sponsa vendicat Bern. Christ stands much upon this that the harts of his Saints should confide in him God a sure object for our faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our faith must rayse us above difficulties Renowned acts of faith drawes forth God power to worke foe the Saints Faith will hold God to his word Evidences that we do not trust in Gods faith fulness We must be faithfull to god so as God may confide in us We must be faithfull one toward another Obser Quia ego dominus Obser The right knowing God is a fruit of the covenant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The light of the Saints is three stories high Ephes 4 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser Obser Obs Obser Obser Obser Obser Obser Lect. 19 Obser Obser Obser Obser Obser Obs Obser Obser Obser 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser Obser Obser 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser Obser Obser Obser Quae omnia Iudei post Antichristum in fine mundi prestolantur Hieronym in locum Lect. 1. Obs Obser Obser Love must not be abused 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ezek. 23. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser Idolatry and sensuality goe together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cognatum cum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pagn Contrabentes dextras invicem datas ut rem ratam essâ— significarent percutiendo discinderent sicut in faederibus bestiae disse cabantur Pagn O Marâ—emani O Quadi O Sarmatae tandem alios vobis deteriores inveni Ammian lib. 2. Alios Romanos appellari permitterent non Iudaeos ne quid labis ad haertscenit nomini ab odioso ac sordido genere August in Psal 58. ad illud ne occidas Suetonius in Domitianâ— c. 12. Obser Sin puts into a vile condition Obs Obser Those to whom God intends great mercy may for a long time be in a sad condition Obser Obser Obser Obs Obser Obser Lect. 1. Obser Obser Ier. 31. 21. VVe may know what is done in heaven by by the beatings of our own hearts Obser Answ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lect. 2. Plutarch in the life of Pyrrhus Obser 2. Things in which wee must take heed of mixture Some coples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The evill condition of those who are out of Christ God is sought in straits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What the Ephod was What to be observed from the precious stones upon the Ephod Obser Obser Faetentur Rabbini sum mam esse apud Hebraeos harum rerum ignorantiam we must know Gods mind by Christ Obs Obser Obser Quae sit causa tam grandis offensa ut tanto tempore relicti sunt maxime cum idolae non colant praeter interfectionem salvatoris aliam non valent invenire Hieron in loc What Teraphim was Quem admodum per Ephod Deo consecratum quid agendum esset consuleâ— illbus significabatur ita per Teraphim Idolorum praedictiones declarabantur Procop. in Sam. 15. 23. Mactabant hominem cujus caput terquendo prescin debant quod postea â—ale aromatibus condiebant scribebantque super laminam auream nomeâ—â— spiritâ—â— immundi qua sopposita capiti ejus ponchant illud in parictâ— intendentibus coram eo candelas adorantes coram eo supponebant nomen spiritus immundi sub lingua ipsius ille alloquebatur eos Sic. R. Eliez How the taking away the Image and the Teraphim is a threatning How violently mens hearts are set upon superstitious wayes Obser Obser Obser Obser Obser Obser Obser Obser Obser Iâ—daos in Christum nostrum credituros celeberrimum est in sermonibus cordibusque fidelium August 1. Nihil ista propheta manifestius quam David Regis nomine significatus intelâ—igitur Christus August de civit lib. 18. c. 28. Lect. 3. Answ Obser Non solum periculosum sed horrtbile est de Deo extra Christum cogitare Luther Ego sape libâ—nter hoc inculco ut extra Christum oculos aures claudates dicaâ—â— nullum vos scire Deum nisi qui fuit in graemio Mariae suxit â—bera ejus Luther David and Christ paraleld in their exercise of kingly power Obser The feare of God is strong in a repenting 〈◊〉 The fear of God wil be most strong when the Church shall bee most glorious Foure grounds of the feare of God in the times of he Churches deliveranc◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is that goodnesse they shall feare God will take away the reproach of his Saints How the goodnesse of God is to be feared Wantons who abuse Gods goodnesse Differen ces between legall feare evangelicall
if you be in such a condition and such a condition but doe something presently set upon the work presently and so engage your hearts to God if once you be engaged by doing something the worke will goe on It is a great matter when we can engage the heart of a man to God in any businesse suppose a man promise to doe this or that yet if all this while he have done nothing he lookes not upon himselfe so really engaged as when something is done he therefore sooner flies off again but if together with his promise he be brought to do hee will not so readily flye off God doth so with you he together with his promise gives some real evidences of his love Againe After God speakes to the heart and then restores vineyards then they are blessings then they are sweet indeed for then God restores them as fruits of reconciliation with him Many a poor afflicted soul know what belongs to this comfortable note I thought my sinfulnesse forfeited all my comforts all mercies and God indeed tooke away this and the other comfort from me but it pleased God to come in graciously upon my heart and to speake to my heart and in some measure to breake it and to humble it before him so that I hope peace is made up and notwithstanding those great offences of mine he hath now restored mercies he took away a childe but he hath given another a beâ—â—eâ— he hath took away one mercy he hath given a better this I can though with holdness yet with humility say it is as a fruit of my reconciliation with my God O how sweetly may such a one enjoy that mercy from God! If after the meltings of thy heart after God he then comes in with mercies to thee thou mayest take them as tokens of love to thee now thy house is a comfortable blessing to thee thy yoake-fellow thy children about thee O how comfortable blessings are they yea the meat on thy table is sweet with a double sweetness when thou canst looke upon all as the fruit of Gods reconciliation with thee As the Christians Acts 2. 46. 47. when they once believed in Christ they did eate their bread with gladnesse singlenesse of heart praising God We may enjoy all our common mercies in another manner then other men can they will be blessings doubled yea a hundred fold encreased I will speake to her heart and then I will give her her vineyards Perhaps God hath given thee an estate in the world more then thy neighbors more then thy brother But hath God spoke to thy heart Are Gods blessings upon thee as a fruit of Gods speaking to thy heart in away of reconciliation with thee otherwise it is but a flat dry comfort to have an estate and not to feele God speaking to our hearts I will restore unto you your vineyards from thence From whence From the wildernesse There the Note is God can bring vineyards out of wildernesses Let us not be afraid onely let us make up our peace with God and then though we be in a wilderness God can from thence bring us vineyards Our brethren have found vineyards in the wilderness and many of Gods people in the midst of their straits have found abundance of mercy Further From the wildernesse they shall have more love mercy working more strongly for them now it seems then they had before They had vineyards before but they had none in the wildernesse Now God will dravv mercies out of those things that were unlikely he will bring forth good unto them out of things that seemed to goe quite contrary to them the Lord hath done so for us out of those things that seemed to goe quite contrary to us God hath brought much good to us as if hee had made vineyards to spring out of a wildernesse But the close of all is Those mercies that come to us out of great difficulties and seeme to be raised out of contraries are the sweet mercies indeed those we are to rejoyce in and therefore it followes and they shall sing Deut. 32. 13. God made them to suck honey out of the rock and oyle out of the flinty rock When did God doe so where did you ever reade that God did cause his people to suck honey out of the rock or oyle out of the flinty rock wee reade indeed that the rock was smote and the water did gusb out of it but when did we reade that ever oyle or honey came out of the rock there was never any such thing that we reade of but the meaning thereof is because they being in necessity God brought forth water yet being brought out of the rock by such a mighty hand of God it was oyle it was honey to them it was as good as if God had given them oyle and honey Why because it came out of so much difficulty So all the mercies that God gives to his people when he brings them out of difficulties and straits they are sweet and glorious mercies Let us be patient a while though we seeme to be in the wilderness and we see nothing to fetch out water from but onely rocks stones and difficulties yet God at length will bring mercies out of those difficulties and they will be honey mercies to us then we shall sing and praise the name of our God with joyfull hearts The Thirteenth Lecture HOSEA 2. 15. And the valley of Achor for a doore of hope c. THe words are an excellent expression of mercy to Israel For the opening of which these three things are to be enquired into 1. What this valley of Achor was 2. The reason of the name 3. Why this is said to be a doore of hope For the first Achor was a very pleasant delightfull fruitfull rich valley and lay neer Jericho The first place that Israel came into in the entrance upon and taking possession of the land of Canaan Esay 65. 10. And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lye down in for my people that have sought me First it is joyned with Sharon Can. 2. 1. I am the rose of Sharon that was a sweet pleasant place Secondly It is said to be a place for the herds to lye downe in a fat pasture that they shall even tumble in And thirdly It is promised as a blesâ—â—◠〈…〉 the Lord. The reason of the name Achor That hystory we have Iosh 7. sheweth Achan who 1 Chron. 3. 7. is called Achar having taken the accursed thing God left the Campe and Israel fell before the men of Ai which was the first battell that ever they fought for the possession of Canaan upon that their hearts were exceedingly troubled as if the whole worke had been at an end so fraile is mans nature so soone discouraged when it meets with opposition notwithstanding all the experiences of Gods mighty
only blesse God but the Text saith They lifted up their hands and they bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground Why because the book of the Law was read to them and expounded How comes it to passe that their hearts were so taken with it now to hear the book of the Law expounded to them Surely it was because they were newly returned out of their Captivity and now they came into their owne Land and heard the Law of God opened to them they blessed his great Name bowed their faces to the ground worshipping him This day my brethren witnesseth to us our great deliverance and returne from our bondage It was not long since that wee could have either Ordinances or Truths or Religious exercises but onely according to the humors of vile men But now through Gods mercy a great deliverance is granted to us as this day witnesseth that wee may come and have free liberty to exercise our selves in the Law of our God O doe you blesse the Lord and bow your faces to the ground worshipping of him In the 12. vers of that Chap. we read that after they had heard the Law read and expounded to them they went their way to eate and to drink and to send portions and to make great mirth Why Because saith the Text they had understood the words that were declared unto them I hope if God shall please to give in assistance unto this work many of you shall goe away hereafter from this Assembly rejoycing because you will come to know more of Gods mind revealed in his word then formerly And this will be the comfort of your meat and drink and of your trading and the very spirits of all the joyes of your lives As the sweetnesse of the fruit comes from the graft rather then from the stock so your comforts and the blessings of grace in you must come from the word ingrafted in your soules rather then from any thing you have in your selves In the first vers the Text saith that all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water-gate to desire Ezra to bring the book of the law and to read it and to open it unto them Behold it is thus this day in this place here are a great company met together perhaps some to know what the businesse will be some for novelty and some for other ends howsoever come unto us you are and we hope many for this end that you might have the booke of the Law read opened unto you Now we expect that from you which is said of them ver 3. And the ears of all the people were attentiâ—e unto the book of the law when it was read opened to them And truly that attention that you now begin withal doth promise unto us that we shall have an attentive auditory But that is not all let us have further a reverential demeanor and carriage in the hearing of the Law as it becomes those that have to deale with God in it The Text saith vers 5. that when Ezra opened the book of the Law all the people stood up We doe not expect the same gesture from you but by way of Analogie we expect a reverentiall demea nour in the carriage of he whole worke as knowing we are to sanctifie Gods Name in it And as those people after the first dayes exercise were so encouraged that they came again the second day for so the Text saith vers 13. On the second day were gathered together the cheife of the fathers of all the people the Priests and the Leviâ—es unto Ezra to understand the words of the Law so I hope God will so carry on this worke that you shall find encouragement too to come again and again that you may know more of the mind of God and that this work shall not be only profitable to the younger and weaker sort but to the Fathers to the Priests and Levites too Let it be with you as it was with them according as you have any truth made known unto you submit to it yeeld to it obey it presently and then you shall know more of Gods mind He that will doe my will shall know my doctrine to be of God Thus did they for vers 14. when they found it vvritten in the book of the Law that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh moneth This was one passage of the Law that was expounded how they should keep the feast of Tabernacles and what booths they should make the people went forth presently unto the mount and fetched Olive branches and Palm branches and branches of thick trees and made themselves booths every one upon the roofe of his house In this Prophesie of Hosea you shall find many sutable truths to the times wherein we live the Lord grant you obedient hearts to what shall be delivered I must not retard the work nor your expectations any longer with large prefacing to it only somewhat have been said about the rules for interpretation of Scripture I will say no more of that but this to interpretation of Scripture a Scripture frame of heart is necessary a heart holy heavenly sutable to the holinesse heavenlinesse that is in the word as it was said of Tullies eloquence that nothing but the eloquence of Tully could set out the excellency of it So it may be said of the Scriptures spiritualness nothing but a heart filled with Scripture spiritualness can set forth the excellencies of it and because the authority of Scripture is dreadfull wee desire the prayers of you all to God for us that his feare might fall upon our hearts that seeing we are menfull of errour and full of evill yet howsoever wee may not bring any Scripture to the maintenance of any erroneous conceit of our own heads nor any evill of our own hearts This wee know to be a dreadfull evill It was a fearfull evill for Lucifer to say I will goe and ascend up be like the Highest it is as great an evill for any to seek to make the Highest to become like Lucifer for so do they that make the Scripture come down to justifie any erroneous opinion or any way of evill they goe about to make the blessed God and the holy Ghost to be the fathers of lies It is counted a great evill in a Common-wealth to put the Kings stamp upon false coine and to put the stamp of the Spirit of God upon an error upon a conceit of a mans owne is certainly a great evill before the Lord and it was for this that God did make the Priests vile and contemptible before the people because they were paâ—tiall in the Law Mal. 2. 9. And for you my brethren our prayer shall be that the feare of God may fall upon you likewise that you may come to these Exercises with Scripture-frames of heart What frame of
heart is a Scripture-frame The holy Ghost tells you Isa 66. 1. God looks at him that trembleth at his word come with hearts trembling at the word of God come not to be Iudges of the Law but doers of it You may judge of your profiting in grace by the delight you finde in Scripture as Quintilian was wont to say of profiting in eloquence a man may know that saies hee by the delight hee findes in reading Cicero much more may this be said of the Scriptures it is a true signe of profiting in Religion to whom the Scriptures are sweeter then the honey and the honey-combe And now I shall onely tell you what the work is we have to doe and then we shall fall upon it and that is to open Scripture unto you not onely difficulties but to shew unto you what divine truths are contained in them what may come fresh and spring up from the fountain it selfe to present them unto you with adding some quickness This is our worke not to enlarge any thing with long Explication Probation or Application There are these five things to be enquired concerning this our Prophet whose Prophesie I have now pitched upon to open 1 Who he was 2 To whom he was sent 3 What his errant was 4 His Commission 5 The time of his prophesie All these you have either in the first verse where most of them are or you shall find them in the Chapter For the first then who this Prophet was I will tell you no more of him then what you have in the first verse Hosea the son of Beeri His name signifieth a Saviour one that brings salvation It is the same root that Ioshua had his name from and many saving and savory truths wee shall finde this Prophet bringing to us He was the sonne of Beeri This Beeri we doe not find who hee was in Scripture only in that he is here named as the father of the Prophet in the entrance into this Prophesie Surely it is honor is gratia to the Prophet and from it we may note thus much That so should parents live and walke as it may be an honour to their children to be called by their names that their children may neither be afraid nor ashamed to be named by them The Iews have a tradition that is generally received among them that whensoever a Prophets Father is named that Father was likewise a Prophet as well as the Son If that were so then surely it is no dishonor for any man to be the Son of a Prophet Let those that are the children of godly gracious Ministers be no dishonour to their Parents their Parents are an honour unto them But we find it by experience that many of their children are farr from being honours to their godly parents How many ancient godly Ministers who heretofore hated superstitious vanities whose sonns of late have been the greatest zealots for such things It puts me in mind of what the Scripture notes concerning Iehoiakim the sonne of Iosiah the difference betweene his father and him Iosiah when he heard the Law read his heart melted and he humbled himselfe before the Lord. But now Iehoiakim his sonne when hee came to heare the Law of God read he tooke a pen-knife and cut the roll in which it was written in peices and threw it into the fire that was on the hearth untill all the roll was consumed A great deale of difference there was between the Son and the Father and thus it is between the sons of many ancient godly Ministers and them their Fathers indeed might be an honour unto them but they are dishonour to their Fathers The sonne of Beeri This word Beeri hath its signification from a Wel that hath springing water in it freely and cleerly running So Ministers should be the children of Beeri That that they have should be springing water and not the mud and dirt and filth of their own conceits mingled with the word This only by way of allusion To whom was this Prophet Hosea sent He was sent especially to the Ten Tribes I suppose you all know the division that there was of the people of Israel in Rehoboams time tenn of the Tribes went from the house of David only Iudah and Benjamine remained with it Now these tenne Tribes renting themselves from the house of David did rent themselves likewise from the true worship of God there grew up horrible wickednesses and all manner of abominations amongst them To these ten Tribes God sent this Prophet He sent Isaiah Micah to Iudah Amos and Hosea he sent to Israel all these were contemporary If you would know what state Israel was in in Hoseas time read but 2 K. 15. 19. you shall find what their condition was Ieroboam did that which was eâ—ill but he fight of the Lord he departed not from all the sins of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat which made Israel to sinne But notwithstanding Israel was thus notoriously wicked and given up to all Idolatry yet the Lord sendeth his Prophets Hosea and Amos to Prophesie to them even at this time O the goodnesse of the Lord to follow an apostatizing people an apostatizing soule It was mercy yet while God was speaking but woe to that people to that soul to whom the Lord shall give in charge to his Prophets prophesie no more to them But what was Hosea his errand to Israel His errand was to convince them clearly oâ— this their abominable Idolatry and those other abominable wickednesses that they lived in and severely to denounce threatnings yea most fearfull destruction This was not done before by the other Prophets as wee shall afterward make it appeare but it was Hosea his errand to threaten an utter desolation to Israel more than ever was before and yet withall to promise mercy to a remnant to draw them to repentance and to Prophesie of the great things that God intended to doe for his Church and children in the latter dayes What was his Commission The words tells us plainly The word of the Lord came to Hosea It was the word of Iehovah It is a great argument to obedience to know it is the word of the Lord that is spoken When men set reason against reason and judgment against judgment and opinion against opinion it prevails not but vvhen they see the authority of God in the Word then the heart and conscience yeeldeth Therefore hovvever you may look upon the instruments that bring it or open it to you as your equalls or inferiours yet knovv there is an authority in the Word that is above you al It is the word of the Lord. And this word of the Lord it came to Hosea Mark the phrase Hosea did not goe for the word of the Lord but the word of the Lord came to him he sought it not but it came to him factum fuit verbum so are the words the word of the Lord came or
is the deep preaching when it is from the heart And so Augustine sayes of Hosea because that which he spake was so deep it wrought more strongly Hoseas Prophesie must needs be deep for God spake in him before he spake out to the people We say that which commeth from the heart will go to the heart Surely that which commeth from the voyce of God in the heart will goe beyond the ears to the hearts of people And blessed are the people that have such Ministers that shal speak nothing to them but what hath first been spoken by God in them Againe in this second verse he comes twice with the same expression The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea and againe The Lord said to Hosea and yet in the beginning of the first verse The word of the Lord came to Hosea Why all this three times All this upon good reason for Hosea was to come with a terrible message to the people and to reprehend them with much sharpnesse to tell them that they were the children of whoredomes and that they had departed from the Lord and he would have no more mercy upon them but would utterly take them away He had need therefore have an expresse command for what he did and to have much evidence of the Spirit that what he said was from God and not any thing of his owne spirit When a Minister of God shall come and reprehend a people severely for their sins and threaten Gods judgement let him then if ever look to it that he hath a good ground for what he saith that what he shall deliver may be nothing but the word of God in him the sheer word of God without any mixture of his owne It is an ordinary thing in Ministers in reprehending of sinne and denouncing of threatnings to mingle much of their own spirit and wrath But if at any time Ministers should take heed of mixing their own wrath then especially when they are to denounce Gods wrath then they should bring nothing but the word of the Lord for it being a hard message the spirits of men will rise up against it if they once see the spirit of the Minister in it they will be ready to say as the devill in the possessed man Iesus I know Paul I know but who are you So they the word of the Lord I know but what are you here is your own passion your own humour c. O let not any think to oppose sin with sin the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God You that are Ministers would you have a sentence I wil give you one and I have done When you are called to reveale Gods wrath conceals your owne The Second Lecture Hosea 1. the middle of the second verse and so on Go take unto thee a wife of whoredomes and children of whoredomes for the land hath committed great whoredome departing from the Lord. 3. So he went and tooke Gomer the daughter of Diblaim which conceived and bare him a son 4. And the Lord said unto him Call his name Iezreel for yet a little while and I will avenge the blood of Iezreel upon the house of Iehu will cease the Kingdome of the house of Israel 5. And it shall come to passe in that day that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Iesreel THE Preface to the work and to the whole prophesie you heard the last time The scope of the prophesie is the very same that the scope of this Chapter is to declare first The evill condition that Israel the ten Tribes were in in regard of their sins and punishment that was to be executed for their sins Secondly Gracious promises of mercy to a remnant to Iudah in the 7. ver and to Judah Israel both from the 10. ver to the end of the Chapter First God beginneth with conviction to shew them their sin and the dreadfulnesse of it Conviction should goe before correction You must not presently fly in the faces of those that are under you when they crosse you first instruct them and then correct them do as God did here God would first convince them of the greatnesse of their sinnes not by verball but by reall expressions Those things that come but to the eare they doe more slowly stirre and work upon the heart but things that are presented before the eye are more operative and therefore Hosea must not tell them onely that they had committed whoredome but must tell them in this way he must goe and take a wife of whoredomes and beget children of whoredomes In the very threshold in the entrance of the prophesie you see we meete with a difficulty a great difficulty First a command from God from the holy God unto a Prophet a holy Prophet to goe and take a wife of whoredomes not an ordinary whore but a most prostitute whore for so the word signifieth of whoredomes as in the Scripture phrase a man of bloods is a man that hath shed much blood and a man of sorrowes is a man that hath been exercised with many sorrows and so a wife of whoredomes is one that hath committed notorious whoredomes vile whoredomes Yet such a wife must the Prophet take to himselfe and his children must be children of whoredomes too How can this be S. Austin who had been a Manichee having to deale much with Macichees met with this object on from one Faustas a Manichee against the Old Testament for they denyed it saith Faustas that Old Testament of yours Moses and the Prophets is that of God doe you not finde there a command to take a wife of whoredomes and can this be from God Austin answereth it thus Though shee had been a prostitute whore before yet she might be reclaymed and so shee might be called a wife of whoredomes from that whoredome that heretofore she was guilty of and now reclaymed And so he thinketh that it was a reality indeed that Hosea did take to himselfe a wife of whoredomes and think to salve it up thus Theodoret is somewhat angry with those that thinke it was not really done but done only in away of vision I find many of our later men that are of the same minde that thinke there was a reality in it that God did command Hosea to take to himselfe a wife of whoredoms and that he did take such a wise one that was a notorious harlot so Arius Montanus Piscator Pareus Tarnovius and others they go that way and they thinke to salve it only thus that it is a command of God and therefore though it had not been lawfull for Hosea to have done it yet God commanding it he might do it As they instance in other cases that seeme to be somewhat of the like nature as the children of Israels robbing the Egyptians Abrahams killing his sonne and the like If this should be so as many
Prayer and hearing and fasting c. serviceable to your lust oh what shall become of you A base wretch that sitteth tipling in an Alehouse you account vile but it is but a poore creature that hee subjects to his base lust but a Minister or a Magistrate subjects things of a higher nature to their lusts oh this is exceeding vile We had need my brethren all pray earnestly for those whom God employeth in publique works that they may not only have strength to assist them and successe in them but that they may have hearts to give God all the glory of them for though they may doe never so worthily for God in the Church or in the Common-wealth yet if they be not carefull to give God all the glory God will curse them at last notwithstanding Further Jehu doth somewhat which God commanded him but not all We learn from hence that when but halfe the work is done God curseth the whole for our neglect of the other halfe I remember Master Calvin upon this place likeneth Jehu unto King Henry the 8. Henry the 8. saith he cast off some degree of Popery so farre as would serve his owne turne but there were the five Articles in force still for which many suffered at that time and so he was like Jehu in that God will be served with the whole heart for all our good is in God therefore all our hearts must make out after God God must have perâ—ect obedience in the desire and endeavour or else he will have none Certainly that which must make any man acceptable it is not so much that there is somewhat done but is there that which God calleth for done or is it done in regard of the endeavour for that indeed will be acceptable though we cannot doe all at once but it we bring somewhat to God as a part and acknowledge the debt as the whole and so are working for the other it will be accepted As suppose a man owes you an hundred pound and bringeth you but fifty pound in part of payment yet if he acknowledg the rest and promise the payment of it if you know hee will be faithfull in the payment of the other he will accept of it But if a man bring you fourscore pound in liewe of all you will not accept it So it is here Hypocrites they say they cannot be perfect in his world and so think to put off God with a little it is true if thou hadst an upright heart and didst bring God but part and labourst after the whole hee would accept of it But if thou bringest him ten times more then a sincere heart can bring him it will not be acceptable no not ninety nine pounds will be accepted if brought in stead of the whole God must have a man according to his own heart such an one as David you know what was said of David I have found a man after mine own heart that shall fulfill all my wills for so the words are in the Originall not all my will but all my wills in the plurall number Again Jehu did but half and the worst half too and therfore God commeth upon him For the great care of Jehu was only to reform things in the State and Kingdom and theerfore that indeed he did throughly he altered the way of government from the house of Ahab and set up another government But for the matter of the worship of God hee cared not what became of that still the calves continued in Dan and Bethel hee tooke no care that the people of Israel should goe up to Jerusalem the place that God had appointed to worship him in a right way This is that for which God thus cursed him and his house It is a very evill thing in Reformers who have power in their hands to be more carefull of the State then of the Church to be more carefull of affairs in civill policy than of affairs in Religion who are affraid to meddle with Religion for feare of hinderances in their civill policy to be so timerous in fearing disturbances in civill policy that they will sacrifice Religion for it and let that goe which way it will This is an evill thing and a bitter Or if they doe reform in the Church yet to reforme only that which is notoriously evil and vile so far Jehu went he destroyed the Priests of Baal but not the Priests of Dan and Bethel the Idols of Baal were destroyed but the Idols of Dan and Bethel were kept still It is the speech of the Philosopher in his Politiques when he giveth a rule of policie First the care of Divine things must be and that is the best policy Politicians must trust God in the way of policy take care of Divine things first Yea and goe to a through Reformation too for Jehu did something in Religion but left other things therefore God cursed him Men must take heed of betraying of sacrificing the cause of God for the maintenance of State Policy let them be never so excellent in their way yet if they doe thus God will blast them Yet further Jehu saw the danger of that wicked and abominable sin of Idolatry in others but he could not see it in himselfe What peace said hee to Ioram so long as the whoredomes of thy mother Iezebel continue What peace Then what peace Iehu so long as the whoredomes of Israel continue afterwards This is ordinary my brethren for men to see a great deale of evill and danger in the sins of others but when they should come to themselves to be blind there to inveigh against the sinnes of other men when they seem to be far off from them or that they cannot make use of them but when they can make use of them then to embrace them Thus it was with Saul he was exceeding severe against Witch-craft all the Witches in Israel must be put to death but when Saul had use of a Witch for his lust he himselfe goeth to the Witch of Endor In the tenth place Jehu thought by retaining the calves in Dan and Bethel to preserve the Kingdome to his posterity and this proved the ruine of his posterity Those wayes of sinfull policie by which many think to raise their houses or themselves are the meanes of the ruine of them Hee that walks uprightly walks surely Lastly Iehu doth thus and God punisheth Iehu because hee continued in the same sin that Ahab was punished for This is of excellent use specially to Magistiates and indeed it is a dreadfull place to Magistrates if considered of Let them who are used to punish the sins of others take heed what they doe lest they be found guilty themselves for if they bee found guilty God will plague them as if they did the greatest act of injustice that can be As for instance Suppose a Magistrate should take away the life of a man lawfully for that which God would
your peace with God for them Though you were then young and did not fear the wrath of God to come upon you yet now you are old the wrath of God may come upon you for sinnes committed in your Apprentiship A sinner of a hundred years old shall be accursed Yet a little while In reference to the house of Israel Yet a little while and I will cease the Kingdome of the house of Israel This Nation had continued a pompous successfull Nation thoughidolatrous for about 260. years before the wrath of God came upon it that was here threatned God may come a long time after the flourishing of a Nation upon it in wayes of judgement Which may make us look back to the sins committed in Henry the 8 his time and in Queen Maries time Let us not plead for our fore-fathers for the maintenance of superstitious worship but let us look to the sins of our fore-fathers and bewaile them before the Lord for God may come upon a Nation for former sins after it hath flourished a long time But at length it will prove but a little while What was it but a little while from the beginning of this Prophesie till the ceasing of the Kingdome of the house of Israel Yes my brethren it was many yeares and it is very observable that from the beginning of this Prophesie which was in the end of the raign of Jeroboam to the rulfilling of what was here threatned to the ceasing of the Kingdome of the house of Israel it was 76. years For as I reckoned the last day to shew the time of Hoseas Prophesie from the end of Jeroboam here spoken of ver 1. unto the time of Hezekiah was 70. yeares and in the 6. yeare of Hezekiah Israel was destroyed by the King of Assyria and yet God saith here by Hosea which was in the time of Jeroboam for then was the beginning of Hoseas Prophesie as ver 1. Yet a little while Seventy six years is but a little while in Gods account Sinners thinke either in wayes of judgement or mercy a little while to be a great while If God do but defer mercy seven yeares it is a great while in our account We think our Parliament hath sate a long time How long almost two yeares A great while Wee think every day a great while for that wee would faint have but 76. years yea a hundred a thousand years are but as one day unto God So for judgement a sinner if hee hath committed a sinne seven years agoe he thinketh it is a great while and he hath not heard of it thereforre surely it is forgotten But what if it be seventy years agoe you that are sinners of seventy yeares old all is but a little while in regard of God Againe Yet a little while The apprehension of a judgement just at hand is that which will stir the heart and worke upon it most Yet a little while and God will cause the kingdome to cease therefore if ever you repent repent now for it is but a little while ere God will cause the kingdome to cease The apprehension of a sinner to be upon the brink of judgment when a poore soule shall see him selfe ready to lanch into the infinit ocean of eternall destruction to lie under the scalding drops of the wrath of the Almighty this works upon the heart indeed It is the way of the flesh and the divell to put far from us the evill day to make us believe the day of death is a great way off But it is the way of God to present things present and reall and in this consisteth the efficacy and power of faith to make things that are to come as if present Wee say in nature there must be a contiguity and neernesse between things that must work So wee must apprehend a neernesse between the evill that is to come upon us and our selves that so it may work upon our hearts An excellent place you have to this purpose in 1 King 14. 14. where the Lord threatneth to stir up a King over Israel who should cut off the house of Ieroboam that day but what saith he he presently calleth back his word even now you may think the day a great way off but it is even now and therefore now come in return and repent Oh sinners consider that your danger is now not only in that day of Christ but what even now it may be at hand Lastly Yet a little while Jeroboam had continued above forty yeeres in his sin but now Zachariah his son upon whom this threatning was fulfilled continued but six moneths perhaps he thought to escape as long as his father No God suffereth some sinners to continue long others he cutteth off presently though the father continue old in his sins if the son presume to follow his steps he may be cut off presently And I will cause to cease the Kingdome of Israel Kingdomes great Kingdomes and Monarchies are subject to change What is become of all the glorious Monarchies in the world how hath the Lord tossed them up and downe as a man would tosse a ball Idolatry is enough to destroy the greatest Monarchy the greatest Kingdome in the world But here is some instruction in the elegancy of the word It is in the Originall I will cause to cease It is a Metaphor according to some taken from instruments that a man makes use of for a while and when hee hath done with them either hangs them up against a wall and regards them no more or else bringeth them to the fire to be burned So saith God yet a little while and I will cause to cease c. As if he should say Indeed there was a time wherein I had some use of this way of the rent between Judah and Israel and of this Kingdome but I have done with that use there is an end of it now the use is over I intended now I will cause to cease the Kingdome I will take them away they shall be to mee as an instrument not to be used any more or for the Fire When the Lord hath any use of a people or of any particular men to do him service he will preserve them though they be wicked and when he hath done with them he either layes them aside or else brings them to the fire A Husband-man so long as he hath use of thornes to stop a gap with them he lets them alone but when there shall be no further use of them he then bring them to the fire so God here I will cause to cease the Kingdome of the house of Israel But how and where will God cause to cease the Kingdome of Israel Vers 5. I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel By breaking the bow is here meant the blasting and bringing to nothing all the strength of their warlike power all their Armes and Ammunition
to the right way of worshipping God kept to Ierusalem to the Temple so farre they kept the worship of God pure Hence we see God will favour a people exceeding much though there be many weaknesses yea many wickednesses among them if they keep the worship of God pure It is true there are many spirits that are most bitter against those that seek to worship God in the right way if they can but get them tripping in any small thing they follow it against them with all their might with all the bitternesse that they can possibly This is not like unto God God will favour those that worship him in a right way though for other respects hee may have many advantages against them But this you will say seemes to contradict what you said before for you said the nearer any are to God the more he hates their sinnes and the sins of those that make a shew of worshipping God in a pure manner are worse than the sins of others It is true But as their relation to God in the nearnesse of his worship is an aggravation of their sins so their relation to God is a foundation of their hope of mercy from God How is this It makes their sin indeed worse so as to provoke God to punish them sooner and perhaps bitterer yet their relation to God keepeth this ground of faith that God is their God still and will have mercy upon them at last But the wicked though God spare them longer than his own people yet when he cometh against them he rejecteth them utterly so he did Israel Iudah indeed was punished but yet Iudah had mercy at last but saith God I will have no more mercy upon the house of Israel but will utterly take them away Fiftly Israel had prevailed a little before against Iudah for if you read in 2 King 14. 12. you shall finde that Iudah was put to the worst before Israel the Text saith They fled every man to their Tents and Iehoash the King of Israel took amaziah King of Iudah and came to Ierusalem and brake down the walls of Ierusalem from the gates of Ephraim to the corner gate four hundered cubits And he took al the gold and silver and all the vessels that were in the house of the Lord and in the treasures of the Kings house and hostages and returned to Samariah And this was but a little before this time Israel had thus prevailed against Iudah and brought Iudah under yet now saith God I will have mercy upon Iudah but not upon Israel What should we note from hence God sometimes sheweth mercy to poor afflicted ones and yet rejecteth those that are greater enjoy more prosperity in the world Many that are poor people poor souls that are in a low afflicted condition God looks upno them and sheweth mercy unto them when brave ones that carry it out and thrive and live gallantly in the world are many times rejected of God Mark what God saith Zeph 3. 12. I will leave in the middest of thee an afflicted and poor people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. God lookes not at the brave and gallant ones of the world but at the poor and afflicted ones and they shal trust in the name of the Lord. We must not then judge at the happiness of men according to their successe in the world For you may now be delivered and others kept under affliction yet afterwards you may be rejected and the others received unto mercy Further Hosea was the Prophet of Israel he was sent to the ten Tribes yet Hosea tells them whose Prophet especially he was and God would have no more mercy upon them And he speaks to Judah he was not sent to them and he tells them that God would have mercy upon them Here we may learn how impartial the Ministers of God ought to be in their work they must not goe according to their particular private engagements though they are engaged more to such a people in divers regards yet if they be wicked they must deale faithfully and plainly and denounce the judgements of God And if others though strangers to them be godly they are to give to them that comfort that belongs unto them My brethren partiality in those in publick places especially of the Ministery is a great evil It was for this that God said he had made the Priest and the Levite contemptible and base before all the people Why because they were partial in the Law Malac. 2. 9. 7. It is a great aggravation of the misery of some that God sheweth mercy to others For it is here set down as a part of the threatning against Israel I wil have no more mercy upon Israel but I wil shew mercy to Judah To aggravate the misery of Israel God manifesteth his mercy to Judah Mark how God in Esay 65. 13. makes it a part of his threatning against the wicked that he will shew mercy to his servants Behold my servants shall eate but you shall be hungry my servants shall drink but ye shall be thirstie Behold my servants shall rejoyce but ye shall be ashamed Behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart but yee shal crie for sorrow of heart howle for vexation of spirit These Buts are cutting ones to the heart of the wicked And observe it here is the word Behold three times used in setting out the difference that God will make between his servants and the wicked and how God will aggravate the misery of the wicked by shewing mercy to people because it is a thing much to be considered A like place you have Mat. 8. 11. Many shal come from the East West and shal sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob but the children of the Kingdom shal be cast out into utter darkness there shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth Mark they shall gnash their teeth when they shal see how they are rejected and others received gnash their teeth for envie and vexation of spirit for it is a great aggravation of mens misery And is it not fulfilled this day How do many bite their nailes and gnash their very teeth to see the mercy that God sheweth to his people in giving them liberty and encouragement in his service while he casteth shame contempt upon their faces bringeth them forth to answer for their wickedness and to suffer condigne punishment Wicked mens spirits vex at this it is that which they cannot possibly beare it is that which galleth and fretteth the very gaul of their heart to see the mercie of God to his people now in these dayes to see such an opportunity as this to meet together with this liberty to exercise our selves in the word when they are caged up This they gnash and grind their teeth at It is observeable that which you have in Acts 22. 21. Paul was speaking there a great while to the Jews they
mercies that God bestoweth upon a Nation the ornaments that God putteth upon a people that are but common favours not spirituall graces they are such as a people may be stripped of Great mercies that a people have they may wholly loose Here is the difference between true spirituall graces whereby JESUS CHRIST doth adorne his spouse when Christ not onely takes in an outward way a people to himselfe but marries them to himself in a spirituall way he decketh the soule with such ornaments bestoweth suchmercies upon them as shall never be taken away Such a soul hath no cause to feare that ever it can be stripped as in the day wherein it was born you need not feare that you shall ever lose the jewels given you at that marriage day It is true common graces and gifts you may be stript of and made naked as it is usuall in many professors that have not truth at heart yet have excellent gifts as of prayer and the like but afterward they prove naught God takes away their gifts from them they have not that gift of prayer they were wont to have though they have excellent words yet a man may perceive a shuffling in them and such an unsavoriness mixed with their gifts that it breeds loathing in others to joyne with them As when the King goeth away from his Pallace the hangings are taken down so when God departeth from a soul as from such he may then their hangings those excellent gifts are taken from them But those gifts that are spirituall they are never stripped of them We read in Ezek. 46. 17. when a King gave gifts to his servants they were to returne to him againe at the yeere of Jubilee but when he gave them to his sonnes they were to be their inheritance There are many that are outwardly in the Church Gods servants they have many gifts but God will take them away and strip them naked of those gifts but then there are his children they shall have their gifts as an inheritance for ever It is true God may stay a while as when the King is gone from Court if there be any thought of his returne again the hangings do continue but if the message come the King will not be here this twelve moneths or a long time or it may be never any more then the hangings are taken down so though these gifts of the Hypocrite may stay a while yet they will vanish at last The fifth Observation Continuance in sinne and especially the sin of spirituall whoredome is that which will strip a Nation from all their excellencies from all their orments and beauty the continuance in that sin especially for so the words imply Let her pnt away her adulteries from between her breasts lest I strip her naked c. If she continue thus certainly naked she shall be This alwayes brings nakednesse meritoriously but if continued in effectually it makes them naked Exod. 32. 25. You may see there what made the people naked at that time the Text saith that Aaron had made the people naked that is Aaron by consenting to the people to make the Calfe had made the people naked naked that is destitute now of Gods gracious protection deprived of those favours from God that formerly they had And as the Priest had made them naked so you may finde it in 2 Chron. 28. 19. that the King made them naked too The Lord brought Judah lowe because of Ahaz King of Israel for he made Judah naked and transgressed sore against the Lord. He made Judah naked that is by countenancing Idolatry by syding with those that were Idolaters even he made Judah naked at that time Here we may see who they are that are like to strip us if ever God should come to strip us We have many amongst us that see false burthens of all the miseries and troubles that come upon the nation they cry out presently of the Puritans and of others that they say are factious and seditious spirits and turbulent and all must be laid upon them Certainly whosoever hath eyes in his head may easily see who makes us thus naked as we are and if we be made more naked who will be the cause of all Those that stand against the way of Reformation those that will keep their whoredoms in their sight and their adulteries between their breasts those that will not be willing that the Church shall be purged from that filth and whorish attire that it hath these are they that make us naked We read in Lamen 2. 14. Thy Prophets have seene vaine and foolish things for thee and they have not discovered thine iniquity to turne away thy captivity but have seen for thee the false burthens and causes of banishment Mark it the Prophets have seene vaine aâ—d foolish things they have not discovered thine iniquity they have not dealt 〈◊〉 inly with thy people neither have they told them the reason of their captivity but they have seene for them false burthens and causes of banishment The Prophets say it is a company of these precise and strict ones that will not be obedient to authority and will not doe what is commanded in such and such things and when there were wayes of corruption in Gods worship they would not submit to such and such orders The Prophets lay the blame upon them but they see false burthens saith the Text and false canses of banishment We have many such Prophets amongst us who see false burthens and causes of banishment and they cry out of those that certainly are the causes of our peace and of the good of the kingdom Tertullian tells us that in the Primitive times if they had but any ill weather or any trouble at all they would cry out of the Christians as the cause of it and presently the voice was Adleons let the Christians be dragged to the Lyons and devoured by the Lyons it hath beene so amongst us But may we not answer as Elijah answered Ahab when Ahah told him that he was the man that troubled Israel I have not troubled Israel but it is thou and thy fathers house May we not well say to them as Jehu to Iehoram when hee asked him whether there was peace What peace so long as the whoredomes of thy mother Iezebel and her witchcrafts are so many Those have been popish certainly they have endangered us of being stripped of all Who were the causers of the first disturbances amongst us even of all the persecution here of Gods Saints and of all the discontent among the people Who were they that perswaded the bringing in of an Arbitrary vvay of government Who were the cause of laying such things upon the people that they could not beare Who were the causers of the troubles in Scotland sending of bookes thither full of superstitious vanities was it not the Prelaticall faction Who are those that hinderthe Reformation at this day Certainly if it were as apparent that they that
not give the people throughout the Kingdom a heart to stick to the Cause of the Truth and to those whom they have intrusted with their estates liberties and lives in every good way it were the heaviest judgement of God that ever was upon a Nation since the beginning of the earth it would never be paralleld that ever a people should have such an opportunity put into their hands to help themselves aud to vindicaâ—e themselves from slavery and bondage yet out of I know not what respects to betray all those that have ventured their lives for them and to have their blood shed I say it were such an example as were not to be paralleld since the beginning of the world Therefore I beseech you my brethren let us lay this to heart and the Lord make known to us all what is to be done in such a time as this that we may not be stripped naked and set as in the day wherein we were borne The Third Lecture HOSEA part of the third verse and verse 4. And make her as a wildernesse and set her like a dry land and slay her with thirst And I will not have mercy upon her children for they be the children of whoredomes IN the first part of this second Chapter wee have already shewed part of Gods threatning even to strip his people naked as in the day wherein they were borne to bring them into as low and mean a condition as ever they were in Now that which was more generally exprest the last day we have in the latter end of this third Verse more particularly set forth unto us And make her as a wildernesse and set as a dry land God would bring this people that dwelt in the land of Canaan flowing with milke and honey that were in regard of the beauty that God had put upon them excellent for beauty now to be as a wildernesse In the former Chapter you heard that the state of the Ten Tribes vvas set out by Hoseas wife her name was Gomer ad this Gomer was the daughter of Diblaim Gomer signifieth perfection and what Diblaim signifieth I told you then But now there is another signification of this Diblaim that we are to refer unto this expression of the Lord in this place that he will make her as a wildernesse for you shall finde Ezek. 6. 14. that there is mention made of a desolate countrey and a wildernesse that was towards Diblath to which this that the Prophet speaks of the mother of Gomer may seem to have reference Diblath then it appeareth was a place where there was a very desolate waste wildernesse and Gomer was the daughter of this Diblath from whence Diblaim that is Though the ten Tribes were as Gomer in regard of their beauty perfect for so they were yet she was the doughter of Diblath or Diblaim that is she came forth out of a low and meane condition and was even brought out of a wildernesse now shee shall be brought again into the same estate wherein shee was for I will set her as a wildernesse As a wildernesse The Church of God is in it selfe Gods garden a garden inclosed and so it is called Cant. 4. 12. As a garden inclosed is my sister my Spouse It is the place of Gods delight not a place for beasts to come into but inclosed they are to be kept out of it a place where very precious fruits doe grow that are very pleasing to God a place that hath the dew the showers of Gods blessing the dew of Hermon the dew that descendeth upon the mountains of Zion there God commandeth his blessing even life for evermore But now she must come to be a wildernesse For first the hedge the pale the wall of Gods protection shall be taken away from her and she shall be laid open lyable for all wilde beasts to come in and to devoure her They loved liberty and were loth to be inclosed though it were in Gods garden though it was with the pale wall of Gods protection Well seeing you will have liverty you shall have liberty and this pale and wall of my garden shall be taken away and your condition shall be like the condition of the beasts in the wildernesse Againe you shall be as a wildernesse There shall no good grow among you There was no good grew amongst you that was your sin and there shall no good grow among you that shall be your plague and punishment The blessing of God shall be taken away from you you shall not have those showers of blessing as formerly you were wont to have but you shall be as a wildernesse Jer. 17. 5. 6. Cursed be that man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and departeth from the Lord Why For he shall be as the heath in the desart and shall not see when good commeth and he shall inherite the parched places of the wildernesse in a salt land Vatablus interprets this judgement upon the hearts of Idolaters they are dry unsavory they are destitute of all spirituall good And I will set her as a dry land So the Septuagint read it I will order you so Your sinnes bring you out of order but Gods plagues order that which sin doth disdorder At a dry land This is contrary to the blessing of a godly man for he is said to be as the tree planted by the river of water The graces and comforts of Gods Spirit are compared to waters in the Scripture Psal 87. 7. All my springs are in thee All my comforts all the gifts that I have all the graces that I have are in thee But now God will set them as a dry land he will take away his gifts and take away their comforts from them and so leave them wast and desolate The Observation then from hence is That sinne is of a wasting nature sinne layeth wast Countreyes and places that people live in VVee have a most remarkable place of Scripture for that Zach. 7. 14. They laid the pleasant land desolate They who are they you shall finde it ver 12. Those that made their hearts as an Adamant stone lest they should heare the law and the words which the Lord of Hosts had sent in his spirit by the former Prophets They made the pleasant land desolaâ—e VVe cry out of those that make stripe and waste and there are actions commenced against them O let not us lay waste this pleasant land this good laud of ours this garden of the Lord. It is indeed as an Eden as a Paradise our fore-fathers have left us this our land as Gods garden let not us through our sinnes leave it to our posterities as a wildernesse and a dry land Psal 107. 34. there is a threatning that God will make a fruitfull land barren for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein Sinne hath heretofore laid wast as pleasant and fruitfull Countreys as ours Those that travell in Germanie their hearts even bleed
will not see it they shall not see it because God intendeth to destroy them though judgments are out against them yet they will not repent You shall finde it divers times in the book of the Revelation that those that followed Antichrist though they were tormented all the judgments of God were against them yet they repented not This I say is the curse of God upon such God will not give them repentance unto life for they are the children of whoredoms whom God intendeth to have no mercy upon therefore the higher their rage riseth the higher your hearts should rise against them But we must go on to the 5. verse For their mother hath played the harlot Their mother that is the State and the Church for they were both involved in one hath played the harlot This For hath reference two ways either it may have reference to those words I will not have mercy upon them for not only they are but their mother is defiled with whoredomes she hath played the harlot or secondly it hath reference onely to the latter part they are the children of whoredomes for their mother hath played the harlot either it referreth to the reason why God will not have mercy upon them because their mother hath played the harlot or secondly to the reason why they are the children of whoredomes for their mother hath played the harlot And from both these references we have very usefull observations for us The first God cannot endure a succession in wickednesse I will not have mercy upon them their mother hath played the harlot they are children of whoredoms themselves and their mother hath plaid the harlot there is a succession of wickednesse among them and that I cannot beare The ground is because those that keep up a succession of wickednesse from the mother to the children and so goe on downeward they are guilty of all the wickednesses that went before them in that line Else how can that be understood where Christ saith he will require all the blood from Abel to Zacharias upon that generation but because they continuing in that way of sin kept up the succession of that sin and so that generation was guilty of all the sins of that kind that went before even unto Abel So the father is a whore-master and the child he proveth to be one too and so goeth on the child is not only guilty of that sinne of his owne but of his fathers and of his grandfathers and hee is guilty of all that kind of sinne that is gone before even up to the beginning of the world why because hee keepeth up the succession of that sinne in the world This is a most terrible thing to consider of enough to wound the strongest heart in the world especially of those that know they have had wicked Parents Again For their mother hath plaid the harlot consider this word For as having reference to the reason why they are children of whoredomes for their mother hath plaid the harlot The observation is Children usually goe according to their parents which way their parents goe commonly the children goe It is a usuall thing where there are prophane parents to have prophane children if the parents sweare to have swearing children if the parents be superstitious to have superstitious children if parents be scorners of Religion to have children scorners too we find it true in experience in that new nick-name that is brought up on the godly in roome of the former it is as frequent in the mouths of children as in others because children go according to what their fathers formerly did I will give you one notable Text of Scripture for this it is 2 King 2. 23. When Elisha the Prophet was going up to Bethel there came forth little children out of the City and said unto him Goe up thou bald-head goe up thou bald-head The thing that I note it for is this that not only the children did it and so were destroyed for two she-beares came out of the wildernesse and tare 42. of them but what children were they that did this If you observe the Text you shall finde that they were the children of Bethel and what place was that That was one of the places where the calves were set up and it was a place of much superstition and the children were as superstitious as their parents A place that had the name the house of God but a place exceedingly abused and no place did more degenerate from the name then it it was a Bethaven a house of vanity and wickednesse It was the place that was most superstitious and those were the children that scorned at the Prophet But we need no other proof but only experience yet there is one notable Scripture further for it Jer. 7. 18. The children saith the Text gather wood their fathers kindle the fire and their mothers kneaded the dough the children joyned you see Pelagius thought that there was no sinne came into the world but only by imitation children imitating their parents Certainly imitation is of great power and force to prevaile with the hearts of children You that are wicked parents had need to looke to it what you doe before your children He that sinneth before a child specially a parent sinneth doubly for a child will be ready to imitate it What will you not only sin against God and be enemies unto him but will you leave a succession that when you are dead and gone some must out of your loynes and from your bowels blaspheme God after you are rotten in your graves Suppose you that are parents had a plague sore upon you would you goe among your children and breath upon them this cruelty is much worse will you goe into your families and breath infection into your children and so make them like you and guilty of your sins and of the plagues of God together with you oh cruell parents On the otherside as therefore children of whoredomes because their mother hath plaid the harlot why then should not children be gracious and godly who have gracious and godly parents Why should it not be said This childe is a godly childe for his mother was a gracious woman and his father a godly man You that have godly parents let this be your Encomium You are godly and gracious children and you had godly and gracious parents this will be your honour before the Saints But how vile is it when it may be said Here is a wicked wretch yet he had a godly father and a godly mother here is an uncleane and filthy liver yet hee had gracious parents It is no wonder to say thus This man is filthy for his father was filthy and his mother was a harlot but to look upon one and say Here is a whoremaster yet his father was a godly gracious man Here is a harlot yet her mother was a holy woman O how vile is that I remember a speech of that reverend Master
Bolton who died not long since It is repoâ—ted that upon his death-bed he had his children come to him he speaks thus unto them I doe believe saith he there is never a one of you will dare to meet me at the tribunall of Christ in an unregenerate condition So let me say to you that are evill children of Godly parents let me in their names speak to you How dare you with what face doe you think you shall dare to meet with your godly father and gracious mother before the judgement seat of Jesus Christ at that day if your godly father stand at the right hand of Christ how dare you appeare before that face in the guilt of those horrible wickednesses that you now live in Certainly the thought of this hath power to daunt your hearts She hath done shamefully The word in the Hebrew it is in Hyphil and so it may be translated transitively signifieth She hath made ashamed as well as done shamefully and so I find it according to some thus rendered Shee hath made ashamed her husband she hath made ashamed her children shee hath made ashamed her self and all these three may be meant Yea I conceive the intent of the holy Ghost is to expresse them all Her husband first the Church is the Spouse of Jesus Christ Christ is the husband of the Church and you know the Scripture saith that the woman is the glory of the man I remember I gave the meaning of that heretofore So the Church being the Spouse of Christ should be the glory of Christ the woman should be the glory of the man but yet being wicked and filthy she makes her husband many times ashamed The evil of the wife is a shame to the husband so the evill of the Church is a shame to Iesus Christ The Church in Scripture is called the glory of Christ 2 Cor. 8. 23. If our brethren be enquired after they are the messengers of the Churches and the glory of Christ Isa 4. 5. Vpon all the glory shall be a defence It should be so but when it commeth to be defiled it shameth Christ their wickednesse reflects upon Christ Christ is said to walke in the middest of the golden Candlesticks Rev. 2. 1. Every Church is a Candle-stick and it should be a golden Candle-sticke but if it come to be a filthy rustie Candle-stick it is a dishonour unto Christ who walketh amongst them Wicked men doe not shame Christ but godly doe My brethren let us take heed of that It is an evill thing to bring shame to our selves and one to another but to bring shame upon JESUS CHRIST is the greatest evil Many of you perhaps are ashamed of Christ take heed you be not a shame to Christ They are ashamed of Christ that are ashamed to appeare in the cause of Christ but as for you that are so Christ hath more cause to be ashamed of you for you are a shame to him It is true I cannot deny it but many Churches of God and that of late have brought some shame to Jesus Christ by their dissentions and fractions and they must take shame to themselves and they have taken shame to themselves they have acknowledged it to the glory of Christ and in that regard in some measure have washed off that shame that they have brought to Christ Againe further a shame they are to their children Wicked Parents are a shame to their children when a child appeareth forward towardly and hopefull and it be said Would you not wonder to see him so forward the father of him is a beastly drâ—nkard a filthy whore-monger of a vile and malignant spirit now the child is ashamed to heare of the evil of his father and of the evil of his mother As foolish children are a shame to their Parents so wicked Parents are a shame to their children You that have gracious children take heed you be not a shame to them and so a shame to your selves And then a shame to her selfe she hath plaid the harlot she hath done shamefully Wherein had she done shamefully I will onely mention one particular Certainly that shame of hers was especially in subjecting Religion to carnall policie For what did she doe what was the great sinne of the ten Tribes It was this because they were afraid that if they did go up to Jerusalem to worship the people would then depart from the house of Jeroboam to the house of David therefore out of politicall regards they would have the worship set up at Dan and Bethel there they would have Calves they must not goe up to Jerusalem the place which God had appointed to worship in but at Dan and Bethel This was a meere politique fetch for they could not but acknowledg that God did require that they should worship at Jerusalem where the Temple was and there was no other reason why they would worship at Dan and Bethel but meerely out of State policie that they might prevent the people from going backe to the house of David and indeed they did professe so much themselves Here then they did shamfully The Observation then from hence is that for governours or any to subject Religion to policie is a shamefull thing It is shamefull to make Religion an underling and to make policie the head Perhaps they call this wisedome a prudentiall way wee must be carefull and wise to foresee inconveniences that may follow But what if God give it another name God may give it a name of base temporizing a name of folly and wickednesse to subject Religion to policie it is shamefull because it abaseth that which is the great honour of any Country it makes it an underling what is the excellency of man but Religion what is the excellency of a Country but Religion and what hath England been glorious for more then for Religion Now to put the excellency of a thing under any inferiour this is shamefull to put the Crown that is for the head under ones foot is a dishonour to it although a thing hath in it self but little excellencie if it be brought beneath it selfe under other things that have not so great an excellency in them it makes it vile And shamefull also it is because it holdeth forth this that we dare not trust God for our civill estate and for our peace therefore Religion must come under Shamefull it is again because it is grosse folly for there is no such way to breede disturbance in a politicke state no such way to undoe a State as to make Religion an underling to policie Was it not so here That very way that they tooke to uphold their policie was the way to destroy their State did destroy it at last even their corrupting of Gods worship What cause had they then to be ashamed of this that God should take that which they thought to helpe themselves by and make that the very thing that should cause their ruine And certainly it
calleth the hedge and the wall they were fore afflictions and they were for their sins for their perversness and yet God intendeth good and mercy to them in those afflictions Here is the vertue of the Covenant of grace it takes out the sting and venome and curse even of afflictions that are not onely for tryal but for sin they are to keepe you from greater misery if God bring some misery upon you it so appeareth unto you yet being in covenant with him this is the blessing of God upon you that those troubles are to keep you from greater misery that would befall you That for the general Now for the particulars as the words lye Therefore behold This inference therefore I told you it was as if God should say thou wilt still goe on notwithstanding all admonitions and meanes that I shall use by my Prophets therefore behold I will doe thus and thus From hence we may observe first There is even in the Saints such a slavish disposition remaining that they will stand out against God along time even against admonitions exhortations convictions and threatnings of his word Not only the reprobate will doe so but such is the perversnesse of the hearts of men that even the elect of God will many times do so this is a sore and grievous evill that it should be said so of them for if there be ingenuity in the spirit of men the very notice of the minde of God is enough to cause the heart to yeeld and surely grace doth make the heart of a man ingenuous and God expects that there should be melting of spirit at the very notice given of his displeasure yet behold even in the hearts of the godly many times there remaineth so much slavishnesse that they will not come in but upon Gods dealing very hardly with them they must have many afflictions they must be whipped home before they will returne home God must send the dog many times to worry his sheepe before they will come in This God complains of Jer. 2. 14. Is Israel a servant is he a homs-borne-slave why is he spoiled ver 17. Hast thou not procured this unto thy selfe So it may be said of many even of the Saints when we see how the wayes and dealings of God are toward them yea even God himselfe speakes thus What is such a one a servant is he a slave is not such a one my child how is it then that hee must be dealt with like a slave like a servant Secondly Therefore because one meanes will not do it namely my Prophets admonishing and threatning therfore I will do thus thus therefore I will consider of some other way to deale with you The observation is VVhen one means will not keepe from sinne either those that wee have to deale with or our selves we must not rest there but set even our braines on work to look after other meanes What will not this do it Is there any things else that possibly may doe it That means then shall be used Thus God as we may speak with reverence even studyes his administrations towards his people when he is frustrated in one and if that do not do it he bethinks with himselfe is there any thing else will do it if there be any thing in the world can do it it shal not be left unattempted God doth not presently cast off his people because they stand out against him in the use of one meanes It is true for others that are not in covenant with him God is quick with them and if they come not in presently he cuts them off and will have â—o more to do with them but for his own people though they stand out long yet God tryeth one meanes after another and after that another This is the grace of God towards his own It should be our care to imitate God in this when you are to deale with others that are under you with your children or servants do not satisfie your selves in this I have admonished them and threatned them and perswaded them What then yet they will not come in What will you have no more to do with them then Will you cast them off presently You should study what further course may be taken study their dispositions What do I think will work upon them if this do not will faire meanes will foule meanes vvill any thing do it if any thing will you should labour to deale with them that way So for your own hearts when you are convinced of the evill of your own hearts it is true your consciences will not be quiet unlesse you use some meanes against that sinne that is in your heart well but I have used meanes I have layed the word to my heart the threatnings the promises to my heart and I have followed Gods ordinances will it not doe will not my heart come off Is there no other meanes to be used what doe you say to the afflicting of your soule Try that you have layed the word to your heart and you finde it doth not work try the afflicting of your soules in humilliations fasting and prayer for the overcoming of your sinnes Thus God doth when admonitions and exhortations of the Prophets vvill not doe yet saith God I will try another way I will bethinke me of some other course I will hedge up their way with thorns I will see whether I can bring them in that way These two from the inference Therefore From the note of attention Behold we have an excellent usefull observation that naturally springeth up For God to make the way of sin to be difficult to sinners is a most singular mercy Howsoever alwaies it doth not prove so but take it at the worst yet it is better for the way of sin to be hedged with thorns to be made difficult to us then to have the smoothest way that possibly can bee As it is one of the greatest judgements of God upon wicked men to lay stumbling blocks before them in the way of righteousnesse so it is one of the greatest mercies of God to his children to lay stumbling blocks â—â—d difficulties before them in the way of sin It is an 〈◊〉 way of Gods dealing even with reprobates with those he hoth no love unto that in the wayes of godlinesse in the way to life he in his just judgement layeth stumbling blocks before them and they appeare very difficult to them the hedge of thornes compasses about the way of righteousnesse to the wicked therefore you shall finde it in Pro. 15. 19. that the way of the slothfull man is said to be as an hedge of thornes that is a slothfull man who is a wicked man there hee lookes upon any duty that he should perform as compast about with an hedge of thornes God in his just judgement suffereth difficulties at least to appeare to him in the way of his duties that makes him to have no mind to
and is able to set out the several parts distinctly to you in such a Climate in such a Countrey but yet when he hath done all he leaveth a great space for a Terra incognita for an unknown world and that unknowne world for ought we know may be five times bigger then the known world So they that have the most observant eye of Gods mercies and take the most notice of them that can best set out the mercies he bestoweth spiritual mercies temporall mercies preventing mercies past mercies present mercies delivering mercies c. yet when they have done all they must leave a great space for the Terra incognita for the unknowne mercies of God The truth is those mercies of God that are obvious to our knowledge every day one would thinke they were enough to melt our hearts to breake them in pieces but besides these mercies we take notice of there are thousands and thousands of mercies that we know not of As we daily commit many sins that we know not of so daily we receive many mercies that we know not of likewise And as in our confession of sins we should pray to God first to pardon our sins we know and so to name them in particular and when we have done then Lord forgive us our unknown our secret sins So in our thanksgiving first blesse God for the mercies before us and when we have done Lord blessed be thy name for all thy unknown mercies that I have little taken notice of We soone grow cold and dead if we doe good and men take no notice of us neither what we know nor what we doe is any thing to us except others know it too but this is the vanity and pride of mens hearts it is Gods prerogative above his creatures to doe all for himselfe for his owne glory and yet he doth much good in the world that none knows of we are bound to deny our selves in that we doe not to seeke our own glory The most excellent peece in the most excellent of our workes is our selfe-denyal in it why should we not then doe all the good we can doe cheerefully though it be not known we should doe good out of love to goodnesse it selfe and if we would doe so we should be encouraged in doing good secretly Fifthly and which commeth yet more fully up to the words They did not know c. In Gods account men know no more then they lay to heart and make good use of The Schooles distinguish of want of knowledge there is Nescientia and Ignoratia Nescience is of such things as we are not bound to know it is not our sinne not to know them but Ignorance is of such things as we are bound to know and that ignorance is two-fold there is an invincible ignorance let us take what paines we can wee can never know all we are bound to know and there is an affected ignorance when we do not know because out of carelesnesse we doe not minde what is before us and when we have minded it so farre as to conceive it yet if we lay it not to heart as we ought still in Gods account we know it not if we digest not what we know into practise God accepteth it not As God is said not to know when hee doth not approve I know yee not saith he so when any man hath a truth in notion and it doth not get into the heart when it is not imbraced there God accounts that that man knowes it not Therefore you have in Scripture such an expression as the Seer is blinde It is a strange expression it seemes to be a contradiction such a thing as we call a Bull The Seer is blinde But it is not so here because God accounts those that have never so much knowledge yet if it doe not sanctifie the heart so as to give him the glory they are blinde blinde as a Beetle The knowledge of the Saints is another kinde of knowledge then other men have We have saith Cyprian no such notions as many of your Phylosophers have but we are Phylosophers in our deeds we doe not speake great things but we doe great things in our lives 1 Thes 4. 9. You have an excellent expression for this you are taught of God to love one another what followeth And indeed so you do That is an evidence that you are taught of God when it pâ—evay leth with your hearts when it may be â—aid indeed so you doe VVho is there in the world but knowes that wee should love one another but men are not taught of God to love one another untill it may be said of them that indeed so they doe There is nothing more obvious to the understanding of a man then the notion of a Deity that there is a God we may as it were grope after him as the holy Ghost speakes but yet 1 Iohn 2. 4. He that saith he knowes him and keepes not his commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him Any man who ever he be though the greatest Schollar in the world if he saith he knowes God and keepes not his commandements he hath the lie told him to his teeth hee doth not know God at all though this of God be the most obvious thing to be understood that possibly can be and yet Christ saith no man knoweth the Father but the Sonne and to whom the Sonne shall reveale him Hence it is when a soul is converted you shall heare these expressions I never knew before I never knew what an infinite Deity meant I never understood the infinite soveraignty and Majesty of the great God I never knew what sinne meant before yet if you had asked him afore he would say I know God is a Spirit that he is infinite and eternall I know that sinne is the transgression of the law I never knew that Christ was before yet before hee would have told you that Christ was the sonne of Mary and came into the world to dye for sinners I remember an expression of a Germane Divine when he was upon his sick bed In this disease saith he I have learned what sin is and how great the Majesty of God is This man though a Preacher and doubtlesse he could preach of sinne and of the Majesty of God yet hee professeth he knew not these things untill God came powerfully upon his heart to teach him what they were The Hebrews say words of sense carry with them the affections or else they be to no purpose when men have notionall knowledge onely that comes not down into the heart they are like men that have weak stomacks and weake heads when they drink wine all flyeth up to the head it makes them giddy but if the wine went to the heart it would cheare warme it so all this mans knowledg flyeth up to his head makes him giddy whereas if it were digested got to the heart
which drinks up their spirits Oh the happy advantage the Saints have in their afflictions over that the wicked have in theirs They have spirits indeed that well may be called brave spirits that can stand under the greatest weight of affliction and that with joy in the midst of them Paul can rejoyce in tribulation yea and glory in it too They have comfort in the creature but they are not beholding to the creature for comfort they depend not upon the creature for comfort their joy is a great deale higher That is precious light indeed that no storme can blow out See an example of a brave spirit that way that in the midst of affliction can have the light of joy Habak 3. 17. Although the Figtree shall not blosome neither shall fruit be in the Vines the labour of the Olive shall faile and the fields shall yeeld no meate the flocke shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stals What then Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation All their joy shall not cease perhaps in times of affliction in sad dismall times they may abate somewhat of their outward joy but all their mirth shall not cease there shall be joy within though none without Lastly I will cause all the mirth to cease All our mirth depends upon God he can take it away when he pleaseth God is called in Scripture The God of all consolation Joy is Gods propriâ—ty he gives it when he will and takes it away when he will Tou have an excellent Text for Gods hand in taking away joy from the hearts of men when he pleaseth it is Lamen 3. 65. Give them sorrow of heart thy curse upon them Marke it Now that word that is translated sorrow of heart I especially take the note from thence A word that comes from that that signifies a helmet or a shield to fence of any thing or to cover a thing as a thing is covered by a shield and helmet And it doth note to us that disease which Physitians call Cardiaca passio a kinde of disease whereby the heart is so opprest and there is such a stopping that it is as it were covered sicut scuto as with a shield there is a lid as it were put over the heart a shield to keepe out all things that should comfort and to fence off all things that may be taken to be any refreshments to the spirits let the most precious Cordials in the world be given to those that have that disease they cannot be refreshed by any of them and so the heart comes to be suffocated with sorrow This is the meaning of the word here Lord give them sorrow of heart Put them into such a condition as that their hearts may be so stopped and stifled with sorrow that what ever meanes shall be used to bring any comfort to them let it be kept off that no creature in the world may be able to afford the least refreshment to them They were wont to shield and fence off thy VVord when thy word was used to be delivered to them wherein the treasures of thy mercies were and they heard the sweet promises of the Gospel opened yet they fenced off thy word as with a shield Now when they are in affliction let their hearts be choaked so and let there be such a fence put upon their hearts that though there be never so many promises brought to them they may be fenced off by the secret curse As Doe we not finde many wretches who have lived under the Gospel and fenced off the treasures of mercies opened to them when they have beene in affliction they have beene in horrible desperation and whensoever any thing out of the Gospel hath been spoken to them for their comfort they have had strange kinde of fences to put off such things As those that reade the story of Spira may wonder what a cunning fencer he was to fence off all comfort that was brought to him This was from the Lord Lord give them sorrow of heart that is Lord put such a shield upon their hearts as all comfort may be fenced of from them We see my brethren how we depend upon God for comfort we all cry out for comfort let us know and take to heart our dependance upon God for it God can fence our hearts from comfort when he pleaseth let us take heed we doe not fence of his word form our hearts I will cause all her mirth to cease her feast dayes These two are put together for the hearts of men when they enjoy a more liberall use of the cheature then ordinary and are amongst cheerfull company are warmed raised and inflamed at such times If the heart of a man be gracious and hee feasts in a gracious way his heart is warmed and cheered and inlarged in things that are good so the heart of the wicked when they are at their feasts all their lusts are warmed and their spirits are raised strengthned in the things that are evil You have a notable example of the cheering and raising of the hearts of men in good things in the time of feasts 2 Chro. 30. 21. the feast that Hezekiah made for the people of Jerusalem in that great Passeover the Text saith that they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven dayes with great gladness and vers 23. the whole Assembly tooke counsell to keep other seven days they kept other 7 dayes with gladness Now mark how their hearts were raised and mightily up upon this Chap. 31. ver 1. When all was finished all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Iudah and brake the images in pieces and cut down the groves and threw downs the high places and the Altars out of all Iudah and Benjamine in Ephraim also and Manasseth untill they had utterly destroyed them all Their hearts being up and their feasts being in a gracious way they were so inflamed that now they tooke upon them a mighty courage in doing great things for God It were well if it were always so with us when God calleth us to feasting as sometimes he doth though not now that our hearts were alwayes up in our feasting warmed and inlarged to do much good It is that which hath been the honour of this Citie that in their Companies feasting yearly they were wont heretofore usually when they had rejoyced one with another when their hearts were up to consult together what good to do for their countries in which they were borne and then to resolve to send the preaching of the Word to such a great Town where most of them were bred and to such another Towne This was a gracious feasting and for this they were much envyed at And though these feasts were prohibited upon other pretences yet the hindering this good done at those times lay in the bottome of that prohibition Feasting also warms the lusts
this verse to be opened to you is what these feasts of the Jews were In the opening of all these we shal be put upon the opening of much Scripture and therefore I shall not make hast out of this verse The words here are Feasts and solmne Feasts they are Feasts both in your English but the words in the Hebr. differ much the first comes from a word that signifies to rejoyce and leape the second from a word that signifies a stated a setled time Our English word Feast comes of the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a goddes as the heathen so called that which the Latines call Vesta the goddess both of earth and of fire The Jewes had their Civill feasts and their Holy feasts Amongst their Holy feasts some were of Gods appointment and some of their own Of Gods appointment some were more solemn some lesse Their Civill feasts were times wherein they tooke a more liberall use of the creature in rejoycing one with another upon some specially occasion this they called a Good day not a Holy day so you have it Esth 8. 17. The Jewes had joy and gladnesse a feast and a good day so they were wont to expresse the day of feasting facere Bonum diem to make a Good day to their brethren it will appeare by examining that Text of Esther that that day thought it was set to be kept every yeer yet it was but as a good day to them and could not be said to be a holy-day we do not read of any religious solemne exercise that they had for the day Such a day I take to bee our fifth of November a Good day not a Holy-day wherein wee have a more liberall use of the creature then at other times and remember the mercies of God with thanksgiving But wee know the day is not set apart for this end so as it is unlawfull to be exercised in any other thing and we shall shew afterward how that dayes cannot be set apart Annually or be made holy by men Their Religious feasts which they presumed themselves to make holy were their feasts rather then Gods and for that you have the example of Jeroboam he appointed a feast even of his own head it is in 1 King 12. 32 33. And Jeroboam saith the Text ordained a feast in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month like unto the feast which is in Iudah so hee offered upon the Altar which hee had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month even in the month which hee had devised of his owne heart and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel Marke here Ieroboam is rebuked for appointing a feast of his owne heart like the feast God had appointed this is no excuse that he would be an imitator of God This reason many think will justifie their superstitious way they do but imitate what God did as thus God had an Ephod for the Priests therefore they will have a holy garment God had a Temple consecrated they will have one so too God had his feast days and holy-dayes they will have theirs too in imitation of God This very thing that Ieroboam did hee is rebuked for that he would set up a thing like unto Gods Where God hath set his stamp upon any thing wee must take heed wee presume not to set our own stamp Suppose any one should take a piece of silver should set just the same stamp as neer as he can that the King doth upon his coine be it but a two-pence the silver is his owne well but if he come to be examined Why do you thus What hurt saith he is there in it I have done no more then the King I have done but as he did Why may we not follow his example will this answer think you serve his turne It is as much as his life is worth Just such a plea is this they will doe such and such things in Gods worship why God hath done so before and they doe but imitate God There is as much strength in the one as in the other Therefore that word here devised of his owne heart in the Hebrew comes from a word that signifies to lye Ieroboam did lye Isa 44. 25. He frustrateth the tokens of the lyars it is the same word Jeroboam indeed in setting this day apart he did it under a pretence to honour and worship God but though it might seeme to make Gods honour and worship better then before yet the Scripture puts the lie upon it so the word is I thinke this was the reason he set it apart in the eighth month the Feast of Tabernacles was the fifteenth day of the seventh month now he would not alter the day but have it the same day that Gods was but in the eighth month for the Feast of Tabernacles was appointed for this end to praise God for the in-gathering of the fruits of the earth and it was as upon our September Now because upon the fifteenth of September perhaps all the creatures were not gathered in there might be some remaining abroad therefore Ieroboam might have this device he would stay till every thing be gathered in till they had it in their barnes and in their vessels when they had it all fully in and it was fit to eate and drinke then saith Ieroboam now it is the time to praise God you praised God before when you were taking in of the fruits but you have not taken them all in you cannot come to use them but now having them all in and now being able to make use of them now is the time to praise God This was Jeroboams wisdome and he thought to make a Feast to take the people rather then Gods Feast There are no superstitious men but will have some argument and plea for their wayes to take the hearts of people to embrace those wayes rather then Gods simple plaine and pure Ordinances Well but though Jeroboam did it under this pretence yet hee lies still so those men that will take upon them to sanctifie dayes or places or garments or any gesture that God never did though they say they doe it for Gods honour to make Gods worship more glorious and decent yet it is a lie Just as those who will make Images brave golden Images of God O say they it is for the honour of God but marke what the Text faith Hab. 2. 18. What profiteth the graven Image that the maker thereof hath graven it the mâ—lten Image and a teacher of lyes If Images be lay mens bookes they are books that have abundance of errâ—aes in them they are full of lies Here now ariseth the Question about mans appointing Feasts whether there may he holy Feasts taken so in a proper sence by mans appointment Ieroboam is accused for it plainly and Gal. 4. 10. there is a charge upon the Galatians and that very severely You observe dayes and months times and yeers
and then there commeth in some darting thoughts of him but so as your conscience knowes they are very terrible to you you can never now have a thought of God but it is as a clagger at your heart and indeed it must needs be terrible to a guilty conscience that is departed from God Well take heed what thou doest O thou sinner goe not on so long in thy sinfull wayes till thou wearest out all the thoughts of God for some have done so though they had checks of conscience when they have beene in wicked company God hath come into their thoughts and troubled them but they have gone to wicked company againe and some thoughts of God have yet followed them but they have gone again and again and now they have forgot God as if there were no God at all in heaven as if God had nothing to doe with them and they nothing to doe with God O this is a sad condition indeed If any of you be declining into such a condition as this is the Lord stop you this day the Lord awaken your consciences Ordinarily the more prosperity men have the more forgetfull they are of the Lord They forgat me as Genesis 48. 20. Jacob set Ephraim before Manasses first Ephraim then Manasses Ephraim signifies fruitfulnesse and Mansses signifies forgetfulnesse thus it is with men Ephraim comes first fâ—uit fulnesse God is fruitfull to you and blesseth you in your estates then comes Manasses forgetfulness you are forgetfull of his goodnesse to you My brethren if always we had such impressions of God as we have sometimes O how happy were it It will terrifie hereafter when God shall againe so present himselfe to you and cause you to remember what impressions of his divine Majesty once you had let us hold forth our continuall remembrance of God so as all that behold our conversaions may say surely the thoughts of God are mighty upon the spirits of these men thus we should live before our brethren I will give you this one rule for your lives Live such lives as by them you may hold forth before your brethren such remembrances of God as they may conclude by that they see in your conversations Certainly there are deepe thoughts of God upon the heart of this man there was a time indeed he walked lightly vainly foolishly but now he is serious in his way he is considerate he is heavenly he walks with feare Certainly there are great impressions of the divine Majesty upon his heart if it be so with us how joyfull will it be to us hereafter when God shall appeare in his glory then to have our consciences tell us the impressions of the Majesty of this God that now I see so high and great have beene upon my soul in the whole course of my life I now see the glory of the great God shining and blessed be his name even this God that appeares so gloriously hath appeared often to my soul before and I have kept the impressions of his glory upon my heart and he was continually in my thoughts It is a wonder that God should ever thinke of us who are so forgetfull of him as we are Psalm 8. What is man that thou remembrest him saith the text what is man The word there that is translated man some would bring forth the Hebrew roote which signifies forgetfulnesse I finde Eusebius taking it thus What is man O Lord that thou shouldst remember him that is what is forgetfull man that thou shouldest remember him yet I confesse the Hebrew word that is there translated man comes from another roote that signifies weakelinesse sicklinesse what is weake man what is sick-man yet if this word come not from that roote that signifieth to forget yet I am sure there is a word that commeth from that roote that signifies to forget that is used for women because of their forgetfulnesse we would be glad to have God remember us in the day of our adversities let us remember God now all you young ones remember God remember your Creator in the dayes of your youth you old people whatsoever you forget forget not the Lord let us all remember the Lord who hath remembred us all who hath remembred England in its low estate for his mercies endure for ever We have done with the threatning part now it followes Therefore behold I will allure her bring her into the wildernesse and speake comfortably to her Therefore Beloved it is a strange therefore what they followed after their Idols they have said that all their prosperity was a reward of their Idols they have forgot the Lord they have decked themselves with their jewels to honour their Idols and marke it comes presently Therefore I will allure her and I will speake comfortably to her one would rather have thought it should have followed Therefore I will yet plague her therefore my judgements shall pursue her and cut her off but marke it followes Therefore I will allure her and speake comfort ably unto her O the rich and free grace of God to his people But of that the next day The Twelfth Lecture HOSEA 2. 14. Therefore behold I will allure her and bring her into the wildernesse and speake comfortably unto her and I will give her her Vineyards from thence HEre begins the second part of this Chapter the former was in conviction threatning pronouncing judgements this from verse 14. unto the end is the opening of the free and rich grace of God to Israel It may be said of this Chapter as Psalm 85. 10. Mercy and Peace are met together Righteousnesse and Truth kisse each other There is a blessed conjunction betweene threatning of judgement and proffering mercy but where is the copula of this conjunction What is that knits these two together Here is a conjunction but it is very wonderfull it is in the first word therefore that is the copula therefore I will allure her Wherefore This therefore hath a very strange and wonderfull wherefore if we consider of what went before the words immediately before were She went after her lovers and forgate mee saith the Lord therefore behold I will allure her there needs an Ecce be put to this therefore be hold Behold I will allure her Lyra could not see how these things could bee joyned together therefore hee thinks that this verse hath not reference to that that immediately went before but to the words in the beginning of the Chapter Say to your brethren Ammi my people and to your sisters Ruhamah shee that hath obtained mercy therefore And Cornelius à Lapide not understanding the cause of such a connection he would referre the beginning of this verse to the end of the seventh verse She shall say I will goe to my first husband for then it was better with mee then now therefore also I will allure her these two though learned men yet are Papists and therefore understand but little of the free rich grace
of God and hence are put to it so much to make a connection betweene that that went before and this therefore but wee need not go so farre the right knowledg of the fulnesse and the riches of the grace of the Covenant will help us out of this difficulty and tell us how these two the greatnesse of mans sin and the riches of Gods grace may have a connection one to another and that by an Illative therefore I confesse the Hebrew word is sometimes conjunctio ordinis rather then causalis a conjunction that only sets out the order of a thing one thing following another rather then any way implying any cause but the reading here by way of inference I take to be according unto the scope of the Spirit of God and it gives us this excellent note Such is the grace of God unto those who are in Covenant with him as to take occasion from the greatnesse of their sinns to shew the greatnesse of his mercy from the vilenesse of their sins to declare the riches of his grace And the Scripture hath divers such kind of expressions as these as Gen. 8. 21. The Lord said in his heart I will not again curse the ground any more for mans sake VVhy For the immagination of mans heart is evill from his youth A strange reasoning I will not curse the ground for mans sake for the imagination of mans heart is evill from his youth One would have thought it should have been rather I will therefore curse the ground for mans sake because the imagination of mans heart is evill from his youth but the grace of God knowes how to make another manner of inference then we could have imagined So likewise Isa 57. 17 18. For the iniquity of his covetousnesse was I wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart I have seen his wayes saith God Now one would have thought that the next word should have been I will therefore plague him I wil destroy him I will curse him but mark the words that follow I will heale him I will 〈◊〉 him also and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners I will create the fruit of the lips peace to him This is a consequence at least if not an inference David understood this reasoning to be indeed the true reasoning of the Covenant of grace and therefore he pleadeth thus with God Psal 25. 11. Pardon my iniquity for it is great Lord my iniquity is great therefore pardon it Hearken you Saints hearken I say this is the great blessing of God unto you who are in Covenant with him whereas otherwise your sins should have made you objects of Gods hatred your sins now render you objects of his pitty and compassion this is the glorious fruit of the covenant of grace I would only the Saints heard me in this thing but why doe I say so I will recall my word let all sinners heare me let the vilest the worst sinners in the world heare of the riches of the grace of God in this his Covenant that if they belong to Gods election they may see the fulnesse the glory of Gods grace to be inamoured with it their hearts ravished with it that they may never be at rest till they get evidence to their soules that God indeed hath actually received them into this his Covenant If then God be pleased in the riches of free grace to make such an inference therefore let us take heed that wee make not a quite crosse inference from the greatnesse of our sins nor on the other side from Gods grace As thus You have followed your lovers you have forgot me therefore will I allure you An unbelieving heart would make this inference I have followed my lovers I have followed after vanity and folly and therefore God hath rejected mee therefore God will have no mercy upon me therefore I am undone therefore the gates of mercy are shut against me unbelieving heart do not sin against the grace of God he saith you have forgotten me therefore will I allure and speake comfortably to you doe not you say I have forgot the Lord and therefore the Lord will for ever reject me these discouraging determining despairing therefores are very grievous to the Spirit of God God would have us have all good thoughts of him It is a maine thing that God intendeth through the whole Scripture that his people should have good thoughts of him and that they should not think him a hard master It is an excellent expression of Luther saith he the whole Scripure doth principally aime at this thing that we should not doubt but that wee should hope that we should trust that we should believe that God is a merciful a bountifull a gracious and a patient God to his people It is an excellent expression that I have read of Master Bradford in one of his Epistles saith he O Lord sometimes me thinks I feel it so with me as if there were no difference between my heart and the wicked a blind mind as they a stout stubborn rebellions spirit a hard heart as they and so he goes on shall I therefore conclude thou art my Father nay I will rather reason otherwise saith he because I do believe thou art my Father I will come unto thee that thou mightest enlighten this blind minde of mine that thou mightest soften this hard heart of mine that thou mightest sanctifie this unclean spirit of mine I this is a good reasoning indeed and is worthy of one that professes the gospel of Jesus Christ Again as the inference of this unbelieving heart is grievous to Gods spirit so the inference of a prophane heart an unbelieving heart makes his therefore from the greatnesse of sin against Gods mercy and the prophane heart makes his therefore from the greatnesse of Gods mercy to the hardening of his heart in his sins what shall God make his therefore from our sin to his mercy and shall we make our therefore from his mercy back again to our sins where sin abounds grace abounds but where grace abounds sin must not abound because God is mercifull to us who are very sinfull let not us be very sinfull against him who is so mercifull God takes occasion from the greatnesse of our sins to shew the greatnesse of his mercy let not us take occasion from the greatnesse of his mercy to be emboldened in greatnesse of our sins Therefore behold Behold Here is a wonder to take up the thoughts of men and Angels to all eternity even that that we have in this inference behold notwithstanding all this yet you men and Angels behold the fulnesse the riches of Gods grace I will allure her what will not God cast us away notwithstanding the greatnesse of our sins let not us reject Gods ways notwithstanding the greatnesse of any sufferings we meet with in them there is a great deale of reason in
this that I speak you may as well beare with sufferings in Gods wayes and yet embrace them as God doth beare with sinns in your hearts and yet embrace you but it follows therefore I will allure the Heb. word translated allure signifies to entice and is used many times in the ill part blandiendo decipere to deceive by subtle enticing the Seventy in their translation thus Therefore also I will deceive them and the old Latine lactabo and others seducam therefore also I will seduce them so sometimes the word is God makes use of this word to expresse a very gracious affection to them the sweete and gracious wayes that God intendeth to deale with them in What God means by alluring of his people when once he is reconciled unto them may be expressed in these three things First I will open the beauty and excellency of the infiniteness of my grace and goodnesse and I will set it before them to allure them I will spread before their soules the beauty the glory of the riches of my grace Secondly I will out-bid all temptations of their lovers whereas before they went a whoring from me because their hearts were allured by their lovers their lovers proffering unto them such and such contentments and so did subtilly draw their hearts from me I will now deal with them in a more powerfull way then their lovers possibly could and I will out-bid them all Did their lovers proffer to them comfort I will bid more then they did their lovers proffer gaine I will bid more gaine did they proffer more honour and respect I will out-bid them in this too I will bid more honour and more respect so as I will perswade their hearts that they shall come to enjoy more in me then possibly they could comâ—â— enjoy in whatsoever their lovers could doe for them And indeed then hath the Gospell the true full gracious worke upon the heart of a man or woman when it yeelds to the profers of the Gospel as finding that all that the world can bid is now out-bidden I have a better bargaine here in Christ then the world proffers to me You know when one comes to offer so much for a commodity and another out-bids him he carries it away so when the world and lust and sin proffers to the soul such and such contents then comes God and out-bids all and so the bargaine is made up God carries away the heart Againe further I will allure that is I will come upon them even unawares and as it were steale away their hearts by a holy guile as S. Paul tells us that he caught the Corinthians as it were by guile I will secretly insinuate my selfe unto them and I will draw their hearts in such a sweet way in such a secret hidden way that I will take them before they are aware So it is with many a soule God takes it before it is aware though it is true that afterward the soul comes to understand things more clearely about Gods grace but at the first God hath taken the heart even almost before it thinks of him Indeed the sinner sees himselfe he is not where he was before surely there hath been here something working upon my heart I finde it otherwise with me now then it hath beene but how this comes to passe I scarce understand for the present but shall understand more like that expression we have in the 6. of Canticles ver 12. Ore ever I was aware my soule made me as the chariot of Aminadib That is the chariots of a willing people so the word Aminadib signifies My heart was caught and run amaine to God and this was before ever I was aware there came such wayes of Gods grace into my heart more then I thought of and caught my soul that my soul run mighty freely swiftly after the Lord and this is a blessed deceit when the heart is so deceived so allured so enticed As sometimes it is with an Adulterer he doth but give a glance of his adulterous eye and catcheth the Adulteresse before she is aware it may be she never thought of any such thing but there is a glance of an uncleane eye that catcheth the heart secretly Thus with Christ hee sometimes gives such a glance of his eye upon the heart of a sinner as takes the sinner before he is aware the sinner is brought in love with the wayes of God and with the truths of God even before he thinks of it We are to know that the grace of God hath a subtilty in it as well as the Serpent The Scripture Pro. 1. 4. attributes a subtilty to Gods grace It is a blessed thing to be thus out-subtilled as I may so speake for the grace of God to be too subtile for our sins As I remember Luther when he was charged for Apostacy he acknowledged it saith he I confesse I am an Apostate but how an Apostate from the devil falling off from the devill returning unto God such an Apostate I am So many a mans heart may be deceived but if he can say Blessed be God I am deceived indeed but so deceived that my sin is beguiled I am seduced but it is out of the wayes of sin into the wayes of God Many are easily allured by temptations they are presently taken by the devills allurements but they are very subtile in objecting against all the allurements of Gods grace but he is subtile enough to put off the allurements of sin and of the devill Therefore behold I will allure her and bring her into the wildernesse Here is some difficulty in this how comes this in Therefore I will allure her and bring her into the wildernesse and speake comfortably to her How can this to bring into the wildernesse be between alluring and speaking comfortably I told you that this second part of the Chapter was altogether mercy what can be meant then by bringing into the wilderness Some for the shewing that yet it is a way of grace that God intendeth in this phrase I will bring them into the wildernesse translate the words After I have brought them into the wildernesse Postquam per duxero eam so Tâ—emelius he was a Jew and therefore could well understand the Hebrew tongue he tels us that Vau that is translated and is as much as postquam after I have brought them into the wildernesse and then the meaning is thus After I have humbled them throughly as I did their fore-fathers in the wildernesse then will I speake comfortably unto them God humbled their forefathers in Egypt yet that was not enough hee humbled them afterwards in the wildernesse and then he brought them into Canaan many times God brings one affliction after another upon his own people to break their hearts to humble them throughly and at last he speaks comfortably to them It hath been so with us the Lord not many yeares since brought us into bondage it might have
that mercy of his therefore he gives these fields this title calls them by this name and this custome of the Jews seemes to have warrant from Scripture it self Canticles 8. 5. Who is this that commeth up from the wildernesse leaning upon her beloved That was the way of marriage they came out of the fields leaning upon their beloved and so were brought unto the Bridgegroomes Fathers house So Christ brings his Spouse through this world which is as the wildernesse and Christ is here solemnizing his espousals and hath his nuptiall songs in this world and the Church leanes upon Christ all the while she is in the world but Christ is carring her to his Fathers house and ere long we shal be with him there solemnizing the marriage of the Lambe in a more glorious way This expression goes on clearly thus I will allure her and bring her into the wildernesse As the Bridegroome speakes sweet and comfortable words to his Bride and carries her abroad into the fields and there solemnizes the nuptials and so comes back againe having his Spouse leaning upon him and bringing her to his Fathers house so I will deale with you in the fulnesse of my grace I will performe all the nuptiall rites with you I will be married againe unto you and looke what the most solemnity in your City of Jerusalem or any of your Cities there is in any nuptials I will make as great a solemnity in the nuptials betweene you and me It is true when a marriage is such as people are loath to make it known then there is no such solemnity but when it is a great marriage indeed and such as marry together with their friends would glory in it then there is the more full solemnity so saith God I will not be ashamed to take you againe but I will take you openly I wil have the solemnity of my marriage with you as publickly as may be I will carry you abroad into the fields and look what rights soever there are in the most solemne marriages amongst you those rights I will performe unto you that it may be a most glorious marriage solemnity between you and me again thus I will bring into the wildernesse and speake comfortably unto them And speake comfortably to her These words that are translated here speake comfortably in the Hebrew are loquar super cor or ad corejus I will speake to her heart I will speak to her either so as to prevaile with her heart or speake to her so as to do her good at the very heart Many Scriptures may be brought to shew that speaking kindly friendly or comfortably the Hebrews expresse by speaking to the heart I will give you two or three instances Genesis 34. 3. Shechem spake kindly to the Damosell the words are in the Hebrew Shechem spake to the heart of the Damosell So Ruth 2. 13. Thou hast comforted me for that thou hast spoken friendly to thy handmaid thou hast spoken to the very heart of thy handmaid there are two more remarkable places for this one is Esay 40. 2. Speak comfortably to Jerusalem the words are speak to the heart of Jerusalem What should be spoke to the heart of Jerusalem Cry unto her her warefare is accomplished her iniquity is pardoned These are the comfortable words that God required should be spoke to the heart of Jerusalem O that God would speak thus to England this would do good at the very heart if God would speake thus from heaven Her iniquity is pardoned and her warefare is accomplished But yet a place that is more suitable unto this expression in the text it is Iudges 19. 3. There you have the story of a Levite whose wife having played the harlot yet he was willing to be reconciled to her the text saith that he went spake friendly to her Now the words are in the Hebrew Hee went and spake to her heart And indeed it is a word to the heart of an adulterous spouse if her heart be humbled when she knows that her husband will be willing notwithstanding her playing the harlot to be reconciled to her this was the condition of Israel who had gone a whoring from God yet when God promises a renewall of the marriage rites he saith he will speake to her heart from whence we might observe this note That an Apostatizing people or an Apostate soul had need have words of comfort spoke to their hearts or else there can be little ease to their terrified consciences We read of Spira that famous Apostate he had words of comfort enough spoke to his eare but they did him little good God did not come in and speak to his heart therefore his conscience could not be quieted the throbs of it could not be eased How many lie under the troubles of an accusing conscience and have the throbs and bitings of a guilty spirit because they have been back-sliders from the truth and though they come to Sermons one after another hear the Covenant of grace opened to them in the fulnesse of it the riches of Gods goodnesse set before them in the beauty of it yet they goe away without comfort why the words come to the eare God all this time speaks not to the heart sometimes it pleases God to take but the hint of a truth and dart it upon the heart of a troubled sinner that he feeleth it at the heart and sayes Well this day God hath spoken to my heart so he goes away rejoycing eased comforted pacified when as perhaps such an one had heard a hundred Sermons before wherein there were blessed and glorious truths presented to him and it did no good untill Gods time and when the time of Gods love is come some little hint of a piece of a truth God darteth to the hearts and that doth the thing God shews hereby that it is not in the word of man to comfort an afflicted conscience Hence an expression Luther hath in his Comment upon Genesis It is far harder to comfort an afflicted conscience then to raise the dead you think it is nothing to Apostatize from the Lord you thinke it is easie to receive comfort you will find it is not so easie you will find it as easie to raise the dead as to comfort your afflicted consciences But you told us before how rich the grace of God was that God tooke advantage from the greatnesse of our sins to shew the riches and greatness of his mercy grant it let the grace of God be never so rich but till this grace be applyed to the heart till God be pleased to speak himself to the heart of a sinner it will not do I remember a story of one who had made profession of Religion and afterwards Apostatised and made little of it when his acquaintance told him that those things he now did he would smart for one day he thought because he had some knowledg in the Gospel that it
was but to believe in Jesus Christ Jesus Christ came to pardon sinners c. when he came upon his sick bed he was in great torment of conscience and grievous vexation and cryed out bitterly of his Apostacy there came some of his acquaintance to him and spake words of comfort and tells him that Christ came to save sinners and he must trust in Gods mercy c. At length he begins to close with this and to apply this to himself and to have a little ease upon which his companions began to be hardned in their ways because they saw after so ill a life it was so easie a matter to have comfort but not long before he dyed he brake out roaring in a most miserable anguish O! saith hee I have prepared a plaister but it will not sticke it will not sticke wee shall find though the grace of God be rich and the salve be a soveraign unlesse God be pleased to make it stick by speaking to our hearts nothing can be done From hence further learn this note As when God speaks comfortably to his people he speaks to their hearts so Gods Ministers when they come to speak in Gods name should labour to speak so as to do what they can to speak to hearts It is true indeed it is impossible that any man of himselfe can speake to the heart of another but yet he may endeavour and aime that way there is a kind of speaking that God doth assist so as to bring it to the heart of his people What speaking is that you will say That that cometh from the heart will most likely go to the heart though I know God can take that which comes but from the lips and carry it to the heart when he pleases yet ordinarily that that comes from the heart goes to the heart therefore Ministers when they come to speak the great things of the Gospel they should not seeke so much for brave words and enticing ways of mans wisdome but let them get their own hearts warmed with that grace of the Gospel and then they are most like to speak to the hearts of their Auditors It is a good note that I have met with from Ribera let Ministers remit saith he of their care of fine curious words of brave neate phrases and cadencies of their sentences but let them bend their studies to manifest humility and mortification and to shew love to the soules of people otherwise though they speake with the tongues of men and Angels they shall become but like the sounding brasse and the tinckling cymball this is an expression even of a Jesuite it were then a great shame that Gods Ministers should not labour to speak so as that they may speak to the hearts of people you must be desirous of such kind of preaching as you find speaks to your hearts not that that comes meerly to your eares how many men love to have the word jingle in their ears and in the mean time their hearts go away and not one word spoke to them but when you finde a Ministry speake to your hearts close with it bless God for it and count it a sadd day when you goe from a Sermon and there is not one word spoke to your hearts in that Sermon From the connection of these two I will bring them into the wildernesse speak unto their hearts if we should take the wildernesse for bringing into affliction because there are so many interpreters that are very godly men learned men go that way I dare not wholy reject it but that there may be some intention that way Hence the first note is Afflictions make way for Gods word to the hearts of sinners there are many obstructions at the hearts of men while they are in prosperity but when afflictions come God by them opens those obstructions and so gets his word to their hearts afflictions cannot convert the heart but they can take away some obstructions that did hinder the word from coming to the heart Many of you have heard thousands of Sermons and scarce know of any one that hath come to your hearts but when God casts you upon your sicke beds and you apprehend death then you feele the same truthes that you were not sensible of before they lie upon your hearts the threatning word of God that went but to the ear before now it is got to the heart now it terrifies now you cry out of your sins and rellish the sweet promises of the Gospel that afflictions make way for I remember an expression that I have read of Bernard he had once to a brother of his who was a Souldier but riotous and prophane Bernard gives him many good instructions wholsome admonitions and counsels his brother seemed to slight them he made nothing of them Bernard comes to him and puts his hand to his side one day saith he God will make way to this heart of yours by some speare or launce he meant God would wound him in the Wars and so hee would open a way to his heart and then his admonitions should get to his heart and as he said so it fell out for going into the Wars he was wounded and then he remembers his brothers admonitions they got to and lay upon his heart to purpose It God should let the enemy in upon us their swords or bullets may make way to our hearts that so Gods word may come to have entrance there the Lord rather pierce our hearts by his spirit then that way to our hearts should be made thus Secondly when we are brought to great affliction that is the time for Gods mercies This should make us not to be so afraid of afflictions how afraid are we how do we hang back when we see afflictions coming why art thou so loth O thou Christian to come to affliction the time of affliction is the time for God to speake to the heart of a sinner many sinners may say that their condition hath been like Jacobs he never had a more sweete vision of God then when he lay abroad in the fields with no other pillow under his head then a stone it may be God will take away all your outward comforts and when they are all gone then may be Gods time to speake comfortably to your heart Thirdly the words of mercy O how sweet are they when they come to the heart after an affliction Psam 141. 6. Thy Judges shall be overthrown in strong places they shall he are my words for they are sweet If the words be taken for bringing into the wildernesse that is for Gods wonderfull workings for the good of his people then the note is When God works great and wonderfull things amongst a people then God speaks to the heart of that people then surely God hath spoken to our hearts for he hath done great and wonderfull things amongst us he did not more wonderfull things amongst his people in the wildernesse
worship hath beene amongst us more then in any reformed Church we have beene a proud people we have thought our selves rich wanting nothing whereas we knew not that we were indeed wretched miserable poore blinde and naked and those who would be Angels of this Church how hath God spuâ—d them out of his mouth they are cast out as filthy they have laine upon the stomack of God and his Saints a long time they with all that belonged to their Courts have made themselves a most â—oathsome generation of men and now God is at our doore knocks cals to us to let him in that he may come and rule us that he may bring peace salvation unto us But howsoever whether Christ be admitted by the State yea or no yet let the Saints who are willing that Christ should rule over them hold on to the end the promise is even to those in Laodicea to him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne 11. â—et us encourage what we are able all our faithfull doore-keepers those who are the publicke instruments of God for our good upon whom so much of the great affayres of the kingdom under God depends And for the quickning of our hearts that we may doe all we can that this our doore of hope be not shut against us Consider further First This doore was opened to us when we began to think yea almost to conclude that all doores of hope had beene shut against England when we were ready to give up all for lost Secondly It was opened to us after much knocking by prayer If ever there were a Parliament of prayer since the world began this was and is How dreadfull then would it be to have this doore shut against us Thirdly It was opened by a mighty hand of God Josephus tells us of a doore of the Temple that used to have thirty men to open it and yet as a prognostication of some great thing to fallout it opened of its own accord This our door was more hard to be opened thousands of men could not have opened this it was the mighty work of God to doe it Fourthly It is a door that opens to the greatest mercies that ever England had how happy would England be in the happy success of this Parliament 5. It is a door that our adversaries have laboured all they can to shut by policy and by force and thorow Gods mercy yet they cannot 6. How sweet have the manifestations of God been to us in the beginnings of his goodnesse and our endeavours Canâ— 5 4. 5. My beloved put his hand at the door my bowels were moved my hands dropped myrrhe and my fingers sweet smelling myrrhe upon the handles of the locke the beginning of reformation but the hand upon the door is sweet what would the work compleated be 7. If this doore should be wholly shut against us what a miserable people should we be if these men have their wills then never expect Parliaments more or never good from Parliaments They will be the most contemptible and servile things that can be if any they will be doores to let in all misery to frame mischiefe by a law then what are we and our posterity but slaves the Popish party must yea will be gratified their designe will be effected what contempt of the Saints of Religion what hatred what persecution will then follow what horrid blasphemies how will they be hardned in all manner of wickednesse our estates our liberties our Religion are then gone yea it is like our lives and if not so so miserable would our lives be as we had better have the grave open her mouth upon us and we be shut in it then to live to see hear and feele such things as we and our friends are like to heare see and feele It would be the most horrid judgment that ever was against a nation it may be told to all the nations of the world God gave England a fair opportunity to help it self to be a most happy nation but they had no hearts they were blinded their hearts were taken from them those worthies they chose who ventured themselves for them they basely deserted and betrayed they have also vilely betrayed themselves their liberties their Religion their posterity and now are become the most miserable nation the most fearful spectacle of Gods wrath upon the face of the earth Wherefore beloved in the Lord let us make sure of Christ who is our hope and who says of himselfe that he is the door as indeed hee is to let in all mercies of God into us that whatever disappointment we have of our hopes here yet we may not be disappointed of our last hopes though it should prove that here looking for light behold darknes yet we looking for the light of Gods face eternally we may not be driven out to everlasting darknes But shall I end thus nay the close of all shal rather be the close of the 31 Psal Be of good courage and he shal strengthen your heart all ye that hope in the Lord hope yet that God will make the valley of Achor adoor of hope unto us The next words in this Scripture are words of joy She shall sing as in the dayes of her youth Was there ever a time wherein shee had cause to sing praise to God there are times coming that shall be as joyfull as ever yet times have been God hath mercy for his people he hath singing times for them The Foureteenth Lecture HOSEA 2. 15. And she shall sing there as in the dayes of her youth as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt YOu have heard formerly of the valley of Achor that God gave to his people to be a doore of hope This day you shall heare of Gods people standing singing at this door of hope Though it be but a door of hope yet at that day they shall there sing as in the days of her youth when they came up out of the land of Egypt There are six things needfull to be opened for the meaning of Gods mind here in this their singing at the door of hope First the reading of the words are to be cleared 2. The scope is to be shewed 3. What the dayes of youth that are here spoken of are is to be opened 4. What was the song that they did then sing in the dayes of their youth is to be declared 5. What cause they had to sing in this the day of their youth is to be enquired after Lastly how this is applyable to repenting Israel and what time this prophesie aâ—meth at likewise is to be manifested For the first the reading of the words you have it in your bookes they shall sing as in the dayes of their youth There are only two words that have need of opening First the word translated singing
as if he should say thus O Lord thou hast indeed granted unto us a great mercy in delivering us out of Egypt but herein we prize thy mercie that it is in order to the bringing us to thy habitation and it will bring us at length to the mountain of thy holinesse it is not so much that were are delivered from bondage as that wee expect to bee brought to thy holy habitation Now saith the Lord you shall sing as you did then look what causes you had then to sing you shall have the same causes to sing again when I am reconciled to you The last thing for the explication is when this was fulfilled or to what time this is to be referred There are four times that this prophesie aims at and refers unto First It began in some degree to be fulfilled at their returne out of their captivity from Babylon though it is true few of the ten tribes returned yet it is clear in Scripture that many of them did then return and had the beginning of this mercy and there was joy and singing Isa 12. the whole chap. is a song blessing God for their return from the captivity Jehovah is my strength and my song he also is become my salvation c. 2. This prophecie aims at spiritual Israel so in Rom. 9. it is applied to the calling of Jew Gentile together when the Gospel was first preached Jewes and Gentiles being called home became the spiritual Israel of God then there was singing Rom. 15. 20. Again he saith rejoyce ye Gentiles with his people The third time that it refers unto is the delivery of Gods people from under the tiranny of Antichrist typified by the tiranay of the Egyptians for that the former place is very full Rev. 15. 2. there you shall observe Those that had gotten the victory over the beast and over his image and over his marke and over the number of his name stood upon a sea of glass mingled with fire having the harps of God in their hands and they sang the song of Moses the song of the Lamb saying Great marvellous are thy works Lord God almighty just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints c. In this song which I make no question but this Scripture hath reference unto there are divers things observable To take them up briefly by the way 1. That they that sung were those that had gotten victory over the beast over his image and over his mark that is a full victory not only abominating Antichrist himself but any image any character of him any thing whereby they might seem to allow of him to be owned by him 2. They stood upon a sea of glasse mingled with fire The sea of glasse I find interpreted Christian doctrine so called for the clearness of it though not so clear as afterward it should be for there is some darknes even in glass but clear in comparison of what it was before for 2 K. 25. 13. The sea was of brasse which is far thicker and darker But there was fire mingled with this sea of glass that is though they had a clearer doctrine then before yet there were many contentions in the Church through many different opinions and much division there was even amongst the godly It was a sadde condition indeed yet it is ordinary especially when Doctrines come to be first cleared to have great contentions grow in the Church among godly men It is no wonder though good men should be of different opinions yea and have some heat of spirit one against another when the light first breaks forth When men are in the dark they sit together and walk not at such a distance but when light comes it cannot be expected but there will be differences But yet mark the godly then they did not reject the doctrine because there was fire mingled with it because there was heate of contention but the Text saith they were there with their harps in their hands they were professing this doctrine and rejoycing that ever they lived to that time to have the Gospel so clearly revealed unto them And they sang the song of Moses and not only of Moses but the song of the Lamb too What was that First great and marvellous are thy works in that we see we are delivered from Antichristian bondage as the people of Israel were delivered from Egyptian bondage with a mighty hand of thine Oh it is a marvellous worke of God that wee are thus at liberty Therefore know this that whensoever the Church shall be delivered from Antichristian bondage it shall be a marvellous work of God therefore we may not be discouraged because wee meet with some difficulties by the way for wee shal never be delivered but so as it shal appear to be a wonder if we should be delivered without difficulties we should not see the marvellousness of the worke Further Iust and true are thy wayes God in that deliverance will shew the fulfilling of all his promises and he will fully satisfie the hearts of his people who have been a long time seeking him and suffering for him Whereas the adversaries because God did forbear a while in his patience and let them prosper thought there was no God in heaven that looked upon them they scorned at the fastings and prayers and faith of the Saints But though the hearts of the Saints were ready to faile yet at last they shall say Iust true are thy wayes Lord we now see all thy good word fulfilled all thy promises made good now we see it is not in vaine to seek thee it is not in vain to wait upon thee for just and true are thy wayes O thou King of Saints God will appear then to be a King of Saints He is indeed the King of the world now and the King of his Saints but he doth not appear so clearly the kingdome of Jesus Christ as King of Saints hath been much darkned in the world We have some what indeed of the Priestly and Propheticall office of Christ made known to us but very little of his kingly office but when God shall fully deliver his people then they shall magnifie Jesus Christ as the king of Saints in an especiall manner Lastly they shall say Who will not feare thee thou King of Nations As if they should say wee see now it is good to feare God wee see now God hath made a difference between him that feareth him and him that feareth him not The Angel that John saw Apoc. 14. 6 7. Flying in heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach cryes with a loud voyce Feare God and give glory to him The feare of God will be mighty upon the hearts of the Saints in those times This shall be the song of Moses that this Scripture aymeth at they shall thus sing as they did in the dayes of their youth when they came up out of the land of Egypt yea and the truth is their song
you who are true Israelites but in your blessing God now let present mercies be to you but as streames to bring you to the fountaine Consider of all the mercies along till you come to the fountaine even that Covenant that God hath made with Israel A fourth is All former mercies to Gods people should help Faith in beleeving future mercies That is raised from hence Why doth the Prophet tell them or comming out of the land of Egypt He speaks of some mercy that was to come to Israel now hee names this coming out of the land of Egypt that he might helpe and strengthen their Faith in the beleeving of what mercy was to come As if he should say That God that hath wrought so wonderfully for you in delivering you out of the land of Egypt is able and willing to make good his word in granting to you deliverance for time to come We have excellent Scriptures for this as Psal 66. 6. He turned the sea into dry land they went thorough the flood on foot there did we rejoyce in him Marke they went thorough the flood and there did we rejoyce in him How did we rejoyce in him it was many hundred yeares after that we came to rejoyce But upon the manifestation of Gods great goodnesse to his people in former dayes our faith commeth to be strengthened in Gods mercies for our times and there did we rejoyce in him we did rejoice in the worke of God when they went thorough the Red-sea upon dry land for it is an argument of Gods mercy to us of the power goodnesse and faithfulnesse of God to us Another temarkable Text is Hos 12. 4. Hee had power over the Angel he found him in Bethel and there he spake with us Marke he had power over the Angel he found him in Bethel VVho was that It was Jacob who many years before but there he spake with us hee did not speake with Jacob onely but there hee spake with us that is whatsoever goodnesse the Lord did shew to Jacob in Bethel it concerned us for the strengthening of our faith Mat. 22. 31. 32. Have ye not read that which was spoken unto you saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob This was spoken to Moses many hundred yeares before but that expression of Gods grace then was a strengthening the faith of the godly when Christ spake and is the same to us now A fifth is where there is a proportion of mercies there ought to be a proportion of thankfulnesse They shall sing as they did in the day when they came out of Egypt I will grant unto you as great mercies as they had and I expect as great thankfulnesse from you as I had from them as they sung to my praise so must you sing too God sheweth as much mercy to you now as he hath done heretofore I appeale now to you nay God appeales to your consciences Is there a proportion of thankfulnesse as of mercies There hath been a time when you have sung to the praise of God when your hearts have been inlarged to give God praise why should it not be so now A sixt observation is deliverance out of Egypt is an ascending condition That ariseth from the words as they are in the Originall They shal ascend out of the land of Egypt so I told you the words were in the Hebrew as then God would never rest till he brought them up to Mount Zion so when God beginneth to deliver his people from Antichristian bondage they should never rest in their spirits untill they be got to the height of Reformation to the height of their deliverance that is to come to enjoy Gods Ordinances in his own wayes in the purity and the power of them This is our misery and our bâ—senesse that upon some little deliverance we presently are ready to rest whereas we should rise yet higher and higher and expect that God should goe on still with us and raise us in the wayes of mercy untill he hath brought us even to the top of Mount Zion Seventhly From the connection of these words with what followes They shall sing as in the day when they came up out of the land of Egypt and they shall call me Ishi and shall call me no more Baali for I will take even the very names of Baalim out of their mouths and they shall remember them no more that is there shall be a most glorious reformation they shal be delivered from all the remainders of their Idolatrous worship they shall not so much as remember their very names the Reformation shall be so perfect From thence the Observation is When God raiseth the spirits of people to rejoyce in his mercy then is the time for them if ever to set up a through Reformation then when their hearts are warmed inflamed and inlarged with the goodnesse of God unto them then is the time to cast out all the remainders of all superstition of all kinde of false worship I will give you two excellent Scriptures for this the one is Esay 30. 19. Thou shalt weep no more saith he he will be very gracious unto thee at the voyce of thy cry The Lord promiseth abundance of mercy he tells them that they shall weep no more he will be very gracious now marke what followeth in the 22. verse Ye shall defile the covering of thy graven Images of silver the ornaments of thy molten Images of gold thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth thou shalt say unto it Get thee hence The other Scripture is 2 Chron. 30. 26. there you finde that there was great joy in Jerusalem such joy as the text saith was not since the dayes of Solomon it was upon the celebration of their Passe-over there had not beene the like Marke then in the beginning of the next Chapter saith the text when all this was finished that is when they had celebrated a Passeover so full and had such abundance of joy such a joy as had not beene in Jerusalem since the time of Solomon Now all Israel went out to the Cities of Iudah and brake the Images in pieces and cut down the groves and threw down the high places and the Altars out of all Iudah Benjamin Their hearts were inflamed with the joy they had they went with resolution and brake down 〈◊〉 â—â—ages c. And marke it the Text saith it was 〈…〉 that did this 〈◊〉 went out into the Cities of Iudah and brake the the Images in pieces and threw down the high places the Altars out of all Iudah What had Israel to doe with Iudah Iudah and Israel were divided But now their hearts were so inflamed for God that they were not able to abide any false worship amongst their brethren though it belonged to Judah yet they would goe help their brethren to cast down all their Images and to cut down their Groves and
between Gods wrath and your former sins Further They shal not so much as be remembred by their name they shal not thinke of them The note from hence is all superstitious vanities though they may seem for the present never so glorious yet in time they will vanish and come to nothing God hath a time to make them so to vanish as they shall not so much as be thought off Col. 2. 22. it is said of the rudiments of the world that are according to the Doctrine of men they perish in the use in the present use that is they effect nothing that they seeme to be appointed for there is no good cometh of them for the present but in the very use they come to nothing but time shall be that God will cause them all to perish utterly and the very remembrance of them shall be taken away It is true for the present while mens hearts are set upon superstitious wayes O how glorious are they in their eyes but these glorious things will come to nothing whereas those Ordinances of God that seeme to be but meane things wherein the simplicity of the Gospel appeareth they shall appeare full of beauty though for the present they seeme to be darkened they shall be glorious in the eyes of the Saints to the end of the world Not long since what a stirre was there about the more then decent even superstitious adorning of Temples and building of Altars and brave Canopies what sumptuous things and fine knacks had they and all to set out a pompous superstitious way of worship this altogether prevailed as for the purity and simplicity of Gods wayes and worship how was it trampled under feet as an unworthy contemptible thing but these things that for a while seemed so glorious begin to vanish and wee hope ere long will come to nothing the very memory of them shall perish the purity of Gods worship and the simplicity of the Gospell in Gods Ordinances shall recover their beauty and glory when those braveries shall be no more 7. A true penitent cannot remember former sinnes without indignation for so is the meaning of the phrase they shall not remember Some of us may remember how we have beene intangled with wayes of false worship and how we have fullyed and wrung our consciences that way we said we would yeeld as far as we could but indeed we yeelded further then wee could for id possumus qnod jure possumus we have cause to remember it with shame and confusion of face Ye old men may remember the sins of your youth but how can you remember them and speake of them with joy and meryment that is an evil yea almost a desperate signe do you so remember the sinnes of your youth as to tell tales of the pranckes of your younger dayes with joy you are in a high degree left of God and given up to hardnesse you shall remember them with shame and indignation the sweet morsells of former sinnes coming up into remembrance should be bitter and sower unto you The last note is the taking off mens hearts from Idolatrous wayes is a speciall worke of God I will do it saith God I will take away the names of Baalim out of their mouthes Certainly the people in these times hung much upon their false ways of worship they had many arguments for their way no question but they had many distinctions to uphold it but there shall come a day saith the Lord when I will take away the names out of their mouths I will stop your mouthes I will take off your hearts from all those Objections and reasonings you have had to maintaine such ways as those were I will silence all then you shal see evidently convincingly to your shame that you have been gulled by such vaine false distinctions I will take off all those ingagements your hearts were bound in those being taken off I will soon take you off from all What a deale of stir hath God that we may speake with holy reverence to take mens hearts from wayes of false worship What a company of distinctions and objections have men their hearts clinging to them being very unwilling to be taken off now then their consciences are wrung yet they hold fast and then conscience hath another wring and then they another objection and another distinction and yet perhaps true grace lyes at the bottome after all this But God having a love unto them by some way or other takes off their hearts if he doth it not by settling truths upon the heart by his Spirit he will doe it by some notable works oâ— providence we finde it by experience so long as mens engagements hold that they cannot enjoy their estates liberties and comforts without yeelding to such wayes of superstition they will not be taken off from them they please themselves in this and perhaps they speake what they thinke that they doe nothing against the light of their consciences for why their ingagements keepe off the strength of truth that it comes not to a full conviction of conscience But when God shall by any worke of his providence take off their hearts from ingagements and then come and set before them the same truths that formerly he did they come to see now a convincing evidence in those truths they stand admiring that they saw it not before wonder what the matter was they read such bookes before that had the same arguments against their wayes and for the truth but they could not see the strength of them before now they see it apparently and they are ashamed of themselves every time they goe into the presence of God they are confounded in their owne thoughts to thinke that though truths were so clear before they did not see them now they see them with such cleareness as they thinke they could lay downe their lives for them whatsoever they suffer for time to come they can never yield to what they have yeilded to heretofore What is the matter God hath come in with power God hath taken off their hearts God attributeth this to himself I will take the names of Baalim out of their mouthes whatsoever they have to say for the keeping of such names and reliques of Idolatry yet I will come with power upon their hearts and take them out of their mouths Then indeed when God thus commeth the thing will be done And let us take heed we doe not stand out too long lest God come to take off our hearts by some dreadfull way of judgement or other It were better our mouths were stopped our objections silenced and so all the reliques and remainders of false worship were taken from us thorough the word and Spirit of God If that will not doe God will come in some other way and take the name of Baalim out of our mouths And if wee will keepe the memory of superstitious wayes God may extirpate the memory of them by such
wayes as may prove fearfull unto us and make our hearts to ake and our eares to tingle VVee have a notable passage for this Ezekiel 6. 6. In all your dwelling places saith God your Cities shall be laid waste and the high places shall be desolate marke that your Altars may be laid waste and made desolate and your Idols may be broken and cease and your Images may be cut down and your works may be abolished Observe the Text In all your dwelling places your Cities shall be laid waste to what end That your Altars may be laid waste So that God will lay waste their Cities for this very end that hee may lay waste their Altars if they will not lay waste their Altars if they will not abolish their superstitions that are amongst them God will abolish their Cities lay waste their Cities that he may lay waste their Altars God hath begun to put it into the heart of our governors the Parliament to abolish many superstitious pictures and crosses in divers places there is yet one great one remaining and we hope God upon the same grounds may put into their hearts the abolishing of that It would be a dreadfull thing unto you if God now calling upon us to cast out the remainders of all Idolatry superstition to lay waste all Idolatrous Pictures Images and Crosses if we should not come off but that God should lay waste your Cities to lay waste your Altars Crosses and reliques of Idolatry You see God threatneth this here as if God did not intend so much to lay waste their Cities hee would preserve them but because he could not that we may speake according to the manner of men abolish their Altars but by laying waste their Cities saith God rather then your Altars shall stand your Cities shall downe God hath wayes and most terrible wayes too to take away the memory of superstitious vanities Oh that vve had hearts to joyne with God before he cometh in such a dreadfull manner to abolish the memory of such things Were our Prelates in their power such a speech as this could not be borne when Master Vdal a godly Preacher in Queene Elizabeths dayes was charged with such an expression If it come in that is the true government of Christ as he meaneth by that means that will make all your hearts to ake blame your selves for these words especially was he then condemned to be hanged such was the rage and potency of the Prelates in those dayes What I have said may be against the spirits of such as cleave to superstitious vanities wee have no cause to feare the exasperating of these for surely they cannot be more exasperated then they are for the present and it were a foolish thing to exasperate and provoke God for feare of further exasperation in those who are for the present exasperated even to the utmost against us And if they were not but the exasperation would arise new what is the exasperation of vile men to the abiding of the wrath of God upon us VERSE 18. And in that day I will make a Covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowles of Heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and I will break the bow and the sword the batteli out of the earth and I will make them to lye downe safely In this verse God promiseth peace and security peace in regard of their deliverance from the beasts of the field and fowles of the heaven creeping things of the ground Peace from the hostility of their adversaries he will break the bow the sword the battell out of the earth And security they shall lye down safely I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field c. Some allegorize upon these words the beasts of the field they say are meant cruell wicked men the fowles of the ayre ambitious wicked men that are lofty in their thoughts counsels the creeping things of the ground subtill adversaries God here promises they say to deliver them from all these But I desire not to fall upon Allegories but when there is a necessity therefore take the words literally The beasts of the field fowles of the ayre and creeping things of the earth But how may God be said to make a covenant for his people with the beasts of the field and the fowles of heaven and the creeping things of the earth For to speake properly no creature is capable of a Covenant with God but onely the rationall The meaning is there shall be such an establishment of Gods worke upon the beasts and fowles and creeping things for the good of his Church as if God had bound them to doe them good by way of Covenant that way of God is called making of a Covenant with them I will shew it you in another Scripture Ier. 33. 20. If you can break my covenant of the day my covenant of the night that there should not be day and night in their season c. How doth God make a Covenant with the day and a Covenant with the night Thus there is an establishment of Gods decree upon the day and upon the night that it should be in such and such a way from the Creation unto the end of the world and that establishment is called Gods Covenant so Oceolampadius upon my Text I will order inviolably and unalterably there shall be an establishing decree upon these creatures that they shall doe you no hurt but good From hence the notes are these First Sin hath caused enmity between man and the creatures that is implyed here I will saith God make a Covenant upon your reconciliation with me and your reformation with the creatures now they shall be at peace with you I will doe it noting that by our sin there is grown enmity betweene us and Gods creatures VVe have lost by sin a great part of our dominion that God gave us over his creatures that was the result from that Image of God that man was created in Therefore when you see any creature to rebell against you bee put in minde your rebellion against God It is true God hath kept a little of mans dominion over the creature still to the end that the world and humane society may be preserved Sometimes you may see a little child driving before him a hundred Oxen or kine this way or that way as he pleaseth it sheweth that God hath preserved somewhat of mans dominion over the creatures But a great part is lost by our sin If we that are the servants of God rebell against him it is just with God that the creatures that were made to be our servants should rebell against us And you who are Superiors when any of your inferiours are stubborne against you your servants your children rebellious raise your hearts up to this meditation My servant is rebellious against me how have I been rebellious against
are under condemnation for if the least sin be not pardoned there is condemnation but this cannot be I do not say the sin is pardoned before it is comitted for that is a harsh improper speech for when we speake of pardoning sin we speak of a work applyed to the creature not of that which is in God a pardon is laid up to be applyed by God when ever the sin is commited so that there shal be no instant of time wherein the sinner is unpardoned so under condemnation Then surely he can never fall off from Christ for what doth endanger the falling off from Christ but commission of sin Christ hath as well merited at the hand of God pardon for any sin that is to come as he hath merited pardon for sin past do not say this opens a gap to licentiousnesse then we need not care No the grace of Christ hath no such malignity in it in saying thus thou speakest against thy life The second soul-staying argument for perseverance is that perseverance is a spiritual mercy purchased by Christ as well as any grace Ephes 1. 3. Blessed be God who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Jesus Christ Now you will say Faith is a blessing and Humility is a blessing and Joy is a blessing we have in Christ why is not Perseverance a blessing a spirituall blessing too Christ hath as truely and as really layd down his bloud to purchase the perseverance as to purchase thy pardon as to purchase any thing he hath purchased for thee That which Christ hath laid down his blood to purchase surely must be had the purchase of Christs blood shall not be frustrate Is there any thing thou hast by vertue that purchase Thou mayest be as sure of perseverance for Chrst hath laid down his blood to purchase that also Christian then satisfie thy soul in this God gives the comforts in this world but he gives them not for ever but when he betrotheth thee unto his Son he betrotheth thee for ever Perhaps the Lord in mercy hath made thy life here in this thy pilgrimage very comfortable in giving thee a comfortable meet yoke-fellow in this thy betrothing thou art happy but this happinesse is not for ever thou canst looke upon thy yoke-fellow as a mercy of God unto thee that makes thy pilgrimage sweet but there must be a dissolution between thee and her but thy union with thy Husband Christ is for ever there shall never be dissolution of that Perhaps some of you have lost comfortable yoke-fellowes death hath come and snapt asunder the union between you and you complain never woman lost such a husband never man lost such a wife as I have if you be godly you have a husband that you shall never lose it is he that will fill up relations he saith Thy maker is thy husband Esay 54. 5. And further this is mutuall I will betroth thee unto me for ever I will give thee a heart that thou shalt cleave unto me for ever This will afford unto us another usefull meditation viz. When the Lord chooseth any soule to himselfe as he setteth his own heart for ever upon thar soul so he gives unto that soul a principle of grace to cleave unto him for ever too to give up himselfe unto him in an everlasting covenant Psal 119. 112. I have inclyned my heart to performe thy statutes alwayes Is not that enough No he must have another word to expresse the thing alwayes even to the end Davids heart was much taken with the statutes of God O Lord through thy mercy my heart is inclined to keep thy staâ—utes yea and it is so alwayes yea and it shall be unto the end It is a kinde of pleonasme or rather the expression of the fulnesse of his heart in his resolutions never to depart from God But what are those riches Christ bestoweth upon his people whom he betrotheth to himself the bracelets and ornaments hee putteth upon their necks and upon their hands are these I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse and in judgement in loving kindnesse and in mercies I will ever betroth thee unto me in faithfulnesse aud thou shalt know the Lord. There is much of the Gospel in this In righteousnesse This according to some is understood as opposed to dissimulation Sine fuco without any dissembling in this he assures his people that they shall finde his dealings with them altogether right and equall and so I expect from you and will cause it in you that in your dealings towards me you be right and equall there shall be nothing feigned betwixt us all shall be plain right and just You know there is often a great deale of dissimulation in marriages great prâ—ffers and promises and overtures of what one should enjoy in the other and when they meet not with what they expect it causes great dissention between them and makes their lives exceeding uncomfortable But now saith God there shall be no dissimulation betwixt you and me I will deale with you in the plainnesse of my heart and you shall deale with mee in the plainnesse of your hearts So the word righteousnesse is taken in Scripture Isa 48. 1. They make mention of the God of Israel but not in truth nor in righteousnesse one expounds the other I will receive you againe though you have departed from me in the very integrity of my soule doe not feare me doe not suspect me doe not thinke though he make a shew of love unto mee and of great favour yet hee intendeth to cast mee off at last These are the jealous thoughts of many troubled consciences Indeed I heare of mercy and God is working toward me as if he intended mercy to me but I am afraid he will cast me off in the conclusion No saith God do not feare do not suspect me this mercy I offer is bona fide it is in the very truth of my heart therefore let there not be such suspitious thoughts betwixt you and me you may be sure that what is fit and right for you to have from such a husband as I am that doth belong to such a Spouse as I professe to take you to be you shall certainly have it you need not be afraid for you shall have plain and upright dealing with me This I take to bee one part though not all of the meaning of the holy Ghost here I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse that love I professe to you I do not do it to mock you saith God but I do it in truth From whence the notes which are very usefull may be First guilty hearts are full of suspitions of Gods reall meaning in all his expressions of love and mercy They judge God by themselves As they first slight sinne because they judg of God by themselves they see not such a dreadful evill in sinne they think God sees it not so after they have sinned they judge of
of God VVould you be so Learne then to exercise faith much about the infinite riches of the mercy of God in Christ this will fill you with all the fulness of God you complain of barrennes and emptines in your hearts and lives it is because you exercise so little Faith in these mercies of God in Christ God betrotheth his Church unto himselfe in mercies in bowels Let us learne to pleade these mercies before the Lord to pleade them when we are in any strait to pleade with God for bowels Esay 63. 15. Looke downe from heaven and behold from the habitation of thy holi esse and thy glory where is thy zeale and thy strength the sounding of the bowels and of thy mercies towards us are they restrained Lord hast thou not said that thou wilt betroth thy Church unto thy self in bowels Where is the sounding of thy bowels Lord let us have these bowels of thine in which thou hast betrothed us through Christ Oh what confusion will there be one day unto those that shall misse of all these mercies of God in which the Lord hath betrothed himselfe unto his Church VVhat will you content your selves now with crums that God casteth to dogs with the fruits of Gods generall bounty and patience when you heare of such glorious mercies as are in Jesus Christ These things should so raise our hearts that wee should protest as Luther did I protest saith hee God shall not put mee off with these things of the world with my portion here Oh no the Lord hath shewed me greater riches though I be unworthy of any yet I know his mercy is free why then should not I have my portion in these glorious things Come in then come in oh sinfull soule be in love with Jesus Christ the ways of godlinesse know that all these mercies are tendred unto thy soule this day to break thy heart even that hard heart of thine and they are as free for thee as for any There is nothing more pleasing unto God then for thee to be taken with the glory of the riches of his mercy Thou canst perform no duty so acceptable unto God as this to have thy heart break upon the codsideration of his bowels to have thy bowels yern again and to come in and close with this infinite rich and glorious grace of his Which if thou dost know that the first moment thou art united to Christ thou dost lanch into the infinite Ocean of mercy now thou breathest in the element of mercy now thou livest upon nothing but mercy Is it so Then know God expects a mercifull disposition from thee too God betrotheth thee in righteousnesse and putteth righteousnesse into thee in judgment and gives thee judgment too in loving kindnesse and makes thee loving and kind likewise in mercies and putteth mercies into thee bowels into thee also First toward himself Why can we be mercifull unto God what good can wee doe to God God expects you should have bowels toward him How Thus Dost thou see the name of this blessed God thy husband to be dishonoured in the world Oh thy bowels should yern thou shouldst have bowels working now What doth God look upon thee in thy blood in thy misery and doth his bowels yern toward thee Canst thou look upon God in his dishonour and his cause trampled under foot and do not thy bowels yern toward him It should pitie thy soule to see this blessed God to be so much dishonoured in the world as he is to see that there are so few in the world that love and feare this God who is thy God and hath done thee so much good VVhat is there any good cause up wherein the name of God should be honoured Thy bowels should work presently toward it Cant. 5. 4. My beloved put his hand by the hole of the doore and my bowels were moved for him VVhen Christ did but begin to open a door put but in his hand when there was any good but beginning to be done Oh my bowels were moved saith the Church and I could never be at quiet untill I had enquired after yea and found my beloved Is there any beginning to let in Christ into the Kingdome in his government amongst us Dowe feele him putting in his hand at the door certainly if we be skilled in the way of Christ we may seele him putting his hand in at the door Oh that our bowels would yern and cause our hearts to flow to the boâ—ntisulnesse of the Lord and joyn with Christ in that blessed work of his that he is about Our bowels must also be toward the Saints It is extreamely against the spirit of Christ for a Christian to be hard-hearted toward his brethren Christ expects bowels And as you would account it â—grievous misery to have your bowels rotten to have diseases in your bowels know it is as great an evill to have your hearts unmercifull that is to have a disease in your bowels so the Scripture phrase is Amos 1. 11. He cast off all pitie his anger did tear perpetually so it is in your bookes but the words in the Originall are And corrupted his bowels their bowels were corrupted when they were not pittiful toward their brethren in misery It was a grievous condition that Iehoram was in 2 Chron. 21. 15. when his bowels came forth by reason of his disease An unmercifull heart is a worse disease then this What are wee and who are we that Gods mercies should be shewen towards us why not our mercies toward our brethren then The Scripture calleth exceedingly for mercy in the Saints toward one another Col. 3. 17. Put on as the Elect of God bowels of mercy and kindness VVould you have an argument unto your selves that you are Gods Elect put on bowels then Never was there time since you lived or your forefathers lived wherein God called for bowels more then now Do you hear of the miseries of your brethren their goods spoiled houses burnt wives children ravished themselves imprisoned their bodies wounded and yet no bowels all this while what you hard-hearted in the meane time Are you the elect of God why I pray you what is your flesh more then the flesh of others what are your comforts more then the comforts of others why should you lie soft and safe more then others Is there any such difference betwixt you and your brethren that they should be in misery and you must be pampered and scarce feele the very wind to blow on you and yet in the meane time your hearts hardned towards them It is true God it is that hath made the difference you will say and God may make a difference where he pleaseth I grant it and it would not grieve God to make such a difference betweene you and them if he saw your bowels yern towards them But if God layes such afflictions upon your brethren who are better then you and have done more for him then
must not onely feare God but trust in his faithfulness Mat. 13. 58. Christ did no mighty works there because of their unbelief And Maâ—k 6 5. He could not doe no works because of their unbelief One says he did not and the other sayes he could not When we have a promise let us put on to get the goodnesse of God to work which is by believing For that I will give you as notable an example as any I know you have in the book of God of a believing heart catching hold upon a promise upon Gods faithfulnesse to work it out 1 Chron. 17. 23. and so on In the former part of the Chapter you shall finde God had promised David to establish his house to build him a sure house Well as soone as David had got the word mark how hee improves it how hee works upon Gods word As if he had said Seeing I have got his word I will hold to it he shall not goe from it saith he Therefore O Lord let the things thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established for ever and doe as thou hast said Thou hast spoken do as thou hast said Ver. 24. Let it even be established I expect it seeing thou hast been pleased in such a gracious way to promise me thus I will relye upon it let it be even established that thy name may be magnifyed for ever I will plead thy name in it if there be any thing to be pleaded more then other I will plead it before thee but is not this enough Vers 25. Thou O Lord God hast told thy servant that thou wilt build him an house therefore thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before thee He had said before that God had spoken it here he goes over it again as making much of Gods word thou hast told me and I pray for nothing but what thou hast told me Nay yet still David encroacheth more upon God Ver. 26. Now O Lord thou art God thou hast promised this goodnesse unto thy servant I have not to deal with a man that will be fickle and inconstant wavering and unfaithfull but thou art God and I will trust in thee as a God thou art God and thou hast promised this goodnesse it is thine owne goodnesse now therefore do it See how he followeth God upon his promise And mark what admirable effects followed upon this Chap. 18. ver 1. After this saith the Text he prospered when his enemies came against him he took a thousand charets and seven thousand horsemen and twenty thousand footmen from Hadarezer and when the Syrians came to help that Hadarezer he slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men After this mark the connexion of that Chapter and this after David had improved the promise hee might have what he would thus the loving kindnesse of God was laid up in a promise but wrought out by Davids faith This is our evill that we do not improve this faithfulnesse of God wee lose abundance by it It is an argument that wee have base spirits It is a great evill between man and wife when they cannot confide one in another but are jealous how can such live comfortably together So we are jealous of God we lose our comfort in him Jealousie comes oftentimes from much basenesse of spirit and selfe-guiltinesse because we are of such base hearts our selves that is the reason we are so jealous of God Where there is much love between man and wife there cannot be much jealousie and if there were intire love in the Spouse of Christ there would not be jealousie You have an excellent passage for that John 5. 40. You will not come unto me that you might have life you will not believe in me that is the meaning then ver 42. I know you have not the love of God in you Is there any thing in the world more tedious to a Husband then that the Wife should be jealous of him think of it the same tediousnesse it is unto the Spirit of Jesus Christ that thou shouldst be jealous of him and not confide in his faithfulnesse Surely if we did trust in Gods faithfulnesse wee would not think to compound with him so as we do but wee would improve his promise to the utter most As you that are Merchants and have much owing you all the while you confide in your debtors you will not compound with them for less then your debt if you should come to one that ows you money and say I pray Sir pay in my money and I shall be content to take ten or fifteen in the hundred the party would think himselfe disgâ—aced what do you distrust me Do you think I will break No I will pay you every penny he stands upon his credit The truth is we poor wretches because we have not Gods promises presently fulfilled we would compound with God that is if God would give us any little comfort for the present we would be satisfied rather then waite for that which is to come though it be infinitely more this is a great dishonour to God and an argument of our unfaithfulnesse It is an argument of little faith if thou canst be satisued should God give thee tenne thousand worlds for the present if God should say what will yon have would you have your enemies destroyed would you have your peace and your trading in the world your ease and quietnesse Is this all This is to compound with God for twelve pence in the pound as it were No saith a gracious heart Lord thou hast promised mercy I expect it to the full I wil not abate the least farthing of it God loveth we should stand with him for his promise unto the uttermost farthing No but I hope God give me Heaven at last yet I doubt hee will leave mee here in the world This is to compound with God another way there are some who perhaps will pay eighteene or fifteen shillings in the pound but it is a dishonour to God to abate one shilling in the pound therefore we must not onely believe in God for heaven but for earth and for safety and comfort and that in times of greatest trouble God is well pleased with such kind of holy impudence as we may say that is to follow him for the uttermost and to urge him upon his word again and again to pay what he is ingaged for Again had we faith in God we would set upon great things though we see but little meanes Many of you who have but little stockes yet if you have rich friends that have given you encouragement and that you know will be faithfull to you you will trade for great things with your little stock because you know you have those friends will stand by you So though we have but little strength if God call us we should be willing to set upon great things because God hath stock enough and he hath
that is I look to God why because the place where the Temple was to be built it was not onely upon one hill but upon hils and so this expression hath reference to those two hills it was built upon the hill of Moriah and the hill of Zion which were rather but two ridges of the same as 2 Chron. 3. 1. Solomon began to build the house of the Lord upon mount Moriah and Psal 2. 6. I have set my King upon my holy hill of Zion I look saith David unto God my Faith hath reference to that place that God hath chosen for himself that this is the meaning will appeare if we compare this with Psal 87. 1. His foundation is in the holy hils not hill but hils The respect Idolaters had to their Idols being manifested by lifting up their eyes to them therefore God commanded them that they must not so much as lift up their eyes to their idols And indeed we had need take heed in what we doe in this so much as to lift up our eyes to look upon the inticements of the flesh many will not commit their former sins but they love to be looking that way I have read of a Lady a loving wife who being at the maryage of Cyrus she was askt how she liked the Bridgeroom how saith she I know not I saw no body but my Husband Love and respect drawes the eye either to God or to the creature According as our hearts are so our eyes will be And love flaggons of wine The word comes from a word that signifies fundavit The old Latin turns it vivacia uvarum the leaves skinnes and stones of the grape that remaines after pressing that sinke down into the bottome of the vessell Noting thereby how saplesse and savourlesse and unworthy Idolatrous worship is in comparison of the true worship of God True worship of God is sweet and savoury lovely and excellent but mans institutions how saplesse are they The spirits of such men as pleade for and delight in superstitious vanities the devises of men how saplesse and unsavoury do they quickly grow though heretofore they have had some quicknesse and livelinesse in their wayes yet if once they delight themselves in the inventions of men in Gods worship their spirits grow very unsavory to those with whom they converse But take the traslation as it is in your books flaggons of wine called by this name in the Hebrew because that vessell the flaggon is broad in the bottome That is as some carry it thus They are as drunkards that call for one flaggon after another Superstitious and idolatrous people when they have one way of superstition they call for another and when they have got that they will have another and are still greedy of more they are never satisfied as drunkards are greedy of their flaggons Or rather to note the sensuality of the wayes of their Idolatrous worship their flaggons of wine are joyned to their gods The Seventy translate the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bellaria fine Cates and junkets delicate things made with wine and grapes together by all the art they can devise for the pleasing the appetite From thence the note is cleare Spirituall adultery and carnall sensuality goe together They used flaggons of wine in their idolatrous solemnities that made them love their Idols so much the rather In the true worship of God there is abundance of sweetness to satisfie the hearts of the Saints they need not have sensual pleasures to make up their delight but in superstitious worship there is no such sweetness to satisfie the spirits therefore they are saine to call for flaggons of wine and other sensuall things to make up a full delight to themselves Superstitious and idolatrous Rites bring with them pleasure to the flesh hence how are they loved and followed by people they can hardly ever be taken off from them In their Idolatrous solemnities they were wont to have Feasts to pamper the flesh Judg. 9. 27. They went out into the field and gathered their vineyards and trod the grapes and were merry went into the house of their God and did eate and drinke and cursed Abimelech So Amos. 2. 8. They drinke the wine of the condemned in the house of their God What is that By oppression and violence they would rend the estates of men from them and when they had gotten them then they made merry yea they would come into the house of their gods and drinke bowles of wine that they had gotten from the estates of such men whom they had wrongfully condemned Let Idolaters have their lusts satisfied and they care not what God they serve 2 Cor. 8. 10. If any see them sit at meate in the Idols temple at meate they had their flesh satisfied in the Idols temple Thus God complaines of his people here As if he had said Let all bemoane my condition for though I have loved Israel dearly she hath gone a whoring from me and she loveth flaggons of wine because she hath more pleasure to the flesh in serving Idols she will serve them What an abominable thing it is to forsake the blessed God meerly for the love of wine How many are there in the world who forsake all that good that is in God in Christ in heaven in eternity meerely for flaggons of wine Calvin hath a note from the word that carries some-what more with it flaggons of grapes so the words are in the Hebrew not flagons of wine and of grapes rather then wine saith he because there were artificiall wayes used by them to make their superstitious ways to be more pleasant to them As when drunkards have drunk even ad nauseam that they begin to loath what they delighted in then they will use some artificiall way or other of mixture of grapes or some other thing with the wine to make it have a new tast that they may have still delight in drinking So saith he because their old superstitions have nothing in them to satisfie the heart therefore they are fain to invent new kinds of artificiall wayes to please themselves withall although saith he they brag of their antiquity yet the truth is they are fain to invent new things every day to give a new lustre and pomp to their worship they are alwayes devising some new ceremony or other or else it would grow loathsome to themselves This wee have seene in our owne experience the wantonnesse of mens hearts in superstitious ways is very great they invent new ways to uphold their old moth-eaten vanities So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver The Prophet obeyeth God in this other hard command God many times sends his Prophets upon very hard businesses yet they must be willing to serve the Lord in the hardest work and bought her to himselfe for fifteen pieces of silver The word that is here translated bought signifies to digg it is taken as some think from the
being the universall good he must be worshipped alone without mixture There are two things wherein we must take heed of mingling The one is in Divine worship the other is in that great point of Justification It is as much as our lives are worth to mingle in either of these we must keep to the Rule very close and strict in these two rather then in any thing These people had both and God threatens they should be without both seeing they would not keep themselves fully to his institutions they should have none at all they should have neither Gods institutions nor their own VVe are this day much like to Israel In regard of our Civill state much confusion there is in that though not altogether so much as was in theirs And in our Church state wee are very like them we have neither the right way of worship nor the false in regard of the Government of the Church The false is cast away and profest against yet we have not the true Onely here is the mercy of God that we are inquiring after the true seeking the Lord and David our King The Lord give us hearts to inquire to purpose Those who understand the Septuagint shal finde that they translate these foure here Sacrifice Image Ephod and Teraphim by words that onely signifie the true worship and therefore for Image they put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Altar and for the Teraphim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Priesthood and for the Ephod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manifestation a word used for the Vrim and Thummim But the Hebrew is other wayes Sâ—crafice Image Ephod and Teraphim as in your bookes First then to enquire after that which was right the true worship Sacrifice and Ephod what that was and then the other Image and Teraphim Sacrifice They should have no sacrifice at all for since their Temple was destroyed they could never have any That is the reason that they pray with that mighty fervency of spirit that God would build the Temple again as I remember I formerly shewed you out of Buxtorfius Aedifica aedifica aedifica cito cito cito Lord build build build thy Temple in our dayes c. Because they knew they could have no sacrifice so long as their Temple was downe And this was a sad condition they were in this is their lamentable estate to this day they have not the legall sacrifices nor that which was typed out by them There were these three things in their sacrifices 1. Their tendring up of themselves to God the shewing their respect to him in that way he required that was in their Burnt-Offering 2. Seeking the expiation of sinne that was in their Sinne-Offering 3. Seeking for mercy and thanksgiving that was in their Peace-offering Now to have no sacrifice in either of these three kinds that is to have nothing to tender up to the high and blessed God to shew our respect to him to have no means to expiate our sins when we have offended him to have no way to seeke to God for mercy when we need nor to returne praise this must needs be a sad thing This the Jews have not for the present we have Christ who is to us all these the tendring up of him to God is the tendring the greatest respect to God that possibly can be the tendring of him is the expiation for our sins it is the seeking of whatsoever mercy we would have and it is our Eucharisticall sacrifice too for all our mercies But those who are without Christ are to this day without sacrifice they have nothing to tender up to God If thou wilt tender up thy estate thy body or thy liberty or thy name this is no sacrifice acceptable unto God except thou hast Christ to tender up to him and canst tender up all in him and through him then indeed God accepts of these When thou hast sinned what sacrifice wilt thou offer to God to explate thy sin all thy prayers thy teares are nothing except they come with this sacrifice Jesus Christ in him indeed a contrite heart is a sacrifice very acceptable to God But so long as thou art without Christ the judgement of the Iews is upon thee thou art without a sacrifice And without an Ephod By this he meaneth first that they should be without the Priesthood They should not have any Church Officers And secondly they should have no meanes to know the mind of God That is the scope which appeares thus First That by the Ephod is meant the Priests is cleare by that expression 1 Sam. 22. 18. where it is said that Doeg slew four-score five persons that did we are a limen Ephod that is four-score and five Priests Secondly Without the meanes of knowing Gods minde for the Vrim and the Thummim was upon the pectorall upon the breast-plate thas was fastned upon the Ephod So that when they were without the Ephod they must needs be without their breast-plate for the breast-plate was annexed to the Ephod and could not be used for the knowing the minde of God but onely by applying it to the Ephod 1 Sam. 30. 7. David said to the Priest Bring me hither the Ephod and David inquired at the Lord saying shall I pursue after this troope It was by the presence of the Ephod that he did enquire vvhat the minde of God was what he should do in this businesse that he was now about whether he should follow the troope yea or no. And the Text is very observable in the sixt verse you may see at what time it was that David was so carefull to make use of the Ephod to know the minde of God what he should doe he was in an exceeding distressed condition for Ziglag his owne City that he had the charge of was burnt and the men of the City were all in a fretting mood and talked of stoning him because the Amalekites had come in his absence taken away their goods their wives and children and burnt the Towne This is the condition of men in publique places if any thing fall out unsuccesfully the people are ready in rage to fall upon them this makes men in publicke places to be in a hard condition very dangerous and troublesome We had need pray much for them we are ready to envy those that are above us employed in publique services but considering what danger they are in how every thing that falleth out amisse otherwise then we desire the blame is presently laid upon them their condition is not so happy as we imagine This was Davids condition nay the Text saith that being in this condition he and the men that were with him wept so as they had no more power to weep their hearts were so broken yet in this sad and grievous condition he encourageth himself in the Lord his God and he calleth for the Ephod to enquire and know the mind of God what he should do in it You shall observe that
this is the first time we read that David in his VVars and Battells called for the Ephod when he went to Achish then he did not enquire when he invaded the Geshurites and Amalekites before he did not enquire but now when he was brought into straits when his heart was broken when he was in a weeping condition now he calleth for the Ephod VVhen God brings men into straits and humbles them then they will enquire of God to purpose VVe are now about to enquire of God to know his mind but we are not humbled enough our straits have not broken our hearts and perhaps we shall not so readily know Gods mind God may yet humble us more and then when we come to enquire Gods mind it may be to further purpose But to open this garment a little The word Ephod is that Hebrew word which signifies to close in and to compasse about to gird about because of the fitting garment to the Priests and the girding of it about them There were divers sorts of these Ephods one peculiar to the high Priest that you have Exod. 28. 6. Others that the ordinary Priests had that you have in the former places I named about the fourscore and five Priests slain by Doeg A third was common for the ordinary Levites thus Samuel 1 Sam. 2. 18. ministred before the Lord girded with a linnen Ephod And there was a fourth that other people did we are in their holy actions especially before Kings David danced before the Lord girded with a linnen Ephod 2 Sam. 6. 14. And to this day the Jewes have a kind of linnen garment but not of the fashion of our Ephod but some little kind of resemblance to it they wear it upon their heads and so downward VVhen Alexander came to Jerusalem I addus the high Priest came with all his Priestly garments to meet him which caused him to fall down prostrating himselfe before him out of reverence to him Iosephus tels us in that story that the people came with white garments garments that had some kind of resemblance to this Ephod Iosephus saith that this Ephod was a garment but of a cubite long only covering the shoulders and the breast open above and on either side and girt about the breasts others make it a longrobe reaching down to the very feet But there was a robe beside the Ephod the Ephod was over another robe so Christ appeared unto John Rev. 1. 13. Cloathed with a garment downe to the foot and girt about the paps with a golden girdle like the Priests for so they were wont to be arrayed And Revel 15. 6. the Ministers of the Churches called by the name of Angels are described cloathed in white linnen having their breasts girded with golden girdles not girt about their loynes but about their breasts near their hearts That which makes Ministers of the Gospel ready prepared for the work is the girdle of truth and this must be about their hearts if their owne plottings and self-ends shall gird them that is put them on to a readiness to do what may serve for those ends this girdle is not the golden girdle but like that rotten girdle of Jeremiahs Chap. 31. 7. that was profitable for nothing This garment of the Ephod was a holy garment then and others must take heed of medling with such garments or of seeking to imitate to make the like garments We read of Gideon Judges 8. when God had given him a great victory over the Midianites he would imitate this Ephod of the spoil he had gotten of the Midianites he made a rich and glorious Ephod but the Text observeth that thing proved to be the destruction of Gideons house for the people went a whoring after it he made it with a good intention to testifie his thankfulnesse to God for his victory not thinking that ever it should be worshipped It is a dangerous thing for governours to imitate Gods ordinances in garments or the like and to preserve them amongst people though it be with never so good an intention their good intention will not excuse them Gideons presumption in making an Ephod in imitation of the Ephod appointed by God proved to be the destruction of his house yet this was Gideon who a little before had destroyed the altar of Baal though he was so much against Idolatry before yet now he doth that which furthereth Idolatry so many Governours if they take not heed they may pull down one kind of false worship and set up another The Iewes have many mysteries about this garment it would weary you to hear them I shall only observe that which is most usefull for you wee must not read the books of the old Testament as if they concerned us not First upon the shoulders of the Ephod there were set ranks of precious stones upon them were in graven the names of the twelve Tribes according to their generations And in the middle of the Ephod upon the breast-plate which was to be four-sqâ—are there were four rowes of precious stones upon those likewise were ingraven all the names of the Tribes of Israel he bore them upon his heart There is much to be observed in this First Let the Tribes be what they will be in themselves though never so mean yet upon the Ephod they were precious stones The Priest wearing the Ephod was a type of Christ let those who are godly be never so meane in themselves yet in Christ God looks upon them as precious stones Secondly These precious stones that were upon the shoulders of the Ephod are called a memoriall Exod. 28. 12. that was to signifie Christ bearing the names of all the Saints before his Father for a memorial those 12 tribes presenting all the Churches that should be unto the end of the world When God remembers his Church it is thorow Christ God never remembers his Church but it is by Christ carrying it before him that is the comfort of the Saints therefore he can never remember them to revenge himself upon them for he never thinketh of them but only as Christ presenteth them unto him And further A memoriall say the Jewes not onely because the Priests were to beare the names of the twelve Tribes ingraven in those stones for a memoriall before the Lord but to signifie that the Priests themselves were to remember to pray for the Tribes And thirdly A memoriall to signifie that both the Priests and all the people were to remember their godly Ancestors and Predecessors and to follow their vertues and not to be any dishonour unto them But the first is the chiefe these precious stones with the names of the tribes were first upon the shoulder and then upon the heart upon the shoulder this notes that Christ carryes his Church upon his shoulder hee beares the burthen of his Church all their weight all their afflictions upon his shoulder the shoulder of Christ standeth under the Churcher certainly therefore they shall
appeare bright in the very faces and conversations of the Saints that shal strike great feare Holy reverent is thy nâ—me you know it is said of God and so it shall be said of the Saints in that day their graces shall be much raised they shall sparkle with abundance of the graces of Gods Spirit in them their wisdome holiness shall make their faces shine holy and reverent shall be their names Psal 89. 7. God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the Saints those Saints of his who walke close with him have a daunting power in their appearance I appeale to guilty consciences to apostates to professors who have secret haunts of wickedness sometime when you come but into the presence of one who is a truly gracious godly man or woman whom your conscience tels you walkes close with God doth not even the very sight of such a one terrifie you the very lustre of that holiness you see in such a one strikes upon your conscience then you thinke such an one walkes close with God indeed but I have basely forsaken the Lord and have had such a haunt of wickednesse I have brought dreadfull guilt upon my soul since I saw him last Ecclesiasticall stories tell us of Basil when the officers came to apprehend him he being then exercised in holy duties that there was such a majesty lustre came from his countenance that the officers fell down backward as they did who came to apprehend Christ they were not able to lay hold of him Surely when the Saints shall be raised in their holiness when every one of them shall have their hearts filled with holinesse it will cause abundance of fear even in all the hearts of those that converse with them But wicked ones shall feare too as well as the Saints Luke 21. 26. Mens hearts shall faile them for feare it shal be true in these dayes as it was in the destruction of Jerusalem The Saints shall feare the Lord and his goodness the words in the original are they shall feare ad Dominum to the Lord ad bonum to his good It is all one in effect that good that God shall manifest shall cause this feare to be in their hearts You will say what goodnesse what shall that goodness of God be that shall move the hearts of this people with so much feare I will tell you briefly I need not spend much time in it for I have spent a whole Sermon about it when I spake of the last words of the first Chapter of this Prophesiâ— great shall be the day of Jezreel I shal now adde to what I had then This shall be the goodness of God in that day that they shall feare First The goodnesse of God that ever he should regard such a wretched people as we are and pardon all our sins What Israel the ten Tribes who had most wretchedly forsaken God who had crucified Jesus Christ crucified David their King yet that blood they have shed is applyed to them for the pardon of their sin Oh the goodness of God! they shall feare this goodness in being mercifull to such a hard-hearted such a stubborne such a stiffe-necked people as they have been this goodnes of God will break their hearts Secondly then God shal make the difference between him that feareth God and him that feareth him not Then shall God take away all the reproach of his Saints What bitter reproach hath been upon the Saints since the beginning of the world especially since the times of the Gospelâ— Reproach first because they are meane people of the lower sort 2. Reproach because they suffer much and God lets his adversaries prevaile over them 3 Reproach because they waite upon God and God seems not to come the adversaries say where is your God No marvaile you pray and Fast what is become of all Here will be the goodness of God at that day to wipe off all this reproach They shall have so much mercy so much honour from God that it shall appeare before all the world that it was good to waite upon him so much as shall countervaile abundantly all their sufferings they shall blesse God that ever it was put into their hearts to suffer for him to waite upon him And because God foreseeth this what goodness he hath laid up for his people that they shall enjoy ere long and we know a thousand years with him are as one day that is the reason why he suffereth his people to be so under for the present he knows he hath that goodness for them hereafter yea in this world that all the world shal say that God hath dealt well with them that he was not a hard Master to them to make them waite so long and to let them suffer so much as they do I will give you for this one excellent Scripture perhaps you have not considered of the emphasis of the argument that is in it It is Heb 11. 16. They desired a better Countrey that is an heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a City The poor persecuted Saints wandred up down they were content to leave their own Country their estates here and sought another Country an heavenly but they had it not their enemies prevailed over them as if God had forsaken them but God is not ashamed to be called their God what is the argument For he hath prepared for them a City Marke the force of the argument for he hath prepared for them 〈◊〉 City This City is this text I am now speaking of sometimes it is described as a Tabernacle The Tabernacle of God shall come downe from Heaven sometime a City sometime a Countrey sometime a Kingdome sometime an Inheritance Here God hath prepared for them a City that is there is a glorious time for Gods people when they shall have the new Jerusalem come down from heaven unto them Now then saith God though my people be in a suffering condition I am not ashamed to be called their God I am not ashamed to own this people for I have glory enough for them as if God should be ashamed that he should ever professe such an interest in his people and this people professe such an interest in him if there were nothing to come for them if there were not a time to recompence all their suffering As if a Master should own a servant or a Prince a subject if this servant or subject suffer extreamely and hath no help but still when he expects help there comes none and when he thinketh surely now it will come still it fayls him yet if you know that at such a day you shall recompence all this you shall advance him and bring him to such honour that he will blesse God that ever he was in your service you will not be ashamed to owne this servant But if this servant shall suffer in your cause and you