the vertues of their godly parents and then they may draw comfort from the godliness of their parents But lastly Hypocrites though degenerate will not only think to fare the better for their godly parents but they will think to have the same mercy as their godly parents had they little think of the difference that there is between Israel heretofore and that Israel that is now so basely degenerated It follows VER 3. Israel hath cast off the thing that is good the enemy shall pursue him THEY cry We have known thee but they cast off the thing that is good they profess to know God in word but in works they deny him What is it to say We know God and to cast off the thing that is good Now the word that is here translated cast off signifies Hath put off a great way yea hath abominated the thing that is good doth not only forsake the thing that is good but to cast off with a kind of abomination the thing that is good Hath cast off the thing that is good That is First cast off God Himself who is as Anselme speaks of Him that Good in which there is all Good God the highest and chief good they have cast him off Secondly The thing that is good indefinitely That is they will not be ordered by any rule they care for the good of no body but only to have their own lusts satisfied But that which I think is most properly aimed at by this phrase The thing that is good is the Worship of God My Worship They say We know Thee but in the mean time they cast off that good thing Oh that Good Thing that which I hold indeed to be the thing that is good Hence observe The true Worship of God is the GOOD Thing by way of excellency We account our Estates are goods we use to speak in that kind of language the goods of such a man Is our Estates our goods Are they such good things Oh! what is the Worship of God then The Worship of God that 's the thing that is good by way of excellency above all our goods that 's the good thing that a spiritual heart can prize that 's that which God delights in and wherein his people enjoy so much communion with Himself that 's the thing by which God lets out so much good to His People it 's the safety protection the blessing of a Kingdom the purity of Gods Worship where that is all other good things will follow that 's THE Good thing and it is a sign of a gracious spiritual heart to prize the Worship of God in the purity of it as the good thing above all good things that a Kingdom is capable of Secondly Yet Gods own Worship is by carnal hearts of men repelled and cast off as evil if it sute not their own ends and designs The spirits of men rise against it they will not so much as examin things in any peaceable and quiet way but by prejudice because they see it not sutable to their own waies their spirits rise abominating that which God Himself prises Thirdly Though first men do but only leave God forsake the thing that is good yet at length they grow to such a ripeness in sin as they cast it off with abomination and that 's a great deal worse Meerly to neglect that which is good is an evil but to cast off that which is good by way of abomination Oh then the sin of a people is grown to an height then they are neer to Judgment indeed when they cast it off thus men who heretofore have been very forward in the profession of Religion and seem to love and delight in the thing that is good but by degrees their hearts were drawn from the waies of God now they cannot bear the sight of those things to be presented nor bear the hearing of those things their hearts rise against any that they see practice them they now shut their eyes and stop their ears and with violence repel the Truth according to those in Jer. 44. 16. As for the Word of the Lord that thou hast spoken to us we will not hear thee Oh! are there not some that heretofore have thought they have received much sweetness in the waies of God and now not only left them but their hearts rise against them and if any thing be spoken for them shut their eyes and ears and cast it off and even abominate such Let such take heed that God cast not them off for ever 1 Chron. 28. 9. it is a speech of David to his son Solomon If thou seek Him He will be found of thee but if thou forsake Him He will cast thee off for ever How much more if thou dost cast off the thing that is good Oh! my brethren let us take heed of casting off the thing that is good we may pass over many Truths that it may be God hath convinced us off but let us take heed of casting off any Truth for then we are ripe to Judgment then the Lord may justly cast us off for ever Lastly If wicked mens hearts be so vile to cast off God and his Worship that hath so much good how much more should we cast off with abomination that that is abomination it self How much more should we cast off false worship with abomination and say Get thee hence and so all kind of evil and sin that would stick so fast upon us In Rom. 12. 9. Abhor that which is evil to abhor it as wel as to abhor Hell it self it comes from a word that is used for Hell Thus we should learn from wicked mens casting off what is good to cast off that which is evil and wicked One thing further Whatsoever knowledg of God or profession we make of worshipping Him yet if we cast off any thing that is good this deprives us of any interest we have in God of any comfort in crying to God in our afflictions I beseech you take notice of this They cry to me my God we know thee but saith God they have cast off that that 's good The Note is To cast off violently and that against light any one thing that is good though it be meant of the Worship of God principally yet it is spoken indefinitely to cast off any thing that is good any truth of God it is that which doth deprive the soul of having comfort and interest in God or crying to God in the time of distress Oh thou sinner how dearly doest thou pay for thy beloved sin at what a dear rate doest thou buy every beloved lust of thine when as it doth deprive thee of all comfort and interest in God that otherwise thou mightest have in crying to God in the day of distress The enemy shall pursue him When the good of duty is cast off evil of punishment will come in By casting off that which is
expects yet he is content to venture himself as much as he did before God is in this man certainly when he can do a work and deny himself that work And truly we should be willing so to do Why because God doth not require of us self-denial that shall do us any hurt God would never have us deny our selves in things that immediately concern our communion with himself and our eternal good God expects self-denial but it is only in those things that concern this present life now when God is so propitious to us in requiring duty that he will let us sometimes enjoy our selves and when he requires self-denial it is in things that are more inferior we should not much stand upon in denying our selves in them It follows But the Lord accepteth them not As if he said I would not have them I was not pleased with them Whatsoever our services be If self be regarded all is rejected not only if sin be regarded If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer but if self be regarded our services may please our selves but not please God and for this you have a famous Scripture in Amos 5. 22. I will not regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts and this text in Amos hath a special reference to this very thing and Amos was contemporary with Hosea and so met with the very same thing that here Hosea did this text in Amos may help us to understand this in Hosea I will not accept the offering of your fat beasts but observe it they are their peace offerings he doth not say I will not accept the burnt offerings of your fat beasts but of your peace offerings because in their peace offerings they eat part of it themselves and saith God let your offerings be never such faâ— beasts yet I will not accept of them so let your duties be never so zealous and abundant yet if they be only in respect of your selves God accepts them not It follows Now will I remember their iniquities Why they did offer their sacrifices to the end that their sins might be done away and had they exâ—â—rcised faith upon Christ the true sacrifice their sin should have been done away yea but they offering in regard of themselves he saith I will remember your sins for all this From thence the Note is That many men may perform great services may exercise themselves much in holy duties and yet have their sins as much upon the file before God as before they began all their services And this is a sad thing for a man to kneel down and pray with woful guiltiness upon his spirit and rise up with the same guiltiness that he kneel'd down withal and perhaps he hath gone on and prayed and received the Sacrament for these many yeers together and every sin that was upon him when he first began is upon him now whereas those that in holy duties exercise their faith upon Christ their Mediator and with the act of faith tender up him to the father whatsoever sins were upon them before are now done away The second thing is observable viz. That God will remember them and he will remember them now Hence note That however God may forbear to come upon wicked men for their sins for a time yet God hath his time to remember them all to remember that is by his Judgments to make it appear to them that he doth remember them when they think that God hath forgotten them 1 Sam. 15. 20. Thus saith the Lord of hosts I remember that which Amaleck did to Israel how he laid wait for him in the way when he came up from Egypt I remember what he did why this was four hundred yeers ago that he spoke of We may commit a sin when we are young and feel nothing of it till we come to be old and then God may remember it against us as many a man or woman takes a surfet when they are young and they feel nothing when their bones are full of marrow and their veins with blood they feel it not for the present but when they come to be old Oh! then it aches in their flesh and bones and then they remember their licentiousness and carelesness in their youth and so many young people they commit sin and conscience never troubles them for it and they they think all is forgotten Oh! but many yeers after the sin is committed God remembers it and makes them remember it too Joseph's brethren had committed that sin against their brother and it was 22. years before we reade of any remembring of that sin Many things might be said to this point which I cannot now insist upon only this thing take with you Let all you that are young ones yea and others too take heed what you do in sinning against God for that which you do now may be remembred against you many yeers after perhaps twenty thirty fourty yeers hence God may come upon you for what you do at this present me thinks this should be unto young men a mighty strong motive to take heed of wicked lives Youths sins may prove to be ages terrors Oh! is it not a great deal better that God should remember the kindness of thy youth than the sins of thy youth Jer. 2. 2. Oh you that are young begin to be godly betimes that God may remember the kindness of your youth And oh the blessed condition the Saints are in in comparison of the wicked You have so many expressions that God will remember their sins no more that he will bury them in the bottom of the Sea there are at least a dozen expressions in Scripture and I had some thoughts to speak of them all but I see it will be too long to speak of them now Of Gods casting away their sins the sin of his People But further Now will I remember them That is in the time of their Holy Duties Now this is a sad thing that God should not only remember a mans sin but even then when he is about to offer sacrifices to God as in Heb 10 3. it is said that the sacrifices of the Law did bring sins into remembrance that is It was a note of their guiltiness every time they came to offer sacrifice and their sacrifices did not do away their sins fully Now I will remember them Then when they offered sacrifices in in a careless and ungodly way surely these sacrifices would bring their sins into remembrance indeed Hence observe God remembers the sins of wicked men in the performance of Holy Duties in a special manner and that upon these two grounds First Because we come into Gods presence There we come before his eyes in a more especial manner we are in Gods eyes alwaies but in Holy Duties the Scripture speaks of it aâ— a more especial drawing nigh to God If a
Malefactor that hath committed a fact a long time since and he thinks it is forgotten if he should presume to come into the Kings or Judges eye this brings into remembrance what such a man is So wicked men when they come into Gods eyes are bold to draw nigh to God in an impudent way although their consciences tels them that they have not sought to do away their sins by faith and repentance this puts God into remembrance to speak of God after the manner of Men. Secondly Because their Holy duties are aggravations of their sin therfore God wil remember them then rather than at any other time as thus for the Jews in the text here to come to sacrifice for their sins certainly the language of which was this Lord I acknowledg I do deserve death my self for the sins which I have committed and I can only have peace with thee through the sacrifice of thy Son that I beleeve is to come now for them to come and say so and yet continue in their sin still this ads impudence unto their sin it was a sin of infirmity before it is a sin of presumption now So when men shall presume to come before God in prayer they have lived wickedly heretofore and now they come before God to testifie their respect that they profess they ow to God and yet their consciences tells them that they do wickedly depart from God in their lives when they come in prayer certainly they come to confess and name their sins before God and to tell God what sinners they are and yet still their hearts do close with their sins yea what an aggravation is this yea they came to judg themselves for their sins and yet still to continue in them Oh my brethren if you did but think of the aggravation that such prayer causes of our sins it would make our hearts quake and tremble But I speak only to those that are Hypocrites and live in their sins stil their Holy duties do but aggravate their sins and therefore no mervail though then God remember their sins in a more special manner We have cause to wonder that God doth not come upon some of us in his wrath while we are in the midst of our Holy duties as Pilat came upon the Galileans and mingled their blood with their sacrifices and so while we compare the lives of men with their prayers I say it is a mervail that God doth not mingle their blood with their sacrifice Oh take heed any of you that are conscious to your selves or your hearts closing with any known sin take heed the next time you go into Gods presence in prayer and confess your sins and judg your selves take heed that God doth not then remember your sins Now will I remember them even in the time of their holy duties you think that 's the time of our greatest pleasing of God but it may prove to be the time of Gods remembring your iniquities against you And visit their sins God visits either in Mercies or Judgments and in the godly visiting it is to be understood concerning those things that seem'd before to be neglected as in the 21. of Genesis God visited Sarah when God seem'd to have neglected her and so in Exod. 4. he visited the children of Israel that is when he seem'd wholly to have neglected them and so I will visit their sins though they may think I have neglected them yet I will visit their sins Whence observe God visits mens sins when they think they are most neglected by God God hath his time to make diligent enquiry for all their sins in Exod. 32. 34. In the day when I visit I will visit their sins upon them then all their sins shall come up together and that 's the reason that God is content to bear with wicked men and wink at their sins for the present why because God hath a day for to visit them this sin which they commit now they shall not hear of it till a great while hence but I have a day to visit and then this and the other sins shall come Daies of visitation heretofore were wont to be cal'd daies of vexation but the day of Gods visitation will be a day of vexation indeed to ungodly men Micah 7. 4. The best of them is a bryar the most upright is sharper than a thorn the day of the Watchmen and thy Visitation cometh now shall be their perplexity In Isa 10. 3. And what will you do in the day of Visitation and the Dissolution which shall come from far To whom will you flee for help and where will you leave your glory So I may say to many guilconsciences Oh thou poor wretched sinful creature what wilt thou do in the day of Visitation thou canst tell now thou canst go home and be merry and do what thou list but what wilt thou do in the day of visitation It follows They shall return or as some translate they will return to Egypt And so it notes their sin for which God will visit them and the course that they would take when God was about to visit them They will return to Egypt Whither will ye flee in the day of visitation We will fly into Egypt say they if the Assyrians power grow too great we will go into Egypt for help and this may seem to have reference to that story in the 2. of Kings 17. 4. The King of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea for he had sent messengers to So King of Egypt The Note from hence is this Carnal hearts when God is visiting them for their sins they have plots in their heads to shift this way and that way for themselves Vain deluded soul thy thoughts should be how should I make up my peace with God how should I seek the face of God thou art thinking of this and the other shift whereas thou shouldest only be thinking of making up thy peace with God And thus it is with Kingdoms when God is visiting Kingdoms you shall have many that sit at the Stern that all their thoughts are about carnal helps whereas their great thoughts should be how they might fall down before God seek to make peace w th God the Kingdom thus it was here I will visit them and they think to return to Egypt And if you take it as a Judgment it is threatned that they should return to Egypt in Deut. 28. at the latter end there it is put in the close of all the former Judgments That they should return to Egypt The Note is That it is one of the most dreadful Judgments upon a Nation after God hath delivered them from a bondage to deliver them to the same bondage again And as it was grievous to be delivered into the bondage of Egypt so more to deliver us into a spiritual Egypt If we should again come under the power of those that have persecuted us
them from mixing with the Heathen but now saith God All is gone let them go saith God and eat unclean things as for the Covenant with me it is wholly abolished I will own them no more than the very impure Heathen they would make Leagues with the Assyrians wel they shal partake w th them and be filthy and unclean as he and they defiled Gods Worship by mixing heathenish polutions with it now God gives them up to all Heathenish uncleanness as they were like the Heathens in inward uncleanness so let them be saith God in outward uncleanness There is these two Notes First Those that will make Leagues with wicked men it is just with God that afterwards they should come and be inthrall'd in all the wickedness and abominations of those wicked men They were indeed at a distance from them before but when once the peace is made they come now to be all one with them But the main is this That when men are inwardly unclean God doth not care for their outward cleanness Thus many professors of Religion defiling their consciences and becoming like the wicked in inward sins at length God leaves them up to themselves that there should be no difference between them and the wicked in their outward abominations Have you not known some examples in this kind Lastly If it be such a judgment to eat unclean things with the Gentiles even meat to satisfie thier hunger Certainly then it is a fearful evil for any of the Saints to partake with ungodly men in unclean wicked worship There might be as much excuse for this as one could imagin why Lord they might say shall we starve True they might no question eat that which was unclean rather than starve but yet it was a great misery that they were in that they could have nothing to eat but that which was unclean but now the other is not only an affliction but sin and indeed the moral of it is to shew the great evil that there is in joyning with any way of false worship to joyn false worship it is a great evil and an argument that when God leaves us to this he disclaimes us Cyprian dehorts Christians from communicating with wicked Ministers from this place Ne sibi plebs in hoc â—â—andiatâ—r cum pro Hoseam Prophetam comminetur dicat censura Divina c. I do not speak of not joyning in Worship if there be unclean ones there Ministers or People And I am perswaded if it be throughly weighed there will no body be found to be of that mind for it is impossible that any Church in the world but in time there will be some that are wicked which will be present but this is not that that causes many to forbear not the presence of wicked men but find the uncleanness of the Worship some things that was done actually there that their consciences told them to be sin Secondly Because they could not do their duty as they should but if they can have liberty to do their duty and the Worship be not polluted I think upon serious consideration there can be no question made although there should be some that are unclean admitted yet if there be in the Church any order and government that the unclean may be cast out and libertie that every one may discharge his duty as to go and admonish and take two or three and then tell the Church and so to deliver his own soul no doubt but they may communicate VER 4. They shall not offer Wine-offerings to the Lord neither shal they be pleasing unto him THE Prophet in the Name of God proceeds to further threatning of Israel and this in the 4 th verse is a very dreadful one They shall not offer Wine offerings to the Lord neither shall they be pleasing unto him In their offerings there was wont to be Wine and Oyl to note cheerfulness in Gods service thus in Numb 15. 5. The fourth part of an Hyn of Wine for a drink offering shalt thou prepare and for a meat offering thou shalt prepare two deals of flowr mingled with the third part of an hyn of Oyl But now al joy shal be taken away there shal be nothing but sadnes and sinking of spirit under their misery no Wine offering Hence note That those who abuse their joy to their lusts when they have it it 's just with God it should be taken from them that they should have none to give to God though they would never so fain Secondly This makes an affliction to be bitter and grievous indeed That all joy and comfort in Gods service is gone for that 's the scope They shall offer no Wine offerings all their joy in the service of God shall be gone they shall not only have sorrow in their outward afflictions that are upon them but every time they come to think of any service of God their hearts shall be dejected all their joy in the service of God shall be taken away there was a time when some of you were wont to offer Wine offerings to the Lord that is to have much joy and comfort in the service of God but is not all gone where 's your Wine offerings to the Lord you can now perform duties but your hearts are heavy and dul in the performance of them there 's no sweetness there 's no enlargement of spirit in holy duties all the Worship of God is a burden now unto you Now there is no burden of affliction so great a burden as when the duties of Gods Worship comes to be a burden The Saints so long as they have a Wine offering for the Lord in holy duties so long as their spirits in holy duties can be free and joyful their afflictions are not very burdensom they are well enough this is more delightful to them than all the Wine in the world for they can say of Gods love They love is better than Wine so they can say of their love to God again That our love unto him is more comfortable to us than any Wine in the world Now though they be in afflictions their estates are gone that they have no Wine to drink themselves yet they have a Wine offering to offer unto the Lord. It 's no great matter though we have not Wine as we were wont to have at our Tables but when we go to worship God we have a Wine offering for him at any time and this makes glad the hearts of the Saints more than the hearts of all the men in the world can be glad when their Corn and Wine and Oyl encreases They shall offer no Wine offerings neither shall they be pleasing unto him they shall not be sweet to him whatsoever their offerings be Now that they offer to the Lord God will take no delight in them they will be but sowre things unto the palate of God the offerings of the Saints in Gods way they do cheer the very heart
of his children that were so eminent in office and were destroyed so with such a visible hand of God fire from Heaven when Moses was angry that the Priests had not eat of the sin offering saith Aaron If I had eaten of the sin offering to day should it have been accepted It would have been but as the bread of mourners I that have bin struck this day and am in such a dreadful condition Would God have regarded the sin offering God required joy in his services in Deut. 1â— 7. 18. verses and hence that profession was required in Deut. 26. 13 14. verses Then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house and also have given them unto the Levite and unto the Stranger to the Fatherless and to the Widdow according to all the Commandements which thou hast commanded me I have not transgressed thy Commandements neither have I forgotten them And then in the 14. vers I have not eaten thereof in my mourning c. They were to profess this to God That they had not eaten thereof in their mourning this was to shew that sacrifices offered with a sinking heart in sorrow is not pleasing to God God loves a cheerful giver We must not pine away in our iniquities sullenness and dumpishness even in sorrow for sin it sowres our spirits and services and makes them unacceptable to God I say a sullen dumpishness of spirit though it be in sorrow for sin it sowres our spirits and makes our services unacceptable to God There is a groaning and a sighing one to another or rather against one another that is condemn'd in Scripture in Jam. 5. 9. the words in your books are thus Grudge nor one against another but in the Original Sigh not or groan not one against another you shall have many that in company with others have a pensive dumpish spirit sighing and groaning and making their society to be burdensom to others Saith the holy Ghost do not sigh and groan one unto another there is a sullen dumpish sighing of spirit and dejection of soul that is as unpleasing to God as it is unto men it polutes the heart and pollutes duty But you will say Is all mourning forbidden that here the holy Ghost should say Their offerings should be as the bread of Mourners Christ saith blessed are the Mourners and the Sacrifice of God is a contrite heart It 's true an evangelical sorrow is accepted but that hath sweetness in it it is not bitter that 's not a dejected spirit it 's not a mourning that causes dejection or sullenness or straightness of spirit but that mourning doth enlarge the heart and makes it active for God hence in Ezra 9. 5. although we reade before that Ezra was astonished at the sin of the people yet saith he at the 5. verse I arose from my heaviness at the evening sacrifice when the time came that I should sacrifice unto God my heaviness did not hinder me in holy duties But how many are there that sink down in their heaviness and when God calls upon them for any duty they cannot arise they are so over-burdened with heavy spirits There they sink down in a sullen way and shall God accept of such a service as this is You may please your selves in it and think it is humiliation but there may be much pride in dejection there is none so proud a spirit as the Devil is and yet no spirit so dejected as the Devil is Lead we know it melts soonest but it consumes in the melting and many times there may be such a spirit that may be ready to sorrow upon any occasion and to melt but it 's such a melting as consumes the strength of it that it is unfit for any service that God calls for now such services as you in such a mourning way tender up to God are not accepted of him Remember this text Their offering shall be as the bread of mourning Gualter hath a Note from this God would not accept of the offering of Mourners they were unclean yet saith he there are many that seek to get their greatest gain from Funeral mournings and fall of enveighing against them that get gain that way as their Priests and Officers that use to tend upon Funerals for gain he calls them Vulturâ— and Crows that do flock to dead bodies and Sepulchers Dogs those are his words that seek to get advantage by Funerals And we know heretofore what abundance of advantage there was gotten by Funerals scarce could you bury a child under three or four pounds such kind of fees there were and made them even rejoyce when others did mourn and getting a great part of of their livelihood from the bread of Mourners And Theophylact hath another Note from this place The bread of Mourners That is those things offered to God gotten by oppression as thus suppose a man or woman gets an estate and gets it in an oppressing way it may be they are at home and merry but it may be the poor children or widdow is mourning for those morsels that thou art rejoycing in but it is the first Note that is the most according to the mind of the holy Ghost the mourning that hath respect to the funerals and so especially at the dejection of spirit in holy duties It follows The bread for their soul shall not come into the House of the Lord. The bread for their soul That is When they are seeking God even for their very lives By Bread is to be understood their oblations more generally not only Bread but their Oblations As Malac. 1. 7. Ye offer polluted bread upon mine Altar it 's taken generally for all kind of offerings upon Gods Altar So The bread for their souls that is those offerings that they did offer for their very lives Now from thence the Note is this That it 's a sad thing when a creature would seek to God for his very life yet then God rejects him and his offering too Before these people they did reject the voice of the Lord at the Temple and they kept others from going to the House of the Lord they thought sacrifices elsewhere would serve the turn as well but now they shall be far enough from bringing any sactifices to the House of the Lord though they should desire to do it for their very souls Thus many who in the time of their prosperity do neglect the Worship of God and slight it and think there is no great matter in it but afterwards when they see their very lives their souls lie at the mercy of God then they would fain seek God for their lives they see they are undone if God be not merciful to them yet then God rejects them their offerings then for their souls shall not come into the House of the Lord that is will not be accepted
cast off bring punishment 14 Fulness of Duty what it is 315 See Sin Enlargement E Eagle Why the Eagle was unclean under the Law 4 See Assyrian Dove Wicked men Effigies An Effigies of the last times 339 Eli Eli's example urged 384 Emptiness Emptines is unatural to a Vine and why 304 Encouragement Encouragements to fight 385 Encouragements for men in mean employments 450 Encouragements for poor souls in mean endeavors 465 Engagement We must take heed of Engagements in evil 28 England England another Canaan 159 England more unfit for mercie now than at the first and why 263 England smitten as Sodom 281 See Admonition and Crosness Enlargements How we should use our enlargements in duties 312 Estrangement The degrees of mans estrangement from God 111 Eternity see Life Exhortation Exhortation to young ones 214 Exhortation to the Godlie 56 Excellency see Soul Excrements see Devil Experience An Experience worth the tryal 316 See Heason F Faces see Painted Faithful Faithful men discouraged and how 280 False worship False worship must be cast off 13 It is just with God to let False worship alone till it come to the full 82 See Ruin Feast Why a day is called a Feast to God 172 Faith How to encrease Faith for pardon in holy duties 120 Fly When a man may fly 182 Forms see Hypocrits Forraign Forraign Leagues are dangerous 46 Followed Our own waies are not to be followed 64 Fear Gods fear drives out carnal confidence 333 Forefathers We are subject to imitate our Forefathers in evil 79 Fulness see Duty Funeral Funeral mournings are hateful to God 166 See Gain Fruitfulness see Vines Furious Furious men do the least service 329 G Gain Gain at Funerals makes some rejoyce whilst others mourn 169 German The speech of a German Divine at his death 454 God Gods power shewed 42 Gods justice over such as sow the wind 43 God takes it ill we should go to Nations for help 58 God should be our delight 211 Gods delight is in young ones 213 God is the Saints glory 223 Gods departing is the cause of wo and why 250 We should labor to do what we can for God though he seem to leave us 253 God manifests his displeasure in the places where men sin 272 God cannot endure wickedness in his house 300 See Church House Worship Mercy Preservation Depart Generation see Spirit Gentry Gentry admonished 208 Good works Good works are excellent and why 30 Gospel Gospel-Righteousness is a most excellent thing 451 Government The danger of setting up new Government 23 Goverment is a thing of great consequence 271 See Agreement Pains Governors Governors are subject to establish false worship 44 Grace Hypocrits seek Grace for Comfort but Saints seek Comfort for Grace 485 Gregory Gregories speech to Theodorus 89 H Happinss see Beleevers Heart We ought to search our hearts 292 Help Helps against Injustice 377 See God Hemlock Injustice compared to Hemlock 370 Hemlock stalks springing up in England 375 House It is good dwelling in Gods house 272 Humiliation The benefit of humiliation 308 How humiliation should be preached 308 Hypocrits When hypocrits are in distress they see their need of God 9 Hypocrites stand much upon formal waies 10 Hypocrites think to fare the better for their parents 11 I Idolaters Idolaters are prophane but covetous men are worse 24 Idolaters promise themselves safety in their Idols 26 Idolaters are laborious in their Idol worship 35 Idolaters sow in hope 36 Idolaters lay a ground for sucession 36 Idolaters observe their season ibid. Idolaters love outward prosperity 153 We ought to do as much for God as Idolaters do for their Images 324 Idolatry Idolatry drives men against principles of reason 31 Idolatry is an hereditary sin 30 Idolatry continues in succession 80 Idolatry depends much upon Ancestors 258 See Succession Jeroboam What Jeroboam's sinne was 19 Jews The Jews custom in time of danger 412 Ignorance The miseries attending Ignorance 18 Images see Altars Invention There ought to be no invention of Man in Gods Worship 77 Injustice Injustice is sometimes like to Justice 370 See Hemlock Help Justice see Reformation Joy Means how to regulate our joy 142 See Prosperity Josephus Josephus his lamentable story 414 Israel Israel's Prerogatives 48 See Nation K Keep Examin principles wel first and then keep to them 292 Keys Four keys in Gods hand only and what they be 263 Kings Caution in imitating the Jewes Kings 15 Kings were made by men 31 The burden Kings are under 65 See People Kingdom see States L Labor Every one bound to LABOR 434 Lady Work for Ladies 436 Land see Ruin Lapsed The evil of lapsed Ministers 48 Latimer The speech of Bishop Latimer before Queen ELIZABETH 278 Latimer's notable story 178 Law What the Law of God is 95 The Law of God is great and why 96 The Law of God moves to obedience 102 See Saints Leagues Leagues of peace may prove occasions of sorrow 138 Leagues must not be made with wicked men 161 Learned see Opinion Life Life is the seâ—d-time for eteruity 39 Liberty Liberty is exceeding dangerous in yong professors 309 London see Popery Love Love is not to be bought 55 Lord It is a great mercy to have time to seek the Lord 472 See Quick-sightedness Luther Luther called by the Papists the Trumpet of Rebellion and Sedition 2 Lumpish Sorrow for sin must not be lumpish 168 M Mass The abominableness of the Mass 33 Malignants Malignants may have great Victories 206 Meditation Meditations for such as are weak in the fields 156 Meditations for parents 260 288 Meditations for Rich men 322 Meditations at going to bed 336 Men Men of mean breeding shold take heed how they behave themselvs when they come into Authority 66 Mens writings how they help to understand the Scripture 88 Mercy All mercies must be improved for God 20 See Free Grace Misery see Ignorance Ministers Ministers must not be weary of their work 3 Ministers that count such things as are laid aside only inconvenient will take them up again 203 Ministers must gain the Peoples love 220 What Ministers should rejoyce in 394 Ministers are Plow men 471 See Lapsed Wind Rule Motives Motives to continue seeking God 482 Mothers Tender-hearted Mothers admonished 259 Mothers fond love sâ—ayes their children 288 N Nation No Nation but Israel forsook their Gods 〈◊〉 148 Our Nation to be helped not to be fled from 182 See God National No National Church now 75 Nobility Nobility admonished 208 O Officers see Church Opinion The Opinions of the Learned are no rule for Religion 86 Opression Our Opressions are not to be removed but renewed 282 Ordinances see Christian Oyl What the Oyl in sacrifices signified 162 P Pains Pains must be taken about Government 271 Some take more pains to perish than others do to be saved 488 Painted Faces The evil of Painted Faces 433 Particular Particular persons must suffer not resist 18 Pardon see Faith Parents Parents must not be a
shame to their children 222 Parents must give their children good education 266 Passions Disordered passions cause sad conclusions 284 Peace see Leagues People People give power to Kings 16 Common people follow the great Ones 381 Peace Many while they provide for peace provide for ruin 60 Perplexed Why the wicked are perplexed in the day of the Lords wrath 177 Persevere We ought to persevere in duties though we have no present comfort 428 Plow Wee should plow in hope all our lives 428 Wee must continue plowing 471 Plow-men see Ministers Policy see Reason Pomp see Superstition Popery Popery almost brought in at London 25 Pride There is much pride in dejection 169 Pride is the root of not hearing 295 See Stubborness Prayer Weak prayer may be strong 315 Preservation Gods preservation of us all our daies shewed 245 Princes Princes when they come first to the Crown promise faire 276 Princes are not to be trusted in 338 None so perfidious as Princes 338 Prophane see Idolaters Prosper We may prosper and yet have no cause to joy in it 141 Prosperity Take heed in prosperity 250 Professors Yong Professors should be kept down 308 Why Professors are empty 314 See Yong Question Q Question A Question answered by a Professor 180 Quick-sightedness The quick-sightedness of the enemy comes from the Lord. 20 R Racha The word Racha explained 303 Religion When Arms may be taken for Religion 21 Good acts in Religion may be evil in the doer 77 Religion is a Saints recreation 165 Reason Reason Pollicy and Experience may go one way and yet Gods Word another 85 Redemption see Sabbath Recreation see Religion Reformation Reformation cannot prosper except Justice be established 379 Revelations Revelations besides the Word are dangerous 91 Riches Riches in goods work is the best wealth 321 Righteousness What Righteousness is 479 Rod We must not chuse our sin and rod too 427 Romans see Crucifying Ruin Gods mercy prevents our ruin 67 False worship is the ruin of a Land 159 See Peace Rule A Rule to teach common people how to judge of their Ministers 197 Cautions to the same RULE 198 See Scripture S Sabbath The Sabbath was appointed for Commemoration of our Redemption 110 Saints The Saints prize the Law of God 100 The Saints should sorrow most for sin 151 How the Saints rejoyce in Gods vengeance 175 Saints admonished 219 The Saints should prize the enjoyment of God 251 Satan What Satans great design is 200 Scripture The Scripture is the Rule and the Expositor to understand the Rule 87 The Scripture should be looked upon as particular to our selves 92 Self People stick much at what comes from self 30 Self-denial God requirs self-denial in temporal things 119 Servants Great is the danger of servants at their own hand 54 Servants to great men exhorted 277 Service To be employed in publick Service is the making of a man 123 Service-book Service-book and Altars all some mens Religion 387 Sin God knows how to make use of mens sins 22 A man may commit the sin against the holy Ghost and yet continue in Duties 115 God remembers the sin of wicked men when they perform holy duties and why 122 See Altars Rod. Signs Signs of much wrath 126 Sound see Threatning Smiting Smiting with the Pen is worse than smiting with the Sword 281 Sinner God may damn a lesser sinner and save a greater sinner 152 Soul The Excellency of the Soulâ—â— 33 Soldiers Soldiers are Gods Priests 174 Sorrow see Lumpish Spirit The Spirit of God forsaw this generation 114 States States may judg of the right of a Kingdom 2â— Stubborness Stubborness is the fruit of pride 53 Strong Strong places are not to be trusted in 132 Success Sometimes God gives success in judgment 421 Succession Succession ads to Idolatry 80 Superstition How it was superstition in the Israelites to build temples 130 Who mourns most for superstition 391 Why carnal men contend for superstition 490 Superstitious Superstitious men regard outward pomp 27 A note to the Superstitious 204 Superstitious children admonished 258 Sword see Smiting T Taxes Taxes upon mens estates are but mean burdens 66 Teachers Teachers establish worship 84 Temple see Superstition Threatning The threatning of God is a terrible sound 3 Men should be sensible of the threatnings of God 68 Distance of time in commandements and threatnings is not to be heeded 80 Trumpet see Luther Themistocles The saying of Themistocles at his death Thoughts The shifting thoughts of carnal hearts in time of danger 181 Time Evil timâ— are good times to die in 265 Time for England to seek God 477 See Threatning V Vanity Scripture expressions of the vanity of great persons 403 Vessels Gods grace to the vessels of mercy 49 Vile Vile things are many times hid under glorious titles 191 Vileness see Diffidence Villany The villany of malicious Commanders against the Godly 257 Vine The fruitfulness of Vines 300 The Church compared to a Vine ibid. See Emptiness Unclean Why Mourners for the dead were so long uncleane 167 Use Use for the afflicted 440 W Waies see Follow Wealth Wealth is wicked mens glory 223 Wicked men Wicked men are as Eagles in their rage 5 Wicked men first serve their turns of the godly and then scorn them 47 Wicked men are wild upon their lusts 52 Wicked men are contemptible 53 See Perplexity Wind Who they are that sow the wind 37 Ministers must beware they sow not the wind 41 Rules how ib. See God Wine Wine in sacrifices what it signified 162 Wil-worship Will-worship an empty thing 303 Work see Ministers Works see Good Word It is a singular blessing to have the written Word 88 By whom the Word is counted strange 105 World see Christ Worship Gods Worship is an excellent thing 12 Gods Worship is cast off by carnal hearts ibid. Gods Worship must not be imitated 110 The Worship of God is a great matter 104 True Worship must be mourned after 388 See False and Invention Wrath The wrath of God is many times executed in answering our desires 150 The wrath of God called Wine and why 174 See Signs Writers see Men Y Yoke Christ's yoke easier than the yoke of the enemy 436 Young Young Professors their danger 45 Young Professors should be kept down 308 See Vine Young ones Young ones exhorted 214 Young ones the hope of a Nation Youth Youths sins are Ages terrors 121 FINIS 1. Text. 2. Apptic by paraphrase Obs 1 Luther called the trumpet of rebellion simile Pliny Why crucifying on a tree was so hateful to the Romans Expos 3. Obser 2. The paraphrase Obs 3. Luther Author The Assyrians Army why an Eagle Why the Eagle was unclean under the Law Obs Goâ— accepts not Eagles but Doves Obs 1. Gualt Applied to England Obs 2 Obs 3. Luther Author Obs 1. Obs 2. A true Church Use 'T is good dwelling in Gods house Ps 26. 8. explained Officers of the Church Obs 3. The good of Christians depends upon the Covenant
good we cast off mercy and protection we open a door to all kind of misery if we retain that which is good we retain God but when that which is good is cast off we lie exposed and naked to all kind of misery for God owns us not It follows VER 4. They have set up Kings but not by me they have made Princes and I knew it not HERE we have their Civil apostasie the other was a Moral apostasie They have set up their Kings but not by me Though all Government it is to hold on God yet we are to know that God had an especial hand in the Government of the people of the Jews It was as Lapide upon the place calls it a Spiritual and a kind of Divine Kingdom it was not meerly Civil the Government that God set over them was typical it was to typifie the Government of Christ And hence we are to take this Caution We may easily be led aside into many mistakes and errors if we argue thus That because the Kings of Israel and Judah did thus and thus therefore it is in the power of any King at these times to do so for certainly there was a mighty deal of difference between the Government then even the Government in that State and the Government now for State and Church was mixt together and the Government then it was typical it was to typifie the Kingdom of Jesus Christ therefore though God leaves People leaves States now to their Liberty to set up what Government may be best for them yet it was not permitted to the Jews they were to have only that Government that God should reveal from Heaven for their Civil State therefore when they would change the form of their Government first from Judges to Kings God said they had rejected him in casting off that They set up Kings but not by me Some think that this hath reference to the chusing of Kings at first because that they did it without Gods Warrant when they chose a King to themselves at first and so they have set up Kings but not by me But I rather think that this hath reference to Jeroboam and his successors they set up Jeroboam and his successors and not by God This you will say is very strange for it is cleer in Scripture that it was from God that Jeroboam should be King and that the ten Tribes should be rent from Solomons posterity for the punishment of Solomons sin it was prophesied of by Ahijah the Shilonite 1 King 11. 29 30 31. the Prophet came to Jeroboam and renâ— the Garment of Jeroboam in twelve pieces and said to him Take thee ten pieâ—es for thus saith the Lord the God of Israel Behold I will rent the Kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten Tribes to thee The Lord sent his Prophet to tell him expresly that he would rent ten Tribes from the house of Solomon to give them to him and yet here it is said That they have set up Kings but not by me Again in the 10. chap. and 15. ver Rehoboam hearkened not unto the people for the Cause was from the Lord that he might perform his saying which the Lord spake by Ahijah the Shilomite unto Jeroboam the Son of Nebat It was from the Lord that Rehoboam gave such a churlish answer was from the Lord that he was left to such a Tyrannical cruel spirit that the Lord might fulfil the word that he had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite Abulensis thinks that the ten Tribes for the matter of the thing did no more than they might do and he gives this reason for saith he the people these Tribes were free Tribes but Rehoboam would bring them into slavery and he would reign over them as a Tyrant therefore saith he they might lawfully depart from him and leave him and make to themselves a new King and then he puts the Cause viz. for that a people or Common-wealth saith he they first gave the power to Kings and Princes but they did it upon certain conditions at first therefore as they first gave power unto them so saith he they may diminish it if they abuse it and Tyrannize over them for he hath this further expression the people did not absolutely give themselves to him when a people do chuse a chief Governor saith he they do not give themselves to them as a man gives to his friend a piece of money or a horse so as they give all out of their own possession and that he might do with them what he will but upon certain conditions thus and thus this Abulensis hath Now though I do not altogether approve of what he hath said because at least the case between People and Princes now is different from what it was then God chalenged a peculiar Prerogative over them for tendering their Government yet thus far in Divinity is true There is more reason that people should now have more power to cast off Tyranny than there was because now none comes to Government over others but by Agreement therefore if the Agreement and Law of the Country be that they shall be elect and not haereditary they are so if that the males shall only inherit he shall only inherit and so if the Law of the Country were for delivering themselves from tyranny so far certainly God allows it in His Word But now to answer the Case more cleerly They set up Kings but not by me though GOD had foretold that the ten Tribes should be rent away from the house of David and that Jeroboam should be set up yet they did not do this thing in a lawful way as they ought for they should have consulted with God about the time and manner of it when God would have it done it was not enough that God did fortell it should be done but when they did it they ought to have done it in a way of consulting with God and they ought to have been ordered by God for the way and manner of it and they did not do it in way of fulfilling the Prophesie for the people generally knew no such thing but meerly minding their own passions and lusts they look'd at no further though God did over-rule it to fulfil his own Counsels yet they aimed at no such thing Whence we have these useful Notes for our edification First That we may do the thing that God would have done and yet sin highly against God God would have Jeroboam set up but they only looking at the matter and did not observe Gods way God did reject them Secondly To do that which God would have done yet if we do not know that it is Gods mind we sin against God Though we do the thing that God would have done in His secret will yet we sin against God if we know it not to be His revealed will Now no action can be good but that which is done not