prove this to be true Now God makes them beleeve the truth of that word which before they had slight thoughts of it is wonderful to consider how God brings Sermons into the minds of such upon their sick beds which they had forgotten before it is the office of the Spirit of God to bring the Word into the minds of the Saints though by them it be forgotten John 14.26 But the Comforter which is the holy Ghost whom the Father will send he shall teach you all things and bring all things into your remembrance whatsoever I have taught you But it is another manner of course that God useth to bring the word into wicked mens minds even by his strokes and that not for their comfort but for their horror and distruction It follows VER 13. Wo unto them for they have fled from me destruction unto them because they have transgressed against me though I have redeemed them yet they have spoken lyes against me WO in Scripture sometimes signifies pity and misery here it is to be understood of misery destruction to them They forsake me The word here interpreted forsake signifies to wander it is a woful thing to depart from God much more to wander from God Wo be to you when I depart from you but if you depart from me what will you do In wandring from God thou wanderest from the only Infinite good and then where wilt thou rest the sole of thy foot what shall comfort thee in the time of thy distress It is evil to wander from God but much more to make hast from God It is the Devils plot and custom to hurry backsliding sinners from God that they should not consider what they do and whither they are going he posteth them on in their evil waies as a bird to the snare and knoweth it not that it is for his life Prov. 7.23 Oh how much more should the Saints be put on for God not to be kept off with impediments but let our souls with Davids in Psal 63.8 follow hard after God and Psal 119.63 I made hast and delaied not to keep thy righteous judgments It follows Destruction to them This is the end alwaies of such as depart from God and happy were it if thou couldst see it beforehand Oh how many when they have come to see the end of their waies upon their death beds have given a most dreadful shriek as seeing themselves past recovery They have transgressed against me They have not only sinned against me but have broken covenant also they have now dealt perfideously with the Lord. Before God said He would chastise them but now He would destroy them Covenant breakers ruin make an end of them Utter ruin is the portion of those that break Covenant with me Though I have redeemed them yet they speak lyes against me Some reade it in the future Though I would and was ready to do it yet they say that the way of worship I prescribed is not so successeful and no such blessing follows it they say my Prophets threaten nothing but judgment and utter desolation now saith God All these are lyes it is no such matter I was ready to do them good But the future is often used for the pretertense in the Hebrew and so here the sense is I have not only redeemed them out of Egypt but very often since out of the hands of their enemies And the story which this Scripture refers unto is in 2 Kings 14.27 the Lord wonderfully prospered them in their wars and the Lord said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash It follows But they spoke lyes against him That is They attributed their redemption unto those helps which they had or to their Idols saying in this manner Other people that served not God were delivered as wel as we we see not so much of Gods hand in our deliverance as you speak of Or else They fathered their errors upon me because I delivered Now saith God in this you lye against me They made false interpretations of Gods mercies As that God was no such enemy to this way of worship because he had redeemed them The Notes are Gods reedeeming mercies are great aggravations of our sin When Obs 1 God delivers and we attribute it to any thing in us oâ— that we have done is mighty provoking to God because it takes away his glory in delivering When God delivers a people or person from danger and they now Obs 2 think to sin by this means more freely against him is a lying against God As they in Jer. 7.10 said they were delivered for to do all these abominations Or as that wicked King Philip King of Spain being delivered in a storm said it was to this end That he might root out all the Lutherans So are there not many so vile who being delivered in a sickness or from any great danger think it is that they might sin more freely which is a most hurrible wickedness and lying against the Lord. For any man to urge any false doctrine or opinion upon another is Obs 3 a lying against God Therefore take heed how you bring Scriptures to prove any error which you hold or is maintained by any for God will look upon it but as a lying against him It is a dangerous thing to counterfeit the Kings Stamp simile and is it not much more to counterfeit the Truths of God by errors seemingly maintained by Scripture But to apply this spiritually Use Many whom God hath redeemed from sin hell and wrath to come the hazard of their miscarrying being over yet dare not will not say that God hath shewed mercy unto them they are stil complaining Oh they are still in their sins there is no work of Gods Spirit upon them or if they wil grant there is some change God hath done something upon me that 's true but it is only to aggravate my condemnation it is not in truth God will leave me at the last al this is but in hypocrisie I may perish at last for ought I know Now take heed of this kind of speaking beware what you say in this case lest you be found lyars against God speaking lyes against the Truth of God in your hearts Luther upon these words takes much notice of Gods speaking so in his own person They have departed from Me they have transgressed against Me done wickedly against Me speak lyes against me call not upon Me c. Here note That the great evil of sin lyes in this That it is against God This Obs 1 consideration laid David very low Against thee only have I sinned And this is that which humbles a gracious heart that it should sin so unkindly against God Obs 2 The more a mans sins are directly against God the greater is the sin For now God suffers more immediately in his glory and this puts the aggravation
the seventy yeers were at an end ibid Answered 2 In their captivity by the Romans ibid Answered 3 At the calling of the Jews ibid Quaere 2 How did they seek God in any of these times ibid Answered from several Scriptures ibid Obs 1 In the sorest afflictions which befals the people of God he intends their good in them Page 522 Obs 2. God hath little honor in this world Page 523 Use God takes it ill when he seldom hears from us but in our extremities ibid Obs 3 Times of affliction are times of seeking God ibid Obs 4. When God is pleased to work grace in the heart that heart is taken off from all creature helps ibid Obs 5. We are not to be discouraged in seeking God though afflictions drives us to it ibid Use Despair not in afflictions ibid Obs 6 We must seek God early else not sufficient Page 525 Opened in Three particulars ibid Quest What is it to seek God diligently Page 526 Answered in Five particulars ibid Use Admonition to England Page 527 AN EXPOSITION Of the PROPHESY of HOSEA CHAP. 4. VER 1. Hear the Word of the LORD ye Children of Israel for the LORD hath a Controversie with the Inhabitants of the Land because there is no truth c. IN this Chapter we have 1. A suit commenced 2. God declares 3. Judgment is pronounced 4. Exhortation to Judâ—h to beware she comes not into the same condition 5. Execution the giving up Ephraim to himself and unto Gods wrath For the fiâ—st Israel is cited Hear ye the Wâ—rd of the Lord ye children of Israel The knowledge of any truth hard and grievous to flesh and blood to be the Word of the Lord Obs is a special means to prepare the heart to receive it with reverence and all due respect It was a hard Message that Hosâ—â— had to bring to tell them of Gods Controversie he therrefore makes thiâ— preface 〈◊〉 Word of the Lord. Hard truths are hardly born but when the Authority of the Infinite God appears in them be they either making for us or against us our hearts must bow to them they lay bonds upon the conscience and bind over to eternal death if you reject them 2 Chron. 26.12 Zedekiah a King is charged that he did not humble himself before the Prophet Jeremiah Though the Prophet be never so poor and contemptible in himself yet if he brings the word of the Lord Zedekiah the king must humble himself before him Ye children of Israel In this appellation God puts them in mind of the covenant he had made with them and theâ— with him you are not Heathens you are the children of Israel in covenant with me a people neer to me yet I have a controversie with you Obs The neerness of a people to God exempteth them not from Gods contending with them for sin Neither should neerness to us exempt any from our contending with them Deut. 13.6 If thy brother the son of thy mother or thy son or thy daughter or the wise of thy bosom or thy friend which is as thy own soul intice thee secretly to worship a strange god Verse 8. thine eye shall not pity him neither shalt thou spare neither shalt thou conceal him but thou shalt surely kill him thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death Controversies between those that are neare are very grievous Quid dicturus es ò Propheta qui tanta diligentia vocas ut audiatur verbuÌ„ Domini OecoloÌ„p in locum 3. The neerer the â—â—lation is between any the more grievous is the controversie if there be a controversie at all Hear the Word of the Lord ye children of Israel It is a sad thing for one Nation to have a controversie with another much more for a people to be at controversie with it self Yet more when when the controversie comes nearer into the family between husband and wife between father and child between dearest friends who were before to each other as their own souls controversies there are very sore and grievous Prov. 18.19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong Citie and their contentions are like the bars of a Castle Wind within the body is most troublesom and dangerous Hear ye O Prophet saies Oecoloppdius upon the place what is it thou hast to say that with so much earnestness thou callest to have the word of the Lord heard This is the solemn message of the Prophet to this people The Lord hath a controversie with the inhabitants of the land The word translated Controversie signifies a debate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his expostulatio judiciuÌ„ The Sepuag in t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 judicium the same word traÌ„slated by them also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iob 29.16 Ministers must plead for God take heed they plead not against him a contention it comes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Contendere vel privatim vel coram judice to contend privately or to come before a Judge somtimes a cause pleaded in Law As Exod. 23.3 Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause That 's the same word with this here a Controversie The Lord hath a cause to plead with this people it is the controversie of the Lord the Prophet stands up for God in his Name to plead against them he pleads for the King the King of Heaven So should all faithful Ministers be sure they be on Gods side pleading his cause For all Ministers are Gods Sergeants at Law his Attourneys his Soliciters The Kings Lawyers are sworn they shall never plead against him or take fee on the other side And yet how many even in the exercise of their Ministry shew that they have taken fee on other side How do many plead against God against his Sabbaths against his Ordinances yea plead somtimes against the power of Godliness against those things wherein the chief dignitie glory of God consists somtimes perhaps pleading for them but pleading more against them at another time The Devil hath not more cordial Solicitors and pleaders for him than those who would be accounted the Prophets of the Lord. The Lord. As if the Prophet should say Know you have not to do with me nor with Amos who was contemporary with Hosea a Prophet to Israel though you think you can make your parts good with me and with the other Prophets know God will not now stand pleading with you so much by his Ministers he will take the cause into his own hand and will plead by his Judgments he will now take up the controversie himself The Lord tells the people Gen. 6.3 that his Spirit should no longer strive with them what 's that That is it should no longer strive in the way of Noâ—h's Ministry but he would come and strive himself after another manner by bringing the flood upon them 〈…〉 God 's pleading is the more dreadfull It is most dreadful for sinners for God to take the
so what a controversie think you hath God against many in this Kingdom at this day How fearful is Gods controversie against some that must feel it for that blood that hath been shed in Ireland There is upon record one hundred and forty thousand that have been murdered there since the beginning of this rebellion and every body wil say it is plain murder And they whosoever they are that have had a hand in this and abetted it and strengthened the hands of the Murderers what will they be able to answer unto God Shall the blood of one righteous Abel cry loud in the ears of God and never leave crying untill it hath had vengeance and shall not the blood of one hundreth and forty thousand innocents I mean innocents in this regard in regard of the cause for which they were murdered We now in England begin to be somewhat sensible of the guilt of Murder what it is to have it lie upon a Nation In the last Declaration of the affairs of Ireland the Parliament giveth an intimation of some fear they have that possibly the guilt of the blood of King James may some way be upon US God hath a controversie for murder wheresoever it lies if it be not punished accordingly And for all that blood that hath been shed here of late where ever the cause lies God will find it out one day Oh the blood that will be upon the head of some Jer. 51.35 The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon shall the inhabitants of Zion say and my blood upon the inhabitants of Caldea shall Jerusalem say So let all Christians they may do it and they have warrant from God to do it let all Godly people in this Kingdom that have had their Husbands kill'd their Children kill'd their Apprentices kill'd their Friends kill'd in these unhappie wars let them say the violence done to my flesh be upon the Babylonish party the Popish partie and the blood that hath been shed of our husbands of our children of our servants of our friends be upon the inhabitants of Caldea the inhabitants of the Popish partie that are risen up and shed so much blood as they have done Oh how vile and cursed are mens hearts even in this thing that are so set upon their designs that to attain them they will go thorough streams of blood that lie in their way and no matter for the livâ—s of thousands of men so their lusts may be satisfied How are men vilified in this thing that their lives and bodies must go to be servicable unto the lusts of a few otherâ— Certainly God never made such a difference he never put such a distance between one man and another But now in the waies of execution of justice there we must not account the shedding of blood to be killing God hath not a â—ontroversie with a land for bloodshed in the execution of Justice nay on the contrary the Lord hath a controversie against a people when there is not shedding of blood that way Jer. 48.10 Cursed be the man that withholds his hand from blood such a case may be And 1. King 20.42 when Ahab let Benhadad go the text saith that a Prophet came to him in the name of the Lord saying Because thou hâ—st let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction therefore thy life shall go for his life and thy people for his people So when we have men in our hands whom God hath appointed to destruction who are guilty of death who have sought not the blood of some few but the massacring of a Citie if for private ends of our own we let them go God may require our lives for theirs And this is the cause it may be amongst others that there is so much bloodshed at this day amongst us because there is no execution of Justice upon offenders and God requires the blood of many for many It is true Papistâ— for their Religion are not to be put to death that we acknowledg but the Lord because he intendeth the ruin of that partie will leave them to those waies that they shall be guilty of death by the Law of the Land and by the Law of Arms and then the putting them to death in that kind is the execution of Justice and not the breach of the sixth Commandement Quest But will som say Oh killing is a grievous thing we never were acquainted with killing as we have been of lâ—te were it not better we were all at peace than that still so much blood should be shed Answ God forbid any of us should be bloody men or desire the shedding of blood No let us all labour to have peace thaâ— there may be no more bloodshed Take this speech barely considered and it is a good speech and we are all I hope of the same mind Cursed be that man I say that shall not yeild to this But certainly peace though upon hard terms it were to be desired if that peace would save blood though half our estates went for it But what if it prove that that peace we talk of should be a means of more bloodshed If you should let in such men into your City as bloody Papists French Walloons and Irish Rebels and that meerly upon their bare word that they would do you no hurt do not you think if they were once in that you would every night be in danger of massacring and would there not be much more bloodshed than yet hath been Therefore let not men say that those are bloody men that will not yeild up their throats to bloody men that will stand up to defend their brethren from being massacred but they stand up and take up Arms not to shed blood but to prevent the shedding of blood For certainly if the Citie and Country had in the beginning of these wars rose up as one man and gone into the field they might have saved abundance of blood that hath been shed Many thousands that have now lost their lives might have been preserved if you had took up Arms to more purpose sooner than you did But when every County looks to it self and the enemy goes to such a County and there sheds blood and then to another and there sheds blood and you sit still and do nothing God may require the blood of your brethren at your hands and you cannot clear your selves from being guilty of the sheding of the blood of your Brethren when you do not appear to the uttermost you are able to subdue the power of those that shed their blood We cannot see any way to keep the blood that iâ— now in our veins but by subduing the Malignant and Antichristian partie that have already tasted so much of the blood of the Saints that they are like the Country-mans dog And so those Irish Rebels that in Ireland have tasted so much blood and now are come over hither to joyn with Papists you cannot in any way of
own waies And that will be the very torment of the damned in Hell that they shall cleerly see that all the evil that is upon them it is but their own waies simile As it is reported of some birds that lime is made out of their dung by which they are taken so out of the dung of mens sins doth God make his limetwigs to take them withal that is the judgment that comes upon them it is no other but their own waies they have procured this unto themselves And reward them for their deeds The word that is here translated deeds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies Cogitationes studia their studies their thoughts as well as opera their works From whence there may be these two Notes First that God will call men to account Obs 1 for their thoughts the uncleanness of your thoughts the vanity of your thoughts the envy the malice of your thoughts Thoughts you must look to your thoughts they are not free before God that 's the first point Then that studied Obs 2 wickedness thoughtful wickedness is the worst wickedness when men shall plot wickedness in their thoughts that is the wickednesse that above all wickednesse God will come to visit And reward them There is a great elegancy in these words that in your English you pass over very lightly Reward them their doings We know that God will reward every one according to their doings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but I say in the Original in the Hebrew it signifies Redire faciam I will make to return your doings that is the propriety and elegancy of the word I will make your doings return back upon you From whence there is this Note Obser Sin passeth away in the act of it with much sweetness but God will make it return back again in the guilt of it with much bitterness As Gideon said in Judg. 8.7 unto the men of Succoth When I return saith he I will tear your flesh with tâ—e thorns of the wilderness and with briars How many men and women have past over the act of their sins very pleasantly but within a month perhaps or a quarter of a yeer or it may be within a yeer or two or sometime seven yeers after God hath made their sin return upon them and it hath returned as Gideon did return upon the men of Succoth and hath torne them with briars and thorns that they have lien roaring in the anguish of spirit for the horror that hath been upon them for their sins You sinners that have not returned unto God in the way of repentance do you expect that all those pleasant delightful sins of yours will one day return upon you and that in a dreadful way And from the propriety of this word Redire faciam I will make to return I may give a hint of a meditation the other way too Surely the good works of the Saints shall return upon them return upon them with comfort and peace It may be you have some troublesom afflictions in the flesh in some works and services you are exercised in yet know they shall return with abundance of peace and joy Do not think that what you do for God shall be quite lost and that there is an end of it If you venture any thing of your estates for a good use in the cause of God as never since you were born nor since your forefathers were born that there was a more full opportunity to glorifie God than is at this day that which is called upon you to venture for the calling in of our brethren the Scots into the Nation Scots comming in it iâ— such a thing that hath so much in it such an opportunity of serving God that you never had nor never are like to have the like so long as you live For it is not the bringing in of so many men into the Kingdom but the engaging of a Kingdom for us and not only an engagement but the greatest testimony of the goodness of our cause before all the Nations that are about us for though now the Nations about us know not which part to take there having been such protestations on both sides but when they shall hear that such a Kingdom that heretofore did carry themselves so loyally though being here in England with an Armie yet went away in so much peace so that the King himself by proclamation declared they are his faithful and good Subjects when these I say that had such an opportunity in their hands yet have shewn themselves so loyal and so faithful shall now engage themselves on one side certainly this will be a mighty high witness before all the Nations about us and no question cannot but gain many amongst our selves Therefore I say it is the highest and largest and fullest opportunity for the service of God and good of your countrey as ever you or your forefathers had And though you have done some what and much already yet you never had such an opportunity as this is which you may bless God you are imploied in And do not think now that what you do is quite gone and lost Oh no the Lord will make it return you shall have a good return for it You that are Merchants are you not willing to venture your stock at Sea upon expectation of a good return you will venture the winds and waves and seas and venture your servants that may prove unfaithful You never ventured any thing in all your lives that you could have such assurance of a good return as what you venture in such a case as this is It is not adventured God will certainly make your good works to return as he wil make the doings of the wicked return upon them It follows Verse 10. For they shall eat and not have enough Some would carry these words They shall still grow worse and worse in eating the sin of my people and so would refer to the eating of the sin of the people in that sense you heard before that is they shall never think they have advantage enough from the sin of the people they desire the sin of the people for their own advantage wel they shal eat their sin in that respect but they shall never have enough they shall never be satisfied but still desire that people may sin more and more that they may have more advantage by their sacrifices But I rather take it thus more plainly according to the words They shall eat and not have enough howsoever they think to provide for themselves by that which they get in such a base sinful way yet they shall find no satisfaction unto themselves in iâ— they shall be deceived The truth is if they should find satisfaction it were a great matter seeing they shall come to answer for it after wards but they shall not only be judged for it afterwards but for the present they shall find no satisfaction in that that they promised unto themselves
The carnal minde is not subject to the law of God not indeed can be Sixtly They will not joyn with the work of God When he is in his way toward them when he himself is about to frame them when he hath them in his hand they will oppose Gods work they will not join with it to frame themselves to turn unto God Therefore in 2 Chron. 30.8 Hezekiah exhorteth the Priests and the people that they should not be stiffnecked but yeild themselves unto the Lord mark the yeilding of themselves unto the Lord is contrary to stiffneckedness But now this people are stiffnecked they will not yeild theâ—selves unto the Lord though the Lord by his gracious works toward them be a framing of them to turn them unto himself they oppose Gods work they riggle and keep a stir and stand out against it simile Just as when you have a child that you would fain frame to such a gesture and you take him and put him into such a way but now he is so far from doing of it that he riggles up and down and will not suffer you to frame him why faith God I have been a framing of them my self I have not only shewn them what they should do but my works have been so toward them that I have been framing them but they are stiffnecked they will not be framed they will not joyn with my work in framing of them they will break out in their wicked waieâ— even at that very time when I am framing of them to turn them unto my self Hos 7.1 opened According unto that expression you have in Hos 7.1 When I would have healed Israel then the wickâ—dness of Samaria was discovered that is when I was about to turn them unto me then even at that time they break out in their violence and wickedness Seventhly 7. Not adhere to things received Whatsoever means is used to turn them unto God they will stick to their â—ld customs to their former waies to what they have received from their forefathers to what they have been brought up in those they will keep to but to frame themselves to turn unto the Lord that they will not Lastly What advantage they can have against the waies of God 8. Not take advantage against the waies of God that they will take and improve to the uttermost Those people that are against framing of themselves to turn unto the Lord when God is about to turn theÌ„ they discover it in this thing if at that time there be any disadvantage that their corrupt hearts can possibly take against the waies of God they will take that and improve it to the uttermost they can just as a child that you would frame to such a way if it be an untoward child he will take any advantage to give you the slip and to run from you simile so it is with people that have no heart to turn unto the Lord if they have any advantage in the world they will take it to harden their hearts against Gods waies There is no preparation of their hearts what then shall I do with them saith God if their heartâ—â—ere in any preparation it were somewhat but they are nâ—â— We reade in 8 Chron. 20. 2 Chron. 20.33 parallel'd that the high places were not takâ—n away because the people had not prepared their hearts to turn unto the Lord. It is all one with this expression in the text the people were not in a frame in a teachable Applic. to England in a convertible disposition The Lord grant that this Scripture may not be true of us at this day that the reason why there remaineth so much evil in Gods worship is because the people have not prepared their hearts they do not frame their doings to turn unto the Lord they do not seem to be in any posture that way It was a charge upon Rehoboam in 2 Chron. 12.14 That he did evil Quest we ought to prepare our hearts see Anns cas comc lib. 2. c. 4. becâ—use he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord But you will say what power had he to turn unto the Lord he was a wicked man Yea but this wicked man though he had no saving grace yet he is charged for doing evil in that he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord. God therefore expects that people though they are not able to turn unto him thoroughly yet they should be in a posture that way And as a people in general so every soul in particular Some that are not yet turned to the Lord yet are in a way of turning they are in a readiness to receive what God shall reaveal This is a happy condition If God shall see a Nation though it be not fully reformed ready to receive what he shall reveal Oh this is a happy thing As the Scripture speaks Joh. 4.35 opened that the regions were white unto the harvest that is there was a preparation in the hearts of people to receive the Gospel if God shall see such a frame of heart in a people it is true this people are not fully reformed but their hearts are prepared they are ready to imbrace what the mind of God is when it shall be revealed unto them Oh that this might be said of thiâ— people they are willing to entertain what God shall speak they are listning to it God is about to bring us from a way of superstition both the Works and the Word of God tend that way but there are multitudes of people that will not frame their doings to turn unto the Lord their spirits are perverse they are full of prejudice froward and they hang off and then we know they cannot be convinced The Apostle Peter bids the Saints in Act. 2.40 save themselves from that untoward generation Oh let not this charge be upon us that we are an untoward generation that God iâ— framing of us for good but we will not frame our doings to turn unto the Lord As we see a workman when he hath a piece of timber that is knotty and will not work in his hand he casts it into the fire or as clay simile 1 that is not well tempered it will not work in the hand of the workman he many times casteth it away in an anger it will simile 2 not work in my hand what shall I do with it The Lord is hewing of us by his Prophets and seeking to frame this Nation to his will Oh let us work in Gods hand let us joyn with the work of God and yeild our selves to the work of God that the Lord may not cast us into the fire If we will not frame our doings to turn unto the Lord he may break us break that frame that we raise in our own imaginations perhaps we are framing to our selves a strange kind of Common-wealth State-designs to enjoy our ease and honors and prosperity and so we build Castles
in their counsels Now God is a moth and rottenness to a people All this while God doth not appear in an outward hoâ—ile and terrible way but there is a secret curse of God upon their counsels and so he is a moth and rottenness to them Thirdly God is a moth and rottenness to a people in their estates 3. in estates in their tradings there shall be a decay of trading amongst them and they shall grow poorer and poorer no man knows how There shall be a secret curse upon their tradings and estates that no man can give a cause of Fourthly 4. in the instruments of their good God is a moth and rottenness in the cheif instruments that they make use of for their good taking away cheif ones secretly when no body takes notice of them one dropeth away after another as in rottenness of wood one little piece droppeth down after another some dust of it drops down and no body take notice of it so in a State and Kingdom cheif instruments shall be taken away and no body takes notice of it someâ—imes one anâ— then another and then another after him so they shall mâ—â—â—â—der away by degrees And those that are remaining shâ—ll be blasted in thâ—ir esteems amongst the people Those tâ—â—t God gives ability to do them good and might be very useful and serviceable unto them yet though they live aâ—oâ—gâ—â— them they sâ—all be so blasted by â—eports one way or other that they shâ—ll not be able to do them much good And when you see thiâ— prevailing in a Kingdom then God is a moth and rottenness to them is an argument of a gracious heart As it iâ— an argument that that flesh is ful of life that is sensible of the least touch simile so of a heart that that is full of grace when it iâ— sensible of the least fruit of Gods displeasure But when men and women are in such a disposition that except God strike them in some terrible manner they are not senâ—â—ble of his displeasure this is a sign that they have brawny and hard hearts of their own Obs 4 Fourthly Though carnal hearts do slight and contemn Gods displeasure in little things yet this displeasure and wrath â—f God in little things will eat them out at last It will bring them down it will destroy them if it be neglected You know in Exod. 8.25 that judgment of the flies brought down the spirit of Pharaoh more than all the other judgmentâ— before he said before that he would let the people go but he never bad them go till then God is able to bring down the stoutest the proudest spirit upon the face of the earth by little things He can eat out the heart of the strongest wood by this little worm and so by any little judgment of his he can bring down the stoutest and proudest spirit in the world Obs 5 Fifthly God is slow in punishing He punisheth by degrees at first yea his punishing is as a moth and as a little worm in the wood it is a long time before they do any hurt This is to shew that Gods wrath it is at first but slow Use And by this we are taught to do even aâ— God Himself doth to be slow to wrath in our waies of wrath and displeasure against our brethren to be slow as God is not presently to fly in the faces of our servants or of our children when they displease us God doth not deal so with us He flyes not presently upon us God is a long time before He bring any sensible evil upon us The Râ—mans used to have the Rod and the Axe carried before their Magistraâ—es to shew that they began by lower afflictionâ— at first they did not come to the extremity at first but went on gradually in their way of punishing Obs 6 Sixtly God hath secrâ—t judgments to bring upâ—n a people upon particular persons waies of judgment secretly that they little think of In 2 King 3.17 Thus saith the Lord you shall not see the wind neither shall you see rain yet the valleyes shall be filled with water There shall be a filling with water though you see neither wind nor rain you shall not know whence it cometh yet the vallies shall be filled with water So many times there is the judgment of God against a people against a family against a particular person and no body can tell from whence it comes Aâ— God hath many secret blessings for his people so He hath secret curseâ— against the ungodly Let us take heed of secret sins Use beware of secret sins for God hath secret wrath to avenge secret sins Many of you that find the hand of God out against you and you do not know how do you examin your own hearts whether there be not many secret sins in you against the Lord. It was so at this time when God came to be a moth against Ephraim in 2 King 17.9 speaking of that very time that this prophesie doth relate unto wherein God was a moth unto Ephraim the text saith there 2 King 17.9 applied that the children of Israel did secretly that whih was not right in the eyes of the Lord Therefore just was God in this to be a moth to have His displeasure to come secretly Take you heed of secret sins lest God consume you by secret iudgments Seventhly Our corruption within us breedeth our trouble and Obs 7 our undoing Whence cometh the moth but from the very cloth it self that it eateth out it is bred there and this worm it is bred in the wood that it doth consume A moth shall eat them it seems to be a proverbial speech amongst the Hebrews when they would expresâ— the perishing of any by their own counsels and their own waies as the Latins have proverbial speeches suitable Fabrum constringi compedibus quas ipse cuderat The workman he is fetterd with those fetters he makes himself And so that proverb that we have to nourish a Snake in a mans own bosom is as much as a moth shall eat them that is what evil cometh to us it is bred within us that wrath that doth consume us it is that which is bred out of the corruption that is in us So they say of the black bird that of the dung that comes from it the lime is made that your fowlers make use of to make their lime-twigs withal so from our own sins comes our own misery From the uncleanness of a Nation or a particular soul cometh the evil of it Therefore if we should reade the foregoing words they willingly followed the commandement according to the old Latin they followed post sordes after the filth of Jeroboam then the elegancy of the expression would be more It was those filthy waies of Jeroboam that caused these moths to be bred From our uncleanness cometh our consumption simile as from the uncleanness of the body many evils are bred so from the uncleanness
a party low and ready to be trodden down yet have been so far from seeking help from or protection of wicked men that though they have been sent unto and have had fair offers of enjoying what they desire yet they have resolved to venture the loss of all in a good Cause whether they get any thing by it or no whether they have what they would have Liberties or not Liberties yet they are content to venture their estates their lives and all in that Cause and not to provide for themselves by the help of such as they see to be evil and whose waies and designs they see are not with God And if to seek unto wicked men for help and protection be so sinful Use Admonition to those that seek to Satan See Peter Martyr on 1 Sam. 22.23 what is it then for men in times of straights to seek to the Devil for help Surely that must be much more sinful to use those waies that are in themselves directly evil as lying swearing cheating and cozening c. In times of straights for you to think to help your self by those waies it is as much as if you should say I see God doth not help me I will try what the Devil will do Certainly by iniquity shall no man be established Prov. 12.3 Art thou in a straight under any affliction never think of seeking out to unlawful means to help thy self for thou canst get no good that way And that will appear more in the words that follow Yet could he not heal you nor cure you of your wound The Assyrian could not help Jareb could do no good yea indeed they were so far from helping of Israel and Judah that they made the wound greater for Israel was afterward carried away captive by the Assyrian to whom he sent for help and for Judah we reade in 2 Chron. 28.20 that when Ahaz sent for help to Tilgath Pileser King of Assyria he came unto him indeed but he distressed him and strengthened him not From whence we may observe First That creature comforts avail little in the day of Gods wrath Obs 1 Gods wrath was out against Ephraim and Judah and they would fain seek to help themselves in some creature way but it would do them no good Creatures are little helpful in the day of Gods wrath they are all as a broken reed that rather runneth into a mans hand thâ—n any way releeveth him So the Scripture saith of riches that they avail not in the day of wrath All the creatures will then say to you if God help you not how can we help you They are but as a tree in the time of a storm you may run under the tree and perhaps a few droppings may be kept from you for a while but if the storm be great and continue what good can the leaves of a tree do you to keep you from it The creature may refresh you a little but if Gods wrath continue what good can the creature do But the word which the Seventy translate he could not heal you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non sedabit dolorem vestrum he shall not so much as ease or mittigate your grief or give you a little refreshment It 's true sometimes by seeking to creature comforts a man may think he hath some refreshing but the truth is it endeth in trouble and sorrow A man in this case that seeks for help to the creature when God hath struck him simile is as a Deer that is shot with an Arrow the Deer runs up and down from one bush to another to seek for case but the blood falls all along and perhaps by and by his bowels run out what ease can bushes do to a poor Deer when the arrow sticks in his body God many times strikes his arrows into the sides of people and they run up and down to the creature to this bush and to the other bush for help but little or none can they have form any I confess somtimes for a little while as I say there is a little case I find it so in the case of Ahaz when he was in straits his heart did melt as you heard before Now that story in Isa 7. hath reference to the 2 Kings 16. aforenamed When Rezin and Pekah came against him you shall find that Ahaz had a little help for the present by Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria that he sent for but afterwards as we shall shew you when we come to another point it did him little good for Gods hand was out against Judah so much the more dreadfully Obs 2 And as the creature hath but little help in it in the time of straits So of all things that men rest on for help wicked men are most like to prove helpless They leave you in your straits as the Scribes and Pharisees did Judas When Judas was brought into straits by his sin and in the anguish of his spirit came and said I have sinned in betraying innocent blood What is that to us say they look thou to it There was all the comfort he could have from them They were forward to draw him into the sin but when he had done it then Look you to it Use Such comfort you are like to have from your wicked companions in times of straits They will draw you into that which is evil and afterward when God shall strike you and they come to visit you and you lie crying out of those waies they have drawn you into Oh! miserable comforters will they be You can have noe helpe from wicked men in times of straits Yea We are not to rest upon the best men of all in time of straits The best not to be depended on God hath given us experience at this day that every man is vanity so the Scripture saith Verely every man is vanity Cease from Man for wherein is he to be esteemed Had we no other rest but upon man what should become of us Therefore neither unto the Assyrian no nor unto any living are we to send for help so as to look higher upon them than as on an arm of flesh God pronounceth a curse upon him that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm and saith he shall be like the heath in the desert and shall not see when good commeth but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness Jer. 17.5 6. But why is it that the Assyrian can do Israel no good It follows VER 14. For I will be unto Ephraim as a Lyon and as a young Lyon to the house of Judah THat which iâ— here translated in your books a Lyon thâ— Seventy translate it by the Panther which is the most swift fierce creature one of them in the world Gods wrath for strength is compared to a Lyon and for swiftness to a Panther Panther To a Lyon because though he is most strong and terrible yet Historians say that if you fall down and submit unto him he
they were unclean wretches and though it were the King of Babylon a Heathen yet he so hated that sin of adultery that he caused them to be rosted in the fire for that was the punishment of that Nation for capital offences to burn or rost the offenders in the fire Therefore those who are Ministers that are learned men that have any shew of holiness more than others if they be guilty of this sin God hath a most dreadful controversie with them And see how we should have a controversie too agâ—â—nst this sin of uncleanness especially when it is in a forced way Judg. 20.27 you shall reade there that there was four hundred thousand men all men of war that were raised up as one man and they all said vers 8. we will not any of us go to his tâ—nt neither will we any of us â—urn into his house And upon what did all these men rise Chap. 19. the cause was only this that there was a Levite that had a Concubine which Câ—ncubine had plaid the harlot and had gone from the Levite he going to fetch hiâ— Concubine whom the men of Gibâ—ah a City of Benjamin came in a violent way and ravished his Concubine until she died upon thiâ— the Levite took the dead body and divided it into twelve several pieces and sent them into all the coasts of Israel and wisht them to consider what iâ— donâ— Upon this the hearts of all the men of Israel were raisâ—d aâ— one man and covenanted among themselves that they â—ould none of them turn into their houses untill they had brought those Delinquents that had committed that horrible offence to condigne punishment Mark now that the hearts of people should be so set upon it and think it cause enough to gather an Army of four hundred thousand to bring to condigne punishment those that had but ravished a whore for she was no other and resolved never to go home til those Delinquents were punished Have not we heard of worse than this amongst us Oh what adulteries what rapes have there been wheresoever the Soldiers come what horrible villanies are committed that way taking not mens concubins and whores but grave mâ—trons and on purpose those whom they think to be most godly and defile them before the eyes of their husbands and then when they have done murder them And yet we stir not for all this to fetch in these Delinquents Now we have rapes and ravishments of thousands amongst us and yet our hearts stir not though no question the same thing is intended against us here that is done to our brethren in other Countries for you can expect little else from such as these Judg. 5.20 it is the speech of Siseras Mother Have they not divided the prey to every man a damsel or two They aim as much to satisfie their lusts upon you as upon your goods you must not think your lives wil satisfie them but their lusts must be first satisfied Yet O Lord the deadness of mens hearts that though there hath been such horrible villany committed in Ireland in England which certanily if there were no more but that God requireth the people of the land should rise up to avenge such a thing as that is that there should not be such horrible wickedness committed in Israel but that the offenders should be brought to condigne punishment If you regard not your lives and estates and liberties yet regard such a horrible villany as this as is committed in the open heavens These here resolved not to go to their tents nor to turn into their houses till this was done Be content to shut up your shops for a while and to leave your trades and to lie in the fields untill you have brought these Delinquents to their just punishment Be not discouraged with a little ill success there were forty thousand of the better side slayn here before Israel got the victory until they had thoroughly humbled themselves and then they had the better of it Though our adversaries meet with success in their waies let us not be discouraged they that â—ood to defend this horrible wickedness of the Men of Gibeah they got the first day and the second day yet they went on in their way till they had brought the offenders to condigne punishment We should resolve never to follow our business nor regard our houses and private estates untill we have got this wickedness punished in this land and wiped off the guilt from the Kingdom So much for that fourth charge A word of the last They break out and blood toucheth blood They break out Erumpunt That is like the erruption of waters As waters break over the banks whâ—n it hath been kept in a while so they break out thus they overflow all bounds When sin is not mortified though it be restrained for a while it will break out As many young men that have lived in good families and have had good governours then their sin was restrained but afterward when they come to live at their own hand then they break out Erumpunt then sin groweth to that strength that nothing can resâ—rain it like that man that had an unclean spirit and lived among the graves Mark 5. no man could bind him no not with chains Secondly Breaking out is a great aggravation of a mans sin It argueth strength in sin impudency in sin desperatness in sin And this breaking out of sin is not breaking out only as water in an overflowing time or tide or so but like breaking out of the fire indeed rather or if you will like water breaking out of some fountain now you know if a water break out of a fountain there is not the less water in the fountain but rather an increase of it And as the fire when it breaks out the breaking out makes it not less but more as when an house is on fire it will keep in a long while but when it breaks out at the roof or so then it flames the more and increaseth with more violence So it is no diminution to sin that it breaks out as many foolish people are ready to say that will speak horrible wickedly in their passion I will let it go as good out as in they foolishly think there is so much less corruption within and that is a diminution of sin but it is an aggravation of sin and noteth impudence in sin And blood toucheth blood That is as some will have it one gross and abominable sin that is accounted a bloody sin follows another But some take it thus one murder follows another one oppression follows another Blood toucheth blood now thy wickedness is broken out there is no end of it but one murder follows another Pareus thinketh it hath reference to those times in the 2 King 15. where you may reade what murders there were and how blood touched blood at that time as if the Prophet here had said they being used to murder there is now nothing
spirits to think that the worship of God appointed in his word hath not solemnity enough in it That is the point naturally rising from thence It is the pride I say of mens spirits to think that Gods Ordinances are too plain Obs too mean for them they can find out a way that sets out the worship of God thus and thus they will shew more reverence of and respect to God than others shall But certainly if it be not Gods own whatsoever outward respect can be given unto God in it he â—bominateth it and abhorreth it A Lady in Paris I have read of a Lady in Paris that when she saw the bravery of a Procession to a Saint she cried out Oh how fine is our Religion beyond that of the Hugonites that is such as those who in England they call Puritans They have a poor and mean and beggarly Religion but we have a fine and brave Religion so your Papists with decking up their Churches and their Altars and their crings and bowings they have a fine and brave Religion their shadow is good there is bravery and solemnity in it Oh take heed of this in any point of Gods worship to think that any addition of mans makes it more solemn and more reverent It is the worst argument you can use to say can we do things in Gods worship with too great reverence Is it that which you have warrant out of Gods word for doth God enjoyn it Have you not either some rule or ensample at least for it If you think by your own addition to do it with more reverence this very argument spoils it though it were lawful in other respects Take some gesture suppose it were indifferent suppose it were lawful some way but if you take it up thus to think that by it you put more reverence and respect upon Gods worship than there is there you spoil it upon some other grounds it may perhaps be granted but upon that ground you spoil it quite Therfore the Lord â—orbad his people when they were to make an Altar to him to lift up a tool upon it for then saith he you pollute it They might have said Lord we would fain have thine Altar not so plain as other things simile we would fain bestow carving and some cost upon it and so shew some respect to it No saith God If you lift up a tool upon it you pollute it So if you think to put more reverence and solemnity upon Gods worship by any invention of your own certainly you defile it That was the sin of Israel at this time they would sacrifice here why because the shadow was good So much for that for their high places and their worshiping under trees Now follows the judgment threatened Therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom and your spouses shall commit adultery You commit adultery in going a whoring from mâ— you shall be punished in the like kind your daughters and your spouses shall go a whoring from you They shall commit adultery Take it first under this consideration as a judgment of God upon them Secondly under this As that which they themselves were the occasion to produce 1 Observ First It was the judgment of God upon them Hence note God sometimes punisheth sin with sin he punisheth spiritual adultery with corporal uncleanness Corporal pollutions are the fruit of spiritual filthiness So Rom. 1. They worshiped not God as God but in an Idolators way after the s militude of an Ox that eateth grasâ— therefore God gave them up to â—ncleanness If men be not careful to maintain purity in Gods worship God careâ— not for their bodily châ—stity If you â—olâ—uâ—e my worship be unclean then â—aith God Not that he doth permit it as lawful but in juâ—t â—udgâ—ent he leaveth them unto it What care I for all yâ—ur uncleaâ—ness otherwise in your bodies if you pollute â—y wâ—â—sâ—ip Roma Amor inversio That is preposterous love because of the unnatural filthinesse there practised Iohannes à Casá Arch Bishop of BendnutuÌ„ wrote a Book in commendation of Sodomy And it is usual for bodily and spiritual adultery to go together The word Râ—ma turn the letters and it is Amor there is a deal of unclean filthy love in Rome as I shewd bâ—fore Wâ—â—â—e thâ—re is most Idolatry there is most adultery But secondly The sin of Parents is punished many times in the children and in the family Your daughters and your spouses I will leave them saith God and mine hand shall be upon them When a parent or a husband sees the hand of God against his child or against his wife he should consider how doth God meet with me in this is it not a sâ—gn of Gods displeasure against me in this particular It is observable that of the woman of Canaan Mat. 15.22 when her child was vexed with an unclean spirit saith she Have mercy upon me O Lord my child is grievâ—usly vexed with a Devil she did not say Lord have mercy upon my child but Lord have mercy upon me for my child is vexed with an unclean spirit as if she should say O Lord my sin may be this unclean spirit it may be the punishment of my sin therfore Lord have mercy upon me forgive me my sin that hath caused such a thing as this yea Lord it may be I have had an unclean spirit and this my child did imitate me in somewhat that was evil and so thy hand is come upon it I am the Original therefore Lord have mercy upon me for my child is vexed with an unclean spirit So should you when you see the hand of God upon your children not only outwardly upon their bodies cry out Lord hâ—ve mercy upon me for my child hath such a disease hath such convulsion fits hath such pain and such extremity Lord pardon my sin And doth God leave your children in wickedness do you see unclean spirits in your children the spirit of filthiness Cry out Lord have mercy upon me perhaps it was by imitating of you that they came to have such unclean spirits Obs Thirdly It is a great reproach unto any family to have uncleanness committed in it Fornication and adultery is a great reproach unto a family especially when the daughter or the wife is unclean It is a reproach unto a family if a servant prove naught especially to some families more than others the family of a Minister or of a Magistrate or a man in publick place and esteem Use for Governors to have a servant prove naught which by the way should teach Governours to be more careful of their families than they are for many times thorough their carelesness God sends such a judgment puts this disgrace upon their families Many of you for your pleasure and delight can go to your countrey houses Country houses and while you are there your servants are doing wickedness You should have an especial eye over your families in
them alone From hence there are these two Notes that are of mervailous use First That God hath a time to give over men to themselves to say Obs 1 that his Spirit shal no longer strive with them Oh many a man hath felt the Spirit of God drawing strugling striving with him to draw him from such and such a wicked way he hath felt I say Gods Spirit mighty and strong what will you still go on in this way of wickedness uncleanness drunkenness oppression injustice profanation hypocrisâ—e self-seeking and the like but he hath been striving against the Spirit of God and his lusts have even gotten the victory over the Spirit so that God saith My Spirt shall no longer strive I will not struggle in vain but let him go on and have his own waies Oh it is dreadful when the Lord shall say of a drunkard of an unclean person of an hypocrite I have been strugling so long with them but yet their hearts have been opposite to me let them alone in that wicked way and let them go on and satisfie themselves in their wicked devices Psal 81.12 They would none of me saith God they would none of my waies So I gave them up to their own counsels Oh this is a dreadful gift Many men that will set their counsels against Gods counsels and will do it so long as that God at length gives them up to their own counsels You will set your thoughts against my Truth your counsels against mine well take your counsels satisfie your selves in your own waies And you know that place in the latter end of the Revelation He that will be filthy let him be filthy still Saith God Let him alone wil you be filthy be filthy then And that in Ezek. 24.13 Because when I would have purged them they would not be purged therefore they shal be purged no mâ—re saith God I will let them alone I will never seek either by my word or by my works to do them any further good they shall be purged no more And the reason of this is Reas 1 1. Because God hath no need of men God doth this to shew that he hath no need of you Indeed he seeks by his Word to draw you to obedience to his service and you stand off and draw from him and will not come on At length God will manifest himself that he hath no need of your service he can honor himself without you though you perish as filth and dung everlastingly Reas 2 2. God therefore will let men alone in their sin because he doth know how to fetch out glory to his own Name from their sinnes You will go on in your wicked waies you will be stubborn and stout saith God do you think to hinder me of my glory that way well do you take your fill of your lusts I know how to glorifie my self out of that sin of yours that you do so much against my glory therefore take your fill of it Obs 2 Secondly which is the chief It is the most wofull judgment of God upon any people upon any person when God shall say in his wrath Let him alone go on The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it is as much as to say Let him be quiet and Tranquillus that quiet will prove a dreadful storm You know what the wise man saith Wo to him that is alone Oh wo to him that God saith Let him alone that is thus alone Many men bless themselves when they are let alone and desire it Let us alone say they Oh but when God shal say Let them alone this is a most dreadful thing indeed It was a fearful evil it proved at least to be a fearful evil to Adam in Paradise when God let him alone when God left Adam to himself what became of him he undid himself what in him lay and all his posterity when he was but left to those natural abilities he had it proved in the conclusion dreadful enough Yea and when God shall but leave his own Saints that have grace in them shall but leave them for a little while unto themselves Oh what mischief comes of it As in 2 Chron. 32.31 Hezekiah was left to himself but a while and what a deal of misery did he bring upon himself when God did but leave him to himself to try what was in his heart What are there such evil consequences upon Adam in Paradise left alone and the Saints left alone here Oh what a dreadful thing is it then when God shall leave a sinner alone I mean one that hath nothing else but sin in him a wicked wretch that hath no grace at all in him First This is a testimony of very great disrespect in God of Reas 1 his creatures in this that he accounts them not worthy of any further medling with he loves them not so well as to meddle any further with them it is a sign I say of great disrespect of God unto them as if God should say well there are others indeed that are ill enough that are very great sinners but I have mercy for them I intend to draw them to my self I intend to shew them thâ— evil of their waies and to turn them to me that they may be saved but as for these I have nothing to do with them saith God I have no mercy for them let them alone let them shift for themselves as well as they can Secondly The evil is great because they are then let alone Reas 2 when they are going a pace unto misery To let a man alone when he is at home in his house and all things convenient about him is not so much simile but if you should see a man in a mad humor running to the water to drown himself and then to let him alone this were a great judgment Though when a man walks in the street in an ordinary way no man will meddle with him but let him alone but if you should see a man running into the fire or running to cast himself into a Well or a Pond no one then would let him alone But now the Lord sees sinners running headlong into misery inâ—â— the bottomless pit and even then God saith Let them alone Reas 3 Again They were in the midst of abundance of dangers and yet God saith Let them alone When a man is in safety among his friends and you let him alone it is not so much but suppose you should know of one that were invironed round about with adversaries or that them were wild beasts round about him ready to devour him and this message were brought to you Oh there is such a friend of ours in great danger and you should say what if he be let him alone lâ—â— him shift as well as he can So we are to know that all sinners that are going on in their evil waies they are in woâ—ul danger dangers on every hand and the Lord sees and takes noâ—â—câ— that they are
of God to people when they understand not only the way of Gods worship in the lump but they understand the form and the fashion and the Ordinances and the Laws the circumstances and all the several waies the exactness of the worship of God Note For we must not look upon any thing in the worship of God as worthy to be neglected but we must have respect to all the forms and fashions and Ordinances of Gods house God standeth much upon his worship in every punctilio and it is a great mercy of God to reveal to us every point of his worship It is true man stands much upon form and God standeth much upon form Many deny the power of godliness but keep the form of it they are much set upon their forms and God is much set upon his forms If you be set upon forme for worship look upon Gods worship he is much set upon forms in his woâ—ship And mark then when we are ashamed of what we have done then we shall understand the Laws of the house but first we must be ashamed and throughly humbled for our former superstitious sacrifices and then we shall come to understand the right way of Gods worship in his own Temple we must not expect it before Many people they cry out we are at a loss we know not what to do we have rejected indeed false worship and in some measure we see that that is vile but we know not what way to set up in Gods house what are the forms and fashions thereof and the hearts of people tremble to think what may come to be determined fearing lest things will not be found out fearing dissentions and disagreement Would you but know how you should come to understand the right way of Gods house in the worship and government of it Be ashamed of your sacrifices be ashamed of what you have done And above all men those that are betrusted to find out the Laws Ministers and forms fashions and Ordinances of Gods house above all men they are to be ashamed of what they have done to be ashamed first of their sacrifices And that should be your prayer that God would humble them for all their former superstitious sacrifices that so they may come to have revealed to them the form and fashion of Gods house and being revealed to them they may reveal it to you There is a necessity that those men that have been guilty of superstitious waies of worship that they should be ashamed first of that before they can come to understand the right way of the house of God Let them be men of never such excellent parts and abilities Note yet except they be first ashamed for what they have done and thoroughly humbled they cannot expect to understand the waies of Gods house in the forms and fashions and ordinances of it In Ezek. 44.10 11 12 13. there God threatneth those Priests that did depart from him when Israel dedarted that did depart from him to false worship that they should beare their iniquity that they should never come neare to him seeing they departed in the general departure and did not keep close to the true worship of God they must bear their iniquity they must not come near unto God only God would be content they should be imployed in some meaner out-services Applic. And therefore it may be that God will not use some men of choice parts in any great work of his to do him any great service that 's the meaning of the text that those that did depart from God when there was a general departure of the Nation when Israel did depart they would comply with them to save their skin and they would conform to those superstitious waies then did the Lord swear lift up his hand against them that though they shall be imploied in some meaner services yet they shal not come near him And I say it maâ— be feared that the Lord may do so against some of us How ever except there be extraordinary repentance taking shame unto themselves though they may be men of excellent parts the Lord may remember what they have done when Israel departed from God what their compliances were And though the Lord may make still use of them in some ordinary work yet he may lift up his hand against them that they shal never be imployed never blest in any choice work he hath to do God may justly leave them to such waies as that they shall cast themselves in a great measure out of the hearts of the Saints because he doth not delight to use them in any special service and so their shame shal stick upon them while they live and the more honor they seek the more shame will God certainly cast upon them Jer. 3.25 saith the Church there We lie down in our shame Oh there is cause that such men should lie down in their shame those that are of discerning spirits and observe the waies of men and the waies of God they cannot but see that those men should lie down in their shame for so long as yeilding to superstitious vanities and submission to false power was useful to them to save their estates their liberties and livings they would yeild and they would submit and then their judgments alter when times alter when other waies come to be countenanced publickly then they are of other judgments than they were before so long as they could not make use of another way they were not of that judgment now when they can make use of it and there is more countenancing of it how soon is their judgment altered yea and so altered as presently to grow even bitter against their brethren of another judgment Note Surely a great deal more cause there is that they and we all of us should take shame to our selves lie down in our shame a while and so carry things in all humility in all meekness in suspition of our selves and of our own judgments in love to our brethren remembring that we our selves were of another judgement and opinion not long since And therefore our hearts I say should be very low and gentle and very tender and meek even toward all with whom we have to do And further God hath a time to make al carnal men ashamed Obs 2 of their sacrifices We will a little raise up our meditations somewhat higher from this They shall be ashamed of their sacrifices All sacrifices not only superstiâ—â—ous and idolatrous but all other sacrifices that come short of the rule will at length cause shame As carnal men that tender up many services unto God and that lay such weight upon their services as to lay their claim to Heaven and interest in God upon their sacrifices God hath a time to make them ashamed of all these sacrifices Al now when God shal discover the vanity of their prayers if God should but shew to us al and to the whol company here each
and twenty thousand sheep yet if after this at all thou shalt forsake me all that thou hast done shall be rejected Therefore those sacrifices that are not joyned with offering up of our selves as a sacrifice are such as God will make us ashamed of But if together with our sacrifices we offer up our selves as a sacrifice you shall never be ashamed of that sacrifice Therefore you that are poor people and weak parted and have but little grace yet if you have true grace though you cannot offer up such large prayers your heart is not so enlarged perhaps as others are and you look upon your sacrifices as poor and mean and as unworthy to be tendered up unto the great God but dost thou then offer up thy self unto God as a sacrifice It is true my parts are weak and my abilities are poor and mean but Oh Lord what I am and what I can do I tender it unto thee here Lord take soul body life estate liberty and all I do enjoy I tender it up all unto thee as a sacrifice I say then peace be unto thee those sacrifices thou lookest upon as being ashamed of them God will not make thee ashamed of them but he accepts of thy poor mean and weak services when together with them thou offerest up thy self as a sacrifice unto him whereas if thou didst not tender up thy self as a sacrifice though thy services were ten thousand times more glorious than they are they would be all cast back as dung in thy face Sixtly Be humbled after all your best sacrifices take no Answ 6 glory unto your selves but be vile in your own eyes after you have done the best duty that ever you have done in your life when you perform any duty that seems to have any excellency in it and perhaps others look upon it as having much excellency in it if your hearts be puffed up with it the glory of it is gone and it is that which you must be ashamed of though Answ 7 now you be honored for it and pride your selves in it Lastly Tender up all in Christ in the worthiness of his infinite sacrifice Christ is that sacrifice that is pleasing unto God and all sacrifices are pleasing unto God only thorough the merit and worthiness of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ who hath tendered up himself unto God the Father as a Sacrifice to heal all our sacrifices and to take away all the shame of our sacrifices 1 Pet. 2.5 Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices how by Jesus Christ Mark you are as lively stones and lively stones built up not only stones lying here one and there another but lively stones built up in a holy communion that is the meaning built up to offer sacrifices and that spiritual sacrifices But mark though our sacrifices be never so spiritual yet they cannot be acceptable to God but by Jesus Christ by Jesus Christ that great Sacrifice they come to be acceptable unto God that is the sacrifice the Saints shall glory in and bless God for to all eternity and never shall be ashamed of their sacrifices when they are tendered up unto God thorough the merit of that sacrifice And thus through Gods good hand of providence we are come to the end of this fourth Chapter CHAP. V. Vers 1. Hear ye this O Priests and hearken ye house of Israel and give ear Oh house of the King for judgment is towards you because ye have been a snare in Mispah and a net spread upon Tabor IN this Chapter we have the summoning of all sorts unto judgment The sum of the Chapter A heavy charge laid and condemnation pronounced against Israel and Judah too brought in as guilty and sentence past upon her also And at last the good effect that the judgments of God should produce is shewed That is the summe of the Chapter This Chapter is the beginning of another Sermon of Hosea Coherence It seems to be preached as some think in the reign of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel that you reade of in 2 King 15. The time and especially toward the end of his reign which was the same time that Ahaz reigned in Judah when that horrible confusion was brought into Religion much defilement in the Worship of God he having placed the Altar that he brought the fashion of from Damascus in the house of God therfore the Lord enveigheth by his Prophet not only against Israel but against Judah here The summons to judgment you have in the first verse The accusation and condemnation of Israel by themselves Analysis to the end of the 5. verse The accusation of Judah at the end of the 5th and 6th verses Then Israel and Judah together to the 15th verse And at last the close of the Chapter shews the issue of all what all shall come to Sumōns In the summons observe these three several words Hear ye Hearken Give eare Hear ye Priests Hearken ye house of Israel Give ear O house of the King Obser When God cometh in waies of judgment he expects we should seriously mind what he is a doing We should not only Hear but Hearken and Give ear God will force audience then We are bound to hearken and to give ear to Gods commanding Word But if we refuse it he will have us to hear and give ear to his threatning Word and if that be refused he will force us to hear and give ear to his condemning Word for so it is here Hear ye Hearken Give ear for judgment is against you all There are Three sorts named here Priests People House of the King All sorts are cited to judgment for corruption was gone over all and judgment cometh against them all From thence the Note is That Obser Generality in sins is no means to escape judgments It is true Generality of offences with men may be a means to escape punishment One and all with men is a word of security When Souldiers offend if there be multitudes of them in the same offence and they cry One and al there is no medling then with any of them But it is not so with God God regards not multitudes and generality of all sorts when all sorts are involved in the offence Men think I do but as others do and I shall scape as well as others With men it is somwhat but it is nothing with God though all sorts offend yet there is never a whit the more security thereby unto any We have a notable Scripture for that Nah. 1.12 Though they be quiet and likewise many yet thus shall they be cut down when he shall pass thorow Though they be many yes thus shall they be cut down He begins here with the Priests Hear O ye Priests They were the principal cause of all the evil first of the evil of sin and then of the evil of punishment
many have been thus ensnared This was the plot of the adversary if possibly they could they would break the consciences of men Oh it was the most devillish plot that ever was in the world that was lately among us When they were together in their Taverns or jocundly sitting together then they were plotting studying what it was that such and such men did scruple most at and oh saies one this no saies another not this but this will catch such a one Let him have it said they It may be the old ceremonies would catch some others perhaps would break through the old therefore there must be new ones devised others again it may be would break through the new ones Oh but the book of liberty on the Sabbath that would catch them and if they break that through then the Oath of cannonical obedience that would catch them Thus they laid nets to break the consciences of men and they knew that if they could but once break their consciences they might do with them what they would certainly they saw that there was no way to make them to be their own to be filij Ecclesiae as they call'd them but to crack their consciences at first Many men have found this to be true by experience and we have seen it For otherwise what is the reason when they have come with all the flatteries they could to some that have stood out many yeers and perhaps God hath done good by their Ministry to draw them but to any thing and when they have but once prevail'd they imagined that there was so much the more in it against their consciences they saw men look pale and trembled and were loth to yeild but when they had got them once they concluded that certainly they did that which was against their consciences and now said they we have got them and then they would heap all their injunctions upon them one after another until they had broken their consciences all to shivers simile And as it is with some birds and beasts that when they are caught they are presently fatted up so it was with some Ministers and others when they were once got in their nets presently they had livings and preferment and some got to be Bishops Chaplains and the like And as some other birds when they are caught they are presently nipped in the head or their limbs are broken so when they had caught some others they would deal ruggedly severely maliciously with them and would never leave until they had broke them all to pieces These were our men that have been a snare upon Mispah and a net spread upon Tabor But blessed be God that their snare is broken and our souls are escaped as a bird out of the hands of the fowler Note Psal 124.7 My brethren when so many have been caught in such nets and snares that were laid do not you think you would have been all caught one after another It is likely every one of you would have been caught in their superstitious waies for see how they prevailed in a few yeers But God looked from Heaven and pittied the souls of his people and heard their groans and sighs Oh many a poor Minister hath gone home to his wife and having no other way of maintainance he hath out of fear of loosing his living yeilded to their superstitious injunctions do but you think how he hath wrung his hands and could not sleep that night but lay tossing upon his bed with a dismal conscience Well the Lord hath heard these cries and broken our snares and our souls are delivered God forbid such a judgment should ever befal us again as that God should bring these fowlers amongst us to ensnare our souls as they have done Expos 3 But there is another interpretation of this text and it is somewhat sutable to this and may well stand with this and I think it is that which is intended by the holy Ghost here Mispah and Tabor were two eminent mountains I take them in their own proper sence You have been a snare upon Mispah and a net spread upon Tabor that they did spread snares and nets upon those very mountains that did stand between Israel and Judah between the two chief Cities Samaria that belonged to the ten Tribes and Jerusalem that appertained to Judah and Benjamin Now Jeroboam and the other Princes his successors they placed Watch-towers upon these two mountains and there they set men to watch to be as Spies to see who went from Israel to Judah There were a company of precise people that would not be contented with that worship that was set up by authority but they must have other manner of worship and they must now and then be stealing to Jerusalem at the times appointed Now the Priests they counselled those that were in authority say they we shall never be quiet till we catch these men they must be going to Jerusalem therefore let there be some device to apprehend them then comes another and saith most of them when they go they go by Mispah and Tabor and there are two convenient places if you will set some watch-towers there and place men in them they may take every one of them Now this counsel pleased the Princes very well and upon it as I find in Arias Montanus Arias mon. who cites it out of the Jews histories there were two Towers set upon these mountains and were intended to this very purpose This God chargeth them withal and judgment is against you for this Oh you set snares upon Mispah They were convenient places for such a business and so they did catch poor people that sought to worship God in his own way Oh this is that which provokes God exceedingly and will bring fearful judgment upon a people when Magistrates and Ministers will seek to catch poor souls that would worship God in his own right way And hath it not been so in our late High-commission Court Applic. when there was but a poor Reader in a Countrey Town that could do nothing else and if there were any eminent Preacher neer hand poor souls that were hungring after the bread of life would go to hear that Preacher they would set men on purpose with pen and ink to take notice of the names of such men just as Jeroboan did here The Lord hath a special eye upon poor souls that are opprest and are thus catched to releeve them in due time and blessed be his Name He hath done much for us this way in releeving us and delivering us from these men and the judgment of God is this day out against those that have been these catchers What is become of those Proctors and Sumners and of all that rabble rout that were catchers and hunters of such poor souls as were desirous of worshiping God in his own way VER 2. And the revolters are profound to make slaughter though I have been a rebuker of them all THE Lord
wicked men creep in amongst them and be amongst them Who knows the hearts of men when they come in and therefore the best Churches may have wicked men amongst them This I say all men do hold therefore this Objection Will not there be wicked men in the best Church can have no strength in it for there is no man denies it and therefore they that make it fight with a shadow Answ 2 But secondly I lay this for another position which I think all men whatsoever wil grant also That the Sacrament is not defiled to the receivers meerly for the presence of wicked men there I verily beleeve every one will grant this I know none in the world for my part denies this to be a truth namely that the Sacrament is not defiled to the right receivers of it meerly because wicked men are present there No man affirmâ— the contrary to this but all that I know of that are the strictest in the way of Church order and discipline will grant this to be a truth that the Sacrament is not defiled to true receivers meerly because wicked men are there But what then you will say Quest How shall we distinguish mixture of communion or mixture of worsâ—ip Not meerly because wicked mâ—n are there But first then Answ 1 a Congregation is defiled if they do not use the power that Christ hath given unto them As he hath given a power unto every Church let the Church-state be what it will to cast out all the scandalous persons that are amongst them Now if this Church shal under what pretence soever as saying they have no power or that the power is taken from them or the like neglect the duty of it viz to cast out those that are unworthy then the Church cometh to be defiled when and how a Church and the coÌ„munion of it is defiled by the presence of wicked men 2 Cor. 5. opened aplied and their communion to be defiled So that their communion is not defiled because the wicked are there but because they neglect their duties of casting out the wicked from thence For let a man be wicked let him be a hypocrite it is not the duty of the Church to cast out that hypocrite until he discover himself but if that hypocrite discover himself if then the Church perform not her duty as it ought in casting him out then it cometh to be defiled And the example of the incestious Corinth in 2 Cor. 5. is a plain place for it A little leaven saith the Apostle leaveneth the whol lamp What is that lump there It is the Church communion and the leaven there is the incestious person and the Apostle gives order to cast him out now saith he while this leaven continues if you do not do your dutie to cast out this scandaloâ—s person your 〈◊〉 up your whol communion will come to be defiled So Churches come to be defiled 2. How paâ—â—icular persons Again further Not only Churches come to be defiled but secondly particular persons and communicants come to be defiled in this if they neglect the duty that belongs unto them as Christians That is thus Christ requires this If thy brotâ—er offend thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone but if he will not bear thee then take with thee one or two more And if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church Now if thou hast done this thy duty to all scandalous persons in the Congregation then the sin be upon the Church thou maist receive the Sacrament with comfort though wicked men be admitted there So that though the communion be defiled that is defiled to those that are guilty to those that have neglected their duty wheresoever the power lies in a Church whosoever in that Church neglects their duty of casting out those that offend they defile the communion so farr as in them lieth and if any of you that are particular members neglect your duties so far as in you lieth the communion is defiled by you but if you do your duty once then though wicked men may be there you may receive the Sacrament with comfort For though the communion may be defiled in respect of others that have neglected their duty yet it is not defiled in respect of you that have done your duty Now then to conclude this with that place in Psal 119.1 Blessed is the man that is undefiled in the way Blessed are those men that in their way in the course of their lives keep themselves from defilement and especially keep themselves from defilement in the waies of Gods worship Blessed is he whose heart is cleansed from secret filth that by the vain carnal plots reasonings and cunning fetches of wicked men he doth not defile himself in his way Again A further Note from hence is this Obser A defiled Nation near to ruin A defiled Nation is neer uâ—â—â—â—â—â—n Israel is defiled He speâ— srael that is ready to fall for so it follows verse 5. Israel aâ—â— Ephraim shall fall and here just before he tels us that Israel is defiled When cloathes are filthy and nasty and wil not be purged are not worth the cleansing simile we usually cast them upon the dunghil so when there is defilement and filth amongst a people and they will not be purged and are grown even rotten in their filthiness the Lord casteth them upon the dunghil While a Nation is purging there is hope simile While God is indeed purging of a Nation I beseech you observe it there is all that while hope of that Nation As for example though a piece of cloath be very soul yet if you see the servants of the house washing that cloath you will say surely this piece of cloath is not intended for the dunghil It is soul indeed and it is noisom but you see there is care taken and cost bestowed upon it for the purging of it and that is an argument that there is an intention for the preserving of it So while the Lord is taking care and bestowing cost to purge a Nation there is much hope that the Lord intends to save that Nation And we may comfortably hope that this is Gods intention toward us God knows we have been a defiled people England and have defiled our selves never a one of us but may lay his hand upon his heart and say I have been defiled and so may deserve to be cast upon the dunghil But behold the Lord is bestowing cost upon us and He is cleansing and purging of us and therefore we may hope that the Lord will not cast us off But no mervail that the Lord letteth us and our brethren lie abroad in frosty nights Frostynights Many complain of much hardship our brethren many of them are sent from their houses where they have had their beds and fire and now are fain to lie in the fields in the cold No marvail I say this Nation hath
in the air Oh but let us rather frame our hearts to turn unto the Lord. If we will not frame God may put us into the fire again A workman you know puts the Iron into the fire because it might be framed to such a work as he would have it simile but still the iron is hard and it will not frame to his hand then he puts it into the fire again and then falleth a knocking again So the Lord hath begun to put us into the fire that we may frame our doings to turn unto him and if the fire we have been in will not bring our hearts to a framable disposition the Lord may put us into the fire again and again And let not us complain of the heat of Gods fire but rather let us complain of the unframableness of our own hearts that we do not frame our doings so as to turn unto the Lord. But yet through Gods mercy we cannot say but that there are many in Parliament many in the Assembly Parliam Assembly City Country many in the City and many in the Country that are framing themselves to turn unto the Lord and so far we are gone Let us take notice of Gods goodness therefore As. First It is one argument of a people framing themselves Notes of Framing 1. abolish what is sinful that they have abolished what is sinful It was a great plea among us first let us know what we shall have and then we will cast out this that we have This was a pleâ— fomented by the Antichristian party but certainly it was the way of God and we have cause to bless God for it that put it into the heart of the Parliament and of the Kingdom to be willing to put down and to cast out and that by a solemn Oath by lifting up hands unto the most High God whatsoever was naught The Covenant And further In that the Parliament hath called an Assembly Assembly such as I beleeve never yet was in this Nation nor scarce in any other Nation men of more gravity 2. Take advice and judgment and holiness such as they could possibly pick out and whom they thought might best direct them in the waies of God such they have chosen to help them to know what is the right way of God and they do profess that whatsoever shall be revealed to be the way of God they will walk in it That is a good frame of heart And then That the Assembly hath begun with a solemn day of humiliation 3. Humiliation to humble themselves before God that so the Lord might guide them in chusing a right way to direct those that had called them together for their assistance There was never such a work in England before that was begun with such a day of humiliation Did your Convocation Convocation ever keep such a day unto God to beg of him directions in the work Peoples discontent Let not people run away with thoughts of discontent or lay any kind of slanders and clumnies upon them because of some failings in particulars for you must know when God looks upon Kingdoms and States God looks not at particular failings of a State but at the publick work he doth not so much look at particulars as at the publick work Now that there is so much done in a publick way that there is so much framableness though there be much failing in particulars yet we have cause to bless God It is true those that would fain have a perfect Reformation they woul fain have men throughly frame themselves presently and set up all presently without any more ado Short spirits and banish all presently I suppose thiâ— cometh from a good intention from love unto Christ and his Ordinances but we must know it is not so easie to reform a whol Nation that hath been so corrupted and defiled therefore though there be not so perfect a Reformation at present yet let us bless God for what is done that there is so much framing of the doings of the Nation to turn unto the Lord and not murmur and repine because all is not done that we desire And though perhaps they may never bring the work thoroughly to the pitch we desire Though no perfection yet a foundation for posterity yet I make no question but what the Parliament and Assembly hath done will be enough to lay a foundation for another generation if they bring it not to perfection themselves Oh that the Lord would yet further frame our hearts and doings to turn unto him Hath God at any time put into your heart a framable disposition to turn unto the Lord Applic. 2 to partic persons 1. Our selves Hath God begun to make you think of your waies Hath he begun to stir fear in your hearts concerning your eternal estate Hath he wrought in you some desires to know him to attend upon him in the use of means Make much of this framable disposition for it is very much pleasing unto God God complains where it is not therefore he likes it where it is and improve it O happy had it been with many had they improved that framable disposition that God hath wrought in them Cannot you remember when sometimes you came to the word what a melting frame of spirit had you and in such an affliction you were as iron put into the fire and you know then it is in a framable disposition to be brought into any fashion and hath it not been so with you simile But what is become of this disposition Is it not worse with you now than before Have you not lost it The time was when the word wrought upon you and you have had good desires and dispositions and you have thought Oh now I hope God will turn me unto himself Now I hope I shall never be at such a pass again as I have been and thou begannest to abandon such and such a corruption This was a good frame and now if you had gone alone and sought God and Oh that the Lord would perfect this work and put it on and so improved this framable disposition it had been well with you but you have fallen upon other business and gone into company and it may be upon the next temptation you have bin overcome your hearts have been hardned Irâ—n is hâ—â—dâ—r afteâ— quenching and iron you know when it hath been once in the fire and is grown cold is more unframable than before so it is with many after they have had some workings by the Word and after some melting by affliction they have been more unframable than they were before And let us make much of it likewise in others Is there any friend or child or kinsman or acquaintance of yours brought into this framable disposition doth the Lord begin to melt them to soften their hearts Is the Lord by such a Sermon or by such an affliction beginning to
a story of a Synod an Assembly of Divines that were in England Austin the Monk in the time of Austin that was then Bishop of Canterbury And they assembling together they go to a holy man an Anchorite to advise with him whether they should yeild to what Austin did impose upon them who was then the Arch Bishop This holy man answereth them If he be a man of God yeeld unto him if not stand out against him They reply A man of God How shall we know that whether he be a man of God or no He answers If he be humble for Jesus Christ saith Learn of me for I am meek and humble in heart if he be an humble man he is a man of God saith he and then learn of him But how shall we know that say they He answers You shall perceive it by his behaviour when he iâ— come to the place of assembly let him be there before you if you perceive him to behâ—ve himself churlishly imperiously proudly not so much as to rise to you to give no respect to you then take it for granted that he is a proud man and reject what he imposeth but if he behave himself meekly humbly and lowly to you then regard what he saith So when they came to the Assembly Austin he sitteth in his chair in a proud imperious way and would not stir to any of them upon that they rejected whatsoever he said for according to the counsel of that holy man his pride did witness to his face that he had a vile and a wicked heart and did not come unto them in the Name of Christ Humility Oh it is much that is to be regarded that comes from those that are humble and lowly Humility doth witness to the face of a man that he doth know much of the mind of Christ and pride witnesseth to the face of a man that he is not acquainted with the mind of Christ Expos 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Livelius The word here translated Pride I find by a learned Interpreter Livelius that because in it self it signifies Excellency he thinks it to meant of God who sweareth by the Excellency of Jacob Amos. 8.5 and so he carries it thus That God who is the Excellency of Israel in whom Israel should glory it is He that doth witness against them And I find some inclinable to this But the other I conceive rather to be the scope of the Holy Ghost taking the word as it iâ— translated for Pride and the testifying to his face for an open witnessing apparantly witnessing so as it may easily be seen It follows Therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity Ephraim is the Princes of Israel they were proud because of the honor they had And Israel the People they were proud because they had great men to bear them out and they could plead Authority for what they did But they shall both fall both Ephraim and Israel The Note is That The fruit of sin is casting down Obser It is rather here said They shall fall than that they shall be punnished in reference unto what went before for before he speaks of the pride of Israel and from thence a further Note is That Pride goes before a fall Obser God will cast down the proud Pride before a fall and certainly when those that are proud fall they must needs fall very low because a proud man lifteth up himself so high and you know according to the height a thing falls from so iâ— the fall of it now a proud man lifts up himself on high Proud meÌ„ fall low so high indeed as he lifts himself up above God therefore he must needs fall down very low And upon that I remember Bernard hath this Note Bernards wity speech Here is the reason saith he why a proud man can have no grace from God why God is the fountain of grace and it is a rule in nature that the stream that cometh from a fountain it ascendeth no higher than the top of the fountain is You may find it in all Aquaeducts according to the height of the fountain so high may the stream be carried but it will go no higher Now saith he God being the fountain of all grace surely grace cannot rise higher than God himself but a proud man lifteth himself above God therefore he is above grace grace cannot reach him 1. A proud man goeâ— from God Prid goes 1. from God as if he could live without him for that is the pride of mens hearts when they have outward prosperity they go from God as if they could live without him 2. He goeth against God 2. against him as if he were able to resist him 3. 〈◊〉 and â—â—m 3. He goeth beyond God â—aâ— if he made himself the end of all his actions 4. above him 4. He lifteth up himself above God as if there were more excellency in him than in God He lifteth up his will above God and that two waies 1. Saith he My will shall be followed rather than Gods 2. Whereas God is contented to have his will only in just and good things saith a proud man I will have my will whether it be just But it is just because God wills it whether it be good or no. Come and deal with a proud man and say do you well in this Is this fit I will have my will saith he This is more than God challengeth unto himself God will have his will in nothing but in that which is good and just thou wilt have thy will whether it be just or no thus thou goest beyond God and liftest up thy self above him therefore surely thou shalt fall I need not shew you any example of the falling of proud men Applic. This our age manifesteth it cleerly enough How hath God cast dirt upon proud superstitious men You know what a height of pride they were grown to two or three yeers since and now two Kingdoms if not three have lifted up their hands to the most high God to extirpate them Their pride did testifie to their faces and no mervail that they are fallen and the Lord cast them so far down as they may never be able to rise up in their pride again Ephraim and Israel shall fall in their iniquity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In their iniquity The Hebrew Ba signifies for as well as in fall for their iniquity as well as in their iniquity But to Expos 1 keep to the word They shall fall in their iniquity Surely they Expos 2 fall hard who fall in their iniquity they fall so as to break their bones yea oft times their necks Use My brethren these are falling times let us labor to remove our iniquities beforehand and then if we fall we shall fall soft and not hard If we fall in our iniquities we shall fall hard but if our iniquities be removed by faith and repentance though
And I will destroy them in a month saith God Wherefore by this Month I take the meaning of the holy Ghost to be in these two things First It seems to have some reference to the way of the Jews in those times they were wont to have their daies of reckoning with their workmen and with their debters usually at the beginning or ending of every month and this expression seems to allude that way of theirs A month shall devour them that is the time of their month shall come when I will reckon with them and when that fixed time shall come of my reckoning they shall be undone they shall be devoured and destroyed So that it noteth First That God hath a set time to reckon with sinners Though Obs 1 He be patient for a long time yet He hath a month a set time that He appointeth and He will not go beyond that time Secondly When God cometh to reckon with wicked men that is Obs 2 the time of their destruction The time of their reckoning will be the time of their destruction Secondly A month shall devour them I find yet many Interpreters Expos 2 go this way that is a little short time shall devour them it shall not be long it shall not be an hundred and twenty yeers as it was when He threatned the old world but it shall be very speedy As if God should say when once I begin with them a month shall make an end of the work And indeed what will a month do when God letteth the sword come upon a Nation for that the sword was the judgment here threatned As in many parts of England what a great deal of havock have the enemy made in a month How many that were rich and had great estates yet before a month went about into what a miserable condition were they brought so that God seemeth to have reference to the Assyrians that were let out upon them let them but once come saith He and they will not be long about the work a months time shall devour them Luther Luther hath another Note and so some agree with him Expos 3 by the month he thinketh is here meant their Solemnities and new Moons and so it hath reference to their superstition and Idolatry But that I think to be too far from the meaning I rather conceive that by a month is meant the short time of their destruction when once the adversary cometh in upon them And their portions I find the Seventy translate it Cleros 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their lots And it may be turned their lots upon this ground because in the division of the land of Canaan that which they had for their estates was given unto the ten Tribes at first by Lot Well saith God I did give you your estates by such a special providence of mine by lot but though I did in another way measure out your estates than I do measure out the estates of any men upon the earth yet a month shall devour your Lot all that you had in that way of my special providence it shall now be devoured From thence then the Note is this and of exceeding use to us That Obser The more special the providence of God is toward us in bringing any mercy to us the more grievous is it after if God be provoked in his judgment to come and take that away from us That mercy that I had by a special hand of Gods providence that I can relate Gods providence how it wrought about from this passage to the other passage how strangely the Lord did work about His ends to bestow such a mercy and such a mercy upon me Well thou canst speak of Gods providence and bless His Name thou dost well in it but take then heed thou dost not abuse that mercy that thou enjoyest by the special hand of Gods providence take heed of provoking God to come and devour that mercy So it is threatned here a month shall devour their portion their estates that they had by special lot it shall now come to be destroyed because of their sin Expos 2 But then secondly Take it according as we translate it in your books and so likewise it is sutable to the Original A month shall devour their portion that is all their portion that they have here in their outward estates all their riches all their outward comforts what ever they have that which they account to be their portion a month a little time shall destroy it And from thence there are these two Notes Obs 1 First That all the portion of a carnal heart it is the enjoyment of a few outward things in the world Carnalists portion outward Here is his portion he hath his portion in this world And then Obs 2 Secondly Here we may see the poor condition of the greatest in the world poor condition of the worldly rich for why his portion is no other but a month may devour it If thou hadst the whol Kindom and many Kingdoms for thy portion if this were all thou hadst a poor pittance for thee that hast an immortal soul who art made for eternity a month may devour it That man is but a poor man that hath no other portion but that which a month may devour But now the Saints they have God Himself for their portion that portion that neither month can devour nor time destroy but that portion which they shall enjoy fresh and green lively and full and that unto all eternity that portion which liveth for ever and that portion which will keep them safe to live for ever too VER 8. Blow ye the Cornet in Gibeah and the Trumpet in Ramah Cry aloud at Beth-aven after thee O Benjamin THE Prophet seeing how little impression his words of threatning made in the hearts of this people Conexiō O these are but words of wind that we should be devoured c. therfore in the Name of the Lord he putteth upon himself another person He speakes now in this verse rather as a Captain as a General of the field calling an Allarm presently as if the enemy were now come to the gates Blow ye the Cornet in Ramah and the Trumpet in Gibeah as if he should say you have often heard that the Lord would bring the sword upon you now it is come it is come the enemy is even ready to break into your Cities to riflle your houses to ravish your wives to murder your children Blow ye the Cornet in Gibeah and the Trumpet in Ramah and howl ye and cry out O ye of Beth-aven after thee O Benjamin It is a summoning of them as if one should come to the City and cry The enemy the enemy is come to the gates Arm Arm So the Prophet here that he might strike into the hearts of those that are stupid and senceless saith he I have often in the Name of God threatned His wrath that He will
of the spirit Therefore we should be willing to take pains in the work of repentance yea though it be somewhat troublesom to the flesh yet better wear out our selves by washing better wear out cloathes a little by the washing of them than to let them rot in the dirt of them it is true washing of clothes wears them a little but if you let them alone in their dirt that will rot them worse so the work of repentance may put you to pain and wear you a little but if you let your hearts alone in the filth of sin that filth of sin will breed your misery Take heed of letting any sin alone in your hearts it will breed a worm for so this word rottenness signifies a worm it will breed a worm the worm of conscience that may prove the worm that never dieth Obs 8 Eightly Gods wrath though secret yet many times eateth out mens spirits and makes them unuseful Therefore it is compared to a moth and to rottenness to a worm in the wood As the moth eateth out the strength of the garment and makes it unuseful for any thing and as the worm eateth out the strength of the wood and makes that unuseful so the secret wrath of God many times eateth out mens spirits and makes them very unuseful in the places where they are set How many have had excellent parts when they were young and were very useful yet the uncleanness of their spirits hath bred such a worm that hath eat out the excellency of their parts and before they have died they have been as a moth-eaten garment and rotten wood indeed there hath been the same bulk as before yet if you come to make use of them there is as much difference from what they were wont to be as a moth-eaten garment from it self and as rotten wood that hath the heart of it eaten out by the worm differeth from it self so are the hearts of many men different from what they were wont In the ninth place Though a sad consideration for those Obs 9 who are preserved a while longer than others others go before them yet they shall follow not long after This Note is drawn from the diversity of the expression a moth to Ephraim and rottenness to Judah God indeed will deal more quick with Ephraim and consume them in His wrath but Judah shall follow not long after Use A sad consideration for any people to think though others go before us and are consumed before us yet it will not be long before we shall follow It is true Germany and other Countries have gone before us Germany we cannot prophesie as here the Prophet did but yet except God comes to prevent by an extraordinary hand we may follow not many yeers after and who knows how soon And particularly It may be such a friend of thine is gone the hand of God is upon him and hath consumed him and eaten out his very heart and he is perished as filth and dung from the face of the earth and thou art yet alive and is there not rottenness in thee Is there not the secret wrath of God eating out thy heart He is gone a little before but thou art like to follow within a little while after What great matter is it though thy companion be struck dead and gone to Hell and thou left alive when thou shalt follow not long after It is in this case as it is with travellers that travel together perhaps one rideth before another so comes to his Inn a quarter of an hour sooner than the rest of his company simile but before he is lighted off hiâ— horse or gone up into his chamber the other are come in also So perhaps Gods hand strikes one dead and sends him to Hell yet within a while the rest will follow after Therefore consider when God hand is upon any to strike them dead Oh I may follow not long after A moth to Ephraim and rottenness to Judah What a poor creâ—â—ure is man yea a Kingdom when as a Obs 10 moth and a little worm may consume them God in expressing VER 13. When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah saw his wound then went Ephraim to the Assyrian and sent to King Jareb c. WHEN Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah his wound The word translated Sickness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aegerfuit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aliecuere comprimere atque colligare is from a word that signifies Doluit Aegrotavit c. that signifies grief and sickness And the word translated Wound from a word that signifies Colligavit he hath bound up either because of the corruption of the body that is gathered together or because of the binding up of it with cloathes Now Judah saw his sickness and Ephraim saw his wound that is God at length made them to see what a crazy condition their State was in their Civil-State and Church-State too in what a very crazie condition it was and how wounded it was and how like to perish ready to die And especially of this first this sickness of Judah we have a notable story for it is referred to these times in Isa 7.1 and so on There you may find the sickness of Judah and how Judah saw it When Rezin King of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah came against Judah the heart of the King and the heart of his people were moved as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind as we use to say they did shake like an Aspen leaf they were so troubled Here Judah say his sickness the dangerous condition wherein he was And how Ephraim saw his wound that we shal see further presently when we shal see what help they sought to get against it Wrath was out against Ephraim and Judah some time and had almost consumed them before they would take notice of Obser 1 it Hence observe That by occasion of the pride and stoutness of mans heart he will not easily be brought to see and acknowledge the hand of God Isa 26.11 Isa 26.11 Lord when thine hand is lifted up they will not see They wil not own the hand of God against them they think it would be a shame to them they rather would bear the world in hand that all is well with them So it was for a long time with Ephraim and Judah but at length they saw their sickness and their wound Secondly God will force men to see and to be sensible of His hand Obser 2 out against them He will make them to see their sickness and their wound Mic. 6.13 Mic. 6.13 I wil make thee sick in smiting thee saith God I will smite thee opened and I will make thee sensible of My stroke so in that forenamed place Esa 26.11 Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see But they shall see and be ashamed saith God I will make them to know and to be sensible of My stroke the
will shew mercy God is a Lyon Lyon and strong and fierce in his wrath yet merciful to those that submit unto Him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ordinary word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to tear or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 validus Gesner the Lyon The word here translated Lyon it is not that ordinary word that is for a Lyon but Shacal that signifies a fierce Lyon And so you have it in Joh 4.10 the roaring of the Lyon and the voice of the fierce Lyon Shacal So that God threatneth here to be a fierce Lyon This creature is very fierce and therefore Gesner in his Historie of living creatures saith That nature hath so ordered it that because the Lyon is so fierce of himself that alwaies he hath a kind of a quartan feaver or ague upon him to mittigate or refresh his fierceness And it were well with many if it were so with them Many that are fierce and of Lyon-like spirits for their lusts and for the satisfying of their own humors but are sheepish enough for the cause of God But mark God was before a moth and a little worm but now He is become a Lyon I will be a moth unto Ephraim and a little worm unto Judah for so you may translate it And now I will be a Lyon to Ephraim and a young Lyon to Judah Why a Lyon that is He will appear in the fierceness of his wrath against Ephraim The different expression of the text But what is the reason of the difference of these expressions here As he said before He would be a moth to Ephraim and rottenness to Judah so here he saith He will be a Lyon to Ephraim and a young Lyon unto Judah Here is a different expression and the reason is the same here that was there As there it was to shew that God though He intended the destruction of Ephraim and of Judah both yet Ephraim sooner and Judah later so here though God would be terrible in His wrath to Judah yet He would be more terrible in His wrath to the ten Tribes For we find that though Judah was carried into captivity yet that captivity lasted but for seventy years and Judah returned again but Israel he was torn in pieces so as he was never made up after They were both sinners but Judah retained somewhat of Gods true worship therefore God would spare them a little Though wicked men will spare the Saints so much the less because of their godliness and will take so much the more advantage of their frailties because they are professors yet God will pitie them The observations from hence are these First When Gods lesser afflictions work not Obser 1. there God will be most terrible You heard of the moth and little worm before they are lesser afflictions and it seems the moth and little worm did not work their hearts to repentance to bring them unto God therefore God doth turn to be a fierce Lyon and a Lyons whelp unto Ephraim and Judah Gods wrath is as Elijahs cloud that at first appeareth but as a handbreadth but within a while after the whol Heavens were overspread with it It is as the thunder that when you hear it first it is simile 1 but a little roaring noise a far off but stay a while and it will be a dreadful crack It is as the fire that at first burneth a little within upon a few boards but when it prevaileth it simile 2 bursteth out in a most terrible flame As in that known place Levit. 26.18 If you will not yet for all this saith the Lord hearken unto me then will I punish you seven times more for your sins and again seven times more and seven times more God will go on in His wrath from a little unto a great deal of wrath From being as a moth and as a little worm to be like a Lyon Such degrees there are in Gods wrath You had need look to it when the hand of God is stretched out but a little against you though it be but as a moth and as a worm yet if you look not to it there may be such a gradation of Gods wrath upon you For as great a difference as is between a moth and a fierce Lyon such a difference may be between wrath now and that which is to come Thus the Lord is many times unto mens spirits Many men have gripes and nips of conscience Admonit to those that are a little touched in spirit and God causeth secretly that worm of conscience to be gnawing upon them and there is some kind of trouble but notwithstanding they go on in their sins and at length God cometh upon them as a Lyon tearing their spirits Did you never see a sinner lying upon his death bed in the torment of his soul Gods wrath like the pawes of a Lyon preying upon the very caul of his heart A dying terrified conscience when he lies roaring out he is damned he is damned and now he sees yea feels the heat of the wrath of God against him Thus God comes as a Lyon to prey upon those that will not regard the gnawings of the worm When the worm was but little and small they slighted it and that caused God to bring the greater judgment So it is with families God cometh upon families sometimes in a little sickness in a child or in a servant and that is not regarded afterwards God cometh with plague of pestilence or some other dreadful judgment So in Kingdoms the Lord cometh first with little judgments and then with greater As in Ireland Ireland for many yeers together there the Lord was as a moth and rottenness but of late how like a Lyon hath he there appeared How hath He torn and rent that Kingdom in a most dreadful manner Yea the truth is the Lord had been to England England as a moth and rottenness And this very text I make no question but some of you have heard many yeers ago applied unto England when as those Ministers that preached upon this text did little think that ever there should be such a hand of God against many parts of England as now there is at this day In many parts of this Kingdom the Lord is at this day as a Lyon We all hear the roaring of the Lyon and who can but tremble Oh it is time for us all to fall down to the ground before the Lord. It is true God hath not yet come to this Citie as a Lyon to tear and rend it as other places in the Countrie London but yet we have heard the roaring of the Lyon abroad and God calleth us to fall down before Him that He may not be so to us that he may not come and tear us likewise Certainly the Lord will have glory of His creature God hath sworn by Himself and the word hath proceeded out of His mouth in
righteousness that every knee must bow to Him and every tongue confess His Name Every creature must submit unto Him and if lesser judgments will not do it God will lay every sinner upon His back He will come as a Lyon to tear him in pieces Secondly Mark what is between these two being a moth Expos 2 and a Lyon between these two it is said Ephraim saw his sickness and his wound and he went to the Assyrian and sent to King Jareb and now saith God I will be a Lyon unto Ephraim Hence Note That seeking out shifting waies for our selves in times of affliction provoketh God very much and makes our affliction to be very great Obser The Lord looks upon this with indignation what when I appear in My displeasure do they seek to shift me off by sending to the Assyrian and to King Jareb upon this the indignation of God riseth high Antiq. lib. 12. cap. 6 7. and He becometh a fierce Lyon to them Josephus reports in the factions that were in Jerusalem Antiochus being called in by one party who proved the ruin of both This is the honor God expects that in our affliction we should not flye from but humble our selves before Him if we do not His anger His jealousie ariseth to a feaful height He wil pursue in the fierceness of His wrath The way is not to flie from God but to fall down before Him to lie at His feet simile If a Lyon should come roaring upon us the way is not to run away shreeking but to fall down before him simile There is no man can abide the slighting of his anger if a parent or a master should be slighted by the child or the servant this makes him more angry so when men make light of the anger of God and think that there is power enough in any creature to pacifie Him this causeth the wrath of God burn more fiercely against them you have as not able aÌ„ example as any in the book of God in Isa 7.17 Isa 7.17 opened if you compare the story there with the 2 King 17. you shall find that Abaz in the time of his distress sought unto the King of Assyria and though God offered him a sign by the Prophet that he Himself would deliver him yet he sends for help unto others But mark upon this the Lord threatneth that he would bring upon him and upon his people daies the like whereof had not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah such daies God would bring upon them more dreadful thâ—n ever yet came upon Judah and that because at this time when they were in straights they sought for help from the Assyrian And as it provoketh God in a dreadful manner against those that seek unto others for help in outward dangers so if a man shall seek for help in the straights of his soul Doth God wound thy spirit doth he make it sick and dost thou seek for unlawful means to help thy self dost thou go to thy company to musick to good cheer to help thee Oh this provokes God against thee This is just as if a man in a feaver should drink a draught of cold water from the conduit it 's true for a while he may have a little ease but O what a scalding fit doth this bring him into afterwards simile so those that in trouble of conscience seek for carnal helps it will bring them to a dreadful fit afterwards It follows I even I will tear The main thing wherein God expresseth the dreadfulness of His wrath here in this place is the tearing of them as a Lyon we may take in pieces that which we intend to mend and to make use of but when we tear a thing we intend to make no further use of it God expresseth great severity of his wrath in this expression Psal 50.22 Consider this ye that forget God lest I tear you in pieces Now this tearing here refers to the letting in the Assyrian upon Israel and the Babylonian upon Judah And the main observation from it and which is indeed seasonable for these times of ours is That Obser When God in his wrath causeth war in a Kingdom then God teareth I will send the sword amongst you I will send the Assyrian against you and then I will tear you The judgment of war it is a tearing judgment Gods wrath never appeareth more dreadful than in letting out the wrath and rage of provoked enemies upon a people The Teeth Claws of the Lyon his mouth The teeth and claws of this Lyon is no other than spears and swords and poleaxes the mouth of this Lyon is no other than the roaring Cannon from whose mouth proceedeth fire and smoke and sudden death Here you may see thousands stout and strong ones struck down to tâ—â— ground in a moment Here one mans arm is torn from his shoulders there another mans leg is rent from his body here one lies wallowing in his own blood giving up the ghost there another weltring in his gore all mangled and wounded Every battel of the warrior is with confused noise and with garments rolled in blood death reigneth in the field and is sure to have the day which side so ever falleth And when report of what is done in the field cometh home as in 1 Sam. 4.17 when there was a great slaughter among the people one brings Phineas his wife news that her Husband and her Brother-in-law was dead so when news comes home to the poor fatherless children and widdows your husband is dead and your father is dead Oh what tearing of hair wringing of hands rending of clothes lifting up the voice and crying until the noise thereof reach up to heaven My brethren war is a tearing judgment it is Malum complexum a compound of sorrow The cup that is now in the hand of God Psa 57.8 opened is full of mixture full of bloody ingredients of fire famine pestilences murders rapes cruelties and all miseries the Lord teareth now indeed Oh how is the husband rent from his wife haled to prison by cruel and bloody souldiers How are mens estates and whatsoever is comfortable unto them rent and torn from them in tumultuous outrages Their pleadings and cryings are rejected with scorn and contempt and the bodies of their wives and children and their own too abused in the rage and malice of the insulting adversary And of all wars Civil wars are most dreadful Civil war most dreadful there God teareth most indeed there the brother contendeth with the brother and the father goes about to tear out the bowels of his son Thus the Lord hath been a Lyon in many parts of the Kingdom Alas our brethren abroad they cannot say as they in Jer. 4.5 Arise Let us go into the fenced Cities they stand a far off are afraid to come out of the Land of their captivity because of the oppressing sword Yea here is tearing
indeed in this heavy judgment that is upon us 2. tearing of Gods Name never was Gods Name so torn as now it is by bloody Oathes and hideous and unheard of blasphemies And what do our adversaries desire but to tear the Saints and to trample them under their feet My brethren time it is for us all to rend our hearts even to tear and rend our very hearts within us because the Lord is come out against us as a tearing Lyon rending and tearing this way and that way The Jews were wont when they heard the Name of God blasphemed to rend their garments presently We hear of the dreadful blasphemies of our adversaries rending and tearing of the Name of God Oh how should we rend our hearts rather than our garments It is dreadful to hear of the tearing of mens estates and bodies but much more dreadful should it be to us to hear of the tearing of the Name of God It 's time then for sorrow to be in our hearts and not ordinary sorrow neither but rending of our hearts now and now we should even be ready to tear the heart out of our bowels to see that we have been no more affected hitherto than we have And the rather because we have scaped for the present our estates and bodies are yet whole Our sins have had an influence into the miseries of our brethren our sins have been those claws and teeth that have torn our brethren Thus the Lord is raised from a moth and worm even to a tearing Lyon Obs 2 And note Though the Assyrians and cursed Babylonians did this yet saith God I will be as a Lyon to tear them Hence another observation That God hath a righteous hand in the worst actions of men We cry out of men that they are thus and thus Oh never such vile and wicked men But you must look upon God He hath a hand in all The most horrid wickedness that ever was done in the world the betraying of Christ and the crucifying of the Lord of life Act. 2. the Scripture saith it was done by the fore-determined counsel of God Therefore let those that have been sensible of the tearing of their estates and have had their husbands and their children torn from them by wicked men let them not only cry out of such vile and ungodly men but let them know that the Lord hath had a hand in it Though men be wicked yet the Lord is righteous let them justifie God in all This is Gods glory that He can have a hand in the most hideous wickedness in the world and yet remain righteous notwithstanding Therefore He saith here I even I will do it He doth not only own it but He would have people to take special notice that He hath a hand in all Oh the use that we might make of this to our selves if in all those dreadful judgments that are upon us if in all those tearing judgments that some of our brethren have felt we could but take notice that the hand of God hath done it I even I I even I have done it here is the Emphasis in this And in this one verse here is I four times together Let the thing be never so hideous unto you yet know that I am the great orderer and disposer of all and I have some great thing to bring to pass in all this that is come upon you And certainly though the misery be great that some parts of the Kingdom endure yet because Gods hand is so much in it therefore we must know that God hath some great thing to bring to passe by this that He hath begun to doe amongst us What the wicked Assyrians and cursed Babylonians did that God is said here to do Hence observe That God hath a righteous hand in the worst actions Obs 3 As in the sin of Judas the most horrible that ever was Act. 2.23 God doth not only permit but order all and so far as an evil of punishment works in it and so far as any natural action is in the sin as in opening the mouth the natural act of speaking drawing the sword the natural act towards fighting c. This is Gods glory and yet to be free from the evil of sin Many knots there are about this that men exercise their wits to untie but cum veneit Elias as the Hebrews use to say when they are gravel'd when Elias cometh we shall understand there is a time when all difficulty shall be easie to reconcile let us look to Gods hand not cry out on such and such wicked men You whose estates have been torne from you and it may be many of your dearest friends consider that it is God that is the Lyon tearing From the duplication of the words we may observe this Note That the hand of God is more imediate in some judgments than Obs 4 in others and the more imediate the more remarkable there shall not only come judgments upon you but I will bring them they shall be such that you shall see that I am in them In some judgments upon men God makes so much use of the creature that sinners can see little of Gods hand in them but in some others they can easily see the hand of God in them Belshazzer trembled at the hand-writing and his thoughts were troubled within him why so the hand struck him not at all only he saw it to be the hand of God the hand of the Deity was in it Dan. 5.5 6. and this made him to tremble Gen. 6.17 Behold I even I do bring a floud And that wrath which is out against us at this time especially our adversaries is the hand of God in a special manner God may well say to us Applic. England I even I wil tear ye O England O how hath God manife-fested Himself to us in these latter yeers since the wars began As we ought to take notice of Gods tearing and rending Kingdoms so also in familes and particular persons God would have us take notice that it 's He as a godly heart takes notice of Gods hand in mercies and then they are most sweet so on the contrary he takes notice of Gods hand in every judgment to be humbled under it I will establish my Covenant with you Gen. 9.11 and Isa 43.19.25 I even I am he which blotteth out thine iniquities Mercies are then most sweet when we see them come from Gods immediate hand in a special providence Gods hand-remarkable in judgments must be taken notice of For Reas 1 1. Hereby the heart comes to be humbled when it considers that 't is God which appeareth against him It humbleth not devils nor men but God that God upon whom I live and enjoy every mercy that I have this it was that troubled Christ more than all the wrong which the Scribes and Pharisees did to him when he considered that it was His God My God my God why hast thou forsaken me
When the Saints see Gods hand against them in any thing this trombles them and humbles them more than any thing else Reas 2 2. It is a special means to quiet the heart with patience Psal 39.9 It quiets I was dumb and spake not because thou Lord didst it See it in Ely It is the Lord let him do what he wil with me and in Christ himself shall not I drink of the cup which my father shall give me Is God my God and doth this come from my Father I will take it I am sure it will do me no harm but much good 3. By this means the soul is put upon the enquirie why Reas 3 this affliction is upon it It puts up on search what the cause of this trouble may be when we see nothing but man the instrument of an affliction we look not so much at it it never puts us upon soul-search and tryal of our selves but when God is seen in a cross the soul begins to consider what have I done what 's the matter oh my soul Thus did the Church Mica 6.9 Hear ye the Rod and who hath appointed it There are letters written upon Gods rods which the man of wisedome can reade 4. It causes the soul to receive content and satisfaction in Reas 4 nothing but God alone and in peace with him Causeth the soul to make out for God to get him our friend when we look upon judgments only in the second cause we are apt to think that second means will make up the breach again which sin hath made as they in Isa 9.9 10. The bricks are fallen down but we will build with hewn stone for all this his anger is not turned away why so in the 13. verse we have the reason For the people turned not unto him that smiteth them neither do they seek the Lord of hosts They would not see the hand of God nor give glory to him for if they did they would say as this people in the next chapter Come let us return unto the Lord for he hath wounded us and He will heal us Thus much for the doubling the expression It follows I even I will tear you and go away The Lyons when they tear their prey they are not afraid of what they have done Expos but walk majestically before the dead carkiese as it were bidding defiance to al other creatures they run not away as the Fox doth but walk as it were in state for so the words in the original carry I even I will tear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As if God did challenge all the creatures in Heaven or Earth for to grapple with him I wil tear them It implies how God wil deal with Judah He will not be afraid of them what He doth it shall be in an open way He will not come against them in secret but in a publick way Applic. enemies of Engl. The judgment at this time upon our enemies is not in a secret but an open way the Lord doth not deal subtilly and by craft with them as they do with his people and though the Lord deal as a Lyon with them tearing and rending them yet they will not see him neither are they able to resist him nor can any rescue them out of his hands Let the means be never so weak in Gods hand yet when he is in a way of wrath there shall be no delivery out of his hands Isa 26.6 opened Isa 26.6 The feet shall tread it down tread down what the lofty City by what feet even the feet of the poor and the steps of the needy Jer. 37.10 The Lord tels them that though they had smitten the whol Army of the Caldeans and there remained but wounded men among them yet should they rise up every man in his tent and burn their City with fire When God intends ruin and desolation to a people 't is impossible for any to deliver them out of his hands Obser Further we may note That when God comes against a people He takes them to do when they are the strongest and greatest in power and most confident in an arm of flesh that none at that time may deliver our of His hands Isa 24.21 And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones which are on high When he is in his greatest pride gets the greatest victories conquers and obtains the greatest Cities of refuge and Towns of harbor And 't is very observable Applicat for Engl. that since our enemies got their greatest advantages they have lost the most God then puld them down when they were most proud God will go on in his work though men are never so proud and strong therefore 't is our wisdom to give our selves into Gods hands yea though into his afflicting hand although no power can rescue out of his hand yet there is a way to change the operation of his hands by humbling our selves falling down before him willingly submitting to him and this way now God hath his will upon us in the most acceptable way that can be God had rather have men voluntarily give him his glory than to compel him to force it from them I now come to the last VER 15. I will go GOD repeats it again which notes 1. Expos The glory of the work that he is not ashamed of what he hath done Gods people ought for to be like God in this let their actions be warrantable such as they may with comfort own and stand to yea suffer for if it so come to pass not like the proverb to set a Town on fire and run away from it leaving others to quench it 2. It notes the Irresistibility of Gods work as if he should say let any try whether they can oppose me 3. And chiefly it implies I will bring them into captivity and there I 'le leave them Whence note Obser That 't is a heavy judgment for God to tear and wound a people and then lo leave them God saith if they return not I will rend and tear them make them very miserable and in that condition will I leave them I 'le be a stranger to them and will not own them Ezek. 22.20 I will gather you in mine anger and in my fury and I will leave you there God in another place promiseth to be with His people in the fire and in the water but there is a time that Gods people may so provoke God that he will bring them into the fire and there leave them when the Philistims fell upon Saul it was a sad time to him because God had left him Oh how terrible was it when God left Christ upon the Cross but for a little while This we all deserve and this is the portion of the damned in Hell While the Judg is present upon the Bench the Malefactor hath hope simile but when the Judge goes off
sometimes answers his peoples prayers presently when they seek him so that it may not only be said in the evening but in the morning hast thou heard me not only this day but the next also see that place in 1 King 18.38 and 44. Elijah praies and the Lord heard him presently but he praies again and then the Lord defers in the 38. verse he praies for fire to come down to consume the sacrifice and it did so but in the 44. verse of the same chapter he praies again for rain and see in what a posture he praies in and obtained his petition with much difficulty sent his servent Seven times and at the seventh time it was but a little cloud at first God heard him presently but he praies again and then mercy comes difficultly yet God was not angry with Elijah So Daniel he prayes and was heard presently but the people they pray and pray earnestly yet they were not answered Oh therfore let us take heed of impatiency and frowardnes of spirit in trouble and of being weary of duty Use be patient in prayer and gâ—owing carelesse in holy services because an answer comes not presently this shows the rottennesse of our spirits as much as any thing and 't is as evident a sign of an hypocrite as any we have in Scripture Isa 8. they faâ—â—ed and prayed so long that they thought themselves mightily wronged because they were not heard therfore are they so bold to ask God a reason why he was so far behind hand with them when they had done so much service for him Oh boldnesse of spirit Obs 3 That the time of Gods reviving his people is neither long in Gods nor the Saints account 'T is but two daies the third day we shal live Isa 31.5 Isa 31.5 opened As birds flying so will the Lord be swift to help Jerusalem He hath promised not to contend for ever and in 1 Peter 1.6 1 Pet. 1.6 rightly pointed Though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through many tribulations in the Original 't is If now if need be so that there is great need of afflictions before God sends them So 2 Cor. 4.17 afflictions they are for a moment a very little time Faith that lifts up the soul upon two hills where it seeth Heaven on the one and the vally of Achor in the middle and it so works in the soul that it causeth it to be patient in suffering the greatest tryals it is a sign of a distempered spirit to complain of the length of an affliction a gracious heart desires more the sanctifying it than taking it away we might have been swallowed up in the gulf of eternal misery Hag. 2.6 yet a little while and I will shake Heaven c. But it was between five and six hundred yeers before this shaking came viz. at the coming of Christ our impatience make affliction seem long Obs 4 In the sadest condition faith makes present and real Gods reviving mercies When their help is gone in the mount of mans extremity will God be seen We should reason thus because Gods people are in great extremity then 't is a sign that God will arise and help them and not despair and give over our hopes simile as before the morning light is the thickest darkness so let us never be discouraged at the encrease of afflictions for they shew the time then hastens for deliverance and thiâ— faith makes present to the soul it shews the soul life in death favor in frowns love in strokes faith seeth a great difference between the strokes of God upon the Saints and upon the wicked that place is famous for this Isa 26.14 compared with the 19. They are dead they shall not live they are diseased they shall not rise When God strikes wicked men their wounds forerun death here and eternal death hereafter when he smites them in their cause in their names or estates 't is to undo them But now mark in the 19. verse Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise Some think that these words note the glorious condition of the Church in regard of their safety that though men and means fail yet faith can see deliverance in the womb of an infinite wisdom Faith revives other graces power and faithfulness Faith revives other graces when seeming dead and puts life into them much more doth it into our dead conditions 't is reported of the * Vt vives alijs lapidibus pretiosis extinctis solo attactu luscitoret Guliel Paris Cristal that it hath such a vertue in it that the very touching of it quickens other stones and puts a lustre and beauty upon them This is true of faith it makes evil things present far off and good things far off present and herein consists the exercise of faith in a great measure Psal 91.7 A thousand shall fall on thy left band and ten thousand on thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee this is a very strange speech that a man may be in a place where a thousand shall fall by him and ten thousand on the side of him and yet he not touched by the disease By faith the soul enjoyes this security Psal 60.6 God hath spoken in his holiness I will rejoyce I will devide Sechem and met out the vally of Succoth the thing was not yet done yet they rejoyced in it as present faith it enables a dead and a barren womb to bring forth a child it raiseth up a dead son out of the ashes Abraham bids his servants to stay at the bottom of the hill and expect his coming Oh strong was his faith in this thing How unbeseeming are our spirits and how is our faith manifested to be weak and poor Use of reproof when a mercy promised is within sight ready to be fulfilled and made good yet how impatient are we and froward when it comes not so soon as we desire when we are full of such determinings against our selves or the Cause of God saying alas all is now gone we are left desperate God hath forsaken his Cause Oh let us take heed of pleasing our selves with this kind of carnal arguing and objecting for they are such as mightily provoke God and dishonor him and hinder much good which else we might enjoy But were I worthy I could think something Obj. then I might have some hopes Answ Faith sees worthines in its unworthines In this case do thou exercise faith upon Christ even in thine unworthyness and though thou maiest die and not see the harvest nor reap the fruit of thy prayers yet know the generations to come shall and this may comfort thee That speech of Jacob is remarkable to this purpose when he lay a dying saith he Behold I die but God shall do much more for you The Cause may be trodâ—n down for a while and God may hide himself but know that he wil keep
and lumpish And as God smiles Use 2 when we humble our selves So should we look cheerfully upon our children and servants upon their submission having committed a fault Obs 3 Gods people account their life to be in Gods favour not so much in what they receive from God as what they are in Gods favour and presence Hypocrits desires are only for the enjoyment of mercies if they obtain their desires they are contented though they have no presence of God at all in them but the Saints if they have precious mercies and no presence of God with them it contents not them if they have health and not Gods presence in it if they have peace and not their peace with God it satisfies not them this is their cry Lord let us hear thy voice let me see thy face Cant. 2.14 for thy voice is pleasant and thy countenance comely Obs 4 When the Lord delivers his repenting beleeving Israel he settles mercy upon them and settles their hearts in the possession of mercy He doth not only give them hints but real possessions of mercy We are revived and raised yea but we may die again No we shall live in his sight we shall live before him Mercies to the Saints are not the fruit of Gods patience for then they would not be setled mercies But they are such mercies as comes from the Covenant of grace and so they come to be setled therefore called the sure mercies of David Isa 55.3 Obs 5 Faith is such a grace as raises the soul high and will not be contented with small mercies He will revive us and He will raise us up A carnal heart Is that all No but we shall live in his sight It is an argument of a very carnal heart to be contented with low mercies when a man will be put off with any thing It pleaseth God very well when his people will not be put off with smal mercies Caution though it 's true we must be thankful for the least mercie and content with it in oppâ—sition to murmuring yet we must not rest therewithal satisfied but if thy faith be true it wil expect more and if it hath got a promise from God it wil improve it to the utmost extent that the promise wil bear and when it hath one promise fulfilled it wil look out for the answering of another we do not approve of such a craving disposition in a beggar but God is much delighted with it in his people Gods people rejoyce much in this That God sees them they Obs 6 have much comfort from Gods eye whereas 't is the greatest terror to the Hypocrites hypocrits that God sees them that they are continually in Gods eye Job 24.17 If one know them they are in the terrors of the shadow of death if man being a spectator is so terrible how much more is Gods eye It 's no wonder they would fain hide themselves from his presence for the face of the Lord is against them that do evil but his eyes are over the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer 1 Pet. 3.12 The Saints account it their priviledge that God sees them and it 's a very good sign of sincerity when the soul is not afraid that God should see him when the soul can look upon the cleer beams of the Sun of righteousness without dazeling simile as the Eagle when she would prove her young ones holds them up in the sight of the Sun and if they can endure the shining and look upon it then are they of the right Obs 7 kind It is the great care of the Saints to walk as in Gods sight and to have their eyes in Gods sight Psal 16.8 I have set the Lord alwaies before me because he is at my right hand I will not be moved I will not fear I have set him before me this text is spoken chiefly of Christ as a Prophetical expression of him And if Christ must be kept from falling Use by setting the Lord alwaies before him much more must we not that he was in danger of falling as we are but this is to be understood as that text is he learned obedience by his sufferings he looking at God helped him to obey and to stand in obeying as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 2. ult What we speak it is as in the sight of God in Christ that is what we say it is in the power and efficacy of Christ but how comes this to pass that they thus preach why as in the sight of God We thus preach his power enables Obs 8 The eye of God upon his people is their safety and security The forenamed place testifies it 1 Pet. 3.12 The eyes of the Lord are the safety and guard of the righteous simile as a child thinks it self safe if it be in the parents eye so the Saints should look upon themselves very secure in the sâ—ght of God A Philosopher could say in danger of Shipwrack in a light starry night A notable speech of an heatheÌ„ in danger Surely I shall not perish there are so many eyes of providence over me Could a â—hilosopher say thus and may not a Christian say so much more that he shall not perish seeing Gods providential eye is over him VER 3. Then shall we know if we follow on to know the LORD His going forth is prepared as the morning and He shall come unto us as the rain as the latter and former rain unto the earth THIS Scripture is very full and hath much sweetnesse in it As an egg is full of meat so full are these words of marrow and sweetness and there is little difficulty in them We shall know if we follow on to know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Incumbamus in id ut cognoscamus Dominum If is not in the original but it is thus read And we shall know and we shall follow on to know The word signifies to prosecute and persecute to follow one as eagerly as a man which persecutes another and persecutes him as Paul did the Saints with all intention and affection when men thus follow on to know God will reveal Himself more Luther applies these words to Christ and the Gospel revealing him setting mens minds on fire by the truth so cleerly discovered and inflamed with such love to it that they followed on to know it But although these words have reference to Christ yet first they are to be understood of Gods delivering his people out of Captivity Then they shall know What shal they know that they shall live in his sight When God delivers them then they shall know 1. Gods faithfulness in his Covenant made to our fathers What the saints shal know wheÌ„ they follow on to know the Lord. 't is very little that we know of it now but the time is coming that we shal know it cleerly 2. The works of Gods wisdom al working for his peoples good in
miseries See how Christ thinks of these temptations all his glory and magnifficence could not put the thoughts of his sufferings out of his mind John 12.12 Christ comes riding in pomp to Jerusalem and the people they magnified him crying out Hosanna to the son of David yet ver 27. he cries out Father save me from that hour When you find any stirrings of good desires to arise any motion of the Spirit to affect you work them downwards to humble your hearts making you base and vile in your own eyes that so you may grow downward in the root 't is very dangerous when beginnings run upwards presently but when they shew us our sins and unworthiness then they work kindly If there be no moisture at the root of the tree though there be never so many blossoms they will die vanish and come to nothing so if your joyes and secret raptures of soul are not moistened in the tears of sorrow and humiliation they will blow off and be shaken down by the next temptation but when the inward workings of joy in the heart do as well operate to humiliation as consolation when they work both waies then will not your goodness be as the early dew that goeth away and as the morning cloud which soon vanisheth Psal 110.3 Ps 110.3 opened 't is prophesied that in the times of the Gospel Christs people shall be a willing people in the day of his power Christs power shall be put forth upon his people to subdue their wils to the will of God so that if we find this effect of Christs power in us then may we be sure that our goodness shall not prove as the morning cloud Rest not in stirrings and beginnings except you find them to work you to union with Jesus Christ therefore assoon as your hearts begin to work you should stop a little and ask your hearts what of Jesus Christ is there in those beginnings have I more of his righteousness wisdom and love than I had before only such stirrings of heart as bring Christ into the soul will hold and stand fast that is very observable which we reade of concerning the Manna Exod. 16.14 simile that the dew which was upon the ground that passed away but the Manna that stayed on still so the good affections and desires which are in many are even like the dew which assoon as the Sun is up is gone presently now if you would not have the efficacy of them gone try what Manna there is left behind what of Christ is strengthened is your faith propped your love encreased your humility acted then it 's something the Israelites could not feed upon the dew but the Manna was their nourishment so how is it with you when the heat of your desires and stirrings are over can you then feed upon Christ this spiritual Manna look what word of promise is left in your hearts after your stirrings are over and how your hearts are affected with it such as find the promise remaining when the dew is gone and that these promises are as sweet now as they were at the first working of the affections such a soul will hold out and his righteousness shall not be as the morning cloud or early dew that passeth away VER 5. Therefore have I hewed them by my Prophets I have slain them by the words of my mouth and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth THerefore have I hewed them We would think there were little dependance upon these words ConexioÌ„ yet there is a very fit one Therefore that is because they are so fickle and unconstant so off and on therefore have I caused my Prophets to deal sharply with them to cut them to the quick I would not have dealt thus w th them but that I have no other way to take with them seeing that they are so vain so slight in their spirits I deal thus with them that if it were possible I might fit them and they might be brought to see what a God it is they have to deal withal The Apostle in Titus 1.13 is commanded to reprove them sharply that they might be sound in the faith sharply that is cuttingly rebuke them cuttingly My Prophets have been as an ax in Prophetis as an ax that cuts hard knotty wood or as the instruments of Carvers in stone which cuts rough things Seventy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And have slain them by the words of my mouth the seventy Translators carry these words thus Have slain the Prophets that is have hewn the Prophets and Hierom Hierom. refers it to the time of Elijah 1 Kings 18.40 who slew so many of Baals Prophets and unto Jâ—hu's time that slue also many of Baals Prists 2 Kings 10.25 thus they carry it and in this you have an objection answered that the people might plead thus Expos 1 'T is true we have been led aside and have not worshiped God as we should do but it is our Priests and our Prophets which have led us aside we did but as we were taught and if we have been led aside our Prophets and our Priests have done it Nay saith God you cannot plead so for you have seen my hand against the Prophets sufficiently I have cut them off So that though I conceive not this to be the meaning of these words yet from this sense this useful Note may be observed Obser That when God comes out against false Prophets and appears against them then God looks especially that people should not follow them nor do as they have been taught by them Ezek. 13.10 there is a woful judgment denounced against the false Prophets for prophesying peace when Gods purposes were set against Jerusalem for destruction Their judgment was That they should not come into the Assemblies of his people and my hand shall be against them and mark you shall know that I am the Lord God They shall then know more particularly that I am the Lord God when my hand is thus out against them It is a mighty convincement of people when they see the hand of God out against their false teachers and if so how may the people of England be convinced of the evil of that way they so admire and cry up Applicat for Engl. superstit Ministers when the hand of God is so heavy upon the superstitious time-servers and maintainers of these waies But there are others who carry the word unto the good Expos 2 Prophets as Pareus with some others so in a twofold sense they are said to be slain First In their charge I have sent them saith God to deliver my message to this people and they have flown in their faces and have kil'd them and destroyed them and I account it as if I had done it because I set them about their work and this was spoken at that time when the Prophets were grosly abused 2 Chron. 24.1 when Zaccariah the Prophet delivered
his Message to King Joash and was slain for it and saith the text Acts 7.52 Which of the Prophets have not your fathers murdered But now here is their encouragement against al the il usage the hardships which they meet withal in their work I look upon it saith God as I doing it I had a hand in it therfore certainly God will not let them go unrewarded 1 Sam. 22.23 David said to Abiathar Abide thou with me fear not for he that seeketh thy life seeketh my life but with me thou shalt be in safeguard David was the occasion of Abiathers fathers death Consololation to those Ministers the frieÌ„ds of those that are perished in the Cause of God and because of that what respect had David of him for this and shall not God much more So that have you a friend a brother or a father slain for the Cause of God or in it standing for Him shall not God take his part yea He will Ahimâ—lech was slain accidentally for the Cause of David yet he would deal wel with Abiathar but saith God thy friend was slain standing for Me and owning My Cause he shall lose nothing by it for I will deal well with thee and preserve thee alive for his sake I have slain them That is thus Their Ministry hath been Expos 3 so heavy that it hath even kild them I have followed them on so with work that I have even slain them so that this people cannot say they have not been warned or that they have had no Prophets among them or that their Prophets have been idle that they have had no work to do and certainly it is a good death for a Minister to die preaching Pareus makes much use of this Oportet Episcopum concionantem mori saith he How much more honorable to die in doing Gods work than by coÌ„mitting sinful acts of intemperance uncleanness c. they cannot spend their strength better than in Gods service O let that people who have such Ministers look to it that they bring forth fruit answerable in some proportion to the cost that is bestowed on them and if you take the sense thus then God seems to speak grievingly Oh what shall I do with this people what means hath been used what losses have I sustained by them I have spent many choice Servants among them the lives and strengths of such spirits have bin spent upon them of whom the world was not worthy Oh what shal I do unto such a people Surely such a people enjoying such a Ministry had need look to their profession May not this be said of many Congregations in London Congregations in London hath not God sent many choice spirits among you to do you good and have they effected the end for which they were sent among you If not wo to you God hath a special regard unto this when he shall spend the lives of his choicest and most precious servants and if he have not a considerable vallue and return in peoples fruitfulnes it wil mightily provoke and incense him against them God hath an high esteem of his Ministers lives and strengths they are vallued more than so to be spent and wasted upon unfruitful people who neither care for them nor their Ministry Expos 3 But to come more particularly and according to the genuine sense of the words This slaying refers it self to the people How the word slaies Now the Word slaies in these two respects In its deonouncing of judgement upon men for what the Word threatens it is said to do Jer. 18.7 8. At what instant I speak concerning a Nation or concerning a Kingdom to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy and when God promises mercy good he is said to give life and we should look upon them as performing of it In the operation and working of it it hath a mighty efficasie in it for the working impenitent sinners to ruin it is as a twoedged sword which doth execution every way Isa 11.3 It makes men of quick understanding in the fear of God and God is said to consume Antichrist by the breath of his nostrils and by the Word of his mouth 2 Thes 2. the Word is of such a force that sometimes if brings death in a litteral sense to some who withstand and oppose it Ezek. 11.2 Pelatiah gives wicked counsel in the City and the Prophet is commanded to prophesie against him and in the 13. verse we reade that when the Prophet prophesied Pelatiah died so many times God makes the Word so powerful in the mouths of his servants that it strikes men dead presently Gualter Gualter hath this Note from hence that the power of the Word appears in this that it awakens convinces and terrifies the consciences of men so that they go home and make away themselves and become self-murderers and the truth is it is nothing else but the word working powerfully to the ruin and destruction of men Or the words may be taken hyperbolically as men that Expos 4 are oppressed and in misery Oh ye kill me I am not able to endure it you wil be the death of me the Prophets came so close to them that they cryed out Oh they will kill us we are not able to suffer them Luther Luther saith that these words Thou hast slain them by the words of my mouth that is meant the Law by the Law thou hast slain them and by the word Prophets he saith is meant that part of Doctrine which is necessary to be preached to prevent the abuse of the Doctrine of the Gospel which otherwise men would be ready to pervert and he further adds that those men which deny the use of the Law were not fit so much as to be suffered I mention this of Luther the rather because those who deny the use of the Law urge him so strongly for the upholding of them in their way It follows Thy judgments are as the light That is passively thy threatnings Expos 1 upon them or the execution of those threatnings upon them shall break out as the light though they have slain my Prophets and think thereby to free themselves from those judgments which they threatned against them no saith God for all this I will make known my threatnings which they have denounced against them when the Prophet Jeremiah had delivered the message of God to the Princes and the Priests they laid hold on him and said he should surely die Jer. 26.8 Now see what the Prophet saith in the 14 and 15. verses As for me behold I am in your hands do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you but know ye for certain that if ye put me to death ye shall bring innocent blood upon your heads for of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you You think perhapâ— that when the Minister is gone his words are gone and there is an end of them no they shall lie upon you
will make as little of them as they do of Gods people The day of the Lord cometh that shall burn as an oven and all the proud and all that do wickedly shall be as stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up It follows Expos While they lie in wait Though they are as hot as an oven yet they do not run head-long imprudently but they have will to wait their opportunity And should nor this be our wisdom in the waies of God Use not to carry things imprudendtly Let not our desires be so eagerly set after any thing but that we can be willing to be without it or patiently to wait Gods time for it They are as hot as an oven and yet not cooled because they have not their desires presently fulfil'd So must we take heed of having our hearts cooled when we have opportunities to further any design we have on foot for God and his Cause though they had not opportunities to further their plots yet they waited stil and were not discouraged How many times do people when God sends but a little famine of the Word amongst them grow cold and lose all the heat which they had And their Baker sleepeth Expos 'T is as if men which have a common oven they put fuel into it and let it burn till they go and call their customers together and when this was done then they might go and sleep So the people were leavened These people by their Bakers were prepared they had heated their oven and now they thought they might go to sleep they might be quiet and did not our Bakers do thus they had heated their oven Engl. but blessed be God that disapointed them in their way when these bakers slept their oven heated notwithstanding Subtil adversaries when we think them to be most secure Obs their designs are still driving on Thus it was in Ireland and here amongst us Treaties in Engl. even in their greatest shews of peace in their Treaties the truth is if ever we wil have the fire quenched which now burns so violently we must take away the incendiaries and stirrers up of these unnatural wars Let us in good causes though opportunities may cease for work let not the fire go out let the oven be hot still at the first their oven did but begin to heat now it is all in a flame at the first they would use fair means with the people and perswade them with good words and answer their arguments but when their oven was hot that they had brought their designs to maturity and got power into their hands then 't is now no longer will ye worship at Dan and Bethel and 't is your best course but now Clup law now no more satisfying of consciences but to prison with them now such a prison for such the other strong goole for the rest this hath been the way and course of those which would set up any false way of worship when their morning is come and their oven hot then come the day is ours no more perswading now Wil they not come in force them to yeeld Their way was at the first to leaven the people to try how they stood affected but now enough of that seaze their estates and imprison their persons VER 7. They are all hot as an oven and have devoured their Judges all their Kings are fallen there is none among them that calleth unto me NOT only Jeroboam and his * for this Ieroboam under whom Hosea prophesied was the son of Ioash chap 1.1 not the first Ieroboam successors but also Princes and people at length grew hot in the pursuit of that great design of altering Religion in so much that no man might dare to show himself against them many of the people at the first made scruple of yeelding to their new way but having overcome their consciences now nothing troubles them they not only yeeld themselves but violently presse the consciences of others which refused but this similitude we met withal in the fourth verse of this Chapter which we opened then and therefore passe it over here It follows They have devoured their Judges Some of their Judges it is like could not but have some light in them to see that the altering of Religion could not but be against their Laws yet seeing both the Princes and the people were set violently upon it they also yeelded Hierom observes this This is the vile base and low spirits of men in honor and this honor depending upon the favour of Kings that rather than they will hazard their places and lose their gains will yeeld to any thing and for the pleasing the King wil tel him the Law is for him the bonds of the Kingdom do not forbid him Mica 3.11 They build up Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity the Heads thereof judge for reward and the Priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for money the Princes and the Prophets ask for a reward The Princes have a mind to such and such a thing of their subjects but to cover the vileness of the action and his injustice King craft he would ask the Judges whether it were not Law or no now the Judges for their own profit encouraged him and told him it was lawful he might do it How have our Judges immitated these Though men had some integrety at the first England yet the heat arising so high in the Princes and Nobles yea and in many of the High Court of Judicature that they could not endure it Thus we see how one time answers to another in wickedness The Princes designs go on with strength when they have got the Judges to side with them and to give sentence for them in their unjust designs Expos 2 Others carry it thus They having mischieved and ruined their Judges that did oppose them Mercer ex talmud therosolymit therefore Mercer that learned Interpretor for the furtherance of this sense brings a tradition of the Jews That the Princes and Rulers had so wrought about with the people that they should come to the King bring a humble petition to him in which they should desire intreat the King to give them leave to set up an Idol which they did and when they came the King put them off told them it was late in the evening now bid them come in the morning in the morning they came and bid him Arise and set them up an Iâ—ol No saith he your * Synedrin the Court Ecclesiastical and Civil according to the government of those times Synedrium will not give consent to it nor suffer it No say they we have taken a course with them we have kil d them which is the old way and course which persecutors take with those which might seem to oppose them in their plots Or thus They had devoured their Judges and their Princes Expos 3 by
treacherie and this story hath reference to that in 2 Chron. 13. a Chapter of as much treachery as we read of All their Kings are fallen that is into that false worship which Jeroboam was fallen into And that is very observable that all the Kings in the ten Tribes were wicked From Jeroboam the first to to the captivity there were eighteen Kings and all of them wicked and naught and the reason of this was that the way of false worship did so sute with their politick ends so that the Observation may be from it That 't is a hard thing to take men off from their strong engagements Obser It was a work so difficult that all the Prophets could not do it it is very hard especially when their engagements are in great things they were wise politick men and therefore could not chuse in all probability but see how point blank their waies went against Gods mind even Jehu himself who was raised up so high by God on purpose to root out Idolatry and did root out Idols and Baals Priests and yet he followed the Calves as well as hiâ— predecessors Therefore never wonder to see men obstinate Use and who wil not be convinced of their evil waies this text shews it cleerly many are willing to deny themselves in small things but when it comes to great things then they flinch and hang off therfore we see whâ—t snares places of honor are to most men many Ministees see the evil of Ceremonies and are convinced of it that they sin if they should yeeld to them and rather than sin they will leave their livings rather than yeild to them Places of honor great snares but when did you ever see a Bishop deny himself when was it ever known that a Prelate so far submitted to lay down his great dignities and fat livings for his conscience It follows There is none among them that calleth unto me They were presumtuous and confident in their way and none of them would ask counsel of me notwithstanding their Judges were devoured they sought to other helps or rested in their outward prosperity or 2. They are sottish and stupid and call not unto me though all be in a confusion in the State their Judges devoured c. Obs 1 When people are under Gods hand and Governors set up false worship such times should quicken our prayers Mic. 7.7 I will look unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my salvation my God will hear me so in Act. 4.29 And now Lord hear us The Christians there got into a corner and made their complaints and moans to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 4.29 of the evil of the times and do but observe the rise and ground of their prayers and now O God hear us They do as men that would leap a great way take their rise upon a hill to further them so these people make the miseries of the times their encouragements not their discouragements it is a desperate sign to see men sink under their discouragements and to murmur against God Oh let us go to God and make our moan to him and let us die calling upon his Name let that be our resolution which was Dauids Psal 116.2 I will call on the Lord as long as I live And this is a very good argument that the Cause of God will stand if our spirits of prayer hold the Cause of God will hold but if that go down fear the sinking of the Cause VER 8. Ephraim he hath mixed himself among the people Ephraim is a cake not turned EPHRAIM hath mixed himself There is a great evil charged upon Ephraim and that is observable he hath mingled himself among the people the people did not so much seek to him as he to them some here understand by Ephraim the Court because Jeroboam was of the Tribe of Ephraim and Cyril Cyril hath this Note from thence that it is a great dishonor for them that are in place of honor to sute themselves and their minds to those that are of base low spirits among their people men of place and power should be men of honor and worth But we take Ephraim here for the people of the ten Tribes for so it is more often taken in Scripture they were guilty of this sin in mixing themselves with the people that is the Gentils in these five regards First In their marriages The seed of the Israelites was too precious to mingle with the Gentiles this was forbidden them in Deut. 7.3 and the good man Ezra in the 9. chapter in the day of humiliation confessed this sin unto God against them and this was typified of the Christians under the Gospel that they should not mix themselves with the wicked and ungodly of the world they must marry in the Lord Unequel mariages Maxent it is a sad affliction to be unequally yoked it is reported of Maxentius a cruel tyrant whose custom it was to judg some Malefactors to death after this manner viz. To have a dead man chained to the living man till the living man was kil'd by the dead man How many living men have dead wives and living wives dead husbands Oh how comely a thing it is to see the delight of our eyes the delight of Gods eyes They mingled Gods worship with their superstitions and Idolatries they had not wholly defiled the worship of God yet they had mixed themselves Jeroboam had been in Egypt where he had seen their Idolatrous Heifer and he was much taken with it therefore he would imitate them in his Calves 2 Kings 17.33 34. in one verse 't is said they feared the Lord and in the next verse 't is said they did not They feared the Lord and served their own gods unto this day they do after their former manners they fear not the Lord never let us satisfie our selves in mixtures of worship Mixt worship though we have never so much true worship among us God will never be put off with such excuses They mixed themselves in their persons and suffered others to joyn with them neither must Christians suffer the wicked to joyn with theÌ„ in matters of worship Mixt congregations surely if fornicators adulterers profane men are crept in they must when discerned be cast out speedily Now if such as these must be cast out when crept in unawares Note then surely such must not be received in when they are known beforehand to be such and certainly a bare confession of faith is not sufficient or enough to admit a man to the Ordinances for those that are vile and wicked in their lives may make a verbal and outward confession yet far from a true and cordial men may confess with their mouths and yet deny all in their lives as if a man should confess his faith in English and deny it again in Latin yet if any should creep into a Church in which thou art bodied Not to separate
who have good intentions good purposes aims and desires and yet have some secret warping which they know not of simile which may make them miscarry to all eternity A man may with a deceitful bow aim at a beast and yet kill a man so many may think they strike at sin and yet with that very goad may at the same time wound the Saints It follows Their Princes shall fall by the sword These were they who had the chief hand in the setting up of false worship and in oppressing those that would not joyn with them now God would reach these great ones In times of battel Princes stand by secured at a distance they have their Life guards they put on others and think to be safe themselves they will bring others into straights and miseries and care not though thousands of them be slain at a fight they shall do well enough but saith God they shall not so escape in battel Their Princes shall fall by the sword it shall not distinguish them from others For the rage of their tongue They raged against God his People and Ordinances and thought themselves too big to be contradicted we may note here Obs That when men grow very wicked they grow outragious like mad men there is no ruling of them there is such a world of wickedness in them they take a liberty to say what they please we find many strong expressions about the tongue in Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the 70. render the words As Job 5.21 it is called a scourge therefore the Saints are promised to be delivered from it 2. Psal 57.4 it is cal'd a sharp sword Prov. 12.18 there is that speaketh like the piercing of a sword Prov. 25.18 a man that beareth false witness against his neighbor Epethites of the tongue is a Mole and a Sword and a sharp Arrow 3. It is compared to fire yea unto the fire of hell James 3.7 8. To the coals of Juniper Psal 120.4 which are quickly kindled but abide long all these expressions with others we find about the tongue of the wicked But now see what is said of the tongues of the Saints Cant. 4.11 Thy lips Oh my Spouse drop as the hony comb hony and milk are under thy tongue And Prov. 10.20 The tongue of the just is as choice silver The heart of the wicked is little worth 4. An outragious tongue is such a poyson as poysons it self which no other poyson doth other poysons hurt no further than they are applied they cannot poyson at a distance but this is such a strange working thing that it will both hurt and so destroy men that they shall never recover themselves and this it wil do at a distance and come not neer these men have such dispositions that they will let none pass without a lash of their tongue Now the Lord he will not let these go in this manner he will scorn the scorners when these men are in their rage none are spared Magistrates Misiers Parents Ordinances no nor God Himself But Christ will convince them of their hard words Consider how in your families or in some companies you have been guilty of the rage of the tongue in these kinds It follows in the last words This shall be their derision in the Land of Egypt When they come to Egypt they think to find them their friends that they will help them and stick unto them no saith God instead of helping them they shall scorn them One part of the rage of their tongue was in speaking basely of the worship of God and of his people and now the Egyptians shal speak basely to them Why do you come to us for help where is your God become that you so boasted of Therefore just is it with God that those which forsake him and his help and go to men for succor that they by them should be made a scorn O it is a most grievous judgment for Gods people to be made a scorn by such the Egyptians And it should be our care and duty not to put our brethren into such straights that the poor Saints of God should be forced to go to the wicked for help least they should reproach them saying Why do you come to us What cannot your holy brethren releeve you do you expect help from us But in special this is their derision in the land of Egypt the rage of their tongue their fallings out one with another they could not agree but wrangled and jangled among themselves when the Egyptians shall see this they shall deride them and look upon them as the greatest objects of scorn that possibly can be The Lord deliver us from this judgment when was there such divisions amongst us as at this day Oh the rage of the tongue which abounds in every place the Devil himself hath a chief stroke in this rage and he laughs to see it prosper and encrease as well as our adversaries who laugh in their sleeves at us both and what should move us more to agree one with another than this The consideration of that woful scorn and derision we should be to them if God should deliver us up into their hands Now as this their rage was a symtom to them of their ruin so the Lord grant that we Prophet in time of destress Page 87 All All pretend to seek God Page 408 Ambition The ambition of Priests Page 103 Anathema Maranatha Anathema Maranatha what it means Page 903 Apes An Apes tooth worshiped for a god Page 200 Apostates The hearts of Apostates are rooted in wickednesse Page 357 Apostates seldom turn Page 384 Apostacy What the beginning of Apostacy is Page 425 Art What the art of Preaching is and wherein it consists Page 440 Avenged God will be avenged for breach of trust Page 29 Agravation Agravation of Englands wickedness Page 642 Application Application to the Parliament Page 580 Application to England in general ibid Application to private men ib. Assemblies Church assemblies are not alwaies safe Page 608 Arguments Arguments that mercy is coming Page 547 Arguments of a carnal heart Page 550 B Baseness The baseness of people discribed and whereon it consists Page 367 Beasts When the beasts are taken away our comforts are gone Page 65 Beda Beda his opinion of Austin the Monk Page 395 Best Best men not to be depended on Page 485 Beware Men ought to beware of secret sins Page 483 Blood Blood requires blood Page 48 Bribery Bribery in Magistrates is a curse of God upon a Nation Page 221 Beginnings It is grievous to God for men to let fall good beginnings and the reasons why Page 582 see Dangerous Body God is careful of the body Page 607 bound God is not bound to do for man Page 571 C Carnal men Carnal men shall be ashamed and why Page 331 Carnalists Carnalists portion is outward Page 434 Christ see Humble Christ see Duty Children Wicked children are a dishonor to their parents Page