your peace with God for them Though you were then young and did not fear the wrath of God to come upon you yet now you are old the wrath of God may come upon you for sinnes committed in your Apprentiship A sinner of a hundred years old shall be accursed Yet a little while In reference to the house of Israel Yet a little while and I will cease the Kingdome of the house of Israel This Nation had continued a pompous successfull Nation thoughidolatrous for about 260. years before the wrath of God came upon it that was here threatned God may come a long time after the flourishing of a Nation upon it in wayes of judgement Which may make us look back to the sins committed in Henry the 8 his time and in Queen Maries time Let us not plead for our fore-fathers for the maintenance of superstitious worship but let us look to the sins of our fore-fathers and bewaile them before the Lord for God may come upon a Nation for former sins after it hath flourished a long time But at length it will prove but a little while What was it but a little while from the beginning of this Prophesie till the ceasing of the Kingdome of the house of Israel Yes my brethren it was many yeares and it is very observable that from the beginning of this Prophesie which was in the end of the raign of Jeroboam to the rulfilling of what was here threatned to the ceasing of the Kingdome of the house of Israel it was 76. years For as I reckoned the last day to shew the time of Hoseas Prophesie from the end of Jeroboam here spoken of ver 1. unto the time of Hezekiah was 70. yeares and in the 6. yeare of Hezekiah Israel was destroyed by the King of Assyria and yet God saith here by Hosea which was in the time of Jeroboam for then was the beginning of Hoseas Prophesie as ver 1. Yet a little while Seventy six years is but a little while in Gods account Sinners thinke either in wayes of judgement or mercy a little while to be a great while If God do but defer mercy seven yeares it is a great while in our account We think our Parliament hath sate a long time How long almost two yeares A great while Wee think every day a great while for that wee would faint have but 76. years yea a hundred a thousand years are but as one day unto God So for judgement a sinner if hee hath committed a sinne seven years agoe he thinketh it is a great while and he hath not heard of it thereforre surely it is forgotten But what if it be seventy years agoe you that are sinners of seventy yeares old all is but a little while in regard of God Againe Yet a little while The apprehension of a judgement just at hand is that which will stir the heart and worke upon it most Yet a little while and God will cause the kingdome to cease therefore if ever you repent repent now for it is but a little while ere God will cause the kingdome to cease The apprehension of a sinner to be upon the brink of judgment when a poore soule shall see him selfe ready to lanch into the infinit ocean of eternall destruction to lie under the scalding drops of the wrath of the Almighty this works upon the heart indeed It is the way of the flesh and the divell to put far from us the evill day to make us believe the day of death is a great way off But it is the way of God to present things present and reall and in this consisteth the efficacy and power of faith to make things that are to come as if present Wee say in nature there must be a contiguity and neernesse between things that must work So wee must apprehend a neernesse between the evill that is to come upon us and our selves that so it may work upon our hearts An excellent place you have to this purpose in 1 King 14. 14. where the Lord threatneth to stir up a King over Israel who should cut off the house of Ieroboam that day but what saith he he presently calleth back his word even now you may think the day a great way off but it is even now and therefore now come in return and repent Oh sinners consider that your danger is now not only in that day of Christ but what even now it may be at hand Lastly Yet a little while Jeroboam had continued above forty yeeres in his sin but now Zachariah his son upon whom this threatning was fulfilled continued but six moneths perhaps he thought to escape as long as his father No God suffereth some sinners to continue long others he cutteth off presently though the father continue old in his sins if the son presume to follow his steps he may be cut off presently And I will cause to cease the Kingdome of Israel Kingdomes great Kingdomes and Monarchies are subject to change What is become of all the glorious Monarchies in the world how hath the Lord tossed them up and downe as a man would tosse a ball Idolatry is enough to destroy the greatest Monarchy the greatest Kingdome in the world But here is some instruction in the elegancy of the word It is in the Originall I will cause to cease It is a Metaphor according to some taken from instruments that a man makes use of for a while and when hee hath done with them either hangs them up against a wall and regards them no more or else bringeth them to the fire to be burned So saith God yet a little while and I will cause to cease c. As if he should say Indeed there was a time wherein I had some use of this way of the rent between Judah and Israel and of this Kingdome but I have done with that use there is an end of it now the use is over I intended now I will cause to cease the Kingdome I will take them away they shall be to mee as an instrument not to be used any more or for the Fire When the Lord hath any use of a people or of any particular men to do him service he will preserve them though they be wicked and when he hath done with them he either layes them aside or else brings them to the fire A Husband-man so long as he hath use of thornes to stop a gap with them he lets them alone but when there shall be no further use of them he then bring them to the fire so God here I will cause to cease the Kingdome of the house of Israel But how and where will God cause to cease the Kingdome of Israel Vers 5. I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel By breaking the bow is here meant the blasting and bringing to nothing all the strength of their warlike power all their Armes and Ammunition
time a new world and when we speak of the other world we call it the old world so the Scripture calls it 2 Pet. 2. 5. God spared not the old world And Chap. 3. 6. The world that then was being overflowed with water perished So this world that we live in is as the old world and there is this day of Jezreel in which there shall be such a glorious change all things being put in subjection under Christ that it shall be as it were a new world God hath made an excellent world in which there is much beauty and glory and yet his enemies have the rule here what then will that world be that God intends for his Saints 8. Great shall be the day of Jezreel It shall be such a great day that all former things shall be even forgotten because of the lustre and glory of that great day As Isa 65. 17. The former heavens and the former earth shall not be remembred nor come into mind And so Jer. 3. 16. In those dayes saith the Lord they shall say no more the Arke of the Covenant of the Lord neither shall it come to minde neither shal they remember it at that time they shal call Jerusalem the Throne of the Lord and all the nations shal be gathered unto it to the name of the Lord to Jerusalem neither shal they walk any more after the imagination of their evil hearts mark my brethren In those dayes the house of Judah shall walke together ver 18. It is apparent that it is spoken of this great day of Iezreel for now God saith he will gather Iudah and Israel together and here he saith that they shall walke together and that then former things shall be forgotten they shall call Jerusalem the Throne of the Lord heretofore even the Temple it self the glory of Jerusalem was but as the place of Gods feet and the Arke of God was but Gods footstool 1 Chron. 28. 2. It was in mine heart saith David to build a house of rest for the Arke of the Covenant of the Lord and for the footstoole of our God and Isa 60. 13. I will make Zion the place of my feet glorious But now in this great day Jerusalem that was but Gods foot stool the place of his feet shall be Gods Throue a great day certainly this shall be when all things shall be thus forgotten In the last place a great day because it shall be a day after which there shal be no night And that you will say will be a great day indeed after which the Saints shall be raised to such a state of prosperity and happiness that shall never fall again that shall never come to be darkened any more The Churches here many times have had some little release they have had their dayes of peace for a while but it hath soone grown to be night and a dismall night of darkness But when this great day shall come it shall be a day that shall never have night for so God promiseth here to his Jezreel to make it to be an eternal excellency and to make Jerusalem an everlasting joy and Dan. 2. 44. God shall in the dayes of those Kings set up a Kingdom that shall never be destroyed that is the great day of Jezreel The first thing that shall be done in this great day of Iezreel shall be the deliverance of the Churches from wofull affliction which they shal be found to be in a little before For so the Scripture tells us Dan. 12. 1. that before this day there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time and at that time thy people shall be delivered I might tell you much how some of the Ancients have spoken of this that though it be a point that seemes to be somewhat strange to us yet it was one of the most ordinariest things that was known in the primitive times It was then so generally acknowledged that I remember Just in Martyr who was but 30. years after Saint John hath such an expression as this There is no man saith he that is of the Orthodox faith in all things but he doth acknowledge it And Lactantius in his 7. book cap. 15. 24. 28. and divers other chapters he spends in shewing the glory of this great day of Iezreel but withall he shewes that a little before there shall be most grievous times that shal fall out such times saith he as that all right shall be confounded the law shall perish no body shall know what is his own the wicked they shal have the preheminence the Saints they shall be persecuted so that saith he though in this our time wickednesse is grown to such a height that a man would think it could increase no higher yet in comparison of the time a little before that great day these times may be called Golden ages These expressions he hath So that great times of affliction will be before that great day and it is therefore called a great day because God appearing so gloriously in the deliverance of his Church at that day The Scripture speakes of wonderfull thing that God will do and shew himself marvaylous as he did in the people of Israels comming out of Egâ—â—t Who knowes but that God now sendeth abroad so much of the light of his Gospel and is so working in the hearts of men and giveth us such a time of reviving and calleth home so many young ones as he doth purposely because this great day is at hand and because before this day wee may have a day of dismall darkenesse and by this he will prepare people for those times God will have a great seed that he intends to be in the world therefore so many young people are converted and are so forward because I say God meanes to prepare them by this light that we now have for this seed for this great day And you that are young may expect to go thorow some difficulties hardship before this great day comes but be of good comfort you may hope to live to see all the glory of this great day and God gives you now time that you may lay up and be fit seed for such a glorious day as this that you may not when sufferings come be found among the number of the fearfull ones spoken of in Rev. 21. 8. that shal have their part in the lake which burneth with fire brimstone Those that through base cowardliness and complyance shall yeeld to base vile superstitious vanities shall be cast out amongst dogs when that great day comes God now gives you a day that you may see the evil of superstitious vanities that you may have truths revealed to you with more freedom then formerly I say who knowes but this may be to prepare you for that darknesse that may come a little before this great day of Jezreel Secondly a great day in subduing the adversaries
as if he should say thus O Lord thou hast indeed granted unto us a great mercy in delivering us out of Egypt but herein we prize thy mercie that it is in order to the bringing us to thy habitation and it will bring us at length to the mountain of thy holinesse it is not so much that were are delivered from bondage as that wee expect to bee brought to thy holy habitation Now saith the Lord you shall sing as you did then look what causes you had then to sing you shall have the same causes to sing again when I am reconciled to you The last thing for the explication is when this was fulfilled or to what time this is to be referred There are four times that this prophesie aims at and refers unto First It began in some degree to be fulfilled at their returne out of their captivity from Babylon though it is true few of the ten tribes returned yet it is clear in Scripture that many of them did then return and had the beginning of this mercy and there was joy and singing Isa 12. the whole chap. is a song blessing God for their return from the captivity Jehovah is my strength and my song he also is become my salvation c. 2. This prophecie aims at spiritual Israel so in Rom. 9. it is applied to the calling of Jew Gentile together when the Gospel was first preached Jewes and Gentiles being called home became the spiritual Israel of God then there was singing Rom. 15. 20. Again he saith rejoyce ye Gentiles with his people The third time that it refers unto is the delivery of Gods people from under the tiranny of Antichrist typified by the tiranay of the Egyptians for that the former place is very full Rev. 15. 2. there you shall observe Those that had gotten the victory over the beast and over his image and over his marke and over the number of his name stood upon a sea of glass mingled with fire having the harps of God in their hands and they sang the song of Moses the song of the Lamb saying Great marvellous are thy works Lord God almighty just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints c. In this song which I make no question but this Scripture hath reference unto there are divers things observable To take them up briefly by the way 1. That they that sung were those that had gotten victory over the beast over his image and over his mark that is a full victory not only abominating Antichrist himself but any image any character of him any thing whereby they might seem to allow of him to be owned by him 2. They stood upon a sea of glasse mingled with fire The sea of glasse I find interpreted Christian doctrine so called for the clearness of it though not so clear as afterward it should be for there is some darknes even in glass but clear in comparison of what it was before for 2 K. 25. 13. The sea was of brasse which is far thicker and darker But there was fire mingled with this sea of glass that is though they had a clearer doctrine then before yet there were many contentions in the Church through many different opinions and much division there was even amongst the godly It was a sadde condition indeed yet it is ordinary especially when Doctrines come to be first cleared to have great contentions grow in the Church among godly men It is no wonder though good men should be of different opinions yea and have some heat of spirit one against another when the light first breaks forth When men are in the dark they sit together and walk not at such a distance but when light comes it cannot be expected but there will be differences But yet mark the godly then they did not reject the doctrine because there was fire mingled with it because there was heate of contention but the Text saith they were there with their harps in their hands they were professing this doctrine and rejoycing that ever they lived to that time to have the Gospel so clearly revealed unto them And they sang the song of Moses and not only of Moses but the song of the Lamb too What was that First great and marvellous are thy works in that we see we are delivered from Antichristian bondage as the people of Israel were delivered from Egyptian bondage with a mighty hand of thine Oh it is a marvellous worke of God that wee are thus at liberty Therefore know this that whensoever the Church shall be delivered from Antichristian bondage it shall be a marvellous work of God therefore we may not be discouraged because wee meet with some difficulties by the way for wee shal never be delivered but so as it shal appear to be a wonder if we should be delivered without difficulties we should not see the marvellousness of the worke Further Iust and true are thy wayes God in that deliverance will shew the fulfilling of all his promises and he will fully satisfie the hearts of his people who have been a long time seeking him and suffering for him Whereas the adversaries because God did forbear a while in his patience and let them prosper thought there was no God in heaven that looked upon them they scorned at the fastings and prayers and faith of the Saints But though the hearts of the Saints were ready to faile yet at last they shall say Iust true are thy wayes Lord we now see all thy good word fulfilled all thy promises made good now we see it is not in vaine to seek thee it is not in vain to wait upon thee for just and true are thy wayes O thou King of Saints God will appear then to be a King of Saints He is indeed the King of the world now and the King of his Saints but he doth not appear so clearly the kingdome of Jesus Christ as King of Saints hath been much darkned in the world We have some what indeed of the Priestly and Propheticall office of Christ made known to us but very little of his kingly office but when God shall fully deliver his people then they shall magnifie Jesus Christ as the king of Saints in an especiall manner Lastly they shall say Who will not feare thee thou King of Nations As if they should say wee see now it is good to feare God wee see now God hath made a difference between him that feareth him and him that feareth him not The Angel that John saw Apoc. 14. 6 7. Flying in heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach cryes with a loud voyce Feare God and give glory to him The feare of God will be mighty upon the hearts of the Saints in those times This shall be the song of Moses that this Scripture aymeth at they shall thus sing as they did in the dayes of their youth when they came up out of the land of Egypt yea and the truth is their song
was made into him was put into him Such a kind of phrase you have in the new Testament Iohn 10. 35. If hee called them Gods unto whom the word of God came that is to whom the commission came to put them in the place wherein they were So the word of the Lord came to Hosea The knowledg of a call to a work will help a man through the difficulties of the work One of the notablest Texts of Scripture to encourage a man to that work to which he sees he is clearly called is that which is spoken of Christ himselfe Isa 42. 6. I the Lord have called thee in righteousnesse what follows then I will hold thy hand and will keep thee and give thee for a covenant to the people for a light to the Gentiles If wee know Gods call to a work as for the present this of ours is exceeding clear unto us though the worke will be difficult and liable to much censure Yet the Lord will hold our hands and will be with us and with our minds and our tongues and our hearts and will keep us in this work and make us instruments to give some light unto you But the principall businesse is to enquire of the time when Hosea prophesied You have it in the Text In the dayes of Vzziah Iotham Ahaz and Hezekiah Kings of Iudah and in the dayes of Ieroboam the son of Ioash King of Israel It is computed by Chronologers that Hosea lived about 814. years before Christ In his time was the City of Rome built It was the beginning of the Olympiads Eusebius tells us that there was no Grecian History and if no Greek learning then not any that was of any authority extant before this time of Hosea He prophesied in these Kings reigns Vzziah Iotham c. You shall find that we shall have much of Gods mind revealed in this more then at first view we can comprehend We shall find by this that Hosea prophesied a very long time it is very probable fourscore years but it is certaine he was in the work of his Ministry above seventy yeares and I make that clear thus He prophesied in the dayes of Ierobam who though he be here named last yet he was the first of these Kings and we shall shew you the reason by and by why he was named last that then took up some of his time But suppose you reckon from the end of Ieroboams reign yet from that to the beginning of Hezekiah here were 70. years and yet the Text saith he prophesied both in Ieroboams time and in Hezekiahs time too after the death of Ieroboam Vzziah lived 38. years he reigned 52. in all He began his reign in the 27. of Ieroboam 2 King 15. 1. Now Ieroboam lived after that 14. years for he reigned 41. in all take 14. out of 52. and there remains 38. and after him Iotham reigned 16. years and then Ahaz succeeded him and reigned sixteene yeares more so that between these two Kings Ieroboam and Hezekiah there was 70. yeers in which Hosea prophesied besides the 41. yeers of Ieroboam and 29. yeers of Hezekiah in both whose reigns too you see he lived and therefore it is probable it was 80. yeares at least that Hosea continued in the work of his prophesie See what of Gods minde we have that will spring fresh from this Hosea continued so long and yet you see there is not much of his prophesie extant only 14 short Chapters It pleaseth God sometimes that some mens labours shall abide more full to posterity than others though the labours of those others more large and as excellent as theirs this is according to the diversity of Gods administrations Let the Ministers of God learn to be faithfull in their worke and let God alone for to make them eminent by having their labours extant 2. It appears from hence that Hosea must needs begin to prophesie very young If hee were a Prophet 80. years certainly hee was but young when he began first to prophesie and yet he was set upon as great an employment as any of the Prophets were as we shall see hereafter It pleaseth God sometimes to stir up the hearts of young ones to doe him great service he sends such sometimes about great works and employments so he did Samuel and Ieremiah and Timothy therefore let no man despise their youth 3. Hosea prophesying thus long it appeares hee lived to be old in his work When God hath any work for men to doe he doth lengthen out their days So he did the days of John the Disciple he lived near upon an hundred years if not more for the time of the writing of his Gospel as it is noted was in the 99. yeare of Christ 66. after the Ascension Let not us be too solicitously carefull about our lives to maintain our healths and strengths let us be carefull to doe our worke for according as the Lord hath work for us to doe so he will continue to us our health and strength and life when you come to dye you may dye comfortably having this thought in you well the work that the Lord sent me to doe is done and why should I seeke to live longer in the world God hath others enough to do his work It was a sweet expression of Iacob Gen. 48. 21. Behold I dye saith he but God shall be with you and bring you againe unto the land of your fathers So may the Prophets of God say that have been faithfull in their work Behold I dye but the Lord shall be with you my work is finished but God hath others that are young to goe on in his work that is the third Observation 4. You may soe by Hoseas continuance in so many Kings reigns that hee went through variety of conditions sometimes he lived under wicked Kings sometimes under moderate Kings sometimes hee had encouragement from godly and gracious Kings although they were of Iudah Not only the people of God but specially Gods Ministers must expect variety of conditions in the world they must not promise to themselves always the same state Yet further Hosea prophesied in all these Kings reigns Here appears the constancy of his spirit notwithstanding the many difficulties hee met withall in his work for he prophesying in Jeroboams Iotham and Ahaz his time who were wicked Princes surely he must meet with many discouragements And though he continued 80. years yet he saw but little successe of his labour for the truth is the people were never converted to God by his Ministry Nay it is apparent that they grew worse and worse for it is said of that Ieroboams time in which Hosea began his Prophesie only that hee did evill in the sight of the Lord and continued in the wayes of Ieroboam the son of Nebat 2 King 15. 15. But after wee read most horrible things that Israel was guilty of 2 King 17. 17. It is said they
satisfied yeeld to them gratifie them in what you will this is the first temptation what will you be so strict and rugged and yeeld to them in nothing but if they prevaile with you to begin to yeeld they will never have done they will still encroach upon you Hezekiah yeelded to Senacherib even to take away the gold of the Temple doores yea a little while after he cometh againe with a great host so that Hezekiah said it was a day of trouble and rebuke Chap. 19. Nothing will quiet them but the ruine of the Church they must needs have that Downe with it downe with it even to the ground nothing else will satisfie them To this low estate and sad condition was Iudah brought not long after Israel was taken away and yet God promiseth mercy to Iudah for all this VVhat shall we learne from this This profitable lesson for our present condition God may intend much mercy yea God may be in a way of mercy to a people yet may bring that people into very great straits difficulties The promises of Gods mercies are alwayes to be understood with condition of the crosse If we thinke that upon the promise of mercy we shall be delivered from all trouble affliction we lay more upon the promise then the promise will or can beare It is a great evil that proceedeth from much weaknes of spirit and distemper of heart for people though God hath done great things for them yet if there come any rub in the way and difficulty any trouble Oh now we are gone now vve are all lost now God hath left us we hoped that there would have come mercy we looked for light and behold darkness now the heart sinketh and all is presently given for gone Know my brethren this is an evil and an unbeleeving heart an evil and an unthankful heart God hath indeed done great things for us yet how ready are wee though God be in such a way a glorious way of mercy if we hear of any difficulty of any little rub any combining of the adversaries together we must expect nothing now but blood and bid farwel and adue to all our peace we thought to have had happy dayes but now the Lord is coming out against us and all that is done must be undone againe Why why are you so full of unbeleefe Surely this is unworthy of Christians that professe an interest in God unworthy of all the good that God hath done for us Peter though before he had walked upon the seas through the power of Christ yet when the waves came now Master save me or else I perish Hath not God made us walk upon the waves of the sea all this while wrought as great a Miracle for us in England as he did for Peter Yet when a wave doth but rise a little higher then before we are so distressed in our spirits that we can scarcely cry Oh Master save us but we look one upon another and discourage one another hearts and in stead of crying unto God wee cry out one to another in a discouraging way and so pine away in our iniquities Certainly God is exceedingly angry at such a demeanour as this and yet this is ordinary both in regard of nations and particular persons Of nations It was so high with Judah for I desire to keep as close as I can to the work I am about though God had made this promise to Judah here yet if we look into the 7. Isa Isaiah was contemporary with Hosea it was not much after the making of this promise wee shall see how they were troubled with fear saith the Text When it was told the house of David saying Syria is confederate with Ephraim the heart of the King of Judah and the heart of his people were moved as the trees of the wood were moved with the winde they were afraid and shook as the very leaves of the tree shake both the king of Judah and all the people Well but God speaks to the Prophet in the 8. Chap ver 11. and it was at this time when they were so troubled because of the enemies coming against them God I say in that Chapter speaks to the Prophet saith the text he speakes with a strong hand saying say not ye a Confederacy a confederacy Oh the King of Israel the king of Syria are confederate together what shal we do we are undone we are lost for ever say not ye A confederacy neither fear ye this fear nor be afraid but sanctifie the Lord of hosts himself and let him be your fear Thus God would have his Saints do not when you hear of confederate enemies or any ill tidings abroad Oh the papists are linked together A confederacy a confederacy do not say a confederacy fear not their fear but sanctifie the Lord of hosts himself let him be your fear and let him be your dread he shal be for a sanctuary to you and mark the resolution of the Prophet afterward ver 17. I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob and I will looke for him Oh that this were the disposition of our hearts Take that note away wiâ—h you amongst many though you cannot remember all when you hear so many rumors of fears and troubles as if all were gone and there were now no more hope Let this be your answer I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his facè from the house of Jacob for God is in a way of mercy and mercy certainly we shall have let us look for it And for particular persons how ordinary is it though God be in a wonderful gracious way of mercy towards them yet if they do but feel their corruptions stirring never so little all is gone presently I was indeed in a good way but God is gone Christ is gone and Mercie is gone all is gone surely God intendeth no thoughts of good to me Oh be not unbeleeving but beleeving For this is the way of God though he promiseth great mercie yet in the meane time he may bring into great afflictions I will not have mercy upon Israel but I will have mercy upon Judah and will save them For a people to be saved when others neare them are destroyed this is a great setting out of Gods goodnes to them as to stand upon the shore safely see others suffer shipwrack before us is a great augmentation of Gods mercy towards us When the people of Israel could stand upon the banks and see the Egyptians tumbling in the Red-sea and their dead bodies cast upon the shoare then saith the Text sang Moses and the children of Israel unto the Lord. And this kinde of mercie the Lord hath granted to us in England for while our neighbouring nations have been in a combustion and many of them spoiled we have sate under our own vines under our own fig-trees and our greatest afflictions have
so to agree Yea that we be not sodered together by our own blood Secondly God hath a time to gather Judah and Israel both together that is to bring peace to his Church God hath a time to gather all his Churches together in a way of peace that there shall be an universall peace amongst his Churches For thought it is true it be meant here of Judah and Israel literally yet Israel and Judah is to set out to us all the Churches of God that shall bee afterwards among the Gentiles and as God will fulfill this Scripture literally so he will fulfill it in the spirituall sense to bring Judah and Israel that is all the Churches of God to be under one head Isa 11. 13. Ephraim shall not envy Iudah and Iudah shall not envy Ephraim Ephraim envyed Judah because Judah challenged to himselfe the true worship of God and Judah on the other side envyed Ephraim because hee was the greatest there was vexing spirits one against another this shall not alvvays be saith God but the envy of Ephraim shall depart I will take away this envious this vexatious spirit Those two staves the holy Ghost speaks of in Zach. 11. 10 11. 14. the staffe of beauty and the staffe of bands they were both broken but God hath a time to unite together again and for that mark that excellent prophecie in Ezek. 37. 16 17. 22. 24. There you shall find fully set out Gods bringing Judah and Israel together and joyning those sticks together again Son of man saith the Text there take thee one sticke and write upon it for Iudah and for the children of Israel his companions then take another sticke write upon it for Ioseph the sticke of Ephraim for all the house of Israel his companions and joyne them one to another into one sticke they shall become one in thy hand And then ver 19. this is interpreted of the union of them Behold I will take the stick of Ioseph which is in the hand of Ephraim will put them with the stick of Iudah make them one sticke they shal be one in mine hand And vers 22. I will make them one Nation in the land upon he mountains of Israel one King shall be King to them all And in the 24. ver that King is said to be David which we shall afterward shew more fully when we shall come to shew this head that they shall be under Now this God hath never yet fulfilled that the ten Tribes and Judah and Benjamine should come together and be set in one stick he hath never set together the staffe of bonds that was broken and yet this must be done and it is the great blessing of God upon his Churches the bringing about of this union one with another Mark that Text for this purpose Ier. 33. God having promised having promised there in the 10. ver that in the latter dayes he would bring Judah Israel together and build them up at first then in the 14. vers Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will perform the good thing which I have promised unto the children of Israel to the house of Judah What is that good thing that God had promised to the houses of Israel and Iudah That good thing my brethren is the building them up together as they were at first that is the good thing Behold how good pleasant a thing it is for brethren to live together in unity It is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran downe upon the beard even Aarons beard that went down to the skirts of his garments as the dew of Hermon as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion for there the Lord commanded the blessing even 〈…〉 the Churches of God where there is this 〈…〉 here is God commanding blessing that 〈…〉 powerfully commeth efficaciously and blessing of life and life for evermore O who would not then love union and peace in the Churches Zach. 14. 9. The Lord shal be King over all the earth in that day shall there be one Lord his name one The Churches now they have one Lord they all acknowledg God Christ to be their Lord yea but this Lord hath not one name though they all pretend to Christ that they will honour Christ and set up Christ yet this one Lord hath many names But here it is prophefied that there shall be but one Lord and his name shall be but one neither And Zeph. 3. 9. Then will I turne to a people of a pure languag that they may all cal upon the name of the Lord serve him with one consent The word in the Originall is one shoulder all the people of God shall have but one shoulder that they shall set to the service of God O blessed time when they shall come so to be united as to have but one shoulder And the greater will this blessing be of Iudahs and Israels gathering together if you consider these two things I beseech you observe them and I goe no further then this very Scripture I am now opening to you First that they shall have this perfect union together even then when Israel shall be as the sand of the sea when there shall be such multitudes comming in and flocking to the Church yet then they shall be united into one and then there shall be peace in the Churches It is not a hard matter when there are but very few of a Church perhaps halfe a dozen or halfe a score for them then to be of one mind and to agree in one lovingly together and to have no divisions nor dissentions among themselves but when a Church grows to be a multitude and a great many then there lies the difficulty When did ever any Church though never so well constituted at first but increase in divisions and dissentions as they increased in number and multitude You see you find it very hard when you have any meeting in any society when any business concerns a great many you finde it I say a very hard thing so to agree together as to be of one and the same mind An instrument as a watch or any thing that hath many wheels is sooner out of frame then that which hath but a wheele or two So when a great many come together about any businesse it is mighty hard to bring them to be united in one There are few families that have many persons in it but quickly dissentions and brablings grow among them perhaps where there are two or three in a family they keep well enough together but where there are many where there are but seven in a family they cannot so well agree nor so long a time together as the seven Devills did in Mary Magdalen they agreed better and longer then many a seven in a family But God hath made this promise to the Church that though it shall increase as
within them sometime to see where famous Towns have stood now the places are overgrowne with nettles they are laid wast as a wildernesse Aud in this God threatneth after the manner of great Kings who when their Subjects obey them not threaten to lay their Countreys wast and to destroy their Cities as Ecclesiasticall Stories tell us of Theodosius that had layed great taxes upon the City of Antioch at which they were much grieved and imagining it seemes that the Queen had a speciall hand in it they pulled down the brazen statue of the Queene that was in the Citie in a kinde of anger upon this Theodosius threatneth to lay the Citie and Countrey wast as a fruite of his displeasure It is a fruite of the anger of a Kings according to their power to manifest it that way not onely upon particular men bnt to lay whole Countreyes wast God is the great King and he threatneth this against his people for their sinnes that he will lay them wast as aâ—wildernesse God had rather that the wilde beasts should eate up the good of the land then that wicked stubborn sinners should enjoy it God had rather have a land under his curse to have nothing but thornes and bryars brought forth of it then that wicked wretches should partake of the sweetness and fruit of it for sin doth not only pollute the sinner but the land and putteth both the sinner and the land under a curse And sâ—ay them with thirst In the 36. Psal ver 8. VVe have a full expression of the plentifull provision of Cods people that dwell in the house of the Lord. â—he Text saith They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fulnesse of thy house and thou shalt make them to drinke of the river of thy pleasures O what a sweet promise is here to those that dwell in Gods house and walke with God as beseemeth those that are in his house they shall have fatnesse and drinke of the river of his pleasures but here is threatned slaying with thirst that God will not onely take away those rivers but even drops of water they shall not have a drop to coole their tongues but shall be slaine with thirst There was a time wherein God had such pittie upon his people that hee would cause water to gush out of the rock rather then their thirst should not he satisfied But now God threatneth that hee will make the heavens as brasse and the earth as iron and though a little water might save their lives they should not have it He will slay them with thirst Oh what an alteration doth sin make in Gods administrations of his wayes towards us It is a great judgement thus to be slayn with thirst I knew my self a man once that lying in a burning feaver professed that if he had all the world at his dispose he would give it all for one draught of beer At so low a rate is the world at such a time as that is If the want of a little beer or water to satisfie thirst for a little while be so great a judgement Oh what is it then for all good to be eternally with drawn from all the faculties I have read of Darius that when he fled from his enemies and being in great thirst though those Kings had a delicate drinke that was peculiar to them which they called Coapsis and others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he met with a dirty puddle of water with carry on lying in it and he sucked in that and dranke very heartily of it and profest that it was the sweetest draught that ever he dranke in his life This meditation may be very usefull upon this evil of thirst that if a little puddle water can afford so much comfort when the faculties are in such a disposition as they are fit to draw out that comfort that is in this puddle water Oh then what comfort and goodnesse is there in an infinite God when he shall communicate to his creature all that good that is communicable and when all the faculties of soul and body shall be in a full disposition to receive all the good that is communicated and not put into a disposion by reason of want but by reason of the excellency of the faculty raised to such a height and inlarged to receive what good God himselfe hath to communicate to his creature But further it is observable Though God did bring them into a wildernesse and set them in a dry land yet if they might have some drinke though but water to refresh them in this wildernesse and in this dry land it were not so much Though they were in a scorching Countrey in the wilderness parched with heat might they have but some refreshment there the judgement were not so great but they shall be in a wildernesse in a dry land and there they shall be scorched with heat and then God shall deny them all succour all helpe He will slay them with thirst God useth thus to deale with wicked men to bring them into extremity and there to leave them destitute of all succour of all helpe VVe have an excellent Scripture for this Ezek. 22. 20. I will gather you in miâ—e anger and in my fury and what then I will leave you there and melt you saith God This may be a Comment upon this Text. I will bring into the widernesse and set them in a dry land and slay them with thirst The Saints may be brought into great extremity but God leaveth them not there God makes their extremity his opportunity for mercy he bringeth refreshing to them then they never have more sweet refreshings from God then when they are in the greatest extremities in regard of trouble and affliction God promiseth Esay 4. 6. that he will be a shadow for them in the day time from the heat and a covert from storme and from raine This is Gods peculiar mercy to the Saints perhaps they have no shelter now but when the storme commeth they have a shelter then and they have a shadow when the heat commeth in their extremity they have comfort But it is otherwise with the wicked the wicked perhaps may have many shelters before the storme commeth but when the storme commeth then they are destitute they may have many shady places before the heat cometh but when the heat commeth then they are left fuccourless then they are slain with thirst When wicked men are in prosperity then there may come one blessing after another I meane that which is in it self a blessing heaped upon them but when they come into adversity when they have most need of comfort then they are left destitute This slaying with thirst is applyed by some spiritually I will bring a spirituall famine upon them When they shall be in a wildernesse in a dry land when they shall have most need of comfort for their soules they shall be deprived of it Many men in the time of their health and prosperity
which drinks up their spirits Oh the happy advantage the Saints have in their afflictions over that the wicked have in theirs They have spirits indeed that well may be called brave spirits that can stand under the greatest weight of affliction and that with joy in the midst of them Paul can rejoyce in tribulation yea and glory in it too They have comfort in the creature but they are not beholding to the creature for comfort they depend not upon the creature for comfort their joy is a great deale higher That is precious light indeed that no storme can blow out See an example of a brave spirit that way that in the midst of affliction can have the light of joy Habak 3. 17. Although the Figtree shall not blosome neither shall fruit be in the Vines the labour of the Olive shall faile and the fields shall yeeld no meate the flocke shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stals What then Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation All their joy shall not cease perhaps in times of affliction in sad dismall times they may abate somewhat of their outward joy but all their mirth shall not cease there shall be joy within though none without Lastly I will cause all the mirth to cease All our mirth depends upon God he can take it away when he pleaseth God is called in Scripture The God of all consolation Joy is Gods propriâ—ty he gives it when he will and takes it away when he will Tou have an excellent Text for Gods hand in taking away joy from the hearts of men when he pleaseth it is Lamen 3. 65. Give them sorrow of heart thy curse upon them Marke it Now that word that is translated sorrow of heart I especially take the note from thence A word that comes from that that signifies a helmet or a shield to fence of any thing or to cover a thing as a thing is covered by a shield and helmet And it doth note to us that disease which Physitians call Cardiaca passio a kinde of disease whereby the heart is so opprest and there is such a stopping that it is as it were covered sicut scuto as with a shield there is a lid as it were put over the heart a shield to keepe out all things that should comfort and to fence off all things that may be taken to be any refreshments to the spirits let the most precious Cordials in the world be given to those that have that disease they cannot be refreshed by any of them and so the heart comes to be suffocated with sorrow This is the meaning of the word here Lord give them sorrow of heart Put them into such a condition as that their hearts may be so stopped and stifled with sorrow that what ever meanes shall be used to bring any comfort to them let it be kept off that no creature in the world may be able to afford the least refreshment to them They were wont to shield and fence off thy VVord when thy word was used to be delivered to them wherein the treasures of thy mercies were and they heard the sweet promises of the Gospel opened yet they fenced off thy word as with a shield Now when they are in affliction let their hearts be choaked so and let there be such a fence put upon their hearts that though there be never so many promises brought to them they may be fenced off by the secret curse As Doe we not finde many wretches who have lived under the Gospel and fenced off the treasures of mercies opened to them when they have beene in affliction they have beene in horrible desperation and whensoever any thing out of the Gospel hath been spoken to them for their comfort they have had strange kinde of fences to put off such things As those that reade the story of Spira may wonder what a cunning fencer he was to fence off all comfort that was brought to him This was from the Lord Lord give them sorrow of heart that is Lord put such a shield upon their hearts as all comfort may be fenced of from them We see my brethren how we depend upon God for comfort we all cry out for comfort let us know and take to heart our dependance upon God for it God can fence our hearts from comfort when he pleaseth let us take heed we doe not fence of his word form our hearts I will cause all her mirth to cease her feast dayes These two are put together for the hearts of men when they enjoy a more liberall use of the cheature then ordinary and are amongst cheerfull company are warmed raised and inflamed at such times If the heart of a man be gracious and hee feasts in a gracious way his heart is warmed and cheered and inlarged in things that are good so the heart of the wicked when they are at their feasts all their lusts are warmed and their spirits are raised strengthned in the things that are evil You have a notable example of the cheering and raising of the hearts of men in good things in the time of feasts 2 Chro. 30. 21. the feast that Hezekiah made for the people of Jerusalem in that great Passeover the Text saith that they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven dayes with great gladness and vers 23. the whole Assembly tooke counsell to keep other seven days they kept other 7 dayes with gladness Now mark how their hearts were raised and mightily up upon this Chap. 31. ver 1. When all was finished all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Iudah and brake the images in pieces and cut down the groves and threw downs the high places and the Altars out of all Iudah and Benjamine in Ephraim also and Manasseth untill they had utterly destroyed them all Their hearts being up and their feasts being in a gracious way they were so inflamed that now they tooke upon them a mighty courage in doing great things for God It were well if it were always so with us when God calleth us to feasting as sometimes he doth though not now that our hearts were alwayes up in our feasting warmed and inlarged to do much good It is that which hath been the honour of this Citie that in their Companies feasting yearly they were wont heretofore usually when they had rejoyced one with another when their hearts were up to consult together what good to do for their countries in which they were borne and then to resolve to send the preaching of the Word to such a great Town where most of them were bred and to such another Towne This was a gracious feasting and for this they were much envyed at And though these feasts were prohibited upon other pretences yet the hindering this good done at those times lay in the bottome of that prohibition Feasting also warms the lusts
Altars this was when their hearts were warmed with joy in blessing the name of God VVhen God once warmeth the hearts of people it is much what they will doe for God then They will not stand examining every nicety but they will fall upon the work directly the joy of the Lord was the strength of their hearts at this time as it is with the lusts of wicked men when they get into company at feasts in Taverns and there they are drinking while their lusts are warmed then what desperate resolutions have they to doe wickednesse So when Gods Saints are exercised in Gods Ordinances and are refreshed with the sweet love of God when that lies glowing at their hearts what strong resolutions have they for God! then they can doe any thing for God Now the very name of Baalim must be taken away VERSE 16. And it shall be in that day saith the Lord that thou call me Ishi and shalt call me no more Baali 17. For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth they shall be no more remembred by their name Here we have as full a Prophesie and promise of as thorough reformation of the Church as any I know we have in Scripture God hath a time to reforme his Church thorowly the very names of their Idols the very remembrance of them shall be taken away This reformation is â—ods worke I will doe it saith God I will take away the names of Baalim They shall call me Ishi and no more Baali Why what great difference is there betweene these two names Ishi and Baali that God will have one but not the other The truth is both of them signifie even almost the same thing Both of them are names very fit for a wife to call her husband by Ishi is my husband and Baali is my husband too But the word Ishi cometh from a word that signifieth strength the woman being the weaker vessel therefore shee calls her husband Ishi my strength for the husband should be strength to the wife he should live with her as a man of knowledge he should be a protection to her he should help her in all her weaknesses afflictions Baali signifieth my Lord as well as my husband it is a word that moteth rule and authority Ishi is a word that hath more love and familiarity in it Baali is a word that noteth the inferiority of the wife to the husband Now God saith he will be called Ishi but not Baali why there is no hurt in the word Baali it selfe the word Baali is a very good word and hath a good signification it is proper to God as any word that can be given to him by the Church but that God did forbid it here for it is no more when the church cals God Baali then if the Church should say O God that art my Lord my husband who art to rule govern me Yea and we find that God gives to himself this name Isa 54. 5. Thy Maker is thy husband so it is in your books but the word in the Hebrew is the same that we have here Thy Maker is thy Baali so that husband and Baal is the very same But now because they had abused this word Baal and given into their Idols therefore God would have no more of it though it was a good word a significant word and as proper to God as any was As the word Tyrannus was a name once for a King Kings were called Tyrants without any such ill signification as now it carries with it but because they had gotten the sole power into their hands they did so oppress abuse their power therefore oppressors were called Tyrants So the Latine word fur which is for a thiefe it was once the ordinary word for a servant Fures and Servi were wont to be the same and without any ill signification but because afterward many servants grew to be false to steale from their Masters therefore fures was altogether taken in the worst part onely for theeves So Sophista a Sophister was one that studied wisdome but because they did so much degenerate many under the colour of the study of wisdome deceived others therefore the name Sophister was used in the worst part I might instance in many other For further opening this May not the name Baal be mentioned God tells them that he would take away the name of Baalim out of their mouths VVhy may not we use this word Baali in our mouths To this I answer Yes it is not unlawfull for us to mention the word notwithstanding this for the holy Ghost a long time after this mentions the word in an historicall way Rom. 11. 4. hee speaks there of those that had not bowed their knees to Baal the word you see is mentioned remembred by the spirit of God therefore it was not a sin nay not only the word Baal bâ—r it is not unlawfull to mention the names of any Idols of the heathen for the holy Ghost doth so likewise Acts 18. 11. speaking of the ship that they sayled in he saith there whose signe was Castor and Pollux the names of two heathen Idols And you may observe that here in the text the remembring is as much forbidden as the mentioning Now if it were a finne meerly to mention the names of the heathen gods it were a sin to remember them Therefore God means the mentioning of them Honoris gratia any way for their honour or without detestation of them The words being thus opened you have many excellent observations out of them very usefull and seasonable for our times First There is a great deale of danger in words and names You shall call me Ishi I will not have you call me Baali I will not have that word used the Devill hath got much by words and names heretofore by the word Puritane though 〈◊〉 knew not what it meant now by this new name that he hath of late invented the devill hath alwayes some words some names for distinction of men in which he sees advantage is to be had The speakiâ—â—â—f the ways of 〈…〉 the language of superstition doth much hurt 〈…〉 a notabl◠〈◊〉 â—etion from the Papists themselves concerning that it is in the Rhemists Testament in their notes upon that place 1 Tim. 6. 20. Keep that which is committed to thy trust avoyding prophane and vaine bablings so we translate it they translate it prophane novelties this is their note upon it Let us say they keep our fore-fathers words and we shall easily keepe our old faith you shall see that wee had not long since the very spirit of these men breathing in many amongst us The Hereticks call repentance amendment but let us say they keep the old word Penance they say the Lords Supper but we will keep the old word Masse they say Communion Table but let us keep the old word Altar Was it not just thus with us the call Elders and Ministers
gods and goddesses This promise to take away the names of Baalim comes in upon Gods reconciliation to his people From whence the next note is when God is reconciled to his people there will be a thorow Reformation both outward and inward Idolatry is cast out not onely from the heart but from the mouth the taking away the names from their mouthes is a synechdoche and notheth the uttertaking away of all wayes of Idolatry in the outward practice as well as in the inward affection The more reconciliation there is with God the more enmity against Idols and superstitious worship A fruitfull signe then it is that we in England were never thorowly reconciled unto God because we never yet have cast off our Idols As some remaynders of superstition abiding amongst us did not long since break forth to most horrid and vile ways of false worship so some remainders of Gods wrath that hath been amongst us this day breakes forth into a most dreadfull flame When the people of the Iews shall be called again and God shall be perfectly reconciled to his Churches then Idolatry shall be perfectly rejected and there shall never be so much as mention of their Idols any more this Text aymes at those times and shall perfectly be fulfilled at that day that is the day when God will do it They shall call me no more Baali but Ishi my husband Thence the note is When a people is reconciled to God then they call God theirs my husband Isbi Psal 16. 3 4. David professeth that he would not so much as take up their names into his lips of which before Now mark what followeth presently upon that ver 5. The Lord saith he is my portion when the Prophet is so taken off from Idols as not to mention the names of Idols then The Lord is my portion So here now Ishi the Lord is my husband now can we claim a peculiar interest in God indeed This is the evil of sin it hindereth a nation a soule from clayming this interest in God God is a blessed and glorious God yea but what is that to this people to this apostatizing people what is that to this apostatizing soule but when the soule comes into God comes off throughly to the work of Reformation then this God is my God Ishi my husband Can any comfort any profit that you have in ways of sinne countervaile this great loss you gaine some contentment in the flesh some profit in your estate but you lose the comforts of your interest in God what is your gaine now thinke of this when any temptation comes I may be yeelding to this temptation get this contentment to the flesh but I shall lose this blessed priviledg of clayming an interest in my God I shall not be able to say Ishi my husband Thirdly Ishi The word compared with the former Baali is a word of more love then the former Baali is a word though it signifies my husband too as well as Ishi but it is husband under the notion of dominion under the notion of power that causeth feare but Ishi is a husband under the notion of love and protection Hence the note is God delights to have his people look upon him with love and delight It is Gods care and it is his good pleasure that his people should not looke upon him so much as one that hath dominion over them but that they should look upon him with joy and love and call him Ishi The more reconcyled we are unto God the more have we the use of the loving appellations of God For a soule to be alwayes under the spirit of bondage to looke unto God only as the Lord of all this is not so pleasing to God but when you come to have the spirit of adoption the spirit of grace an Evangelicall spirit that you can look upon him with love and say Ishi my husband that title of love and goodnesse this pleases God at the heart It is reported of Augustus that he would not have the title of Lord given to him he refused it and would rather have his people to looke upon him under the notion of love as a father rather then to feare him It were happy that all Princes were of this minde to desire that their people should rather love them then feare them It is a most villainous wicked and cursed principle that is in some who infuse into the spirit of Princes let your people feare you no great matter whether they love you or no. Suetonius relateth this passage of Augustus when a poor man came to present a petition to him with his hands shaking and trembling out of feare the Emperor was much displeased and said It is not fit that any should come with a petition to a King as if a man were giving meat to an Elephant that is afraid to be destroyed by him God doth not love the bread of mourners to be offered up in sacrifice hee loveth to have people come unto him with a holy boldnesse with a filiall not with a servile and slavish spirit Christ laid down his life to redeeme us that wee might serve the Lord without feare Fourthly They shall call me Ishi that is My strength The Church should looke upon Christ as the strength of it Thy maker is thy husband and who is he The Lord of Hosts is his name thy redeemer the God of the whole earth shall he be called When the people of God can look upon Christ their husband as the Lord of hosts and their Redeemer as the God of the whole earth then they finde quiet and satisfaction in their spirits Psa 89. 17. God is said to be the glory of the strength of his people Though we be weake in regard of our outward helps let us looke up to Christ our strength he hath been our strength he is the glory of it Fiftly I will take the names of Baalim out of their mouth and they shal be no more remembred by their name Repentance must be proportionable to mens sins How doth that arise before ver 13. God charged them that they had forgotten him They went after their lovers and forgat me saith the Lord. Now saith God your Idols shall be forgotten your hearts were so far set upon your idols as you forgat me now in your repentance your hearts shall be so much upon me as you shall forget your Idols Those men who have beene so wicked and ungodly heretofore that they have forgot God God hath not been in all their thoughts God expects now from them that their lusts should not be in all their thoughts It is not enough that you forbeare the act but you must not roule the sweet of them in your thoughts you must not so much as remember them except it be with the detestation of them If there be not a proportion between your repentance your former sins you may expect there will be a proportion
sonne of the perverse rebellious woman he cast a jave lin at him to kill him then the fourescore five Priests in the City of Nob must be all slain in his anger What was the bottome of all this It was the breach between God and his owne spirit Oh take heed of breaches between God and you for they will put you into a perverse and froward disposition What doth a man get by the want of this kindness and loving disposition He troubleth himself Pro. 11. 17. He that is cruell of a sharsh disposition troubleth his own flesh I appeale to you do you not lose much of the sweetness of your lives you that are in a marryed condition What comfort have you in your lives when there is nothing but snarling at and crossing one another you trouble your own house and your own flesh whereas if there were loving kindness betwixt you it would sweeten all your comforts yea all your crosses The loving kindnes of a man or a woman is the beauty of a man or woman Pro 19. 2. The kindnes of a man is the desire of a man saith the text there And of a woman Pro. 31. 29. among other high comendations of a vertuous woman who had done excellently this is one The law of kindnes is in her tongue kindnes giveth a law to her mouth many women have no law given to their mouthes their tongues are lawlesse when they are angred but a woman that is commended of God the Text saith the law of kindnes is in her tongue the kindnes of her heart doth give a law to her mouth that is the honor of a woman To be of a sweet kind disposition is an exceeding beauty it addes a glorious lustre to any man living Isa 40. 6. All flesh is grasse and all the goodlinesse thereof is as the flower of the field the word is in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same word that is here that word which signifyeth kindnesse is translated there goodlinesse noting that kindnesse is the goodlinesse of the spirit of a man or woman what the beauty of a flower is to a flower that is kindnesse to a man or woman it is goodlinesse Just in Martyr in his Apologie for the Christians faith that their adversaries did hate only the name of a Christian they had nothing against the Christians and what is there saith he in the name Nothing but that which is good and lovely enough now saith he it is not just to hate that which is profitable gentle for so the word signifyeth they are Christians what if you call them Christiani of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mild profitable for to they are indeed they are profitable gentle sweet natured people and why should you hate those people 2 Cor. 6. 6. Being filled with the holy Ghost and kindness are put together there is much of the holy Ghost where there is much kindnesse The spirit of Christ is a spirit of kindnesse and gentleness and though you may thinke that your rigidness and roughnesse may argue bravenesse of spirit in you for it is ordinary for froward and passionate people to thinke they have more brave spirits then others but know that your spirits are more base and vile then the spirits of others I will give you only one Text for that Psal 45. 4. it is said of Christ In thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meeknesse now the same word that is here translated meeknesse 2 Sam. 22. 26. is gentlenesse thy gentlenesse hath made me great Mark gentlenesse magnificence or majesty may stand together yea Christ is magnificent and full of majesty in the gentlenesse and quietness of his spirit ride on in thy majesty prosperously because of thy meeknesse because of thy gentleness Would you have a brave spirit like unto the spirit of Christ in his glory let your spirits be gentle sweet and loving spirits I will betroth thee unto me in mercies Loving kindnesse and mercies may seem in the reading as if they were the same but there is a great deale of difference in them And in mercies Viscera so the word is I will betroth thee unto my self in bowels Not the fruit only but the root not the water onely but the fountaine thou shalt have the fountain of all good my very bowels from whence flowes all mercies Wherefore Christians you need not fear the want of the supply of mercies why because you have the fountaine of mercies from whence they spring God may grant to wicked men many fruits of his bounty and goodnesse yea but they have not his bowels they have not the fountain the root from whence all springs Here is the happinesse of a Christian not onely to have much good from God but to have those very bowels from whence that good cometh Here lies the dignity the glory of a Christian the vastnesse of his riches Christians you shall not therefore neede feare to give up any mercy God calls for at your hands for you have got the bowels of mercy to be yours you have got the spring-head of all mercy to bee yours whence you may fetch all seasonable all sutable mercies when you will Here is the reason why many who are carnall when they have got a mercy from God they keepe it so sure they are afraid to lose it they are loth to part with it though God calleth for it againe Why because they are not acquainted with the true priviledg of a Christian they do not know what it is to possesse the bowels of God they know not where to goe for more therefore they are loth to part with what they have Now the Saints can part with any thing for God let him take what he will have let him strip me as naked as hee pleaseth I have the bowels of God I have the spring-head to goe to for all mercies again It is true if there were want of water and you had only water in a cistern if your neighbour came to borrow of you you would be loth to lend any but if you have a well-spring and a fountaine that never was dry and never will be drawn dry is it a great matter for you to lend water then So it is true the men of the world are needy creatures they have something indeed but it is as water in a cistern when that is gone they think that all is gone therefore they will not lend it no not unto God himselfe when hee calls for it But the Saints have the bowels of mercy the spring-head of all mercy therefore whatsoever God calls for they presently say Lord here take all I know where to have it againe and much more then that This makes godly men so ingenuous for God and so free hearted to him and to his servants I will berroth thee unto me in mercies A little to search into these mercies It is an argument that hath much depth in it First they are a
only true God and I will promise you to stay for you as you do abide for me For the phrase Thou shalt not be for another man The Hebrew phrase to be to or for another man is to marry thou shalt not marry another Ezek 16. 8. I entred into a covenant with thee and thou becamest mine fuisti 〈◊〉 thou wort to me that is thou wert marryed to me Levit. 21. 3. A virgiâ—â—hich hath no hath and quae non suit viro a virgin that wâ—â—n to another 〈◊〉 A usefull note may be had from â—â—nce That husbands must be to their wives and wives must be to their husbands that is live to them whatsoever thou hast any knowledge any parts any grace it must be to thy wife for the benefit of thy wife what the wife hath must be to the husband You shall abide for me many dayes and take heed in all this time you doe not depart from me worship another God Hence we may observe In the time of the sorest affliction and trouble we must then take heed we forsake not God Though I use you hardly for a long time yet you may not thinke to go and shift for your selves any other way In time of affliction we must take heed of using shifting wayes we must not seek to help our selves by false comforts though trouble continue long We have an excellent place for that Psal 44. 11. Thou hast scattered us amongst the Heathens and ver 12 Thou sellest thy people for nanght and ver 13. Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours a derision to them that are round about us ver 17. And all this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsely in thy Covenant and ver 19. Thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons and covered us with the shadow of death if we have stretched out our hands to a strange God as if he should say God forbid such a thing as this is though we be in the place of dragons though we be under reproach under great affliction you may find in that Psalme the most wofull afflicted estate of Gods people described as in any part of the Booke of God yet we have not lifted up our hands to another God We must not say as King Jehoram 2 King 6. 30. Why should I waite for the Lord any longer He seemed to be humbled and put on sackcloth but he would not be contented to waite for the Lord any longer but shift for himself It is that which is in the spirits of men under affliction to thinke why should I waite for God any longer I will now seeke to helpe my selfe in my owne way to shift for my self The Lord forbid that such thoughts should be in any of our hearts Sedebis mihi thou shalt be quiet though thou doest abide in this sad condition a long while Esay 30. 7. their strength is to sit still and ver 17. In rest shall ye be saved in quietnesse and confidence shal be your strength Alas thou art now afflicted where wilt thou mend thy self poor soul wilt thou go to false gods to thy former sinful lusts that is not the way to help thee thou must abide untill Gods time come that he wil shew mercy to thee The heart of man is strongly set upon good and cannot be content to stay Gods time but if God fubdue thy heart so far as that it is content to abide though never so long for God will not go out to help it selfe in any unlawfull way this is a good signe that there is much love in the bottom It is a signe of a strong affection in a woman when there fall out things that hinder the match between her lover and her self Well saith she though there be this and that in the way though you object never so many things yet I will have him I will never marry as long as I live except I have him This argueth heat power of affection So here I will marry you unto my selfe saith God but I will have you stay for me my time many things are to be done before that day and then after you have stayed I will come to you in a glorious manner As God dealeth with the Jews so often it is in marrying himself to a particular people Thou shalt do it God doth not only command them to do it but it is a promise and a prophesie that they shall doe it But you will say how have the people of the â—ews abode for God Thus they have never to this day chosen any other God though they have not been convinced of the Messiah yet ever since the captivity they have hated Idolatry that was the thing GOD specially meant in this thou shalt not have any more Idols thou shalt choose no other God no other husband though thou hast been very wicked and sinfull this way heretofore the Jews formerly chose all manner of gods the gods of the Amorites and Moabites and of all the Heathens about them yet now thou shalt choose no other gods but me thus far this is fulfilled to this day the Jews since the captivity have never chose any other God but have acknowledged the Jehovah to be the only true God they cannot abide Images There is a notable history for this in Eusebius in the 18. Chapter of his Antiquities Caius Caligula sent one Petronius to set up an Image in the Temple of Jerusalem divers of the Jewes came to Petronius to plead with him and said Sir what is it that you do we beseech you do not do it depâ—ive us of our lives first for say they it is impossible so long as our soules are in our bodies to abide it we will all dye first But saith Petronius it is the command of the Emperour and there is no contradicting it it must be done They answered seeing you will not transgresse Caesars command neither vvill we violate the command of our God nor are we so fainthearted or have wee such a vaine desire of the continuance of our lives as to enjoy them upon such terms to lose the reward of eternall life that is proposed for the keeping Gods commands This was their spirit then and to this day they will not endure Idols one main thing that hinders the conversion of the Iews is they being scattered here and there among Papists and seeing so much Idolatry among them they are thereby stumbled at Christian Religion and if God would once pull down Popery certainely the Jewes would quickly come in God is now about that Therefore all of us should assist in what we can to take down all monuments of Idolatry to make the worship of God more pure this will be a means to bring about their conversion and in this regard they have abode for God all this while this I conceive to be the meaning of the Text. And I also will abide for thee VVhat is
King without a Prince Their Church in the four that follow after Though once they were the happiest people upon the face of the earth both in regard of their Civil and Church estate yet now they shall be most miserable This they had brought upon themselves they had set up their Idols in Dan and Bethel Dan is the place of judgement Bethel the house of God so the words signifie there was abundance of corruption both in places of judgement and in the house of God and now there comes upon them abundance of confusion both in their Civill and in their Church state They received their order for both from God himself from heaven and their Laws as well for Cvill as for Church Government which no other people yet ever did in the state manner but they leave Gods instituions and so they are brought into all confusion They shall be without a King How without a King When they were in captivity yet they were under a King the King of Babylon and the Assyrian and now they are scattered under the Government of Kings and Princes still where ever they are They have Kings over them but they have none of their own Nation to be their King and that is the judgement Neither are they governed by their own or rather by Gods Laws and for them to be in slavery under Kings was to them as ill yea worse then to have no King at all It is a sad condition for a people to be so without a King to protect them without a King to maintaine their Laws their Priviledges and Liberties When men reject God from ruling over them it is just with God to put them under the rule of Tyrants of Oppressors of publike enemies unto their state of destroyers The blessing of government is very great if it be right and therefore the Persians were wont after their Governor dyed to let all the people for five dayes be without any governour at all that seeing the inconvenience and mischiefe of being without it they might the more willingly yeeld themselves under Government and be obedient to it when they came under it It is a question among Polititions whether Tyrannie or Anarchy be the better Tyrannicall Government or no Government at all Though Tyrannie except it come to a great extremity may be better then Anarchie yet certainly it is not better then to bring power to be regulated though it be with some trouble That power that at first raiseth power that designes such persons and families to have the power that limiteth that power surely cannot want power to regulate that power that it should not be to its owne destruction But here it is not onely to be without a King but without a Prince too The word that is here translated Prince signifieth a Ruler Judge or Governour and so I finde it often used in Scripture 1 Chron. 27. 31. All these were rulers of the substance Princes the same word that is here used and Nehem. 3. 9. The ruler of the halfe part of Jerusalem the Prince So that by Prince here is meant Judges or any kind of Rulers they shall be without Prince without any Judges or Rulers Though they had no Kings yet if the government had been in the hand of eminent men of Judges over them their condition had not beene so sad Time was not long before that their happinesse did not consist in being under the government of Kings they were in a happy condition before ever these were over them and the first time that ever they came under their government it was upon their own choice and so as God professeth they had rejected him and God sent them their first King in his wrath Therefore their misery certainly did not depend wholly upon being without a King If God restraine not Kings they often desire to encroach upon the Liberties that the Laws of the Land the light of Nature and God himselfe gives Subjects Plutarch tells us a story of Pyrrhus who comming to Athens the Athenians to shew their respect and to give honour to King Pyrrhus let him come into their Castle to sacrifice there to Minerva which was a place they were not wont to let strangers into VVhen he came out of the Castle he told them that he was much engaged to them for that great favour in requitall of which hee told them he would give them this good counsell Take heed saith he that you never let King come more into this place Immitating how easily they may be perswaded to internch upon the liberties of those who come under their power And this should abide for many dayes It did abide for 700. yeares and upward before Christs time in regard of the ten Tribes for from the sixt of Hezekiab to Christ it was so long the tenne Tribes never came under any Governour of their owne in all that time And since Christs time neither Judah nor Israel have had either King or Prince of their own Oh what a blindness is there upon this people how dreadfull is that darkness they are now in That notwithstanding the Prophesie was so cleare that the scepter should not depart from Judah untill Shiloh came and yet now they have been without Prince these 1600. yeares and yet they will not believe that Shiloh is come Thus when God giveth over to blindness and hardnesse things that are never so cleare will not be believed But their confusion in their Church state is more grievous then the other They shall be without a sacrifice and without an image and without an Ephod and without a Teraphim Two of these foure expresse their being deprived of Gods own Ordinances and the other two their being deprived of their false worship They made a mixture in worship they would have their sacrifice their Ephod but together with them their image and their Teraphim This is mans perversness to make mixtures in Gods worship they will keep something of that which is Gods but they will bring in something of their own too and that spoiles all I have read of an Emperour of Rome that in one Temple he would have Christ and Orpheus worshipped both together And those who were sent into Samaria by the King of Babylon of vvhom we reade 2 Kings 17. 33. They feared the Lord and served their own gods but verse 34. it is said they feared not God that is though they would acknowledge the true God yet they would mix the worship of Idols with the true God and so God rejected all they did not feare 〈◊〉 God at all It is no feare of God except we feare him onely it is no worship of God that is accepted unless we worship him onely It is true the Heathens are content with mixture in their worship you may worship one God and have the worship of another God mixed with it because there is not any one of them who challengeth to himselfe to be the universall good but God