upon my breakings No but I will rest upon the breakings of Jesus Christ who in the daies of his flesh did send up mighty cries with tears to God and was heard he prevail'd He made supplication Supplieation or prayer it is the great prevailing Ordinance with God that 's the Note It hath been the great Engin that hath carried things on in the world Prayer in Revel 8. 4. The prayers of the Saints were offered up and voices of Thunder and Lightening and Earthquakes followed when they were offered Prayers of the Saints can move Heaven and Earth they can prevail with the God of Heaven and Earth The Praying Legion was called the Thundering Legion And Luther saith of prayers they are our Guns our Cannons our Prayers can prevail more than Cannons The Saints have alwaies put their great strength upon Prayer It 's a very observable Scripture Psal 109. 4. For my love they are my adversaries but what then But I pray it is in your books But I give my self to prayer but the words Give my self you may observe printed in another distinct Character which is to note that those words are not in the Original but added by the Translators and in that they dealt faithfully but if you reade it as it is in the Hebrew it is For my love they are my adversaries but I pray as if he should say that 's my refuge I account prayer to be the great help that I have when they are my adversaries and rail upon me I will not rail upon them again when they oppose me I will not oppose them again but I pray I 'le pray to my God and I make account I have help enough there to resist my enemies that I have Jacob prevailed over the Angel by suppication It 's a good sign of a gracious heart to lay the weight of business upon pra 〈…〉 But I will not enter into this common place of the excellency or power of Prayer and Supplication but only this It 's not every prayer that will prevail so with God What prayer will then Such a prayer as Jacob's was in Gen. 32. 9. there 〈◊〉 shall find how your Father Jacob prayed and there 〈◊〉 excellent Ingredients saith the text And Jacob said O God of my Father Abraham and God of my Father Isaac c. That 's the First Ingredient to Prayer Faith in the Covenant of God upon that the strength of any prayr most depends Indeed to have strong Expressions and Affections in prayer are good but Strength of Faith in the Covenant of God is the greatest strength of prayer and it was with this strength that Jacob did prevail Oh! God of my Father Abraham and God of my Father Isaac as if he should say Oh! thou God that hast entred into Covenant with my Father Abraham and Isaac O God remember thy COVENANT O God I rest upon 〈◊〉 COVENANT the COVENANT of Grace that 〈◊〉 hast made with them for so certainly that with 〈◊〉 hans and Isaac was the same for it 's said That Circum 〈…〉 sion was the sign and seal of the righteousness that he had 〈◊〉 Faith And in Thee shall all the Nations of the Earth be bl 〈…〉 There was the Covenant of Grace Now O Lord 〈◊〉 it is the Covenant of Grace that I rest upon in the 〈◊〉 straits When you are in any strait and go to Go 〈…〉 prayer if you can have recourse to the Covenant 〈◊〉 Grace and act your saith upon Gods Covenant with you Oh! that will be a strong prayer When there are but words in prayer they vanish as the wind but when there is much saith in prayer that makes it to prevail the prayer of faith that 's prevalent saith the Apostle James that 's the first ingredient in his prayer he made supplication and exercises faith in the Covenant And then the second was His appeal to God that he was 〈◊〉 the way that he had set him He could appeal thus to God which saidst unto me Return unto thy Country and to thy Kindred Why Lord am I out of my way am I not in the way that thou hast set me I met with difficul 〈…〉 in my way but Lord thou saidest to me Return 〈…〉 to thy Country thou bidest me return so that 's an excellent ingredient in prayer and ads much strength when the soul in prayer can come to God and say O Lord there is this and this difficulty befallen me but Lord I am in the way that thou hast set me I am doing thy work I am not out of my way For any man or woman to be out of their way that God hath set them in will mightily damp their hearts in prayer And it 's a mighty encouragement to prayer and carries it on with mighty strength when the soul can appeal to God Lord whatsoever straits I meet withal yet I am in thy way Then the Third thing in prayer It is the pleading of â—particular Promise And I will deal well with thee God 〈…〉 de a Promise to Jacob in particular that he would deal 〈◊〉 with him in his journy that he went And the 〈◊〉 faith we have to take hold upon particular promises that concerns the particular business we pray about 〈◊〉 we pray about any business though it 's true the 〈◊〉 strength is in the great Promise the Covenant of 〈…〉 But then it ads much strength likewise to have 〈…〉 f particular Promises that concerns the very business we are about and it 's a very good thing when we go about a business that hath difficulty in it to search the Word and to see what Promises there are that doth more particularly concern the business we go about The Fourth Ingredient it was his Acknowledgment and Sence of his own unworthiness and vileness in ver 10. I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewn unto thy Servant When the soul comes with humility before God in Prayer and is truly sensible of its unworthiness of any mercy Lord I am not worthy of the least crum of bread but rather worthy to be cast out from thy presence for ever it 's an easie matter for men and women to have such words in their mouths but to have this indeed in their hearts in prayer ads very much strength to prayer The Fifth Ingredient in his prayer it was The acknowledgment of the mercy that he had received and of the truth of God in fulfilling Promises and both ads much strength to prayer to take notice of what God hath done for us to take notice how God hath fulfil'd his Word in great measure for us when we are praying we many times are sensible only of what we would have but not of what we receive and the vehemencie of our desires after what we would have doth take away our apprehensions and hinders our acknowledgment of the
Sun as the Sun is high above a piece of earth But now this we may know let there be never such excellent Creatures made they cannot have a greater fruit of love than mankind hath from God Oh! this is the love of God to mankind this cals aloud to the children of men to love God here 's a fruit of love beyond that which is to Angels for the Lord took not upon him the Nature of Angels but the Nature of man Fifthly God so loved his people as he hath given himself too as well as his Son Not only given the Second Person in Trinity but Himself He doth not think enough to give Heaven and Earth to thee to be thy Portion but he will make Himself to be thy portion he will be thy God You would think it a great matter if God should say Well all this world I will give to be thy portion yea that I might give a testimony that I love thee I will make another world for thy sake and make thee the Emperor of it all but in that God hath given thee his Son and given thee Himself this is a greater degree of Love and the soul of man were it enlarged indeed so as it might be yea so as grace doth enlarge the hearts of the Saints such a soul would say Lord what will thou give me if thou givest me not thy Son if thou givest me not thy Self though I be less than the least of thy mercies yet except I have thy self to be my protion this is not sufficient for me Well saith God That thou maiest know that my heart is set upon thee for good I 'le give thee my Son I 'le give thee my self and my Spirit Oh! what love is this to the children of men that ever we should live to have our ears filled with this sound from Heaven that God should do such things as these are for the children of men Sixthly God doth so love his people as in comparison of his Saints he cares not what becomes of all the world in Isa 43. 4. I loved thee therefore will I give men for thee and people for thy life If thy case be so that it shall not be well with thee without great evils that shall come upon the children of men the generality of men and many people and Nations I do not so much care for them saith God my heart is upon you so as in comparison of you I care not what becomes of all the world Oh the Love of God unto his Saints Yea further God hath loved thee so as he hath pardoned all thy sins here 's another twist of Gods Love in Rev. 1. 5. Vnto him that hath loved us and washed us from our sins by his own blood For his giving himself for us that is in Gal. 2. 20. He hath loved us and washed us from our sins by his own blood here 's a fruit of Love You do not hear it said that Christ hath loved us and hath purchased great Kingdoms for us hath made you Lords and Earls and Countesses and so hath loved you no But he hath loved us and washed us from our sins by his blood Now it 's a good argument that the Love of God is upon you if you account this to be a great fruit of Love to wash you from your sins by the blood of Jesus Christ Surely if he will do so much for you as shall cost him so dear as his own blood he loves you the Love Jesus Christ broke through these difficulties for when there were such transactions between the Father and Son about redeeming the Soul saith God If thou wilt take upon thee to deliver them from their sin thou must come thy self and be made a Curse for their sins What will you undertake such a thing as that to deliver them from their sin it will cost you thus much Saith Jesus Christ Lord thy will be done in it yet let me deliver them from their sin though I lose my life though it cost me my blood though I be made a Curse whatsoever it cost me yet let their sins be washed from them He hath washed us from our sins though it cost him his blood Oh! the Love of Christ to his Saints what Bonds of Love have we here I have seen some that they may twist and bind their cords the more fast they will wet them that so they may close and bind the more Oh the Cords of the Love of Jesus Christ are wet with his own blood Again Loved thee surely his Love hath been great he hath put loveliness upon thee he hath put upon thee his own Nature If one can say any thing greater than hath been said this one would think should be very high and great tor God so love us as to put his own Nature into us to make us partaker of the Divine Nature so to love us as to put his own Life into us to enable us to live the very same life that himself doth live so to love us as to put his own Image upon us Oh! this is the Love of God to his Saints Again He loves thee with the very same Love wherewith he loves Jesus Christ himself In John 17. about the latter end That thou maiest love them with the same Love wherewith thou hast loved me saith Christ to the Father Oh! to have the same Love that the Father loves Christ withal Is not this a strong Bond to bind thy heart to God If God had loved thee only so as to give thee an estate and honors here in this world this is no other love but that the Reprobate may have and will this Love satisfie thee Oh! the difference between the Love of God to his Saints and the Love of God to other men he loves the great ones of the world that are wicked with no other love but with the love that he loves a Reprobate but he loves the Saints with the same Love wherewith he loves his Son and this Love will bring thee one day to be one with the Father and the Son and is not here a strong Bond of Love to gain thy heaâ—t to Himself And further from this it must needs be that the Lord must delight in Communion with his Saints and indeed God doth all this for his Saints puts the Divine Nature into them and the Life of God and sets so much Love upon them why that he might have a people to enjoy everlasting Communion with him saith God I would fain have some Creatures that might live with me to enjoy communion with me that might live to see my face and see all the Glory that I intend to manifest to all eternity Oh blessed God! hast not thou the Angels that are with thee to enjoy thy Glory to have communion with thee no saith God but I would have these poor creatures that are so low and mean in the
Word this day these Bonds may be somewhat strengthened that you may feel some strength in these Bonds that you may go away with your hearts more strongly united to the Love of God than ever I drew them with the Cords of a man With Bonds of Love and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their Jaws and I laid meat unto them Part of the last Sermon it was spent in opening unto you these Bonds of Love And shewing First What were the Bonds of Gods Love towards the people of Israel the several expressions of Gods Love to them in several particulars And shewed you how that all those that had to deal with men to draw them to God should do as God doth labor to draw them with Bonds of Love I have especially directed my self unto the Saints of God and shewed to them what bonds of of Love God hath laid upon their hearts to draw them to himself I have not applied this point generally yet for indeed one principal Bond of the Love of God towards the Nation will follow in the words after But certainly the Lord hath sought to draw this Nation to himself with Bonds of Love We may say concerning God he hath loved this Nation Loved it It was the first Nation that ever received Jesus Christ by the countenance of publick Authority of the Supream Authority in the Nation And when Antichrist had darkned the light of the Gospel here the bowels of Gods Compassions yerned towards it and God wrought wonderfully to deliver this Nation from Antichristian Tyrannie Moreover The Lord hath not sent the light and power of the Gospel to any Nation under Heaven more fully nay without prejudice to any other we may say not so fully as to this Nation though there are many of the Saints of God else where yet in no place under Heaven hath God more yea so many Saints I might almost say put all the Nations of the earth together so many that know him so fully and have that power of godliness in the worshiping of him as here in this Nation Oh! the Bonds of Love that are upon us Yea If we look upon our outward mercies those liberties that we enjoy there 's scarce any Nation that hath the Commonalty of the people that live like men in comparison of ours for the most part of all the Nations in the world the generality of people are like slaves rather than any Free-men their Governors rule over them with Tyranny but here the Common people have Liberties and God works mightily for them for the vindicating of the Liberties that they have both for their bodies and outward estates and their souls likewise and Oh! the Love that God hath shewn unto us of late in working so miraculously for us as he hath done But there is one point more observable in these Bonds of Love that God draws people unto himself by The scope of the Prophet here in mentioning these Bonds of Love it is to aggravate their sin from whence there is this That there 's nothing more aggravates sin than that it is against Love God hath Three Bonds to bind us to Obedience There 's the Bond of his Law And the Bonds of Afflictions And the Bonds of Love But now to break all these Bonds The Bonds of the Commandements and the Bonds of Afflictions and Bonds of Love too this aggravates sin very much Oh charge thy sin with this aggravation Oh thou sinner What against such a God such Love Oh what a vile heart have I Saith Augustin Oh 't is too hard a spirit that though it will not bestow Love yet it will not requite Love O! let not there be such a hardness in the Spirits of the Saints Thou didest not begin with God to love thou didest not begin to bestow Love be not so hard towards God as not to requite Love Do not we see how base Love can gain upon mens hearts adulterous love what strong bonds that love is the giving of gifts and bribes what bonds they are to tie mens harts their hands and tongues and shall not the Love of God and the fruits of that be a stronger Bond to tie thy heart unto him Nothing goes more to the heart of Man of God than the abuse of Love A man can better bear the abuse of his mony the abuse of any thing he doth or hath than the abuse of his Love Gods Spirit is grieved with his Saints we do not reade that the Spirit of God is grieved with the Wicked God may be angry with the wicked every day but not grieved but when the Saints sin against him the Spirit of God is grieved because their sins are against Love when thou sinnest against God the Lord looks upon thee as Caesar once upon Brutus What thou my Son What thou whom I have so loved What break all those bonds When we reade in the second Psal of the Kings and Princes of the Earth that said Let us break their Bonds asunder and cast away their Cords from us We think that 's great Rebellion but for thou that professest thy self to be Gods it 's a greater evil to break these bonds of Love Oh! thou my Son my Child thou whom I have bestowed so much Love upon yet thou to sin against me when thou art committing of any evil conceive with thy self as if God were looking upon thee and pleading with thee by all those fruits of his love that ever thou hast received from him and wilt thou yet sin against him for all this We reade in Mark 14. 72. when Peter had sinned Christ did but look upon him and he wept bitterly Oh! Peter saw love in the looks of Jesus Christ and therefore we know after when Christ came to him he pleaded with him with this argument of love Doest thou love me and doest thou love me Oh! when he saw the eyes of Christ so sparkling of love and then considered that he had sinned against that Christ that had so loved him broke all those bonds of love then he went out and wept bitterly the word is in Mark 14. 72. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He did break out in weeping For so it may signifie that force that there is in doing any thing to lay a force upon ones self to do a thing He did break out break out in weeping he was not able to bear it his heart burst even in sunder when he considered how he had burst asunder the bonds of Love Oh that after such manifestations of Mercy and goodness such warmings of heart in Communion with Jesus Christ what thou Oh my soul what canst thou find in any waies like Gods waies canst thou find the like love and the like sweetness in any as thou hast done in God yet for all this unkind unloving dealings God follows thee with Love his heart is yet open unto thee
never returned I shall follow those that think it hath reference to the times of the Gospel and to all the true Israel of God that should be converted to the faith and I think it hath reference to that because we find so often in this Prophesie of Hosea things that are so far off to be interpreted to the times of the Gospel Therefore I will yet make them to dwell in Tabernacles Thus to be understood in this Spiritual Sense That the Lord hath his time though he seem'd to cast off these ten Tribes yet to bring the Jews and all the Israel of God to bring them into his Church and to build several Tabernacles for them in his Church And there in several Churches as so many several Tabernacles there they shal have the feast of sweet things of fat things of refined Wine upon the Lees as in Isa 25. the Promises of the Gospel are set out by a feast of fat things so saith God I 'le bring thee into several Churches as several Tabernacles and there shall they keep a feast and there shall their hearts rejoyce and be satisfied as with marrow and fatness My Brethren the Lord hath delivered us in great measure from Egypt all the difficultie now is about building of Tabernacles for the present there 's verie little matter to make Tabernacles of amongst us I remember Mr Ainsworth in Exod 25. 3. he tells of a Tradition of the Jews and cites Rabbi Menachem for it that observed there was no Iron stuff for the building of the Tabernacle truly our hearts are most Iron and hard one towards another and therefore notfit matter for Tabernacles in 1 King 6. 7. There was no Iron tool neither heard in the building of the Temple Oh! my brethren Iron tools will not do the work for the building of Gods Tabernacle we must have other manner of tools than these There 's no Tabernacles almost yet wherein the Saints either of one judgment or of another have much rejoycing The Glory of God hath not yet filled our Tabernacles that we have built what God intends towards this Generation whether ever to bring them into those Tabernacles that here he promises I know not but surely that God that hath brought us out of Egypt he will bring either us or the posteritie after us he will bring a Generation of his people to keep the feast of Tabernacles with rejoycing It follows VER 10. I have also spoken by the Prophets and I have multiplied visions c. THis is a further Declaration of Gods goodness to this people and upbraiding them for their wickedness they have had so much means as if God should say They have not wanted the revealing of my Will I have spoken by my Prophets and multiplied visions Heb. 1. 1. seems to have reference to this That God at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past to the Fathers by the Prophets several sorts of waies God reveal'd himself in former times I have spoken by my Prophets There is not much difficulty in the words The Notes briefly are these That it's God that speaks by his Prophets Though Prophets are mean and the messengers of God mean yet so long as they speak to you in his Name the Authoritie of what they say it is above any They may be under their Auditors many waies but the message they bring it is above them though they are weak yet there 's the power of God goes along with what they speak to make it good and therefore you shall find when Christ sent his Disciples to preach Go saith he and teach all Nations but first he saith All power is given to me in Heaven and Earth then the words that follow are Go ye therfore and teach all Nations as if he should say All the power that is given to me shall go along with your teaching it is the Lord that speaks the Lord Christ that speaks in his Word by his Messengers He that hears you hears me and he that despiseth you despiseth me The Word doth little good til men come to apprehend this That it's God that speaks by his Messengers 1 Thess 2. 13. the Apostle saith That they received the Word not as the word of Men but as it is in truth the Word of God That is observable of Samuel God called to Samuel and Samuel thought it had been Eli that spake and all that time God would not reveal his mind to him til at length Samuel gives this answer Lord speak for thy servant heareth Mark God would reveal his mind to Samuel then and not before So 't is here You come to the Word and you come to hear the gifts of such men and such a man hath excellent gifts and abilities and delivery and such kind of things God reveals nothing to you you go away and hear a sound and there 's all and no more is revealed to you than if you heard an Oration in a School but when God shall be pleased to dart this thought into your minds I am now going to hear that which is the Word of God Himself the Word of that God that is my Judg and that must be my Judg at the great day now see whether God will not make himself known to you that so you shal say Methinks I never heard Sermon before in all my life I have come and heard a Man preach but I never heard God preach before It was not as the Word of God but as the word of such a man God expects that men should tremble at his Word and therefore look upon it as his Word Secondly It is a great mercy to a People for God to grant his Prophets among them to reveal his mind to them What would all the world be but as a dungeon of darkness were it not for the Prophets and Ministers of God 〈…〉 ey are as the Light of the World and the Salt of the Earth the World would rot and be unsavorie were it not for the Ministry of the Word in the World and so we find that when God-would make a special Promise to his People he promises them that they shall have their Teachers in Isa 30. 20. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction yet shall not thy Teachers be removed into a corner any more but thine eyes shall see thy Teachers Oh! here 's a promise to a gracious heart But to another it 's nothing What Shall the Ministry of the Word countervail the loss of my estate God doth not say I 'le take away from you your afflictions Oh no but your eyes shall see your Teachers perhaps your eyes shall never see your Money and Estates again but your eyes shall see your Teachers And we know when Christ was ascended up on high in his Coronation Day Kings in their Coronation daies use to give great Gifts to shew their
when God loved him you may find in Ezek. 16. 4 5. c. And as for thy Nativity in the day that thou wast born thy navel was not cut neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee thou wast not salted at all nor swadled at all and then in the 5. verse None eye piâ—ed thee to do any of these unto thee to bave compassion upon thee but thou wast cast out in the open field to the loathing of thy person in the day that thou wast born then in the 6. verse And when I passed by tree and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Livâ— yet I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live Again and again and then in the 8. verse Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold thy time was the time of love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakedness yea I sware unto thee and entred into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine Well but wherein did God manifest that he did love Israel when he was a Child Mark the 8. verse When I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold thy time was the time of love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakedness yea I sware unto thee and entred into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord and thou becamest mine The Love of God to Israel i exprest in these three particulars First That God made a Covenant with him Oh 't is a great mercy of God and a fruit of great love that such an infinite God would be pleased to make a Covenant with his people to bring them into Covenant with him all man-kind was in Covenant with God at first but falling from that first Covenant there was but only a peculier people that God took into Covenant with himself and made it as a fruit of his great love to take a certain people into Covenant with himself more than others And secondly Thou becamest mine that is I had separated thee for my self and took thee for a peculier one to me and intended special mercy and goodness to thee Thou becamest mine so as that I should have a special propriety in thee and thou shouldest have a special propriety in me And then thirdly I confirmed all this by an Oath I sware this unto thee Was not here love for God to Covenant to take in to such propriety and to swear that we should be his Thus when Israel was a child I loved him that 's the meaning of this Scripture Now the Note of Observation is this First That it is the priviledg of the Church and of the Saints for God to love them God loves his people this is their priviledge he loves them with a special love In the 12. of Jer. 7. they are called the dearly beloved of Gods soul see how God loves his people God he delights in his Saints and there is nothing in the world that should sanctifie a gracious heart more than this That God loves him And as Gods love is extraordinary to them more than to other People so their love again should be reflected upon God in a more than ordinary way There 's nothing can be a recompence to Love but Love that 's certain Love is never satisfied but with Love And therefore seeing God professes love to his people he doth expect love from them therefore he will not be satisfied with any duties you perform whatsoever you do but it must be out of Love Love must have Love and know that you cannot prize Gods love more than God prizes yours there is nothing in Heaven and Earth that God prizes more than the love of his Saints and therefore if ever Gods love or Gods prizing of your love may gain love Oh you Saints love the Lord. That 's the first But Secondly It 's a great aggravation unto sin to sin against love For to that end God here shews that he loved them that he might aggravate their sin so much the more and cleer himself Many times you make in the daies of your humiliation and at other times many aggravations of your sin that your sin it is against knowledge this is great That your sin it is of an hainous nature that it doth a great deal of hurt that it brings you under dreadful threatnings that it provokes the wrath of an infinite God against you these are great things for the humbling of your hearts for sin But above all aggrevations for sin this is the great aggravation That your sin is against Love that though God hath shown much love to you yet you sin against a loving God and a gracious God God begins with this aggravation being his scope here to cleer himself and to charge his people of ungratefulness yet God loved them Oh! sins against love are great sins indeed But Thirdly I loved him when he was a child 〈◊〉 very 〈…〉 to mind Gods old love That 's the Third Note The love of God unto us when we were children yea the love of God unto our fore-fathers the love of God unto a people when they were at the first beginning the ancient love of God to a people 't is of very g 〈…〉 use it is of great use for al to consider of the love of God in former times to them nay brethren it would be of very great use for us to consider of ancient love of God to England And I will give you one remarkable Note of Gods antient love to this Nation that 's this That it was the first Nation that ever God set his heart upon for the chusing of the Gospel the first Nation in the world that by publick Authority did submit to the Gospel and certainly God remembers that love of England For we find it recorded it 's true we cannot expect Scripture for this because it was â—â—nce the time of any Scripture but so far as we may give any credit to Stories we find it of all Nations upon the face of the Earth the first that received the Gospel with the Countenance of Publick Authority And this is not a little matter Certainly the Lord remembers the kindness of our youth and the old love of England and the first love of England in receiving the Gospel Indeed God caused the Gospel to be preached to other places before it was to England I but there was no placâ— that by the countenance of Publick Authority 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it so soon as England did and therefore England may be said to be the very first fruits of the Gospel in that respect Oh! 't is good for us to consider of that and many good uses we may make of Gods old ancient love when we see any further expressions of Gods love it may encourage us upon the thoughts of his former love there was an old love and this God continues his old
I remember the kindness of thy youth saith God For yong people to love God Oh! God loves that God loves the love of yong ones the love of children how sweet will old age be to thee if thou canst say thus Lord through thy mercy I have loved thee from a child and that 's an evidence that thou didest love me when I was a child How many are there now that are old whom God loved when they were yong that would give ten thousand worlds if they had them that they had known and loved God sooner than they have done Though it 's true I lived in wickedness almost all my daies and yet at length God manifested himself to me and by that I know God hath loved me from eternity but Oh! that I had loved God from a child I say those whose eyes God enlightens and hearts God converts to himself would give ten thousand thousand worlds that they could but say this Oh that I had but loved God from a child You who are children and yong ones do you begin betimes to love God that if you live to be old you may say that God loved you from a child It was an excellent speech of Austin when God pleased to work upon his heart Lord I loved thee too late And so it will be with any that do begin to love God they will say that they loved God too late and it will be the great burden to their souls that they loved God so late as they did And called my Son out of Egypt I call'd him that is by Moses and Aaron I sent them to call them out of Egypt and bring them from thence and this seems to have reference to that Scripture in Exod. 4. 22. where the Lord saith Israel is my Son even my first born Moses comes to Pharaoh in the Name of God to have Israel out of Egypt and he coms to Pharaoh after this manner and Tell him that God saith Israel is my son even my first born so in Jer. 31. 9. I am a Father to Israel and Ephraim is my first born My son The Seventy have it in the plural My sons his sons out of Egypt but in the Hebrew it is in the singular I called my son out of Egypt and although the holy-Ghost speaks of al the people in general yet he puts them in the singular number and in their very community they are cal'd the son of God The Church that 's the Note from hence is related to God as a son to the father yea the very first-born what God speaks of the people of Israel is especially intended towards his Saints which are the true Israel of God they have the priviledg to be sons unto God to be children Is it a light matter saith David to be the son in Law to to a King but then what do you think it is to be the son to the King of Heaven and Earth and the Heir of Heaven and Earth Is Ephraim my dear son Jer. 31. 20. Ephraim my dear son This is the priviledg therfore of the Saints that God deals with them as sons I 'le spare them as a Father spareth his own son that serveth him in the third Chapter of Malachy the 17. verse And the special priviledg that they have from this is that they are not under that Law that slaves are under in reference to God those that are in the state of slaverie they are under this Law Do or Die if thou doest offend but in the least thou shalt perish for ever the curse of the Law is upon thee But the Sons of God are brought into another condition not to be under that Law they indeed if they do offend may be corrected and chastized but they are never under the Law of the sentence of eternal death for their offence there 's a great deal of difference between the administration of God towards Slaves and towards Sons This is the great priviledg of Son-ship That thou art not under the Law thou art brought under another Law under the Law of Jesus Christ that though thy sin indeed of its own nature if God should deal with thee in Justice would be enough to put thee under an eternal Curse yet being a Son God puts thee under another Law and doth not deal with thee by that Law that pronounces a Curse against every sin They are Sons Secondly Let wicked men who have to deal with Gods people when any of the Saints of God are under their power let them take heed how they use them For they are Sons they are not Slaves they are the Sons of the eternal God in Jer. 2. 14. Is Israel a Servant is he a home-born Slave why is he spoiled How comes it to pass that Israel is dealt withall so as he is What is not Israel a Son When as any of the people of God are under the power of any men God looks upon them as Sons and if they deal hardly with them God will enquire and will say thus Is such a one a slave had he been a slave I would not so much have car'd for your dealings thus with him but he is a Son You find in the Acts that they were afraid when they heard that Paul was a Roman When thou knowest thou hast to deal with a Son of God know that thou hast not so much liberty to misuse him as thou hast to misuse another man though no liberty to misuse any Thirdly The Saints are not only Sons in their particular relation but in their Community they are sons too Take them joyn'd together as the members of the Church and so the whole Community of the Church now is but as one Son I called my Son out of Egypt He speaks of the whole Body of Israel Now the Lord looks upon the Community of his Church as one Son in the singular number There are many priviledges that do belong to the Church of God in their Community as well as in their particular relation And they should labor to unite themselves much together seeing God puts them altogether in the singular number Oh! the Lord loves unity in his Church Though a Son yet in Egipt That 's the Note further from thence That Gods Sons are not free from sore and grievous evils in this world though they be Sons yet they may go into Egipt In Jer. 12. 7. I have for saken mine house I have left mine heritage I have given the dearly beloved of my Soul into the hands of her enemies Though the dearly beloved of Gods Soul yet given into the hands of enemies Though Gods Son yet goes into Egypt So the Church under Antichrist for above twelve hundred years God gave up his Sons into that spiritual Egypt We must not think therefore as soon as we come under greivous afflictions that God hath cast us off from being Sons though they were in
Egypt yet stil they were my Sons Now we are ready to think that if God bring us into sore afflictions then we are no more sons No thou mayest be delivered up to the power of the enemy and yet a son of God still and no slave for all that and no enemy There 's a notable Scripture in Deut. 32. 10. where it is said of the people of Israel That they were in the waste howling wilderness and yet they were as the apple of Gods eye so thou maest be delivered up to the wast howling wilderness to suffer sore things to be banished from thy house and home and to wander up and down in the wilderness and yet remain as the apple of Gods eye It is a strange sight indeed to see a child of God an Heir of Heaven a Co heir with Jesus Christ one dearer unto God than Heaven and Earth to be under the power the humors the lusts of wicked men of base ungodly ones yet it is so yea for a time they may be slaves to Satan I say those that God hath an eternal love to even are for a season oft times slaves to Satan But then they have not the comfort of this Son-ship nor do not know it But now they may know themselves to be Sons and yet slaves to the humors of wicked and ungodly men there is not a stranger sight in the world I beleeve the Angels in Heaven do not see a stranger sight that they more admire at when they see a godly man to be under the lusts of wicked men but this is Gods work for the present God intends to manifest himself in another way hereafter but for the present he fetches about the glory of his own ends this way to let even his own dear sons to be in Egypt But God calls them out of Egypt God hath his time to deliver his people and call them out of Egypt and 't is but a Call and it 's done it is as easily done as a man that gives a call for such a one out of such a place let our bondage be never so great 't is but a word from God to deliver us Again It is a great mercy to be cal'd out of Egypt This the Lord here brings as a great testimony of his love to them that he calls them out of Egypt In Exod. 12. 42. It is a night to be much observed of all the Children of Israel in their Generations To be called from that Egypt was a fruit of Love and so to be called from spiritual Egypt for mans natural estate is a spiritual Egypt to be cal'd from Antichristian Egypt is a great fruit of Love and as 't is a fruit of love so it is an aggravation of sin for so it is brought I called my Son out of Egypt and yet they did thus and thus If God remembred this mercy of calling them out of Egypt so many years before as an aggravation of their sin how much more may the Lord make that an aggravation of our sin that called us of late out of that Egypt that we were in Many waies I might shew you that we were under a great if not a greater bondage than the Israelites were under in Egypt And there hath been as out stretched an arm though not so obvious to sence in calling of us out as in calling of them out of Egypt now let not this be an aggravation of our sin the sound of our cries under the yoke of our bondage is not yet out of our ears and the very sores of our shoulders through their yokes are not yet throughly healed and therefore if we now before the sound be out of our ears and our sores be healed yet grow to be wanton foolish vain proud cruel oppressing one another and abusing of our liberty Oh! our sin must needs be accounted exceeding great before God Well but yet we see not all the mind of God in this expression nor the chief part of his mind for we find in in Matth. 2. 15. that there the holy Ghost cites this Scripture that now I am opening to you and interprets it of Jesus Christ When Jesus Christ was fain to fly into Egypt to save his life the holy Ghost saith That it was to fulfil that Scripture I called my Son out of Egypt It is a very strange Interpretation as we have divers other such in the new Testament and Hierom upon the place saith That Julian takes advantage upon this and some of the Jews with others that hated Christian Religion did take much advantage upon this quotation of Matthew against the Authority of the Gospel and said surely it argued Matthew very unskilful in Scripture that he should make such a quotation as this when it is apparant that it is spoken of the calling of the people of Israel out of Egypt And truly we should never have thought that there had been such a meaning in this place of Hosea had we not found it so interpreted by the holy Ghost And by the way before we come to open that and shew how that was a right quotation of this Scripture I 'le but observe this one Note from it that we may see that by the interpretation both of Matthew and divers other places we find in the new Testament that there is much more of the mind of God in the old Testament than was ordinarily known to them that lived in those times Which of the Jews could have made such an Interpretation I have called my Son out of Egypt That is Jesus Christ after he is born he shall be persecuted and forced to fly for his life and that into Egypt and he shall come again out of Egypt who could have thought the holy Ghost could have intended such a thing as this is Things were not understood til they came to be fulfilled and then they were understood And the truth is as in the old Testament so in the new there are a great many Scriptures that we understand yet but little of And the time of our knowing the meaning of them is reserved to the time when they are to be fulfilled many Prophesies we have in the Revelations and other places that are I am confident as dark to us as this place of Hosea was dark to the Jews and there is as excellent a spiritual meaning in many places of the new Testament hidden from us that will hereafter to the Church of God be revealed cleerly as there were in the old Testament many places I know not whether I may say as many as those but are as much hidden from us Jesus Christ that was the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world in Rev. 5. 〈◊〉 he that shall open the Book that is seal'd and it is a fruit of the death of Christ it is the Lamb as he is a Lamb slain from the beginning of the world that shall open the Book that is sealed there are many
world I would have them to be raised up to enjoy communion with my self this is the end of Gods bestowing any Grace upon his Saints it is that he might raise them to enjoy communion with him and to delight in him and he to delight in them that he might have creatures to communicate the treasures of his goodness too and that thou mightest communicate what thou art able to him Surely Christ doth not account himself to be full without his Saints and therefore you find in Ephes 1. 23. that the Church is called the Fulness of Jesus Christ and therefore he praies Father let them be where I am I shall not account my self so full except they be with me and see my Glory Oh the Love of Jesus Christ to his Saints And then further This Love it sweetens and sanctifies all for good thou maiest see Love in every thing now though thou hast less of the creature than others have yet thou hast it out of Love when thou comest home it may be thou hast not so much as others have perhaps but a piece of bread and smal drink yea but I have it out of Love look upon all thy mercies and thou mayest see the eternal Love of God to thee in them They are all sanctified to me for the furtherance of eternal good the Lord from all eternity did see that such a kind of life was the best for me to further the eternal good he intended for me and therefore he hath disposed of me to this condition rather than another condition Oh! how sweet may the life of a man or woman be when as they can reason after this manner Well this condition that now I am in the Lord from eternity saw the fittest condition to work my heart to himself and therefore it is that I am in this estate rather than another And then Love thou findest daily by experience how hath the Lord helped thee in thy straights and heard thee in thy prayers and answered thy desires This I told you in the opening of the text was a fruit of Love to the people of Israel and so it hath been with thee And this love is very strange too for though the Lord did forsee all thy weakness and all thy unbeseeming carriages thy unworthines c. yea the Lord did not only foresee what thou wouldest be before he did manifest love but he did forsee how thou wouldst walk unworthy of his love after it was manifested to thee and though he forsaw all this yet still his love was not quenched towards thee but saith the Lord My love shal break thorow all this Many times you set your love upon some and they prove untoward and unworthy and you think with your selves Could I have but foreseen this untowardness they should never have had my love but now the Lord did foresee al thy il requitals and yet it did not hinder the love of God towards thee And then further In the love of God there is the love of all relations As now The love of a father towards a child the Lord takes upon him the relation of a father and the love of a husband the Lord takes upon him the relation of a husband and the love of a friend too that 's sweet And then that that crowns all it is this That it is an abiding love an everlasting love a love that shall never be quenched He that the Lord loves he loves unto the end he will rest in his love Zeph. 3. 17. Jer. 31. 3. 2 Thess 2. 16. If thou knowest that he hath loved thee in his Son thou hast hereby an everlasting consolation let Heaven and Earth meet together let there be what changes and alterations there will yet there is everlasting consolation for thee if thou knewest but this love of God Now my brethren all this I have done to that end that your hearts may be gained unto God And what wilt thou do now Wilt not thou now love the Lord thy God shal not al this love of God to thee in Christ constrain thee The love of Christ constrains me saith the Apostle Oh! love the Lord all ye Saints if the Lord hath thus loved you love ye the Lord all you his Saints Then God is Love himself he is the Element of Love And whither should love go but up to the Element Air it desires to be in its proper place and Earth will descend to its proper place the proper place of Love is God God is as it were the Element of Love for so the Scripture saith God is Love And he that dwels in God dwels in love Oh labor to be rooted and stablished in love in Ephes 3. 17. Being rooted and stablished in love you may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the length and breadth and depth and heighth and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledg Being rooted in love thereby ye come to comprehend with all Saints the breadth and length and depth and heigth and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge It is not the strength of natural parts Learning doth not so much teach us what the length and heighth and depth of the love of Christ is as Love get but your hearts rooted in Love and you wil come to understand the glorious things of the Gospel in another manner than ever you did And mark what follows That you might be filled with all the fulness of God Had we not such an expression in Scripture we should not dare to make use of it What for a poor creature to be filled with God to be filled with the fulness of God to be filled with all the sulness of God! This is the reason why Christians are so scant in their obedience and empty in their spirits because they are not acquainted with this breadth and length and depth and heighth of the love of Christ Oh know that God prizes thy love and he is satisfied with nothing but thy love in Cant. 7. 12. There will I give thee my loves saith the Spouse When thou comest to the Ordinances to hear the Word receive Sacraments or Prayer yet if thou comest not to give the Lord Christ thy loves it is nothing There will I give thee my loves Oh! Christ prizes love at an high rate and that love that will serve for other things certainly will not serve Christ He loves thee too little saith Augustan that loves any thing besides thee who loves not that thing for thee You may love Wife and Children and Friends yea but you must love them all for God when you see any thing lovely in Husband or Wife or children or Friends yea but think this is but a beam of the loveliness of God And thus I have endeavored now to raise your hearts to God by Love the Lord hath cast Bonds of Love upon your souls On that by the Ministry of his
blasphemy whatsoever but when I see that such and such things are no other but that may stand with Godliness and godlie and peaceable men may have many doubts among them and especially seeing I hold this now of late and did not see it heretofore as now I do I will do possibly what I can with a good conscience that my brethren may enjoy thy Ordinances in what liberty thou wilt afford unto them this savours like the Spirit of a Christian indeed And likewise you that are Governors seeing God account it his Glory to take off the yoke from his people Oh! be you tender towards them that are under you as Majestrates so all Governors Parents and Brethren and Neighbors not to lay too heavie yokes upon Children and Servants Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath and Masters they should be gentle towards them that are under them knowing they have also a Master and therefore give them what libertie may be without sin even outward libertie not to keep them continually at work but some times of recreation some times of refreshment it 's true your Holy-daies are taken aken away but surely there was no such way and means to bury them in Oblivion that they should never be thought of again then to have some set times for Servants and Children to have their recreation It were the only way to keep the Sabbath pure for if they have it not in the week day they will have it on the Sabbath or otherwise they will keep up that which they were wont to have in their former Holy daies The beast must not alwaies be plowing sometimes the yoke must be lifted up and must have some refreshing It follows I laid meat unto them Luther I so wrought for them as they should eat their meat quietly as if he should say You did not provide for your selves your meat I prepared it for you and came and laid it before you thus God laid meat before them when he rained Manna from Heaven when the Quails were he provided it Whence observe Mercies prepared and provided for laid before us are to be prized When we come to have a mercy I say that did not cost us much when it is prepared and set before us this is to be prized How many of you have all your mercies prepared for you When you go abroad about business now you take no care for provision at home in your families you do but dress you and go abroad it may be to a Sermon or other company and return home again you have your Tables spread and find full Dishes upon your Tables without any care of yours it 's all prepared for you Oh! consider of the mercies of God towards you in this thing Whenas many poor people they are fain before they can get bread to be working hard to prepare food for their families their wives and children but the Lord laiet meat before you God is to be acknowledged in this The propriety of the word is I made it to descend it came down from Heaven it was neither too high nor too low but it came just to you fitted for you which teaches us thus much In the receiving of our food we must look up to Heaven we are more beholden to the Heavens than to the Earth for our bread God is to be acknowledged in that he satisfies the poor with bread yea and that he satisfies the rich with bread you that are the richest of all you are to see how it comes from Heaven I made it to descend I say our very food we should look from whence it doth descend it doth descend from Heaven lift up thine eyes to Heaven when as thou art eating meat be not as the Swine under the Tree that looks downward to the Achorns but never upwards towards the branches of the Tree from whence the Achorns fall but look up to Heaven from whence thy meat and provision did descend I took off their yoke and I laid meat unto them I made their service easie and I made their provision comfortable It 's quite otherwise with many ridged and cruel Governors they make the service of those that are under them hard but their provision to be very scant quite contrary The service of Gods people is easie and their provision is bountiful Now the service of your servants is hard and your provision is very penurious you would have your servants to do your hard labor and yet provide little food for them Oh this is a baser cruelty than any to put their servants to hard labor and yet not to provide comfortably for them for their food But my brethren the main thing that I would note from hence is How great the Mercies of God is to us who hath eased our yoke this day and laid meat before us too my brethren who would have thought four years since that there should be Civil Wars for almost four years together in our Land and such cruel bloudy Wars and so overspreading the Kingdom as they have and that yet we should at this day have provision so plentiful as we have Did not all say even at the first year when the Wars began Surely things would be very scarce many began to lay in Corn and other provision and we had cause enough to have feared it but behold the bountifulness of the love of God that hath eased our yokes and hath laid meat before us that the poor is satisfied with bread there is no complainings in our streets we have not only our bread but our Tables fi'ld What difference do you see upon the Tables of men now from that they were in former times If a stranger should come into this Kingdom hearing what miserable Wars there hath been as bloody and cruel as in any Kingdom and yet come to see every mans Table so fill'd he could not but stand and wonder Certainly strangers think our condition to be far more sad in respect of provision than it is let 's not be wanton with our plenty we were wont to say if we might have but Bread and Cheese and the Gospel it were good cheer Now my brethren we have outward food and the Bread of life too What Is this sweet to be freed from outward bondage and to have meat laid before us how sweet is it then to be freed from spiritual bondage and to have the food of life laid before us yet this is our condition Our blessing is specially in having our spiritual yokes taken off from us and having the Bread of Life laid before us in a more plentiful measure then ever we had Was there ever a time that this City had so much meat laid before it for the soul as at this day the misery of other parts of the Kingdom is your mercie the Lord grant that you do not loath your Manna and despise it God hath waies enough to cut you short VER
5. He shall not return into the Land of Egypt but the Assyrian shall be his King because they refused to return He shall not return TO give you first a short paraphrase of the words for there 's no difficulty in them and then the Notes of Observation It is As if the Prophet should say Howsoever he thinks to help himself with ease to shelter himself there yet he shall not but he shall go into Captivity into Assyria for all means that have been used would not bring him to return So then the Observations First That which hardens mens hearts against threats in their sin is some shifts that they have in their thoughts let the worst come that can be yet I have such a relief My Brethren it 's a great mercy of God to take mens spirits off from all their vain shifts and hopes so as to be throughly convinced that there 's no help in any thing in the creature in Heaven and Earth but only in my turning to God and casting my soul down before Mercy if that saves me not I am undone for ever when the heart comes to this I say God is in a gracious and merciful way working I see my sin my affliction that is upon me and feel it though my heart would be shifting this way and that way yet God hath convinc'd me nothing can do me good but I am lost and undone what ever course I take except I return to God and humble my soul before him and seek his face and obtain meroie from him Secondly He shall not return to Egypt It was a verie strange perverseness to think of this shift to go back to Egypt why was not Egypt the place of his bondage and the Egyptians still retained their cruelty and yet they thought of this help that they would turn to Egypt rather than to God From whence the Observation is A stout heart cares not whither it goes rather than it will return to God As the Prodigal will rather go to the Swine to feed upon husks than to his father like some stout children they care not what miseries they suffer rather than they will come and humble themselves to their parents They will hang themselves and drown themselves and seek their fortune as they use to say rather than be perswaded to come in and submit themselves No never as long as they live though they die yet they will not and thus their hearts are stout and while they think they are stout against their parents they are stout against God too yet God hath waies to bring mens stout hearts to yeeld Thirdly A stubborn heart though God be in any way of mercy God calling them to waies of mercy yet if any thing crosses them they will foolishly and desperately wish their return to their former condition of misery If you make any thing that God doth an argument to a stubborn heart for duty if it pleases him not he will reject all that 's done for him and say he had rather be as he was before let me go into Egypt again stubborn hearts if they meet with any cross in their way this is their unthankfulness that because they are vext and crost in some one thing they will I say foolishly and desperately wish that they were in the the condition that heretofore they have been in Oh! thus it is with many of us how foolishly how wickedly have we thought and said it was better with us heretofore then now let us return to our former condition This is thy folly and thy desperat wickedness But saith the text He shall not return though he thinks of returning as if the holy Ghost should say do not please your selves to think it is but to return to Egypt you cannot be worse than now you are for God hath worser things for you And my brethren this is our case this day let not us think of returning to our former condition certainly if we should take such a course to return to our former condition we should be far worse than we were before our danger would be far greater this is certain to the view of any men that have their eyes open that our condition in England must either be far better than it was or far worse than it was There 's many say Oh! we were thus and thus in former times and if we were but as we were we should do well enough Oh! let 's not think of that we must certainly either be far better or far worse than we were for if we think of returning it will not be to Egypt but to Assyria which will be worse The Fourth Note is this God knows how to cross wicked men of their wills to spoil them of their plots they please themselves with this and the other thing they will do thus and thus if they be put to this shift then they have a second and a third yea but there 's a God in Heaven that hath determined otherwise Never were wicked men more cross in their plots than they are at this day They have said that they would do thus and thus but God hath said they should not and they have not done it Now God in his Mercy crosses his people of their wills that are set upon sin but when the wicked are crost upon their sin it is because God hath other waies to bring about greater evils to them To bring them to Assyria Well then whatsoever any mans thoughts and desires are the Lord deliver us from turning into Egypt again And likewise the Lord grant the Assyrian may not be our King It follows The Assyrian shall be his King The Lord deliver us from both That an Assyrian may not be our King Why an Assyrian why was he threatned to be their King You shall find that he was one of a cruel stout heart an hard heart and a proud heart the Assyrians were so They were a generation of men of cruel proud stout hard-hearted men Isa 10. 5. Oh Assyrian the rod of mine anger saith God and in the 7. verse It is in his heart to destroy saith God of the King of Assyria and in the 12. verse When the Lord hath performed his whol work upon Mount Zion and on Jerusalem I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the King of Assyria and the glory of his high looks Oh! 't is a sore evil to be put under the rage of a proud and a stout hearted man who will set his heart against God himself who though God fights against him yet will stand it out though his design is crost yet he will not come in he will not give glory to God though his will cost him the blood of many thousands yet he goes desperatly on he regards more his own will and lusts than the blood or lives of millions For people to have such a stout heart armed with power raised with pride enraged with
had there it 's impossible but flesh and blood would suggest many thoughts to Abraham to keep his heart in suspence But what took Abrahams heart off from suspence to resolve fully what to do in such a case the text saith The God of Glory appeared to him it was not only God but the God of Glory My Brethren when God is calling you off from all Creature comforts from all things that may quiet your hearts in the world and you have strong temptations to keep you in the waies of sin let but the God of Glory appear to you and this will take up your hearts this will bring your hearts to a full resolution Oh! blessed blessed are those souls though they have continued long in suspence yet at length the God of Glory appears to them in the midst of their doubts and temptations and hangings off And if there be such a force in this then learn to present before thy soul that is in such a suspence the Glorie of the great God look up to this great God 't is the infinite high God that I am called to Oh! thou suspending thou wavering soul look up to this most high and answer this call of God unto himself answer it thus Oh Lord Thou art an Infinite Blessed Glorious Being the Supream Being of all I am a poor vile worm that lie under thy feet it 's mercie that thou wilt vouchsafe to look towards me thou mightest have let me gone on in base waies and perished to all eternity without giving me any call to thy self but now that thou shouldest give me a call to thy self the high and glorious blessed Lord this is mercy Lord I come and with fear and trembling fall down before thee saying Lord what wilt thou have me to do Those who have been wavering and afterwards setled they have found that this hath been the thing that hath setled them some dreadful authoritie of the high God that hath come to their hearts in some truth beyond what formerly he hath done and this hath fully taken off their souls to him And then Fifthly The true Worship of God is an elevating thing Then are they called to the most high when they are called to the true Worship of God for it raises the soul to the most high Mens inventions are low things are base and unworthy things Oh consider whether thou findest this in the Worship of God doest thou find thy soul raised up to the most high in his Worship thou doest never worship God aright except thou findest in some measure thy soul raised up to the most high in his Worship let no man look upon the Worship of God as a low mean thing know when thou art to come to worship God thou hast now to deal with the high God whom Angels worship and adore 't is that God who is far above all Creatures in Heaven and Earth thus thou art to look upon the Worship of God Oh! how far are most men from this when they are worshiping of God! very few there are that lift up their hearts to the most high even in the duties of Worship And so it follows in the words None at all would exalt him Why If God be the most high God how can he be exalted I answer He is so high as he cannot be more high than Himself God cannot be more excellent than he is in Himself God cannot make Himself better than He is nor more glorious in Himself than He is Therefore no creature can make him more than he is all that all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth can do for God can ad nothing to him In Nehem. 9. 5. He is exalted saith the text above all blessing and praise Yet then God accounts Himself to be exalted First When he is known and acknowledged for the High Supream First being of all things when we fear Him as a God when we humble our selves before him as before a God when we are sensible of the infinite distance there is between him and us when we are willing to lay down what we are or have or can do for the furtherance of his praise when his Will is made the Rule of all our waies and especially of his Worship when we make him the last end of all when 't is the great care of our souls and work of our lives to do what possibly we can that he might be magnified lifted up in the world and when we account the least sin a greater evil than can be recompenced by all the good that Heaven and Earth can afford unto us and now God accounts Himself exalted by us And this is the Work that all of us have to do to give up our selves to the exalting of the Name of this blessed God He is worthy so worthy of honor from us creatures that though ten thousand millions of Men and Angels should perish eternally for the furtherance of the least degree of his honor he is worthy of it all so high is this God and therefore know it to be our work to endeavor in our places to exalt him and blessed is that man or woman that when they are to die are able to say Oh Lord thou hast been high in my heart thy Wisdom I have adored and submitted mine unto it thy Will I have honored and yeelded mine likewise to it and it hath been the great care of my soul that I might do somthing in my place to lift up thy Name according as I have been able I say thou maiest go out of the world in peace as having done in some measure that thou camest into the world for Oh! you whom God hath exalted let it be your care to exalt this God and especially the Saints of the Lord know God hath exalted you on high and expects that you should lift up his Name he hath lifted up you out of the depth of miserie from the nethermost Hell he hath joyned you to his Son he hath made you one with his Son He hath loved you with the same love wherewith he loveth his Son he hath made you Heirs Co-heirs with his own Son he hath given his Angels to be ministring Spirits to you he hath made it his great design to honor himself in your eternal good the greatest work that God hath to do in the world it is the honoring himself in your Glory he hath prepared a Crown of glory for you Oh then do you joyn together to exalt the Name of this God who hath lifted up you who were such poor vile worms let the high praises of this God be in your hearts and mouths for ever in Psal 108. 4. Thy mercy is great above the Heavens and thy truth reacheth unto the Clouds mark what follows in the 5. verse Be thou exalted O God above the Heavens and thy Glory above all the Earth Oh Lord we see thy mercy is exalted above the Heavens and thy truth
Lord long-suffering and of great mercy forgiving iniquity and transgression c why now Lord manifest thy glory now Lord shew thy self to be a glorious God in doing what mark in the 19. verse Pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people That 's the glory that God should shew forth and manifest his power in it one would rather think that the power of God should rather be manifest in the destruction of sinners no the power of God is manifest in Mercie as well as in miserie and destruction And we find that those that come up neerest to God they are the most loving and gracious merciful hearts yet if they do but come neer to God so as possibly natural men may to have but any magnanimitie that 's a little neerer to God than a base sordid spirit the magnanimousness of of any mans spirit appears in his love and forbearance and meekness and gentleness for so we know the Heathens could say The greater any one is the more placable is his anger a generous mind not easily mov'd and so he compares the Lyon and Bears and Wolves 〈…〉 the Lyon is a magnanimous Creature therefore saith the Heathen it 's enough for to fall down before a magnanimous Lyon but for Wolves and Bears they insult over those that falls down before them So those that have the most magnanimous spirits have the most patient spirits and forgiving spirits and pardoning spirits This is as cross a Note unto a carnal heart almost as any thing I mean to one that gives way to the lusts of his passion for he thinks himself only magnanimous when he can vent his anger and were it not for the thought that he thinks he should be a fool he would forbear his anger it is not thy honor but it makes thee base in the eyes of thy servants children and wife when thou comest into thy house like a mad fool it makes them look upon thee and despise thee when they see thee thus drunken in thy passion Secondly Such are the provocations of God caused by sin that if God were like to you sinners could not be forborn as if God should say The truth is your sins were such as were not I a God it were impossible that I could bear for so it is though we think not of it the evil of sin is so great that if all the patience that were in all the men that ever was since the world began were put into one man if he knew the great evil that there is in sin he would destroy the world he would not bear if his heart were but holy as here God saith himself Thirdly It 's a good way to exercise saith in Gods mercy to look upon God as a God beyond us beyond any creature for so this is therefore exprelled to the end that the people of God might exercise faith in beholding God as a God that 's the way to help thee in thy faith wouldest thou exercise faith upon God look upon him as a God 〈…〉 do not conceive him to be as a man It 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 upon him somtimes as a compassion at man is a litle help 〈◊〉 that will not do it I suppose it would help a little some that are here suppose this Thou hadest to deal with the most merciful man that ever liv'd upon the face of the earth wouldest not thou hope then that thou mightest be sav'd if he had the dispose of thy eternal estate suppose there were a Judg that had the most relenting heart that ever was in the world and all relentings that ever were in all mens hearts were in him if this Judg had the dispose of thy eternal estate would it not help thee to know thou hast to deal with one that is infinitely above that Judg That Judg were a cruel Tyrant and Tyger in comparison of this God God is God and not man he is infinitely above man in the waies of his mercy We many times with looking upon God as our selves it makes us bold in sin first and afterwards it makes us despair in sin as thus in Psal 50. 21. Thou thoughtest I was like to thy self saith God there that is because I was patient and long-suffering towards thee thou thoughtest I was like unto a man and a man though he be a little offended you think you may please him again and so you thought I was like to your selves therefore you go on in your sins So the Devil first makes us look upon God like our selves and so we think that God hath no greater hatred to sin than we have but then turn the other side when we have once committed the sin when the Devil would tempt to despair then he makes us look to God like to our selves that 's thus I find that I could not forgive such an one if he had wronged me in such a manner and therefore they look upon God like a man nay like a corrupt man Oh! what a dishonor is this to God that because thou thy self hast a froward perverse cruel heart that thou canst not forgive therefore thou lookest upon God as if it were as hard for him to forgive as for thee My Brethren the looking upon God as a God it would help against many discouraging thoughts in poor sinners as first thus My sins are very great Men will forgive little offences but God is a God and not man and therefore great mercies are little in comparison to him A second discouraging thought is I have sinned against many offers of mercy but God is God and not a man and Gods mercy is such as brings in men that have refused the offers of Mercy And then Thirdly None is so sinful as I but God is a God and not a man and therefore he is above thee in the waies of his mercie God hath more mercy yet than ever he did manifest to any one creature in the world and though I be the vilest of all sinners yet let me look upon God as a God and not a man Fourthly I am unworthy saith the sinner of any mercy from God Indeed if you had to deal with a man it might hinder but God is a God and not a man therefore 't is not unworthiness that hinders mercy in God it is that mercy pleases him Yea But I am like to be of no use to God It 's true if you were to deal with a man he might not be pleased but God stands in no need of you or any of his creatures for he is a God and not man thou doest not honor God as a God if thou doest not cast thy soul upon his mercy as the mercy of a God If I put this unto thee I hope the glory of it will be so great as will keep it from being abused What doest thou think thy condition is grievous but doest thou think that such mercy would not serve the turn as
this is that now I am naming that thou shouldest have such mercie as an infinite God should therefore manifest to that end that he might shew to Men and Angels to all eternitie what the power of his infinite Mercy can do would not this mercie serve thy turn such a mercie as this is I 'le name it again abuse it at your peril Suppose thy condition so low yet would not this serve thy turn such mercy as an infinit God should shew to that end that he might appear to men and Angels to all eternity what he is able to do in the infinitness of his mercy Would not this serve thee and help thee and heal thee Now this is tendred to thee in the Gospel even this mercy is tendred to thee in Christ to be an object of thy faith and the very presenting of this is a work of the Ministry of the Gospel that it might draw acts of faith for it hath a power to draw forth faith yea to beget faith the very presenting such a thing as this is hath a quickness in it It 's true if you look upon God only as a merciful man this is no such glory as the shining of it upon the soul will ad life As now the shining of the Moon or a hundred Torches wil never beget life in a Garden but the shining of the Sun wil do it so the apprehending of the mercy of God any other way but as a God as a God in Christ will never beget life in the soul but look upon him in the infinitness of his mercy whose thoughts of mercy are beyond ours as high as the Heavens are above the Earth this is the way to beget faith And therefore those that cannot beleeve they take very il courses for themselves only to have their thoughts upon such things as may discourage them and they think that this is as pleasing to God but certainly the way to beget or raise faith in thy heart is to look upon God as a God in the waies of his mercy Yea but you will say The truth is this that you speak of that God is a God and not a man is rather a discouragement to my heart 't is a God that I have sinned against and not a man as one way it may encourage me so another way it may discourage me Against thee against thee only have I sinned saith David Psal 51. And indeed this is the most piercing thought in a true penitent heart My sin is against God I have lived so long a time without a God in the course of my life and I have struck at God himself in my sinful waies Oh wretch that I have been I have been guilty of the darkening of the glory of the great God in the world Now I 'le answer thee this in a word And is this that which doth aggravate thy sin in thy heart does this work upon thy heart most that thou canst appeal to God that of all the considerations of sin that ever thou hadest in thy life there is nothing grieves thee so much as that it is against God Because God is so glorious so infinitely worthy of honor from all his creatures be of good comfort and take encouragement from this point and mark what I am saying and with that I shall close all If the confideration of the glory of God above a man doth thus aggravate thy sin to thy humiliation then it will aggravate the mercy of God to thy consolation as well If thou workest this thought upon thy heart Oh my sin is against a God and not a man and therefore my heart is humbled then the Lord would have thee to make use of the consideration of his glory as a God for thy comfort God is a God and not a man in the way of mercy The Holy one in the midst of thee God glories much in his Holiness and that in the midest of his people Gods Holiness is He is here said to be the Holy One. 1. To shew that the anger He would let out should be such as should have no mixture of evil But what considerations might be to order and guide it should not be wanting Mens angers are very unclean there is much smoke and fil thy stuff together in their fire But here in Exod. 15. 11. God is said to be Glorious in Holiness Gods vials of wrath are golden Revel 15. 7. Let us labor to be holy in our anger This is a rare thing if there be any corruption in mans heart it usualappears in his anger 2. Because of his gracious carriage toward them in regard of his Covenant to make that good to them he would remember his faithfulness to Abraham Obs 1. God delights to shew the glory of his Holiness in mercy and in pardoning of sin rather than in revenging for sin Obs 2. Gods faithfulness is a special part of the glory of his Holiness Use 1. Hence see how Holiness will help our faith Use 2. Let us manifest our holiness in our faithfulness I am holy to make them holy to sanctifie them to my self In the midst of thee Casting the beams of his Glory on every fide of him But how in the midst when they so vile and cast off from being his people a sink of Idolatry and wickedness In respect of some of his Elect Saints Obs God continues among a people for his Saints his Elects sake The Saints should consider of God a holy God in the midst of them and accordingly behave themselves Levit. 26. 12. I will walk among you and I will be your God But 2 Cor. 16. 16. I will dwell among them and walk in them Obs Men of Place and Government should be in the midst of those that are under them carrying themselves holily though they should be froward pettish sinful yet they should carry themselves according to rule in all holiness gravity wisdom moderation c. Rivit Tarnovius with some others thinks that here is Enallage Numeri a change of the number Sanctus for Sancti Holy for Holy Ones or Saints and so hath reference to the destruction of Sodom because there were no righteons here are Obs The Saints are of great use in the places where they live They are the cause of mitigation of Judgments I will not enter into the City Luther thus God would signifie himself to be merciful to scattered Israeh among the Gentiles Vt tamen non redeant ad Politiam Mosaicam but so that they should not return to the Mosaical Law But rather it is to be taken in reference to the manner of Gods proceedings in the destruction of Sodom after he had done conferring with Abraham he entred into the City and destroyed it by fire and brimstone Obs God many times stands at the gates of a City ready to enter in and destroy it but humiliation in prayer and reformation keeps him out God
hath not entred in here thus yet Oh! let not our sin cause a meroiful God to go out and a provoked God to enter in VER 10. They shall walk after the Lord He shall roar like a Liyon THey shall not walk after their own inventions any more nor after the lusts of their own hearts nor after the examples or the counsels of men but after the Lord they shall see God before them their hearts shall be drawn after him as they shall see God in his various administrations so they shall turn this way or that way which way soever God leads them though in paths they have not known before yet now they shall walk after him though in paths that few others walk in yet Through fire and water though in difficult paths never so dangerous to outward appearance though God should lead them from their dearest comforts sweetest contents though it did not appear to them whither the way tended what God meant to do with them yet seeing God before them they shall be willing to walk after him they shall account that way God is in the best way the safest way the most comfortable way Revel 14. 4. These shall follow the Lamb whither soever he goeth these were redeemed from among men being the first fruits to God and to the Lamb. They shall walk in a constant steady course of obedience after the Lord. It is the Lord the blessed glorious God whom their souls love whom they desire to honor to whom they have given up souls bodies lives liberties names estates whatsoever they are have or are able to do When Peter heard it was the Lord he threw himself into the Sea that he might walk after him there Thus the soul converted to God loves to walk after him But this is spoken of the Church as walking after the Lord in times of Reformation especially that famous time of the restitution of all things when God shall call home his people the ten Tribes who yet are scattered up and down wandring and groping in darkness They shall walk after the Lord the Lord shall be a Captain to them leading them along as his redeemed ones working by them glorious things in the earth and bringing them through all opposition to places of rest and fulness of all good God shall appear in such visible administrations of his so as they shall say Lo this is our God this is the Captain of the host of the Lord yea it is even the Lord himself we will joyn together and follow him whose wisdom faithfulness and courage is infinite we will follow no other but him and in subordination to him The sight of such a Captain going before them shall put life courage and magnanimity into them whatsoever they were before Hence note Obs It is the infinite goodness of the Lord to be the Captain of his people Obs It is the honor safety happiness of the Saints to have God before them to be walking after him He shall roar like a Lyon If God appears thus it will make them fly from him No they shal notwithstanding this walk after him Obs That the majesty and terribleness of God in his wonderful and dreadful works causes the wicked guilty conscience to fly from him But the Saints shall follow after him and cling unto him Isa 33. 14. The sinners in Syon are afraid fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites Who amongst us shall dwell with devouring fire who amongst us shall dwel with everlasting burnings He that worketh righteously and speaketh uprightly Act. 5. 13 14. Of the rest durst no man joyn himself to them And Beleevers were the more added to the Lord multitudes both of men and women Psa 46. Luthers Psalm 2. We will not fear though the Earth be moved though the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea though the waves thereof roar though the Mountains shake Vers 6. The Heathen raged the Kingdoms were moved be uttered his voice the Earth melted The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our Refuge Nahum 1. 2. The Lord revengeth the Lord revengeth and is furious the Lord will take vengeance of his adversaries Vers 3. The Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm Vers 5. The Mountains quake at him the Hills melt and the Earth is burnt at his presence Who can stand before his indignation who can abide the fierceness of his anger his fury is powred out like fire and the Rocks are thrown down by him Vers 7. The Lord is good a strong hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him Joel 3. 15 16. The Sun and the Moon shall be darkened and the Stars shal withdraw their shining the Lord shall roar out of Syon and utter his voice from Jerusalem The Heavens and the Earth shall shake but the Lord will be the hope of his people and the strength of the children of Israel Hab. 3. 17 18. Although the Figtree shall not blossem c. yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation Oh! the blessing of a clean Conscience it looks on th 〈…〉 Terror of the Law and of God with comfort Where there is neighing of Horses beating of Drums ratling of Pikes foaring of Cannons yet if a friend be the General we fear not Al the terror there is in God is comfort to the Saints the wicked have the dark side of the Cloud the Saints the bright Deut. 33. 2. From his right hand went a fiery Law Vers 4. Moses commanded us a Law even the inheritance of the Congregation of Jacob. Nehem. 9. 32. The great mighty and terrible God will keep Covenant and Mercy Psal 47. 1 2. Shout unto God with the voice of Triumph for the most high is Terrible Be godly and keep Conscience clean in these latter times train up your Children in waies of godliness Shall roar like a Lyon The roaring of the Lyon invites the rest of the beasts there is something for them Quest But when was this Answ Many think when the Babylonian Monarchy was broken by Cyrus then Belshazzars knees beat together and then the Captivity returned and that divers of the ten Tribes joyned in the return But this is spoken of the Body of them and if any such remarkable return had been Ezra would not have left out their Genealogyes Others refer it to the times of the Gospel Heb. 12. 26. Yet once more I shake not the Earth only but also Heaven The voice of the Gospel Repent and he that beleeves shall be saved but he that beleeves not shall be damned was a Terrible voice When secure minds saith Luther hear that salvation belongs to none but those that are baptized and that beleeve in the Name of Christ they indeéd tremble and are solicitous concerning their salvation Junius when he read the first Chapter of the
Gospel of John was terrified But I take this rather to be meant of some notable work of Reformation and calling in these ten Tribes to joyn with the Church The Lord will roar to terrifâ— the hearts of their Adversaries that they shall not be abâ—â— to hinder their return Hence note That when Gods time is come for a through Reformation and bringing in his people he will roar terribly in the world he will appear in such Majesty Glory and Justice that he will make the earth tremble Psal 102. 16. When the Lord shall build up Sion he will appear in his Glory It hath been his way in his appearing for his Church Psal 76. 1. Thou even thou art to be feared and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry Thou didest cause Judgment to be heard from Heaven the Earth feared and was still 〈…〉 God arose to Judgment to save the meek of the Earth 〈…〉 12. He shall cut off the spirit of Princes he is 〈…〉 Kings of the Earth Isa 34. 4. All the host of 〈…〉 be dissolved and the Heavens shall be rolled together as 〈…〉 and all the host shall fall down as a leaf for my Sword shall be bathed in Heaven Ver. 6. The Sword of the Lord is filled with blood it is made fat with fatness Ver. 7. The Land shall be soaked with blood Ver. 8. For it is the day of the Lords vengance and the yeer of the recompences for the controversie of Sion Ezek 17. 10. Shall it not wither when the East wind toucheth it At the raising of Christs Kingdom Psal 45. 4. Thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things Revel 6. 15. The Kings of the earth and the great Men the rich men the chief Captains the Mighty men hid themselves in the dens the rocks of the Mountains and said to the Mountains and Rocks Fâ—lâ— on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Thron and from the wrath of the Lamb. Dan. 12. 1. There shall 〈◊〉 a time of trouble such as was never since there was a Nation all that time thy people shall be delivered Lactantius Lib. Cap. 15. as then Egypt imitten so now all places as then signs and prodiges so now admirable wonders in all the Elements of the World Earth Sea Air. 1. Because the ungodly have been cruel against the Saints Psal 74. 4. Thine Enemies roar in the midst of the Congregation 2. The wicked will be secure yea his own people and will stand in need of roaring to awaken them 3. The Adversary will be stout and proud Consundetur omne jus Leges perilunt All right will be overturned and Laws perish 4. The difficulties will be great so as when Christ comes shall he find saith on the earth namely that ever his work shall be brought about Luke 18. 8. There will 〈…〉 ighty changes of things Hence observe 〈…〉 ir not though wicked men strengthen themselves 〈…〉 uch God can soon make mighty alterations 〈…〉 14. Be not afraid remember the Lord which is ve 〈…〉 and terrible Deut. 7. 21. Thoushalt not be afrighted at them for the Lord thy God is amongst you a mighty God and a terrible Again Hence learn to prepare for thosetimes When he shall roar the children shall tremble from the west Amos 3. 8. The Lyon hath roared who will not tremble There shal be mighty stirrings of heart Mens hearts shal shake within them so as there shall be way made for people whose hearts are awakened to come into the Church There is a trembling of the Enemies they shall be struck with such astonishment that they shall not hinder Their violence and rage shall be abated They shall say 〈◊〉 once the Egyptians Let us take heed what we do the Lord 〈…〉 t s for them And the hearts of those that God intends to call shall 〈…〉 wakened the slightness and vanity of their spirits shall be taken off The fear upon their hearts shall make them fear they shall be roused from their sluggishness they shall make hast to come in to joyn with the people of God Fear causes hast so the word here signifies and is rendered by some Men delay and trifle till God strikes their hearts with fear Spiritus sanctus nescit tarda molimma The holy Ghost likes not lazy laboring Isa 49. 17. Thy children shall make hast The children shall tremble from the west Those afar off which were most unlikely Isa 42. 4. Legem expect abunt Insulae The Isles shall wait for my Law The Mediterranean the Mid land Sea is in the west Isa 49. 1. 12. Hence note that There are like to be great stirrings in the Western parts VER 11. They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt and as 〈…〉 out of the Land of Assyria BEing strucken with fear they shall hasten so the word advolabunt they shall fly This some think to be fulfilled when divers of the ten Tribes joyned with Judah in the return of their captivity for the Monarcy of the Assyrians was subdued by the Persians whose King was Cyrus Therefore it is thought that the fame liberty was given in Assyria for the ten Tribes as in Babylon for Judah And not long after Cambyses the son of Cyrus overcame the Egyptians as Herodotus Lib. 8. Justinae Lib. 〈◊〉 saies And it 's like he would be favorable to the ten Tribes as his father had been to Judah But Ezra as was noted above in likelihood would not then have omitted their Genealogies Howso 〈…〉 in the great Restauration of things this will be fulfill 〈…〉 The Jews were strongly set to go to Egypt now they shall as strongly desire to get out to joyn with the Churches Fly as a bird not come as a snail get over all difficulties having their spirits elevated raising them from earthly drossie things they have no consideration of them Now all their desire is to joyn with the Saints that they together with them may follow after the Lord. And as a Dove out of the Land of Assyria 1. Doves are sacred there Euseb Preparat Evang. Lib. 8. 5. 2. They are terrified with the least noise Terretur minimo penae stridore Columba 3. Doves fly swiftly Oh! that I had the wings of a Dove saith the Psalmist Psal 55. 6. 4. They fly by flocks Isa 60. 8. Who are those that fly as a cloud and as the Doves to their windows 5. It may be from those Countries Doves come at certain times of the yeer as several sorts of Fowls do to to us in their seasons And I will place them in their houses saith the Lord. i. e. I will provide lockers for them he followeth the the former metaphor of Doves Gods people have been tossed up and down they have had no abiding in their houses But God hath his time to place them in their houses in rest quietness and safety to
is called The first begotten of all creatures and the blessing upon the first born was a type of the blessing that we have by Christ Now though this in an orderly way belonged to Esau as being the first-born yet Jacob's taking of him by the heel was a certain token from God that Jacob should supplant him and that he should get the birthright from him and so the blessing from him and in that Jacob should thus get the blessing though he were the yonger and this sign was given of it when he was in the womb this did shew the free election of God that it was through Gods meer free Grace that Jacob had the blessing rather than Esau and so that the posterity of Jacob were in a better condition than the posterity of Esau It was only the free Grace of God not from any excellency in Jacob any worthines in him more than in Esau for God shewed a sign of it that he intended good when they were in the womb before Jacob could do any thing that was good Though Esau was the Elder stronger hairy active stout man and Jacob a plain man yet Jacob is chosen Esau is rejected and God shews the sign of this by his taking his brother by the heel Now this concern'd the people very much they understanding this to be the scope of it As if he should say What you are the posterity of Jacob and not of Esau and you glory in this Wel how comes it to pass there is so great a priviledge to the posterity of Iacob rather than to the posterity of Esau how comes this Is it not from the free Grace of God in chusing one rather than the other that in the very womb as in Mal. 1. 2. I have loved you saith the Lord yet ye say Wherein hast thou loved us Was not Esau Jacob's brother saith the Lord yet I loved Jacob and hated Esau In this I manifested my free love even unto this people that though Esau was Iacob's brother and eldest brother yet I loved Iacob and hated Esau So in Rom. 9. 11. The children being not yet born neither having done good or evil that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of works but of him that calleth It was said The elder shall serve the yonger as it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated Now this was to shew Gods free grace that it was in the womb If any should say But God foresaw that Jacob would be a better man than Esau I answer If it were of foreseen works there were no Argument in this to prove Gods free election but the Apostle makes it to be an Argument to prove Gods free election of Iacob rather than Esau because he chose them in the womb Luther upon the 25. Chap. of Genesis hath an excellent discourse upon this subject concerning Gods rejecting the pride pomp and vanity of the world and chusing the things that are mean and contemptible in the eyes of the world and it was an emblem of it in that God would rather chuse Iacob the plain man than Esau the hunter and the hairy man I say it was an emblem of this That the Lord intends to reject the brave things in the world the galantry glory and pomp of the world and wil rather chuse the mean and contemptible things of the world Who can perswade saith Luther upon the place the Pope and Charls the fifth the French King and the like that they being great in the world yet are contemptible in the eyes of God and God hath rather chosen despised and contemptible things than them And that was the scope of the Prophet to humble this people that they should consider of the free grace of God towards Jacob. And we should make use of this We are to consider the free Grace of God how it hath wrought in chusing our for fathers and what good we do enjoy by such a choice we are to acknowledg it to be a fruit of free Grace too Others were before God as well as our forefathers as now when God brought the Gospel first to England other Nations were before God as well as them It was meer free Grace that pitcht upon them rather than others and we enjoy the blessing of it to this day let us not sin against this free Grace of God shewed to our Ancestors And more particularly You that now enjoy great blessings from Gods mercies to your Ancestors either outward or inward you must consider the free Grace of God as now such of you as are rich great in the world whence is it that your Ancestors were richer than others and were not beggers as well as others Was it not free Grace free Grace in in the kind of it it was the free goodness of God Others that had their Ancestors to be beggers they were before God in the same lump with your Ancestors and that God should rather pitch upon your Ancestors to be honorable in the earth and rich and you enjoy the benefit of it in this world look to the free goodness of God that hath made such a difference between your Ancestors and others it may be some of you though you be honorable and rich yet your elder Brother might be rejected and sometimes Families rises from the yonger Brother rather than the elder It was so here Iacob that was the yonger he afterwards came to have the blessing and Esau rejected And it may be that the posterity of the elder Brother proves wicked it was so here Religion in the Family of Jacob and not in Esau look back to this and see what cause you have to bless God and how you are engaged to the free Grace of God towards you in regard of your Ancestors as here the Prophet would have this people look back to the free Grace of God to their Father Jacob and that 's the first thing the Prophet aim'd at But in the Second place Jacob took his Brother by the heel That is as if he should say your Father Iacob he was greedy of the blessing greedy of the birth-right there was a secret in stinct of God upon the spirit of Iacob when he was in the very womb to be greedy of the blessing of the birthright and therefore he would do what he could to get it from his Brother as if the Prophet should say Oh! but you that are his posterity you are carnal you do not regard the priviledg of the birthright you do not regard the blessing that comes by it being carnal you care not which way that goes so be it you may but live and have your ease and contentment to the flesh Oh! you are not like your Father Iacob that was so greedy to have this blessing We are to make use of this for our instruction thus some of you that have had your parents very forward in their youth betimes some of your
God seems to work against me but yet the Word of God works for me and I will try whether shall prevail Gods Word or Gods Providence thus Jacob wrastles I will not let thee go as if he should say I have the Word for what I do and God hath bound himself by Covenant and so long though Heaven and Earth meet together although I see my brother coming against me and God departing from me and all threatning ruin yet I will beleeve still that there is mercy for me This was Jacobs last turn as I may so say as the trying as it were the last fall in this his wrastling in opposing the Word that he had with the Work of God towards him And this is a Note of very great use in al our conditions let us not lay so much weight upon any Work of God as upon the Word of God let us build upon the Word rather than fear the Works for it hath been the usual way of God when he hath given out a Word that his Works have seem'd to go quite cross as not only in our father Jacob but even in our father Abraham What was the Word of God to Abraham There was two promises by God made to Abraham one was this That he would bring him into a Land that flowed with milk and hony And a second That he would make his seed as the Stars in the Firmament Wel here was Gods Word But how was Gods Work The very next thing that you hear of him he was carried into Canaan after he had left all his friends and was ready to starve presently now the word is Thou shalt be brought into a Land that flows with milk and bony and assoon as ever he comes into that Land he was ready to starve Here 's a Land indeed And then a second Promise of having his seed as the Stars of Heaven Abraham was twenty five yeers after this before he had any one child of the Promise and he grew old and also his wife Well he had at length one and God commands him to kill that one to sacrifice that one But what a work is here how quite contrary to the Word Well he was saved and Isaac is forty yeers before he marries here 's sixty five yeers gone from the promise and there 's but even one of his seed that must be as the Stars of Heaven at length Isaac marries and he was twenty yeers without a child here 's eighty five yeers and but only one birth from him yea and after that the story will make it out that Jacob was above fourscore yeers before he married and had any children there 's between eight and nine score yeers gone and here 's but only Isaac and Jacob. How doth the Work of God seem against his Word in appearance It 's the way of God and therefore let us never trouble our selves about Gods Works he came indeed afterwards with his Works and fulfilled his Word to the uttermost but for the present it seem'd to be against it Oh! lay up this as a lesson you will have use of it many and many a time It follows With his strength he prevailed Prevailing at last will recompence all our strivings Jacob was fully recompenced here he speaks in a way of recompence of Jacob after his striving Oh! it was a hard wrastling I but he prevail'd at length And so it will be with all the people of God let them go on and wrastle and though things be hard for the present when mercy comes it wil pay for all Oh! thou wilt hereafter see no cause of repenting that ever thou did est continue in this wrastling with God Oh! thou wilt see cause to bless God blessed be God that kept up my heart all this while Oh! God knows that many times it was ready to sink and if I had left off what had become of me I had lost the mercy that now I find but I continued through Gods mercy and now he is come he is come at length Prevailing recompences all our labor and trouble in seeking Well he prevail'd but what 's this to this people of Israel Thus this was to shew the base degenerateness of this people as if he should say Oh! of what a brave spirit was your Father Jacob but you you are a base people you basely subject your selves to Heathens to Idols your father was of a brave spirit indeed and would not have subjected himself to any creature in the world yea he would wrastle with God himself when he had his Word for it Oh! but it is otherwise with Jacob's posterity you can crouch to every base thing you will crouch to the humors of men in the Worship of God and do any thing to save your skin saith he you are unworthy to be counted of the posterity of Jacob that 's the meaning of the Prophet here Jacob's posterity indeed they should be prevailers upon the world above temptations it 's unseemly for one of the seed of Iacob to yeeld to the base lusts and the humors of men what shall we yeeld to a base lust when Iacob would not yeeld to the Almighty but prevail'd with him are we of the seed of Iacob now Oh! we are of low mean spirits led aside of every vanity and overcome with every difficulty But how did he prevail in what way did he put forth this his strength It follows VER 4. He wept and he made supplication THis weeping of Jacob is not recorded in the History of Genesis nor in all the Book of God but only here his supplication is recorded but not his weeping therefore his weeping was had either from hand to hand by way of tradition it was known that when he wrastled so with the Angel he prevailed or otherwise by Revelation but certain it was that he wept when he did wrastle There are many ridiculous conceits of the Jews and some old Writers about this they say it was the Angel that fell a weeping and prayed Jacob to let him alone thus they carry it But to take it generally as our Divines do that Jacob wept and made supplication and so prevailed with God Iacob's heart was prest in the condition that he was in and so prest that it caused tears to bubble from him and no mervail though tears came from him his heart could not but be full for when he came to think thus with himself What after I have served such a hard service under Laban my Uncle and God bad me come away from him which I took to be such a great mercy from God to deliver me yet how soon was I presently in danger of my life even my Uncle Laban pursuing of me and God delivered me there And must I now fall into the hand of my Brother is the day come for him now to have his rage upon me I see little other likelihood his strength is great and God himself appears against me and I have
I will never leave thee nor forsake thee that the Apostle to the Hebrews applies to the Christians at that time that he spake to us he spake it to thee and me if we be BELEEVERS that that God spake to the distressed and afflicted ones in Psal 102. He will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer that he spake to us for in ver 18. This shall be written for the Generations to come And that which God spake to Jacob at these two several times in Bethel it 's written for the Generations to come it 's written for us Well then what was it What was the special thing that God spake to Jacob when he found him at Bethel and what was that to us I 'le shew you many things There are nine or ten notable things to be observed by us which God spake unto us The first thing that he spake to Jacob that concerns us as well as himself was this That the foundation of the comfort of the Saints it is in the Covenant of God That he spake to us there Gen. 28. 13. when he appeared to Jacob what said he to him I am the God of Abraham thy Father and the God of Isaac Jacob was flying for his life then and this was to comfort him in his danger I am the God of Abraham thy Father the God of Isaac then he spake this to us that the foundation of the comforts of the Saints in the times of their distresses it is the Covenant of Grace that God hath made with them and their fathers before them The second thing was this That the seed of Jacob are the inheritors of the Land of Canaan for so he told him The Land wherein thou liest I 'le give to thee and to thy seed Now this concerns us that the seed of Jacob shall inherit the Land of Canaan That was typified by it There are some that have a thought that yet there shall be an inheritance of the Land of Canaan by the faithful seed of Jacob but however this certainly he spake to us that all the seed of Jacob are the Inheritors of the Land of Canaan one way or other take it in the Litteral or in the Typical Sense The Third thing was God would have faith raised to beleeve in mercies promised even when there is a great deal of unlikelihood of the fulfilling of it that 's the Third thing he he spake of to us there he tells Jacob there at that time when he was a poor lone man with his staff and no provision but a stone for his pillow then he tells him of making good his promise it was as unlikely a time as could be a poor lone man that Jacob was went over with his staff at that time and that he should have such a Promise fulfill'd and his seed to be so great and to inherit the hand of Canaan how unlikely was this But God would have him to exercise his faith upon the Promise at this time when there was such a great unlikelihood of it The Fourth thing is this That the multiplying of the Church is a great blessing for saith he thy seed shall be thus and thus as the sand of the Sea shore I 'le encrease my Church abundantly from thy loyns Fifthly Promises defer'd though they are to be looked upon as certain as ever they were Yet the Saints of God have need of renewing of Promises even those that have most faith God renews the same Promise to him that was made before God had promised to Abraham to make his seed great but the truth is that the Promise though it be as certain as before yet it had been a long time and there was little come of it And then the Sixth thing was this That the blessing which comes to the world it is by the Promised seed He tels him that in his seed all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed the great blessing of the world is by the Promised seed by Jesus Christ And then the Seventh thing was That we Gentils were in Gods heart to do good unto us for thousands of years since Though at that time we were as Dogs yet it was in Gods heart to bless us Oh! this is a comfortable speech to us it concerns us Gentils in a more special manner than it did them that Hosea did prophesie to at this time And then the Flighth thing is That the Presence of God and his Protection is the only Encouragement of the Saints in their waies For in Vers 15. saith God Behold I am with thee and I will keep thee in all places whither thou goest this he spake to us this the Saints should make high account of And then the Ninth thing is That though Promises be not yet fulfilled yet God is still working towards their fulfilling for so he tels him I will not leave thee until I have don all that I have promised to thee though you cannot see how my Administrations towards you do any way work for the fulfilling of my Promise yet know I will not leave you until I have fulfilled my Promises And then the last thing is this which God spake to us there he tels us of the constancy of his Mercy and faithfulness that however things may go with us here for a while yet the mery of God continues the line of Gods mercy is not cut asunder but his faithfulness is carried along till all the good that he hath promised or that Faith can beleeve shal be granted to us for so he tels Iacob there I will not leave thee till I have done that which I have spoke to thee of All this he spake with us That 's the first time of Gods meeting with Iacob in Bethel Now the Second time that he met with Iacob in Bethel it is in Gen. 35. 10. and there see what God spake with us there God changes his Name to Israel there God confirms his Promise and Covenant to him again as before God there remembers his prevailing with him and his wrastling with him and in that God tells us he remembers our servent prayers after they are gone yet his heart is upon them there he confirm'd his name Israel and confirm'd his Promise That 's that he spake with us there too That the Saints have need of the confirmation of mercies especially the Covenant But then further Gods presenteng himself to the soul as God Almighty that 's a great help to faith I am God Almighty saith he there thou hast had experience of my Almighty power in turning the heart of thy Brother and now thou art in a great danger Because thou art few in number thou art afraid of the people of the Land but I am God Almighty There 's little power in Thee but there 's great power in Me. The Consideration of Gods Almighty power is that that should help the Saints in the midest
thus doth help us to see God in his glory as much as any way whatsoever and few people apprehend this but look upon God as a Creature and so they think God is some excellent thing that hath so many Excellencies in him but to understand that all that is said of God is God Himself and therefore it is all but one being in God it doth appear divers to us Wisdom Mercy Justice Power Life Holiness and Faithfulness appears many things to us but in God all is but one Excellency As now The beams of the Sun appear divers to us they shine through a blue glass and there 's a blue reflection and a green glass and then 't is green and a red glass and then 't is red but all one beam So the Infinit First Absolute Being of al things appearing in the several workings of His in the several Administrations of His this way or that way seem to be several but it 's all but one being that is in himself and this is signified by the Name Jehovah And further By the Name Jehovah is signified to us That all the being of the Creature depends upon God is from God originally and so depends upon God every moment every time you hear the Name Jehovah you should be put in mind of this That as all creatures had what they had from God at first so they do absolutely depend upon God every moment for their being and for all the good they have And then lastly In this Name is signified thus much That the Lord will give a being unto all his Promises and to all his Threatnings And therefore when he did appear to Moses to tell him that he would fulfil the Promise made to his people to bring them out of Egypt then he doth tell him that indeed though he did appear to Abraham by the name Elshaddai God-Alsufficient yet he did not appear to him by the name Jehovah which is as much as if he should say yea indeed when I spake to Abraham I made a Promise to him that I would give him such a Land and thus and thus but I did not give a being to the Promises but now I come to make way to the fulfilling of this Promise now I appear to be Jehovah thus Jehovah is Gods memorial that is every time you reade of the name Jehovah it might very well be wish'd that the very word Jehovah had been kept in your English Translation but almost alwaies when you reade the word Lord it is Jehovah every time therefore you reade the name Jehovah or hear that name then you should meditate this and contemplate of God it will help your meditation of God very much God Jehovah the Lord he is a Being from himself the First-being that is the Supream of all an Infinite being that hath no bounds at all it is he that is such a God as is of himself whatsoever is in him it is his own Essence it is his Being an Eternal Being and from whom all creatures have Being and do depend and it 's he that will give a Being to all his Promises so all his Threatnings all this is contained in the Name Iehovah which is the memorial of God And thus for the opening of these Two Names Now then for the Observations from them The first is this Though God be never so strong and terrible in himself never so great and glorious yet faith hath strength to wrastle with this God it 's brought in to this end Iacob he prevailed with God God what God The Lord of Hosts Iehovah even this God that is the Lord of Hosts the Lord of all Armies that hath al power that is so terrible in all the Armies in Heaven and Earth and is this Iehovah this Infinite Glorious Supream Eternal First-being of all things and yet Iacob wrastles with this Lord of Hosts God Iehovah and prevails with him So that hence Christians should learn to raise up their spirits when they have to deal with God if God hath given them faith they should not be daunted with Gods terror or with Gods greatness thou sometimes lookest upon God as the great Creator of Heaven and Earth the great Lord of Hosts the infinite Iehovah the lustre of his glory seems to amaze thee be not afraid Oh thou beleeving soul if thou beest a seed of Iacob notwithstanding all the terribleness there is in God and all the glory that there is in God the infinite distance that there is between him and us which his Name Iehovah sets out unto us yet thou mayest wrastle with this God even with this God and prevail with such a God as this is Many poor Christians are much daunted and discouraged with the sight of the greatness of God but this text is a very great help to us that we should not be daunted and discouraged with the apprehensions of Gods greatness indeed it is for ungodly men to whom God is an Enemy they are to be daunted with the apprehension of the greatness of God but to the seed of Iacob even when Iacob prevailed it was with this God that is the Lord of Hosts whose memorial is Iehovah The Second thing is this That the greatness and glory of God in these Names of his is a great aggravation of sin for to that end it 's likewise brought to aggravate the sin of this people in departing from this God Oh! the Lord is infinitely terrible he is the Lord of Hosts and he is Iehovah and yet you wretched creatures have departed from this God you have sinned against this God Oh! 't is a fearful aggravation of mens sin that their sin is against such a God that is the Lord of Hosts whose Name is Jehovah there is nothing that can humble the soul of a sinner more than the sight of the Lord in his glorious Attributes when thou comest to know what a God it is thou hast to deal with this will make thee to see thy sin to be great therefore the Prophet sets God in his Glory before this people that they should come to see their great sin and that there should be a stop given to the course of their hearts that were running on in the waies of sin Thirdly Which is very useful Look what Glory and Excellency of any Title or Name or Work that God hath ever appeared in to our Forefathers the same we may have God to appear in to us if we forsake him not That 's the Third end why the Prophet here brings these Titles The Lord of Hosts Jehovah as if he should say He was thus to your Father Jacob the Lord of Hosts and he was Jehovah and his memorial is still the Lord of Hosts and Jehovah and therefore you might have this God to appear the Lord of Hosts for your good as well as he did to your Forefathers and you might have God appear to be Jehovah for you as well as
of God in Angels and we know that the appearing of Angels hath struck terror into many men But now saith Paul The Angel said Fear not If it be the Angel of God whose I am and whom I serve then I need not fear yea let God muster up all his Hosts and appear to one that hath turned to him if he can say thus Whose I am and whom I serve these Hosts will say Fear not Therefore turn unto the Lord because he is the Lord of Hosts Thirdly Because God is JEHOVAH therefore turn unto the Lord. There 's a great deal of force in this Name to cause sinners to turn to him because he is Jehovah for this Name JEHOVAH hath as much terror in it to a guilty ungodly soul as we reade of in all the Book of God I say put all together that we reade in the Book of God yet if we did but throughly understand the Name Jehovah we should see as much terror in it to a guilty conscience and a sinful soul that goes on in the waies of wickedness as almost all that is mentioned of God that might be terrible As thus JEHOVAH If he be Jehovah he hath power over every thing that hath a being to torment thee with it for he hath all being in Himself al being is from him and the dispose of all therefore whatsoever thing hath any being in it this God hath the power over it to make use of it to torment thee withal Do but consider how some little creature if it be in some part of a mans body what power it hath to bring torment a little gravel in the kidneys or stone in the bladder that 's but a poor weak creature in its self but being in that place what tortor doth it bring now if a little gravel or stone hath that power to torment thee then what power hath all things in the Earth and the infinite God that hath all essence and all being and can dispose of all things as he pleases to bring pain misery and torment to a sinner It 's a very humbling consideration to a sinner And on the other side If there be any power in any thing that hath a being to bring any comfort to a man or woman it 's all in God for God hath all in him eminently As now one Creature hath power to torment in one way another in another way and so one Creature hath power to comfort us one way another another but all this is eminently in God the gravel torments one way the humor in the veins in the gout that torments another way and fire torments another way and the Sword torments after another manner and burning feaver torments in the body fire without and burning feaver within the stinging of Serpents torments after another way now all power of all things is in God Eminently the quintessence of all things is in God and therefore the power of God is able to bring all sorts of torments at one time in one thing As now suppose several herbs that have several vertues one hath a vertue in one kind another in another but if these herbs were all distill'd into one water then a drop of that water hath the same vertue and efficacy that it may be forty several herbs hath so now all creatures that have their several kind of efficacies and vertues distilled into one If I may compare this distillation unto God he hath all kind of power in himself and is able to put it forth in one instant all the power and efficacie that there is in all creatures in Heaven and Earth either to torment or to comfort us If one herb hath one sweetness and a second another and the third another the distillation of them all together how sweet will that be Now all these being in God eminently Oh what comfort is there in God than to the soul So that look either way to the Name Jehovah we may see an argument to humble us for sin the dreadfulness of the wrath of God appears in this more than in any one meditation that I know of Neither do I know any meditation that may stick upon the heart to comfort and encourage the heart to turn to God and to rejoyce in God so much as this That there 's all being in God eminently and all depending absolutely upon him therefore turn to God because he is Jehovah Thus you see the connexion of these two Further When the excellency of the Saints or glory of God is set before us we should make it an argument to turn to the Lord when both together the Exccellency of Jacob and the Excellency of God this is set as an argument to turn to the Lord Turn to me But they might say Do not we turn to God we do serve God That may be another Note That whatsoever Services men do perform to God yet if they be not in Gods way they do in the midest of them all depart from God and do not turn to him They did worship God after a fashion but God did not account that worshiping of him but departing from him therefore turn to God But turn Thou to God That is Every one of you do not stand objecting and cavelling against what I say but turn to God every one of you turn Thou to God Thou art Israel Thou art the posterity of that great prevailer with God therefore turn Thou to God That 's the Note of Observation from hence and if you lay it to heart you will find it of very great use Every one should consider what peculier arguments there are that concern him in particular to turn to God Therefore Turn thou to God O Israel There 's a great deal more reason why thou shouldest turn to God than others Oh that every one of us here in this place would but in our meditations labor to recal all those particular arguments that concern our selves that might turn us to God do not take it in the general Turn to God because he is your Creator turn to God that you may be saved this concerns all but consider what special arguments thou hast as thus Consider what special manifestations of God there hath been to thee Consider what special offers of Grace there hath been to thee Consider what special workings of the holy Ghost there hath been upon thy heart Consider what special illuminations of Gods Spirit there hath been in thee Consider of what special dangers thou hast been in Consider what special Vows and Covenants thou hast made to God and yet hast departed from him afterwards Consider what special engagements thou hast had These are but the hints that men and women may lay to heart all the arguments that may concern them especially to turn to God Turn Thou to God therefore Do not thou look upon others and think thus I do as others do yea but thou hast more reason to
hath fasted to starving almost he had need be very careful what he doth when he comes to a full Table Physitians will not suffer men that have fasted long to eat much It 's that which brings many diseases in Souldiers and others because sometimes they want much and sometimes they have abundance and so they spoil themselves As we read of Saul's men that they fell upon the Cattel so as they did eat the blood they were so greedy of it Oh let us take heed of this this should be a seasonable Lesson to those that have known what emptiness hath meant in these times and now they are going into their Countries again and to enjoy their Possessions Oh let them take heed how they fal upon the comforts of the Creature greedily Oh they should rather prepare themselves before hand and season their hearts with those thoughts that may keep them from the danger that there is in fatness and when they come to their Houses and Lands and begin to stock them again they should think Oh! what were those sins of mine when I was here before in my house and enjoyed fulness how little honor had God by my fulness before Oh! let me now remember all my murmurings and repinings when God took away my estate and let me seek to make peace with God even for them In the time of my distress I cried to God then and I was afraid that I should never come to enjoy my estate again and hath God given it to me again Oh let me improve it better for his Service than ever I have done Such kind of thoughts men should have when they come to their estates again and not to fall upon them and only seek to make up all again and think of nothing else There 's a great deal of danger here God hath waies to make men cast out their sweet morsels when they regard nothing but the filling of themselves It follows And their hearts were exalted This their fulness puft them up Pride is an ordinary disease that follows fulness Saith an Ancient It 's hard to be in honor without swelling Pride is the disease of prosperity in Psal 73. 3. I saw the prosperity of the wicked and so on he describes their prosperity and in the 6. vers Therefore pride compasses them about as a chain violence covereth them as a garment and hence that caveat of the Apostle 1 Tim. 6. 17. Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded Charge them saith the Apostle for it 's usual for men that are rich that are full to be high minded Charge them First Because that these things in the world they are great things in their eyes yea they are the only good things to a carnal heart they are his happiness and therefore he blesses himself in them and that puffs him up Secondly When they enjoy fulness in the world then their lusts are satisfied then they have fewell for their lusts and their lusts grows mighty high Thirdly They can live of themselves and depend upon none and this it is that puffs them up in Psal 10. 5. speaking of proud men in prosperity They puff at their Enemies they care for no body in the world they can live of themselves others depend upon them and they depend upon none and this puffs them up Fourthly They conceive some excellency in themselves why they have more than others as if it were because they had more excellency in themselves and were more worthy than others and they are not every body but are culd out among others as the prime and chief as if there were more worth in them this puffs them up Fifthly They see all others desire what they have they see a great distance between them and others and those that are under them do highly esteem of them They call the proud happy they have many flatterers They were fill'd and their hearts were exalted not only above men but above God Psal 73. 9. They set their mouths against Heaven and their tongue walketh through the Earth speaking of wicked men in prosperity They wil speak against every one when they are high themselves scorning at the waies of God and at his Saints When is the time wherein wicked men that are of scornful spirits do scorn and speak most roughly against the people of God and the waies of God but when they are fill'd when they are at Taverns and have fill'd themselves with Wine and good Cheer then they scorn and blaspheme and set their mouths against Heaven and their tongues walk throughout the City and Country against Parliament and all their tongues are free at that time it is when they are filled Hence that Scripture in Psal 35. 16. With hypocritical mockers in feasts they gnashed upon me with their teeth in the time of their feasts when they were filled then they were mockers and then they gnashed upon me Oh abundance of evil is done by scorning and contemning at Feasts and in that respect their Wine that then they fill themselves withal may be called by the name of that in Deut. 32. 33. Their Wine is the poyson of Dragons and the cruel venem of Asps for as it fills their bodies with heat so then their spirits are fill'd with rage and mallice and especially those who were heretofore low if They come to be fill'd Their hearts are most exalted Oh! the sad examples we have of this at this day many that were not long since we know in a low and mean condition and they have gotten places they have got estates and power in their hands Oh how are their hearts exalted Would you ever have thought to have liv'd to the time to have seen such a change in their spirits as at this day how do they discover their pride now they are got up First in their estrangement towards those that they were familiar with heretofore they go aloof off from you they are fill'd and now their hearts are exalted And then Secondly their carriage is very high and lofty you must wait now if you would but speak to them Thirdly now they need no advice or counsel they were wont to communicate themselves to you and to be willing to hearken to advice and counsel yea but they are fill'd now and their hearts are exalted as if the exaltation of their estates put more wit into their heads Fourthly Now they are harsh to those that are under them they speak harshly and ruggedly and care not for any under them when they lived formerly among their neighbors then they would complain of harshness and ridgidness of others but since they are filled they are as harsh as any and so before when they were low they cryed out of oppression but when they come once to be in place themselves and be filled then they go the same waies that others go hence that in Psal 73. 8. Concerning
your King and will do that which beseems me as the great King of Heaven and Earth I will not be born down by you with all your boisterousness I will govern you 〈◊〉 will have mine own ends do what you can things shall not go as you will but they shall go as I will have them you would cast off my Authoritie but I wil maintain it I wil be your King This is a sad condition to a people when God rules over them in spight of their heart And yet God doth do so many times God rules over people in spight of their hearts whether they will or no while they are plotting and striving for themselves this way and that way God is bringing about his own ends in their ruin The Lord is King be the people never so unquiet saith the Psalmist Psal 99. 1. It 's not thy fretting and wilfulness that wil hinder the course of Gods ordering things in the world he will be King at last do what thou canst while thou and thousand thousands of such as thou art shall perish eternally God will be King Oh it 's infinitly better for thee to fal down before the Lord and say Lord thou shalt be our King thou art above us thou hast power over us thou shalt be our King for ever It 's just with God alwaies to say thus I will be King But certainly God hath not made such a distance between man and man that any man should say so that whatsoever injustice he doth whatsoever misery he brings people into yet I will be thy King I will have mine own ends mine own will The Bonds between Kings and States certainly is mutual But further thus I will be their King I will not cast off all care of them I will not leave them to the mercy or rather to the crueltie of others but let them come and return to me and I will deal with them as a King to defend them to govern them to do good to them That God should be King over a people it 's his Mercy and it's mans felicitie this should be our prayer Lord give us not up to be rul'd by our lusts but do thou rule over us and Lord give us not up to be rul'd by the lusts of wicked men of unjust and cruel men to rule over us but do thou reign over us Let the Kingdoms of the earth be the Lords and his Christs and he shall reign for evermore But there is another reading of the words and that 's thus You that have books of the old-Translation where Beza's the Geneva Notes are you shall find the reading thus I am and there 's a stop where is your King that should save your City I find most Interpreters go so So the Septuagint Translation Where is your King say they and the Chaldae Paraphrase Where is your King that should save you in all your Cities The Chaldae Paraphrase the Septuagint and very many Interpreters reades it so it 's so translated in the old Translation and according to the Original I will be there may be a stop your King Where is he that should save you in your Cities Yea and many Learned men in speaking of this text in their Comments upon it say they it 's but a transposition of the letters which is ordinarily in the Hebrew tongue and though the word that is I will be it is as much as where upon a transposition of the letter but though we do not make the transposition of the letter in the first words I will be but take them as they are there But if you make a stop there I will be your King where is he that shall save you in your Cities The sense comes to one As if he should say I am the same God that ever I was but where is your King that should save you in your Cities Oh the words read so may pierce the hearts of some if ever they have had any acquaintance with God and known what communion with God hath meane heretofore to hear but these words for God to say I am I am the same God that ever you knew me to be that ever you found me to be but where is your King that should save you and if you reade it as here I will be and there make the stop so Pareus I will be saith he and so refers it then I will be what he had said before as a Lyon a Leopard and as a Bear bereaved of her Whelps and then Where is your King that should save you This is Gods Name in Exod. 3. 14. I am that I am or I will be what I will be so saith God here I am Lord I will be but then where is your King where is your King that should save you in your Citie and your judges of whom you said Give us a King and Princes My Brethren I am no Prophet and have not the spirit of a Prophet that could prophesie of things before or could order Scripture when it should be preached of and when not I am you see in an ordinary course and way and meeting with this Scripture am bound according to my ability to demonstrate unto you wherein the force of it lies I hope your consciences shal be witness that there shal not be the least straining of it but to give you the storie of the thing and the temper of the people at this time it appears plainly that there was three things that they much rested upon say they Let the Prophet say what he will we have the King for us and the Citie for us and the Nobles for us put King and Citie and Nobles together and who can prevail saith God Where 's your King that should save you in your Cities and your Judges of whom ye said Give us a King and Princes and Nobles There 's these three put together If our King come to the Cities he will have a partie there and there will be strength in the Citie and we know the Cities are able to command all the Country and Kingdom there 's the Militia and a numerous company of men and there 's riches in the Cities and therefore the King together with them and then having the Nobles of the Land and the Princes we are sure in a safe condition and yet in the midst of this he asks them by way if derision and insultation For so it is Where is your King that should save you in your Cities The Notes from the words are these First Those things that carnal hearts rest upon will vanish Where are they saith God what 's become of them you would encourage one another and say Come we shall have a day yet for we have this strength and the King and Nobles for us Where are they those things that carnal hearts rest upon will vanish and come to nothing Yea Secondly God loves to insult over men in their carnal confidences For so