no keeping Covenant with God where there is unmercifulness to men let there be never such professions and expressions of Religion in words if there be cruelty and unmercifulness there can be no keeping of Covenant with God Heb. 3.10 Obs 13 The consideration that it is God that we break Covenant withal is a humbling consideration It is against Me who am their God who have protected them from dangers delivered them in straights 't is against Me that they have thus sinned as a man that should bring up a poor child and take care for him and when he comes to yeers this child should abuse him and wrong him would not this be ingratitude and unkindness indeed so the consideration of what a God it is that we break Covenant withal doth wonderfully set forth our unkindness to God VER 8. Gilead is a City of them that work iniquity and is polluted with blood VVEE reade in Numb 32.1 of the Land of Gilead which was on the other side of the river which Reuben and the false Tribe of Manassah possessed in it were divers Cities of refuge which were the Cities of the Levites and one of them the most famous which had the name of the whol Country was Gilead which thing is usually among us at this day that whol Countries receive their names from some eminent place in that Country as Northampton Northamptonshire Leicester Leicestershire in this Citie of Gilead the Priests were and should have been holier than the rest but it was polluted and from thence the rest of the places of the Kingdom The word translated They have wrought is drawn from a word that signifies they have wrought iniquity that is vain things And is polluted with blood or supplanted with blood or overturned with blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agere cum energia effectu Pagn the Levites which had their abode there have undone the City how many Cities are supplanted and overturned by the Priests which live in them by their cruelties and by their distinctions and subtil pretences for sin and wickedness they have supplanted these Cities of refuge these Cities of refuge were for those which had shed blood at unawars they flying to them were secure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vanitas but these Cities were supplanted and polluted now this was done these four waies 1 By taking those in which were wilful murderers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Supplantata Hier. when as the City was for the shelter of those which had kild any by accident now these men they would judg wilful murder to be but manslaughter as we call it and I wish our Kingdom be not deeply guilty of this sin English guilty of blood by calling murder manslaughter even by this distinction as it is used when men in their passions shall make nothing to kill a man and this shall be accounted for manslaughter certainly God will never account it so but even willful murder 2. By refusing to take in those which of right they should except they had good store of mony to give them when some that were poor came to be let in they would refuse them and put them by and by that means they were often taken by the pursuer of blood for these priests were to judg of it 3. By casting those out which were in and could not be gainful to them and many times they did deliver those out to the avenger of blood when they should have protected them 4. By their cruelty to those that would not joyn with them in their false worship perhaps they might some of them be men of tender consciences and could not joyn with them in their superstitious worship now these Priests perhaps would make complaints of them to the Magistrate that they were troublesom persons and bred divisions and by this means they got them out of the Cities of refuge And hath not this been our case of late thus they supplanted these Cities of refuge The Notes of Observation are Obs 1 That through mans wickedness the best Ordinances of God for the good of his people are corruted and abused These Cities of refuge were for special use Ordinances of God set apart for the saving of blood and they made it a means and instrument for the sheding of blood The Sacrament is an Ordinance set apart by God for union and communion and what doth more separate from this than the abuse of this Ordinance mens coming unprepared separates tender consciences from joyning with them so likewise in Civil Ordinances for mens outward good how have they been perverted where have they tyrannized more and used more cruelty and injustice than in those Courts of Justice where Justice should have been done and such as should have seen equity performed were the greatest instruments of oppression and mischief Obs 2 We must not alwaies judg of places as heretofore they have been Gilead was a City famous for Gods worship yet now how defiled with blood So in Rome how famous was it for the worship of God yet now it is become the very filth of abomination Obs 3 Places set apart for Gods worship and Religion if they are corrupted they are the worst of all others Gilead a City of refuge yet where was there ever such a defiled and corrupted place as it was Universities so in our Universities and Colledges what superstitions and vanities did abound among them even like Augeus Stable a place of filthiness and vileness and this is no new thing Greg. Naz. for Grâ—gory Nazenzine reports of Athens that it was the plaguest place in the world for superstition and he acknowledgeth it a great mercy that God did preserve him and Bazil from those infections Obs 4 To be a worker of iniquity is a most abominable thing Gilead is a Citie of them that work iniquity Gods people sometimes be overtaken by sin but they are never workers of iniquity for the Scripture tells us that he which works iniquity is of the Devil Obs 5 That of all wicked men Clergie men if wicked are the worst No men can work out or bring to pass their own ends so as they can the Priests were in Gilead and they were the men which wrought the mischief and hath not our times sealed to this truth Who have been so vile and wicked as our corrupted Clergy but how hath God broken the plots and crossed the designs of these vermine The cunning plots of the wicked Clergie over-whelm whol Cities Obs 6 and Countries These were they which over-turned this City of Gilead And thus would they have done to us had not God in his infinit wisdom and mercy prevented their hellish plots False worship and tyranny are joyned together Where ever you Obs 7 see tyranny there conclude is false worship therefore we had need to pray hard for the Ordinances in their purity that we may not have false religion and so have tyranny ushered in Luther tels
fire burneth and who hath laid it to heart No body stirs because the fire is not kindled in the City you lay it not to heart and you suffer your brethren one Country after another to be spoiled Take heed if you stir not more than you have done as many of you may answer for the blood of your brethren so for the spoiling of their goods because you do not lay to heart this heavy judgment that is upon the land at this day The execution of this controversie But yet in times of war you must know that the taking away of all mens goods otherwise than meerly by the positive Law of the Land is no stealing nor no breach of the eighth Commandement for it is against common sense and reason that in times of war we should be wholly tied to those positive Laws of a State that are made for times of peace But it is according to the Law of Nature to the Law of God to the Law of Arms that our enemies should be deprived of what may strengthen them against us Therefore let none cry out of stealing and robbing in these times Indeed it is not fit that any should be suffered to be as robbers but yet it is just that those that will not be on one side should be taken as enemies to the other and I say it is agreeable to the Law of Nature and to the Law of God and to the Law of Arms that in times of war when the war is just in which I hope you cannot but be fully satisfied that what may strengthen the enemy may be taken away Indeed they plead for Law who wholly break it themselves because they would have all the priviledg they can to strengthen themselves by our goods and the goods of others but certainly God giveth us allowance being in a lawful war to strengthen our selves by the estates and goods of those that appear enemies unto us without breach of peace or the positive Law of the land or his own Commandement Thus much for the fourth charge The fifth is Committing Adultery The generation of a rational creature who must live unto all eternity is a work that God challengeth a special hand in to appoint it to all at his pleasure therefore the breach of Gods Order in this and the casting filth upon this to satisfie the brutish lust of a man or woman it is a most cursed evil against which God hath a most dreadful controversie It is a breach of the blessed Covenant of God and a sin that is most opposite to Gods Nature And take that text all you that are guilty of this for perhaps many seem not to be guilty that are professors of Religion and live fairly amongst their neighbors yet may be secretly guilty of it too take that text home with you Prov. 22.14 That the abhorred of the Lord shall fall into the pit of the whore Go thy waies in that condition wherein thou art thou canst know no otherwise by thy self but that thou art the man or the woman that art abhorred of God Thou art beloved of thy Whore but God abhorreth thee And Tertullian speaking upon that place Eph. 5.6 Let no man deceive you with vain words NunquaÌ„ macâ—â—o aut fornicatori secundam paenitentiaÌ„ esse permissaÌ„ Dui maechiam concienatur esse remissibilem He admitted but 1. repentance after baptisme See lib. de penitentiâ de pudicitiâ he that expression which I confess I would not dare to have These are saith he vain words be that preacheth of repentance to adultery especially adultery in a forcible way he deceiveth men with vain words You may see how he apprehended the sin we dare not justifie what he saith in that but only shew you how dreadful he apprehended the sinne to be And in another place speaking of the sin that is unpardonable in Heb. 6. he hath this expression We never read saith he or ever knew a second repentance promised to an adulterer or fornicator These were his thoughts of Adultery The Athenians made a law That if any man found his wife in the act of adultery he might presently kill her And I have read of a people among the Heathens that have punished this sin for the filthiness of it by putting the adulterers head into the panch of a beast where the filth of it lay and so stifled him If Heathens hated it so much surely God must have a controversie with those that profess themselves Christians because of this sin And the greater controversie because it is so little punished by men And though many great ones can get beyond punishment by man yet they cannot get beyond this controversie I remember Mr. Cleaver reports of one that he knew that had committed the act of uncleanness and in the horrour of conscience he hung himself but before when he was about to hang himself he writes in a paper and left it in a place to this effect Indeed saith be I acknowledg it to be utterly unlawful for a man to kill himself but I am bound to act the Magistrates part because sin punishment of this sin it death God would have that sin punished with death but the Magistrate did not punish it accordingly therefore he in horrour of conscience laies violent hands upon himself We justifie not his act but it shews what a controversie God hath with men that commit this sin Thou committest that abominable sin and thou hast some pleasure and delight in it Go thy way thou art a dead man in Gods eyes look to thy self one way or other God may bring death upon thee and though mans Law take not hold upon thee God may thou knowst not how soon I have read of a King of Navarre that by adultery had weakned his body very much and in regard of that his Physitians caused his body to be wrapt about with a Cerecloath dipt in Aqua-vitae and the party that sowed the Cerecloath having done went to burn off the threed with a candle which presently took hold of the cloath and consumed both it and the King And as God hath a controversie for this sin which is so little punished by mans Law which by Gods Law is death so the rather hath God a controversie for this sin if it be committed by men of knowledg by learned men by men that are in publick places by men that carry a shew of holiness by men that are in the Ministry If they commit it God hath a dreadfull controversie with them in a special manner Jer. 29.23 The Lord make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab whom the King of Babylon rosted in the fire because they committed villany in Israel and have committed adultery with their neighbors wives It was a proverb Jer. 29.32 opened The Lord make thee like Zedekiah and Ahab whom the King of Babylon rosted in the fire This was not King Zedekiah and King Ahab but two false Prophets that were called by that name and
not in duties The Tabernacle a type of the Ordinances of Gospel First If God be to be found any where he is to be found in his Ordinances in the performance of holy duties These sacrifices they were materially good but yet they should not find God in them Exod. 29.42 43. When the Lord appointed the Tabernacle to be erected a type of the Ordinances we now enjoy saith he There will I meet with thee and there will I meet with thee again the second time If God be to be found any whereit is in the performance of holy duties But secondly The end of all holy duties we perform unto God it should be to find God in them Obs 2. End of duties to find God in them It should be so They pretended that end here When either God is coming unto us in mercy or when we are drawing neer unto God in duty we must be restless till we find him Especially in the latter Many men and women I beseech you observe this one thing perform duties but they do not look at finding God in them They do not examin after the duties are done Have I met with God in this or that duty Have I met with God this day in the word I have been in my closet and there I have prayed have I found God in prayer Found God what is that You should never be quiet in the performance of holy duties till you meet with God one of these two waies Either that you find God coming to you in the communication of himself and the sweetness of his love and mercy to you Or at least till you find your hearts got neerer unto him And either of these waies we find God Thirdly God will not be alwaies found when he is sought Obs 3. God will not be alwaies found 1. when superstitiously sought They shall go with their flocks and their herds but shall not find me As thus Men are never like to meet with God First When they seek him in any superstitious way These kind of formal superstitious worshipers of God they did much they spent much time in Gods worship I appeal to their own consciences and unto all men that knew their lives did any thing of God appear in them It may be manifested in their frothy vain and carnal conversations that they never met with God in those worshipings When God is sought and not in his own way he will not be found And then secondly When we seek our selves rather than God 2. when our selves chiefly 3. when not as God then he will not be found And thirdly When we do not seek God as a God that is when we tender him only external services and not soul-services also when we seek him not with the uprightness of our hearts when we seek him not with our whol heart when we seek him not with those high and reverent apprehensions of him when we have not that fear of his Name as is sutable to such an infinite God as the Lord is then God will not be found 4. when too late And then lastly When we seek him too late There may be a seeking of God too late Seek Him while He may be found Oh then we had need lose no opportunity of seeking God for He will not be alwaies found And this is just with God for God often seeks unto us when we will not be found and therefore it is just that He should not be found when we seek Him And then it follows He hath withdrawn Himself from them Exposit When the Saints of God seek Him in a holy way He is presently found Esa 58.9 They shall cry and he shall say here I am Perhaps they do not take notice of God he is many times with us and standeth by us He is present and we do not know that he is there But now that we may know that he is there he makes that promise that when we seek him as we ought to seek him he will say here I am 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He hath withdrawn himself The word that is here translated withdrawn himself may as well be translated Divisit se or Eripuit se He hath divided himself yea snatched himself from them that 's the propriety of the word they go to seek him and cry after him God snatcheth himself from them as one that refuseth their friendship he turns his back upon Obs 1 them This noteth That God hath no delight in the services of superstitious and formal professors God delights not in formal professors But to the humble and contrite heart he delighteth to be with them The flocks and the herds of the wicked are rejected and God withdraweth himself from them but small things from the Saints are accepted As you shall observe in 1 Sam 7.9 when holy Samuel there did but offer a sucking lamb for a burnt offering unto the Lord presently followed that the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistins and discomfited them and they were smitten before Israel Here are herds and flocks and yet God withdraweth himself but Samuel there offers but a poor sucking lamb and presently the Lord thundereth with a great thunder upon their adversaries So you have it Revel 8.4 Rev 8.4 opened after the the Incense with the prayers of the Saints were offered up there followed voices and thundrings and lightnings and an earthquake Great things are done by smal services of the Saints when done in uprightness but the greatest services of Hypocrites and formal Professors God regardeth not but withdraweth himself from them And then observe It is a heavy and sad condition when Obs 2 God withdraws himself from his creature seeking him yea seeking him and that in a time of distress As in 1 Sam. 28.5 when Saul was seeking God and God was departed from him mark what Saul saith I am sorely distressed for God is departed from me And in the 9. Chapter of this Prophesie vers 12. Wo unto them when I depart from them saith God Oh that is a sad condition It is a sign First of a dishonor that God puts upon a people as I Reas 1 shewed you more largely when I spake of the rejecting of their sacrifices What greater dishonor can it be unto a people than for God to take more pleasure in their howlings under his wrath than he doth in their cryings unto him for mercy And yet to such a condition may a people a particular soul be brought into I say that God may take more pleasure in your howlings under his wrath than in your cryings unto him and that in your Temples if you do not reform as well as cry unto him and for that you have that evident place in Amos 8.3 Amos. 8.3 opened In that day saith the Lord shall the songs of the Temple be howlings As if he should say the songs of the Temple were loud but I will take more pleasure in their
howlings than in their songs And that place is very famous Esa 29.1 Wo to Ariel the City where David dwelt c. and vers 2. Yet I will distress Ariel and there shall be heaviness and sorrow and it shall be unto me as Ariel The Text seemeth to be obscure at the first reading therefore the meaning is this By Ariel Isa 29.1 opened is meant Jerusalem the City where David dwelt the place where the sacrifices were offered unto God And Ariel Ariel signifies an Altar of God Gods Altar that did devour the sacrifices like a Lion Now saith God Thou shalt be to me as Ariel thou Jerusalem where my famous Altar was where so many famous sacrifices were offered thou shalt be to me as Ariel that is you indeed offer many sacrifices unto me and you continue still in your hypocrisie in your wicked lives know saith God I will make that City as an Altar upon which your blood shall be offered and I will take as much pleasure in the sacrifice of your blood offered upon this Altar as in all the sacrifices that were offered upon the Altar from whence the City had its name your name shall be Ariel that is your City shall be stained with your blood as the Altar was with the blood of the sacrifices God rejecteth and casteth out the services of such as are superstitious and ungodly Reas 2 And certainly my brethren when God withdraweth himself no creature can help us they will say how can we help for God will not Reas 3 And some great judgment must be expected when God withdraweth himself As when a poor Petitioner goes to the Prince with a Petition and the Prince turns his back upon him surely thinks he now some evil is nigh me Reas 4 And no protection from any evil can be expected when God withdraweth himself Reas 5 And then conscience flies in thy face and terrifies thee Oh the blessed God is gone and mercy is gone and Christ is gone and that for such and such sins of mine and such and such lusts of mine that lay so neer my heart Oh how terrible will it be to conscience when God shall appear to withdraw himself Reas 6 And this withdrawing of God is but a forerunner of Gods eternal withdrawing himself from the soul and from the body too The Saints had rather have Gods presence though angry than God withdrawing himself from them When God withdrawing himself but a little Oh they could never be at quiet till God returned again O cast me not from thy presence saith David Applic. My brethren when we perceive God withdrawing himself in any degree from us Oh let us stir up our selves and cry mightily as the Church doth Jer. 14.9 Jer. 14.9 opened O leave us not the Church gives a shrike as it were she saw that God was going as God is said first to go to the threshold God goes by degrees from a people and Jeremiah a holy Prophet he saw God going from them Carnal hearts they do not percive how God withdraweth himself from a people by degrees but those that are acquainted with the mind of God and search into the word they are able to discern God withdrawing himself from a people and they cry Lord leave us not if thou be gone all is gone Yea but doth not God withdraw himself from his Saints Quest how then is this a judgment peculiar upon Idolaters and wicked superstitious persons The answer is this It is true Answ God withdraweth himself sometimes from his Saints but his withdrawing himself from them is not like unto his withdrawing himself from the wicked As First Though God withdraw himself from the Saints yet they retain good thoughts of him in his absence whereas the wicked pine and vex and fret against him simile a wife A husband may be gone abroad about his business from his wife a great while yea but if she be a faithful wife she still retains good thoughts of him as of her husband and loveth him still But another when her husband is gon and hath withdrawn himself she beginneth to have hard thoughts of him So wicked men do upon Gods withdrawing of himself in judgements and afflictions they begin to have hard thoughts of God and to say I this is to serve God to walk in his waies what good have we got by all that we have done But now you shall observe in the Cant. when Christ had withdrawn himself from the Church she still calls him her King and her Beloved still gives him honorable titles Secondly Though God withdraweth himself from his people yet so as he draweth their hearts after him to cry more earnestly As a mother wil withdraw her self from her child she gets behind the door and hides her self but to this end that the child may be more earnest to come into her arms that the child may cry after her to come to her and the mother loves it So the Lord loveth to hear his children cry after him to come to him The Lord shall hear none of our cries in Heaven for there we shall alwaies be with him but here he somtimes withdraweth from us that he may hear us cry after him Thirdly God though he withdraw Himself from His Saints yet so as He leaveth some light behind Him that they may see which way he is gone and so follow him As when a Torch or Candle is taken out of a room yet you may see some glimmering light which way they went so when God withdraweth Himself He useth to leave some glimering light that his people may see which way to follow him Fourthly God withdraweth Himself from His People yet so as his bowels yern toward them Jer. 31.20 Is Ephraim my dear son c. I thought of him and my bowels yerned saith God or my bowels were troubled He hath an eye toward them for much good in all his withdrawings Fifthly When God is withdrawn from the Saints nothing will satisfie them till God come again When God withdraws Himself from others they will seek after vanities to make up the want of Gods presence As an Adultress in her husbands absence will seek other loves But the Saints say if God be gone I will enjoy nothing else at least I will be satisfied in nothing else until I have Gods presence again Sixthly Though God withdraw himself from the Saints yet he doth not utterly forsake them as David praies Psalm 119.8 I will keep thy precepts O forsake me not utterly It seems that then God had somewhat withdrawn himself from David yet mark his heart was toward God I will keep thy precepts thou hast forsaken me in some degree yet I wil keep thy precepts still O forsake me not utterly If thou canst say thus Indeed God hath withdrawn himself from my soul yet though I have not that comfort in him that my soul desires I will keep his precepts as long as I live I will do what I can to