sometimes answers his peoples prayers presently when they seek him so that it may not only be said in the evening but in the morning hast thou heard me not only this day but the next also see that place in 1 King 18.38 and 44. Elijah praies and the Lord heard him presently but he praies again and then the Lord defers in the 38. verse he praies for fire to come down to consume the sacrifice and it did so but in the 44. verse of the same chapter he praies again for rain and see in what a posture he praies in and obtained his petition with much difficulty sent his servent Seven times and at the seventh time it was but a little cloud at first God heard him presently but he praies again and then mercy comes difficultly yet God was not angry with Elijah So Daniel he prayes and was heard presently but the people they pray and pray earnestly yet they were not answered Oh therfore let us take heed of impatiency and frowardnes of spirit in trouble and of being weary of duty Use be patient in prayer and gâ—owing carelesse in holy services because an answer comes not presently this shows the rottennesse of our spirits as much as any thing and 't is as evident a sign of an hypocrite as any we have in Scripture Isa 8. they faâ—â—ed and prayed so long that they thought themselves mightily wronged because they were not heard therfore are they so bold to ask God a reason why he was so far behind hand with them when they had done so much service for him Oh boldnesse of spirit Obs 3 That the time of Gods reviving his people is neither long in Gods nor the Saints account 'T is but two daies the third day we shal live Isa 31.5 Isa 31.5 opened As birds flying so will the Lord be swift to help Jerusalem He hath promised not to contend for ever and in 1 Peter 1.6 1 Pet. 1.6 rightly pointed Though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through many tribulations in the Original 't is If now if need be so that there is great need of afflictions before God sends them So 2 Cor. 4.17 afflictions they are for a moment a very little time Faith that lifts up the soul upon two hills where it seeth Heaven on the one and the vally of Achor in the middle and it so works in the soul that it causeth it to be patient in suffering the greatest tryals it is a sign of a distempered spirit to complain of the length of an affliction a gracious heart desires more the sanctifying it than taking it away we might have been swallowed up in the gulf of eternal misery Hag. 2.6 yet a little while and I will shake Heaven c. But it was between five and six hundred yeers before this shaking came viz. at the coming of Christ our impatience make affliction seem long Obs 4 In the sadest condition faith makes present and real Gods reviving mercies When their help is gone in the mount of mans extremity will God be seen We should reason thus because Gods people are in great extremity then 't is a sign that God will arise and help them and not despair and give over our hopes simile as before the morning light is the thickest darkness so let us never be discouraged at the encrease of afflictions for they shew the time then hastens for deliverance and thiâ— faith makes present to the soul it shews the soul life in death favor in frowns love in strokes faith seeth a great difference between the strokes of God upon the Saints and upon the wicked that place is famous for this Isa 26.14 compared with the 19. They are dead they shall not live they are diseased they shall not rise When God strikes wicked men their wounds forerun death here and eternal death hereafter when he smites them in their cause in their names or estates 't is to undo them But now mark in the 19. verse Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise Some think that these words note the glorious condition of the Church in regard of their safety that though men and means fail yet faith can see deliverance in the womb of an infinite wisdom Faith revives other graces power and faithfulness Faith revives other graces when seeming dead and puts life into them much more doth it into our dead conditions 't is reported of the * Vt vives alijs lapidibus pretiosis extinctis solo attactu luscitoret Guliel Paris Cristal that it hath such a vertue in it that the very touching of it quickens other stones and puts a lustre and beauty upon them This is true of faith it makes evil things present far off and good things far off present and herein consists the exercise of faith in a great measure Psal 91.7 A thousand shall fall on thy left band and ten thousand on thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee this is a very strange speech that a man may be in a place where a thousand shall fall by him and ten thousand on the side of him and yet he not touched by the disease By faith the soul enjoyes this security Psal 60.6 God hath spoken in his holiness I will rejoyce I will devide Sechem and met out the vally of Succoth the thing was not yet done yet they rejoyced in it as present faith it enables a dead and a barren womb to bring forth a child it raiseth up a dead son out of the ashes Abraham bids his servants to stay at the bottom of the hill and expect his coming Oh strong was his faith in this thing How unbeseeming are our spirits and how is our faith manifested to be weak and poor Use of reproof when a mercy promised is within sight ready to be fulfilled and made good yet how impatient are we and froward when it comes not so soon as we desire when we are full of such determinings against our selves or the Cause of God saying alas all is now gone we are left desperate God hath forsaken his Cause Oh let us take heed of pleasing our selves with this kind of carnal arguing and objecting for they are such as mightily provoke God and dishonor him and hinder much good which else we might enjoy But were I worthy I could think something Obj. then I might have some hopes Answ Faith sees worthines in its unworthines In this case do thou exercise faith upon Christ even in thine unworthyness and though thou maiest die and not see the harvest nor reap the fruit of thy prayers yet know the generations to come shall and this may comfort thee That speech of Jacob is remarkable to this purpose when he lay a dying saith he Behold I die but God shall do much more for you The Cause may be trodâ—n down for a while and God may hide himself but know that he wil keep
so what a controversie think you hath God against many in this Kingdom at this day How fearful is Gods controversie against some that must feel it for that blood that hath been shed in Ireland There is upon record one hundred and forty thousand that have been murdered there since the beginning of this rebellion and every body wil say it is plain murder And they whosoever they are that have had a hand in this and abetted it and strengthened the hands of the Murderers what will they be able to answer unto God Shall the blood of one righteous Abel cry loud in the ears of God and never leave crying untill it hath had vengeance and shall not the blood of one hundreth and forty thousand innocents I mean innocents in this regard in regard of the cause for which they were murdered We now in England begin to be somewhat sensible of the guilt of Murder what it is to have it lie upon a Nation In the last Declaration of the affairs of Ireland the Parliament giveth an intimation of some fear they have that possibly the guilt of the blood of King James may some way be upon US God hath a controversie for murder wheresoever it lies if it be not punished accordingly And for all that blood that hath been shed here of late where ever the cause lies God will find it out one day Oh the blood that will be upon the head of some Jer. 51.35 The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon shall the inhabitants of Zion say and my blood upon the inhabitants of Caldea shall Jerusalem say So let all Christians they may do it and they have warrant from God to do it let all Godly people in this Kingdom that have had their Husbands kill'd their Children kill'd their Apprentices kill'd their Friends kill'd in these unhappie wars let them say the violence done to my flesh be upon the Babylonish party the Popish partie and the blood that hath been shed of our husbands of our children of our servants of our friends be upon the inhabitants of Caldea the inhabitants of the Popish partie that are risen up and shed so much blood as they have done Oh how vile and cursed are mens hearts even in this thing that are so set upon their designs that to attain them they will go thorough streams of blood that lie in their way and no matter for the livâ—s of thousands of men so their lusts may be satisfied How are men vilified in this thing that their lives and bodies must go to be servicable unto the lusts of a few otherâ— Certainly God never made such a difference he never put such a distance between one man and another But now in the waies of execution of justice there we must not account the shedding of blood to be killing God hath not a â—ontroversie with a land for bloodshed in the execution of Justice nay on the contrary the Lord hath a controversie against a people when there is not shedding of blood that way Jer. 48.10 Cursed be the man that withholds his hand from blood such a case may be And 1. King 20.42 when Ahab let Benhadad go the text saith that a Prophet came to him in the name of the Lord saying Because thou hâ—st let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction therefore thy life shall go for his life and thy people for his people So when we have men in our hands whom God hath appointed to destruction who are guilty of death who have sought not the blood of some few but the massacring of a Citie if for private ends of our own we let them go God may require our lives for theirs And this is the cause it may be amongst others that there is so much bloodshed at this day amongst us because there is no execution of Justice upon offenders and God requires the blood of many for many It is true Papistâ— for their Religion are not to be put to death that we acknowledg but the Lord because he intendeth the ruin of that partie will leave them to those waies that they shall be guilty of death by the Law of the Land and by the Law of Arms and then the putting them to death in that kind is the execution of Justice and not the breach of the sixth Commandement Quest But will som say Oh killing is a grievous thing we never were acquainted with killing as we have been of lâ—te were it not better we were all at peace than that still so much blood should be shed Answ God forbid any of us should be bloody men or desire the shedding of blood No let us all labour to have peace thaâ— there may be no more bloodshed Take this speech barely considered and it is a good speech and we are all I hope of the same mind Cursed be that man I say that shall not yeild to this But certainly peace though upon hard terms it were to be desired if that peace would save blood though half our estates went for it But what if it prove that that peace we talk of should be a means of more bloodshed If you should let in such men into your City as bloody Papists French Walloons and Irish Rebels and that meerly upon their bare word that they would do you no hurt do not you think if they were once in that you would every night be in danger of massacring and would there not be much more bloodshed than yet hath been Therefore let not men say that those are bloody men that will not yeild up their throats to bloody men that will stand up to defend their brethren from being massacred but they stand up and take up Arms not to shed blood but to prevent the shedding of blood For certainly if the Citie and Country had in the beginning of these wars rose up as one man and gone into the field they might have saved abundance of blood that hath been shed Many thousands that have now lost their lives might have been preserved if you had took up Arms to more purpose sooner than you did But when every County looks to it self and the enemy goes to such a County and there sheds blood and then to another and there sheds blood and you sit still and do nothing God may require the blood of your brethren at your hands and you cannot clear your selves from being guilty of the sheding of the blood of your Brethren when you do not appear to the uttermost you are able to subdue the power of those that shed their blood We cannot see any way to keep the blood that iâ— now in our veins but by subduing the Malignant and Antichristian partie that have already tasted so much of the blood of the Saints that they are like the Country-mans dog And so those Irish Rebels that in Ireland have tasted so much blood and now are come over hither to joyn with Papists you cannot in any way of
his Message to King Joash and was slain for it and saith the text Acts 7.52 Which of the Prophets have not your fathers murdered But now here is their encouragement against al the il usage the hardships which they meet withal in their work I look upon it saith God as I doing it I had a hand in it therfore certainly God will not let them go unrewarded 1 Sam. 22.23 David said to Abiathar Abide thou with me fear not for he that seeketh thy life seeketh my life but with me thou shalt be in safeguard David was the occasion of Abiathers fathers death Consololation to those Ministers the frieÌ„ds of those that are perished in the Cause of God and because of that what respect had David of him for this and shall not God much more So that have you a friend a brother or a father slain for the Cause of God or in it standing for Him shall not God take his part yea He will Ahimâ—lech was slain accidentally for the Cause of David yet he would deal wel with Abiathar but saith God thy friend was slain standing for Me and owning My Cause he shall lose nothing by it for I will deal well with thee and preserve thee alive for his sake I have slain them That is thus Their Ministry hath been Expos 3 so heavy that it hath even kild them I have followed them on so with work that I have even slain them so that this people cannot say they have not been warned or that they have had no Prophets among them or that their Prophets have been idle that they have had no work to do and certainly it is a good death for a Minister to die preaching Pareus makes much use of this Oportet Episcopum concionantem mori saith he How much more honorable to die in doing Gods work than by coÌ„mitting sinful acts of intemperance uncleanness c. they cannot spend their strength better than in Gods service O let that people who have such Ministers look to it that they bring forth fruit answerable in some proportion to the cost that is bestowed on them and if you take the sense thus then God seems to speak grievingly Oh what shall I do with this people what means hath been used what losses have I sustained by them I have spent many choice Servants among them the lives and strengths of such spirits have bin spent upon them of whom the world was not worthy Oh what shal I do unto such a people Surely such a people enjoying such a Ministry had need look to their profession May not this be said of many Congregations in London Congregations in London hath not God sent many choice spirits among you to do you good and have they effected the end for which they were sent among you If not wo to you God hath a special regard unto this when he shall spend the lives of his choicest and most precious servants and if he have not a considerable vallue and return in peoples fruitfulnes it wil mightily provoke and incense him against them God hath an high esteem of his Ministers lives and strengths they are vallued more than so to be spent and wasted upon unfruitful people who neither care for them nor their Ministry Expos 3 But to come more particularly and according to the genuine sense of the words This slaying refers it self to the people How the word slaies Now the Word slaies in these two respects In its deonouncing of judgement upon men for what the Word threatens it is said to do Jer. 18.7 8. At what instant I speak concerning a Nation or concerning a Kingdom to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy and when God promises mercy good he is said to give life and we should look upon them as performing of it In the operation and working of it it hath a mighty efficasie in it for the working impenitent sinners to ruin it is as a twoedged sword which doth execution every way Isa 11.3 It makes men of quick understanding in the fear of God and God is said to consume Antichrist by the breath of his nostrils and by the Word of his mouth 2 Thes 2. the Word is of such a force that sometimes if brings death in a litteral sense to some who withstand and oppose it Ezek. 11.2 Pelatiah gives wicked counsel in the City and the Prophet is commanded to prophesie against him and in the 13. verse we reade that when the Prophet prophesied Pelatiah died so many times God makes the Word so powerful in the mouths of his servants that it strikes men dead presently Gualter Gualter hath this Note from hence that the power of the Word appears in this that it awakens convinces and terrifies the consciences of men so that they go home and make away themselves and become self-murderers and the truth is it is nothing else but the word working powerfully to the ruin and destruction of men Or the words may be taken hyperbolically as men that Expos 4 are oppressed and in misery Oh ye kill me I am not able to endure it you wil be the death of me the Prophets came so close to them that they cryed out Oh they will kill us we are not able to suffer them Luther Luther saith that these words Thou hast slain them by the words of my mouth that is meant the Law by the Law thou hast slain them and by the word Prophets he saith is meant that part of Doctrine which is necessary to be preached to prevent the abuse of the Doctrine of the Gospel which otherwise men would be ready to pervert and he further adds that those men which deny the use of the Law were not fit so much as to be suffered I mention this of Luther the rather because those who deny the use of the Law urge him so strongly for the upholding of them in their way It follows Thy judgments are as the light That is passively thy threatnings Expos 1 upon them or the execution of those threatnings upon them shall break out as the light though they have slain my Prophets and think thereby to free themselves from those judgments which they threatned against them no saith God for all this I will make known my threatnings which they have denounced against them when the Prophet Jeremiah had delivered the message of God to the Princes and the Priests they laid hold on him and said he should surely die Jer. 26.8 Now see what the Prophet saith in the 14 and 15. verses As for me behold I am in your hands do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you but know ye for certain that if ye put me to death ye shall bring innocent blood upon your heads for of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you You think perhapâ— that when the Minister is gone his words are gone and there is an end of them no they shall lie upon you
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 if they keep their sins alive then their diet is ill diet for they feed upon their sins What is there such wickedness in the hearts of men as to rejoyce in the sins of others for their own advantage Conseg ex opositio Oh how much more then should the Saints rejoyce in the graces of God in others for Gods glory In Ezek. 8.17 Ezek. 8.17 you have an expression that seems hard to be understood Opened God chargeth the people there as with other notorious evils so with this among the rest that they did put the branch to their nose In these words the people are charged with a most notorious wickedness this may be often read and little understood what it is I conceive the meaning to be this It is a charge of this people for Idolatry that they worshipped the Sun or Vesta the goddess of the earth either of both because by them the sweet flowers and branches of trees came forth from the earth they attributed the flourishing of trees and of the plants wholly unto the Sun whom they worshiped as a god Sol homo generunt hommem or unto Vesta whom they worshiped is a goddess and when they worshipped either of those in the acknowledgment of the honor due to them they took a branch and put to their nose thereby shewing their respect and their homage unto them as rejoycing in that good and sweet fruit that was caused by the Sun or by Vesta their god or goddess So that God chargeth them here for so rejoycing in these creatures as to worship the Sun or the earth as the cause of it To apply it to our purpose As Idolaters because they looked upon the Sun or the earth as causes of such flourishing of plants and sweetness of branches and flowers did put them to their nose and delighted in them and thereby shewed their honoring of the Sun and of the earth simile so should we take the graces of the Spirit of God in our brethren that are the fruits of the Sun of righteousness for the Sun of righteousnes causeth them to flourish in the hearts of our brethren and we should put them to our nose smell at them account them fragrant and thereby do honour unto Jesus Christ as the Author of them this is quite contrary to this of rejoycing in the fins of people Thus much for that phrase they eat up the sin of my people And they set their hearts upon their iniquity The words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They lift up their hearts every ones heart Calu. It may be interpreted either of the heart of the Priests or the heart of the people both waies and according to the scope of the Spirit of God either way First the heart of the Pâ—â—ests they lift up their hearts to the iniquity of the people so it may be understood for so this phrase lifting up of the heart to a thing doth note in Scripture the earnest desire that there is in the heart for the attaining of such a thing as in Deut. 24.15 speaking of poor men He is poor saith he and sets his heart upon his wages A poor man that wants provision for his family he sets his heart upon his wages Oh when shall I have my wages that I may provide for my family now the word is here in this text of the poor man he lifteth up his heart to his wages Oh my wages that it might come And Jerem. 22.27 the land whereunto they desire to return thither shall they not return that is the land whereto they lift their hearts so the word is the same here in the text they have an earnest desire unto the land And Ezek. 24.25 I will take from them the desire of their eyes and that whereupon they set their minds their sons and their daughters it is spoken of their love unto their children they lift their minds or their hearts to their children So that then it notes thus much the earnest desire the Priests had unto the sins of the people that they might have the greater advantage by them As it is noted of some who are of poor servile spirits and whose greatest means comes in by burials simile Sextons that they are glad and rejoyce when they hear the bell ring and they are ready to desire the death of men out of respect to their own â—ees because the more die and the richer they die the more adâ—â—â—â—age cometh in to them So the Priests at this time they 〈◊〉 â—he multiplying of the sins of the people that they 〈◊〉 have â—he more sacrifices thereby 〈◊〉 rather think according to other Interpreters the scope to be more principally in regard of the lifting up of the hearts of the people that the Priests did lighten the hearts of the people that is thus that they might have the more advantage by their sacrifice they do make the sins of the people nothing encourage them in their sins lighten their hearts they lift up their hearts above their sins perswading them that if they offer sacrifice all should be well they should be fully cleared they need not be further troubled Whereas indeed the Priests ought to convincâ— mens consciences of the evil of their sins when they came to sacrifice they ought to have shewed them how they deserved death for their sins whereas this poor beast dies and you are to lay your hands upon the head of it know that your sins deserve the death of your souls eternally the sacrifice what it taught and they were to instruct the people how the sacrifices typified the blood of Christ they were to tel them you come now to offer sacrifice and to have the blood of the beasts shed this typifieth out the Messiah that is to come into the world the Son of God that is be made Man and to shed his precious blood to pacifie the wrath of God for your sins and you are to exercise your faith upon this Messiah that is to come they should have told them that no sin could be pardoned but by the blood of Christ they should have loaded their consciences with their sins they should have made their sins heavy upon their consciences but they lightned their minds by putting such apprehensions into them that if they did but offer sacrifice all would be well they might take their liberty then and though they committed sin again yet still there was a sacrifice for it and so they lightned the sins of the people that way This was a most abominable sin of the Priests Calvin upon this place brings in Plato himself that Heathen Calvin Plato inveighing against the absurdity and ridiculousness of peoples offering sacrifice thinking thereby to pacifie their gods and then take liberty to sin again Even Plato thought it an abuse of an Heathen god for people to think it enough to offer sacrifice And yet is not this the
that is neer to you not only in place but in nature or affection that is superstitious take heed of being defiled by such Oh how many have suffered shipwrack of their faith by this means that they have had some kinsman some Uncle some acquaintance that have been very neer unto them and they have drawn them aside from the waies of God Hence is the reason of that severity that God would have used against a brother or a friend that seeks â—o draw away from God unto Idolatry because the Lord sees there is so much danger in it Deut. 13.6 Deut. 13.6 If thy brother or the son of thy mother or the son of thy daughter or the wife of thy bosom or thy friend which is as thine own soul Opened entice thee secretly to go from God thou shalt not consent unto him neither shall thine eye pity him neither shalt thou spare neither shalt thou conceal him but thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death Though he be thy brother or the wife of thy bosom or thy friend that is as thine own soul thou shalt not pity him but thou shalt seek the very death of such an one if he seek to draw thee unto â—aies of Idolatry Because God saw what danger there was in this that is the reason of the severity Thirdly Judah was in great danger to be drawn aside by Israel because that Israel was the greater number Israel was ten Tribes but Judah and Benjamin those two Tribes little Benjamin together with Judah were but a few in comparison of Israel It is a great argument that Idolaters use to draw others unto the waies of Idolatry because of the number of those that go that way Obser The whol World admire after the Beast the World doth the Nations do and that is a mighty argument to draw the greater part of people they think that â—â—is way of worship is the best way there are but a few anâ— considerable number that are in another way No question but it was their argument here as if they should say what do not ten Tribes know the mind of God as well as those two Is there any reason why we should think that the greater part of the children of Abraham of the Jews ten Tribes should not know the mind of God It is the argument at this day say many that are superstitious and would go on in their old way of Idolatry They that are against such waies they are but a few an inconsiderable party but the chief the great ones and the most of all sorts you see which way they go We are to take heed of this Oh let not Judah though Israel be the greater part follow a multitude to do evil Fourthly Israel was rich and in a flourishing estate therefore there was danger that Judah might be carried away by them Israel carried things before them in outward pomp and glory and we know that way that thrives in the world men will soon be brought to close with Obser and the way of Israel when Hosea prophesied did much thrive and prosper Israel prevailed mightily in the world When Ephraim spake there was trembling therefore it was a wonderful grace of God to keep Judah from following their example We find it by experience let a way be persecuted yet let it be but once countenanced in the world men will cry it up do we not see at this day that those things that heretofore men would not profess because of persecution that now on a sudden their minds are changed and now they cry it up The same thing that heretofore have been persecuted if they once be but countenanced by great ones and by multitudes how will men cry it up Things that their hearts were against things that they would argue and reason against yet now because they have more publick countenance their judgments are changed here is the deceit of mens hearts that way that hath most countenance in the world that way they will go on in especially in the worship of God Fiftly Israel had many colours and pretences for what thâ—â— did and that might endanger Judah to be led aside by tâ—â—â— for Israel they did not profess themselves Idolaters and superstitious No they profest that they did serve the Lord the true Jehovah and the difference was not great between them and Judah they would tell you it was but circumstances in place you must worship God at Jerusalem and we would have you worship at Dan and Bethel and those Images that are set up are but to put you in mind of the same God you worship Obser The neerer any come to you in what is the right worship of God yet if they retain any corruption there is so much the more danger that they should draw you from that which is right for Israel did come neerer to the true worship of God than the Heathens did now the Prophet doth not say though the Heathens be Idolaters yet let not Judah be so too but though Israel play the harlot yet let not Judah offend There was more danger that Judah should be drawn aside by Israel than that they should be drawn aside by any of the Heathen And so there is more danger that we at this day should be drawn aside by those that joyn with us in many things that are right than by Papists they are hateful to us Applic. we see their waies to be abominable Papists and Heathens there is not so much danger especially for those that profess godliness to be drawn aside by them but the danger is in this to be drawn aside by their brethren and that by their brethren that joyn with them in many things that are right and that come very neer to the true worship of God Well Judah must not do so though Israel doth As there were many things wherein Judah was in great danger to be drawn aside by Israel so there were many arguments why Judah should not do as Israel did Exposit As First God had graciously differenced Judah from Israel Reas 1 in abudance of mercy Judah must not now make himself like Israel in sin seeing God had made them unlike in mercy God had in mercy made a difference between Judah and Israel let not then the wickedness of their hearts make themselves to be all one God had kept Judah to the house of David and to his Temple to be his own people Secondly Judah had more means than Israel had therefore Reas 2 Judahs sin would be more vile than Israels was For Judah had the true Priests of God to teach them Judah had the Temple among them Judah had the Ordinances of God in the right way with them therefore for Judah to be drawn aside to the waies of Israel this would be a greater sin in them Whatsoever Israel doth that have none but superstitious Idolatrous Priests amongst them Priests made of the lowest of the people Israel
fear of those to fear spiritual judgments more than all the judgments in the world And yet more This is not only worse than all outward Reas 8 judgments here in this world but it is worse for a man to be given over by God to himself than to be given up to the Devil If God should give up any man to the Devil and say Note Worse to be given up to ones self than to be given up to the Devil Devil take him possess him as once he did possess many in Christs time it were not such a fearful judgment as this to say let lusts take him and rule him let him be given up to his own hearts lusts let him alone to them And that is apparant out of that place where the Apostle gives order for the incestious person to be given over unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his soul might be saved When one is given up to the Devil in Excommunication or any other way it may prove to the salvation of his soul but this judgment of God saying Let a man alone it is for the destruction of his soul not of the flesh it tendeth directly to the destruction of the soul though it may be in the mean while the flesh may be saved It is so with many There are many that God letteth alone and that proveth the destruction of the soul but perhaps the saving of the flesh As thus perhaps many that went on in wickedness God was chastising them and afflicting them well this tended to the destruction of the flesh though to the saving of their soul yea but they would rather live in prosperity and ease and have their sin well saith God you shall do so you shall have ease and prosperity and have your sin that is your flesh shall here be saved but your soul shall eternally be destroyed Therefore it is worse than to be given up unto the Devil Reas 9 Yea further For God to say Let him alone it is worse than to be sent down to Hell presently or then to be presently damned for when one is left alone to himself he will encrease his sin most dreadfully all the time of hiâ— life and as his sin doth encrease so his torment doth encrease therefore it is a most dreadful thing to be let alone Reas 10 Yea further When God saith Let a man alone you will say God should pitie him then alas what can a man do No but his condition is thus when he is let alone though he be without the grace of God yet he must answer for as much as he might have done if he had had that grace which he hath justly deprived himself of And must answer for all that the might have don with the grace he might have had there lies the evil of it further When God leaves a man alone he must not think but he is to answer still for the motions of Gods Spirit though he hath them not and for the means of grace though he enjoy them not for he hath deprived himself of them For look what means of grace we thorough sin have deprived our selves of we must answer for them and there is none of your reasons but may be convinced of it I will give you a plain instance Suppose you send your servant to market to buy a commodity you give him money whereby he may do it simile but he goes into an Alehouse or Tavern and drinks it away he cannot bring you that you sent him for but you may justly require it and punish him for not doing of it he may say what would you have me do that I cannot I cannot bring it you without money yea but the Master may say I gave you monie it is your fault you have bezelled it away So God may justly require of these men all that they might have done by all the means of grace they should have had God gave you that means you have bezelled it away by your sinâ— Again further When God shall say Let him alone his Reas 11 condition is dreadful in this Al means encrease his condemnatioÌ„ that now all the means of grace are made unprofitable to him yea cursed to him and they are turned to the quite contrary end For the word will work one way or other either to be the savour of life unto life or of death unto death and so the Sacrament either to be the seal of Salvation or the Seal of damnation Now all means are not only unprofitable those means that do other souls good It may be the poor child of a wicked parent comes unto the word and there he finds God revealing himself unto him and the Spirit of God drawing his heart unto himself but there is his parent of whom God hath said Let him alone he sits under the means and gets no good So perhaps the Master he is one upon whom this judgment is past Let him olone he sits under the means and gets nothing and his poor servant he comes and his soul is enlightned his heart is enlarged because this judgment is not upon him Oh my brethren upon this because the point is of so great consequence I could not passe by it lightly you may learn from hence First what poor creatures we are all God need not say Use 1 Let my power and wrath justice come upon them to make them miserable if God do but say Let them alâ—ne we are miserable presently we are lost and undone presently simile As in nature If God should say to any of you as soon as you are born Let this creature alone and let none help him what poor shiftless sucourless creatures had we been So for our souls take one that hath the most excellent gifts in all this Congregation yea take one that hath the most excellent graces if God should but say Let him alone he would quickly bring himself to misery It is through the strength of that grace in the Covenant that God will never say to those that are members of his Son Let them alone for ever Secondly Oh let us fear and tremble at this judgment Especially Use 2 let them take this to heart that have felt the Spirit of God stirring in their hearts and the Word coming to their consciences yet they have gone on directly against Gods Word and the motions of his Spirit Oh that this day the fear of this great God may fall upon them lest God should say Let them alone Perhaps God hath not said so yet but who knows but that upon the next wilful sin thou committest God may say concerning thee Let him alone and then thou art undon for ever Oh fear and tremble Perhaps some of you may say God hath surely said this of me already Caution I should not be so unprofitable under the means else I should not hear such powerful Sermons and get so little good I should not have such and such
it that God hath laid his plea against you and God laies his plea against many a man in his conscience but he nelgecting this plea of God laid against him in his Word and in his conscience he hath afterward received the sentence of death in his soul which hath sunk his heart into dispair Many a man hath had God speaking against him in his word and in his conscience I say and there hath been Gods controversie God hath been laying his plea there thou hast gone on in thy sin and at length it may be there comes the sentence of death upon thy soul that thou doest as it were feel som have said it The sentence of condemnation felt that they have felt God passing a sentence of death upon them and ever after that speech they have roared out through despair and so have died There hath been such works of God heretofore yea and many times continued that those that go against their consciences and have had Gods plea against them often they have as it were felt God passing a sentence of death upon them in this world and that hath sunk them into despair it hath been a particular day of judgment unto them they have heard as it were God speaking from his Throne this sentence upon them thou art a dead man a lost man Oh take heed of neglecting Gods pleas lest they come to judgments Judgment is against you why what is the cause You have been a snare upon Mispah and a net spread upon Tabor Mark Expos Obser God passeth not judgment but he gives the cause for it Men are rash and they will pass judgment upon such and such that they know not When you come sometimes into a Tavern or Inn or into a Shop you shall hear men railing upon such and such Ask them do you know them No What have they done they know not neither only there is a generall noise of them that such men do thus and thus disturb the peace of the Kingdom But in this they deal not righteously God he passeth nor judgment but he gives a full and sufficient cause why he doth it You have been a snare saith he on Mispah and a net spread upon Tabor There is much of the mind of God in these words Some take that first Mispah appellatively prâ—speculatione you have been a snare upon the watch for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Speculor from whence the word cometh signifies and Speculatio they take to be for those for whom they should watch over as Congregatio pro Congregâ—tiâ— Circumcisio pro Ciâ—cumcisis so Speculatio pro Custoditis As it God should charge them thuâ— You should have been Watch men you Priests and you of the Kings house but you have been a net to ensnare them you should have been Speculatores but you have been Venatores Aucupes you have been fowlers and hunters of my people Theodoret Theâ—dor hath it pro Speculatoribus that is thus you spread a net for the watchmen you superstitious Priests you house of the King and you people generally you spread a net for your faithful Watchmen if you have any Watchmen that are more watchful than others you seek to ensnare them what you can So they carry it But though this doth hint at the meaning of the words yet I think it cannot be taken from the word Mispah therefore as the word Tabor is taken properly not appellatively so I think is the word Mispah Therefore we are to remember that both Mispah and Tabor were the names of two mountains that were in the land of Israel Indeed the first signifies a Watch and the other Tabor signifies a high place and because it was a famous high mountain it is called Tabor by way of eminency Now both these Mountains Mispah and Tabor were very eminent among the people of Israel Mispah Mispah so Judg. 20.1 The children of Israel were gathered together unto the Lord in Mispah an eminent place It was that mountain where Laban and Jacob met Gen. 31.49 so some think it to be and called Mispah by Laban For saith he the Lord watch between me and â—hee when we are absent one from another That for the mountain Mispah Tabor So Tabor that was very ancient too Psal 89.12 Tabor and Hermon are joyned together Hermon was famous too as Câ—nt 4.8 Come with me from Labanon my spouse look from the tâ—p â—f Amana from the top of Shenir and Hermon Therefore it is very ill turned in your meeter in the Psalms as there are a great many ill places in the meeter in the Psalms that are not only poor kind of rime The common singing Psalms They are now much better done by Mr. Rowse that learned a pious Member of the H. of Commons in Parliament and by them Authorised for the Press but are turned against the very sense of the text against the meaning as may be shewed in many places so in that one in Psal 42.6 The little hill Hermon whereas the truth is Heâ—mon was an high and famous hill A mistake in the reading for in the reading Psalms it is I will remember thee from the land of Jordan and of the Hermonites from the hill Mister that signifies smal indeed but they make it as if Hermon and Mister were all one but the Psalm iâ— rather to be interpreted thus I wil remember thee O Jerusalem where ever I am in all quarters of the world from Jordan that was eastward from Jerusalem and Hermon that was an high mountain in the North and Missâ—r that is of the South because the mountains of the South were small As if he should say psal 42.6 illustrated whether I be East or North or South from the Teâ—â—ble I will remember Jerusalem where ever I am that the meaning of that Psalm is not as if Misser and Hermon were one and the same as if it should be turned the little hil Hermon for it was a high and famous hil joyned with Tabor that famous mountain Psalm 89. And Tabor was so famous that it was a proverbial speech among them to say As Tabor amâ—ngst the mountains It was the mountain on which Christ was tranâ—figured a most brave stately mountain every way equal Jâ—â—â—phus in his 4th book cap. 21. of the wars of the Jewâ— saith it was 30. a 3. mile and three quarters Stadiums or Furlongs high and on the top twenty Now a b Plin. lib. 2. cap. 23. Stadium is 125. paces as I remember or 625. feet and on the top it was so plain that there wa not one place of it higher than another but it lay so equal as if it had been made by the art of man And a mountain that was very fertile and full of trees a very pleasant and delightful place Now God chargeth them that they had been a snare on Mispah and a net upâ—n mâ—unt Tabor According to some these mountains are taken senechdoâ—hically that is
willing to fully themselves with such vanities as their parents and masters before them did they do begin to know the Lord and to enquire after God Young ones the hope of a Nation And blessed are you of the Lord you are our hope that God intendeth good unto us and that He will not let out the wild beasts to devour us but will rebuke them for your sakes And although perhaps many of these gracious young ones may perish yea many have been slain already in this Cause yet let not others that remain behind be discouraged at it for it is in argument that there is some great and special mercy that God intendeth for us in that He is willing to venture such precious ones for the procuring of that mercy We may well reason so that if so much precious young blood that might have lived to serve God be shed in this Cause if God come to grant unto England mercy He wil grant such mercy as wil be worth al their blood and that mercy must needs be great that shal be worth all the blood of those that are so precious which might have lived to serve God so many years here in this world And seeing God makes use of them it is because the mercy that is to come for the next generation is so precious that indeed such as have defiled themselves with superstitious vanities are like to have no share in it and as they are not like to live to see it so God will not make use of them to prepare that mercy for the next generation But because God hath a love unto the young generation that are godly therefore He hath reserved much mercy for many of them that are like to see and enjoy it and others of them that are not like to see it yet he will be so gracious to them as he will imploy them in making way for that mercy And whether it is better to be made instrumental for the glory of God and the good of another generation or to live to see the fruit of this it is hard to determine Certainly those that in one generation are made so instrumental as to lay the ground work of mercy for another generation they are as happy as that other generation that comes to reap the fruit of their labours and sufferings and those that do come to reap the fruit of their labors shall bless God for them and when they enioy the good and liberty of the Gospel they shall say Oh blessed be God that stirred up such a generation of young ones to shed their blood and now we reap the fruit of it and blessed be God for them they will bless you to all generations Therefore let there be no discouragement to godly young ones though it pleaseth God to cut of many by death in this Cause for God hath some excellent end in it beyond all our reaches Thus much for these words Only one Note more and that is this That Obs God takes it exceeding ill at mens hands that they should corrupt young ones This Note is as full in the words as any other God takes it exceeding ill it is a part of treachery against God for any to be a means to corrupt young ones Take heed what you do in corrupting of young ones Those young people that are coming on and beginning to enquire after godliness take heed what you do that you hinder them not Especially parents and governors Oh let your consciences flie in your faces when you begin to curb them for their forwardness Many times your consciences cannot but misgive you when you think I have been wicked and naught most part of my daies I spent God knows many of my yeers in vanity and profaness here are young ones that begin betime to enquire after God and yet wretch that I am my heart riseth against them And as these people that hinder young ones are to be rebuked so such as seek to corrupt them by false opinions Certainly it is that by which God is much provoked at this day and as on the one side there is hope of mercy in regard so many young ones begin to enquire after God so I know no such dreadful argument of Gods displeasure against this Nation as this That assoon as young ones begin to come to know Jesus Christ there are presently corrupt erroâ—â— infused into them and that under the notion of honoring Christ and free grace and the Gospel so much the more whereas indeed they do no other than infuse principles of libertinisme and loosness and such as will even eat out the heart of godliness Certainly the Lord hath a quarrel against such as corrupt young ones by their false principles for there are none so ready to drink in false principles as young ones especially young converts who begin to enquire after the waies of God and these men that are their corrupters they have this advantage they come not to them to perswade them to profaness but they come to them with seeming pretences of giving honor unto Christ and of magnifying free grace and in the mean time sow seeds in them that will eat out the power of godliness Oh to corrupt children and young ones and when they begin to enquire after God and to know him for you to do that which may estrange them from God this is that which God will have a quarrel against you for And it is a greater argument of Gods displeasure against us A common evil that it is so common and frequent at this day than any one I know there is not any one argument that I know that is a greater discouraging argument to us of Gods displeasure than this thing But so much for those words They have begotten strange children It follows Now shall a month devour them with their portions Expos A month I find Interpreters have a great deal of do about this expression Many think that God aims at one special month and they tell uâ— of one month in the yeer which answereth to our July that there were many grievous things to befal the Jews in that month in former times and in latter times too as if that were a more Ominous month than any other I will not spend time to speak further of that But there is certainly somewhat else in this expression I find an expression paralel to this in Zech. 11.8 the holy Ghost there speaks of three Shepherds that God will cut off in one month these Idol Shepherds saith he My soul loathed them and their soul also abhorred me I will cut them off in one month There is the most exact description of your superstitious Idol Shepherds even such as we have at this day amongst us in many places saith God My soul loathed them and their soul abhorred me Who do more hate the power of godliness than those kind of men and against whom is the soul of God more than against those kind of men
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
now and you that have prayed before quicken up your diligence and double your care How much better it it to seek God than men to cry to God for mercy than to cursed men God might have made your condition to have bin the condition of your brethren How many are this day running for their lives and begging of their lives at the hands of barbarous merciless blood-sucking monsters and you are yet in peace seeking your God for your selves and them But it may be asked Why should we seek God Quest Can we do any thing to move God Will God be ever the sooner intreated by us I answer No that is not the meaning of the words Answ that we can alter or change Gods mind but such exhortations as these are to make us fit and to prepare us for mercy to boyl and raise our spirits to a sutable frame and disposition for mercies expected and looked for And thus we leave this rich Mine of the fifth Chapter which hath been so fruiâ—ful in affording many choice truths and come to the sixt Chapter a rich Mine also of heavenly and most seasonable Directions no less useful than the former THE CONTENTS CHAP. VI. VERS I. Observ 1. WHen Gods time of mercy is come He puts a spirit of seeking into men Page 531 Obs 2 A joynt turning to God is very honorable Ibid Obs 3 Times of mercy are joyning times Page 532 Obs 4 A true penitent heart seeks to get others to joyn with him ibid Obs 5 A penitent heart retains good thoughts of God in time of suffering ibid Obs 6 A penitent heart is not discouraged Page 534 Obs 7 When God intends good to a people he leaves them intimation of his love Page 536 Obs 8. Apprehension of mercie causes the heart to turn Page 537 Obs 9 The Saints make their healing not a fruit of their returning but of Gods mercy ib. VERS II. Opened Page 538 Obs 1 Gods own people may lie for dead in their own eyes Page 540 Use 1 Do not draw dark conclusions from Gods dealing ibid Use 2 Be not impatient in prayer Page 541 Obs 2 Gods reviving his people is not long in Gods nor the Saints eyes Page 542 Obs 3 Faith makes Gods reviving real in the saddest condition ibid Obs 4 Mercies after two daies death are reviving mercies Page 544 Obs 5 The real sight of deliverance puts the soul upon returning Page 547 Obs 6 The apprehension of the death and resurrection of Christ is a special help to faith in affliction Page 549 Obs 7 When God grants mercies he would have his people to be of lively spirits Page 549 Obs 8 When God is reconciled to a people his face is towards them ibid Obs 9 The eye of God upon his people is their safety Page 550 Obs 10 Gods peoples life consists in Gods favor ib. Obs 11 Faith raiseth the soul high ibid Obs 12 It is the care of the Saints to walk as in Gods sight Page 551 VERS III. Obs 1. True penitents turn to God that they may know God Page 554 Obs 2 No man can turn to God but as Gods face is towards him Page 555 Obs 3 The knowledg of God is a very comfortable thing to the Saints ibid Obs 4 The more men turn to God the more they shall know of him ibid Obs 5 Those that know somthing of God desire to know more Page 556 Obs 6 A gracious heart endeavors strongly after the knowledg of God ibid Obs 7 It is a blessed thing for a man to take notice of Gods revealings Page 557 Obs 8 Those that follow on to know God shall know more of him ib. Obs 9 One mercy makes way for another Page 558 Obs 10 The times of Gods delivery is in the morning Page 561. Obs 11 The Church hath no afflictions but there comes a morning after them ibid Obs 12 It is Gods presence that makes the morning to the Saints ibid Obs 13. Gods mercies to his people are prepared and decreed Page 562 Obs 14 The Saints in affliction comfort themselves that morning is coming ibid Obs 15 The Saints night is darkest a little before their deliverance ibid Obs 16 Gods delivery is by degrees ibid Obs 17 Gods deliverance is like rain to the corn ibid Obs 18 Gods mercies to his people are seasonable and sutable Page 563 Use Let us be seasonable in duty Page 565 Obs 19 When God hath begun with mercy to his people he will go on Page 566 Use Let us do so with God in obedience ibid Obs 20 Gods mercies to his people procure much good ib. Obs 21 Gods peoples deliverance comes from heaven ib. Obs 22 Gods peoples deliverance cannot be hindred Page 567 Obs 23 We should make a spiritual use of Gods works in his creatures ibid VERS IV. Obs 1 God doth not willingly grieve men Page 569 Obs 2 We should not think much to lose our pains with others ibid Obs 3 It it a speceal means to humble men to consider what means hath been used to do them good Page 570 Obs 4 God many times seems to be in a straight what to do with men ib. Obs 5 The condition of people is sad when no means will do them good Page 572 Obs 6 It goes nigh the heart of God to see men perverse ibid Obs 7 For a man to make good beginnings and let them fall is grievous to God and dangerous to a mans self Page 581 Grievous to God 1 Because God is holy Page 582 2 He is unchangable ib. 3 It stifles the conceptions of the spirit ibid 4 Such people cannot be trusted ibid 5 There is no fear of God before their eyes ibid 6 It pollutes Gods Name ib. 7 Religion is looked upon by such as a thing indifferent ibid 8 They never had good beginnings ibid Dangerous to a mans self 1 Because we lose many opportunities Page 583 2 We shall never grow to any eminency ibid 3 It hardens the heart ibid 4 It aggravates sin ibid 5 It spoils the acception of our services ibid 6 It damps our hearts in duty ibid Means to persevere 1 Trust not in suddain flashes Page 584 2 Get your hearts off from earthly engagements Page 585 3 Take heed of secret sins ib. 4. Take often accompt of your hearts ib 5 Never trust your hearts after reviving ib. 6 Humble your selves after good desires Page 586 7 Rest not in beginnings Page 587 VERS V Obs 1 When God comes against false Prophets he looks the people should not be led by them Page 588 Obs 2 Inconstancy in Religion provokes Gods anger Page 592 Obs 3 Many mens hearts are like knotty timber Page 593 Obs 4 Gods Ministers are hewers ibid Obs 5 When Ministers hew God hews Page 594 Obs 6 Gods Ministers are Gods tools Page 595 Obs 7 Gods Ministers are Gods mouth Page 596 Obs 8 The Word of God is of great power ibid Obs 9 Gods judgments lie dark when men go on in a
strengthens himself In all the Scripture I know not such a short text so full for the strengthning of faith as this is and it is the special work of faith to make God to be ours in all these relations Ps 18.2 An eminent prop of faith Oh how beautiful would our praises for reviving mercies shew could we but exercise our faith thus upon all these titles of God as ours The real sight of deliverance from evil and the apprehension of Obs 6 certain mercy a coming is a strong argument to put the soul on to turn to God This people did make this use of mercy coming to them What wil God after two daies deliver and revive us Come then and let us return unto him let us not any longer stand out but come in that he may revive us and raise us up When the soul sees mercy coming it beholds God out-bidding all other temptations and over-powering all difficulties when men by sence can behold mercy coming they will then think it best to turn to God happy are those who by faith can see mercy coming a great way off and thereby are stirred up to turn to God when God lets such thoughts as these into the soul and settles them upon the spirit I am now in a very good condition well and in health for the present but where may I be within two daies I enjoy peace and have every thing that heart can desire both for necessity and delight but within a short time where may I and these be These are dreadful thoughts to consider of But on the other side to beleevers these words are very comfortable and full of sweetness I am in great extremity of misery but after two daies they will blow over then oh where shall I be in heaven in joy and blessedness for evermore at rest with my Savior dreadful are the meditations from these words to all the wicked but very sweet and comfortable to the Saints of God as any text I know This consideration made Paul over look all his afflictions 2 Cor. 4. â—7 he thus considered ' â—is true I am under great afflictions but they are but light and 't is but for a moment and what shall I have then An eternal waight of glory Therefore Christians should not be alwaies poring upon their afflictions but look up to mercy behold that which may comfort them as well as what may discourage them consider that within two daies God will raise us up again and this wil mightily raise our spirits and quel the tumults in our hearts as we should be sensible of Gods hand to be humbled for our sins the cause of it yet should we take care that we do not destroy our selves by our fears Obs 7 The apprehension of the death and resurrection of Christ is a special means to help faith in the times of the greatest afflictions Many things may help faith in this case but the consideration of Christs resurrection is the chief when the soul shall exercise faith thus I am thus and thus afflicted and in misery so was Christ and much more although he were the Son of God the first begotten of the Father and so blessed for ever he was delivered up into his enemies hands scorned persecuted and contemned nay he was crucified and put to a shameful death but my condition for the present is not thus but if it should be so it is no more than Christs was in this his great misery all his frinds forsook him which aggravates their misery which are in straits in so much that those two Disciples which went to Emmaus said We had thought that God would have delivered Israel by this man What a low condition did God bring Christ unto and yet this was the greatest work that ever was done and such a â—ork as brings God the most glory of any work in the world Christ therefore become miserable for our consolaâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 the Church ever in a lower condition than Christ himself was yet Christ was raised and delivered out of them all yea this was a special end why Christ was brought into such a low estate to be a comfort and a pattern for his Churches that may come into the same condition which he was in and seeing this is held forth unto us in a cleerer way than it was to the Jews under the Law we should make more use of it than they did was Christ so low that the wrath of God was upon him for satisfactâ—on even to death this surely was a very low condition and now is there any hope that ever he should be raised from this yea now was Gods time to shew his power and to diclare him to be his Son God be speaks his people in all their strâ—its thus Did my power raise my son in such a low estate it is able also to raise you as the Apostle argues in the 1 Cor. 15. If Christ be not risen the dead are not raised c. so from thence I also infer That the Church must rise because Christ is risen if the Church does not rise Christ is not risen and if so then our preaching is in vain and your faith is to no purpose therefore raise up your sadded spirits upon thiâ— ground wel Christ is risen and I also shall rise with him It was wont to be the salutation of the Christians in ancientt time Christ is risen tâ— antient form of salutatio among christian Christus resurrexit Christ iâ— risen so the Saints may conclude though brought very low yet that power which raised the head will in his time raise the body and make it glorious with himself And we shall live in his sight As Israel was repenting so it was beleeving Israel also Faith anâ— repentanâ—â— muâ—ually act one another and as their beleeving furthered their repentance so their repentance furthered their faith they were confident that they should live in his sight When God grants mercies to his people he would have them of Obs 1 lively spirits to be quick and vigorous and of active spiriâ—s And this is the scope of the holy Ghost in this text however the Saints may seem as dead men when wicked men prevail over them yet when God gives rest and life they shall be lively and full of spirit God loves not to see his people of a sad fullen pensive disposition when that they have matâ—er of the greatest joy in the world When God is reconciled to 〈◊〉 people his face is then towards his Obs 2 people he looks then upon them and loves them Apoâ— 22.4 And they shall see his face God doth nor deal with us as David did with his son 2 Sam. 14.24 And the King said Let him not see my face any more But if God be once reconciled all the frowns in his face are turned into smiles he is all lovely towards them Use 1 Now how incongruous a thing is it that when God smiles we should lowr be heavy