Gods dealing with Nineveh and his wish to be dead verse 1 2 3 4. The Lords reproving of him first by words verse 4. and then by deed for by a Gourd in the shadow whereof being gone out of the City he delighted verse 5,6 and at the want whereof hee repined verse 7 8 9. he is reproved that he should be so much taken up with so smal a thing and yet bee angry at Gods sparing so populous a City verse 10 11. Ver. 1. BVt it displeased Jonah exceedingly and he was very angry 2. And he prayed unto the LORD and said I pray thee O LORD was not this my saying when I was yet in my countrey Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish for I knew that thou art a gracious God and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repentest thee of the evil JOnah is discontented with this mercy of God toward Nineveh and expostulates with him about it applauding himselfe in his former rebellion as having done more wisely in it then in following Gods Call The ground of all which distemper was as appeares that God sparing of Nineveh which it seemes he knew by Revelation or gathered from their repentance or from the standing of the City after the forty dayes were expired was a ready meanes as he thought to make his Ministry and Gods Name and Authority to be vilipended or as tentation is full of invention that such an enemy as they were to be to the people of God was not cut off Doct. 1. Corruptions may lurk and remaine alive in those who have gone through many straits and so might have had them mortified for Jonah after many difficulties is yet passionate and impatient He was displeased exceedingly and very angry 2. It is a great iniquity in the children of men to seeke to have Gods dispensations framed after the molde of their minde for it is Jonah's sin to be very angry and exceedingly displeased with what God did 3. Corruption may sometimes so prevaile with the children of God that it shall not only be a tentation smothered out of love to him within their brest but may also break out with their own consent against God for a season for Ionah vents his passion He prayed unto the Lord and said 4. Much of that which we vent under the name of prayer may indeed be our raving in our Feavers and a letting loose our corruption and passion for that is called prayer here which in effect is a bitter expostulation with God and a venting of his passionate desire to die 5. Crooked wayes for which the people of God have been corrected and which they have been made to condemn may yet again in an houre of tentation be approved and liked of by them for Ionah applauds himself in his former way of rebellion which he had condemned Chap. 2.8 and thinks he had done well Was not this my saying c. therefore I fled c. 6. It is a tentation insident to Adams posterity to presume that they would guide things better if they had their will then God doth guide them for this expostulation implies that he thought it had been better to have gone on to Tarshrsh then to have come to Nineveh as things went 7. A person under tentation will not want his own fair pretences wherewith he may think to justifie his way and to make it specious and seem reasonable for Ionah seemes to have such reasons that he dare appeale to God himself whether he foresaw not wel in his own Countrey that Gods mercy would make his threatning to be in vain and bring his Ministry in contempt and did not wel in flying was not this my saying saith he to God but our reasonings must submit to gods sovereign wil and give place to his infinite wisdom 8. The mercy of God toward lost man is so farre beyond mans mercy that it may sometimes be a discontent to his tenderest children in that he is so merciful for Gods mercy to Nineveh and that he is so gracious and merciful c. is Ionah's eye-sore 9. God is so gracious that as he is not easily provoked by sinners so he is easily when provoked reconciled againe unto them for this Ionah knew in his own countrey that he was a gracious God and merciful slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repented of the evil and this did he now see veryfied 10. It is a great mistake to think that mercy manifested to humble sinners should make them contemne God or his servants it being a most effectual meanes to produce feare of God and respect to his ordinances and messengers Psal 130.4 Therefore is Jonah's reasoning against Gods mercy grounded on a mistake and an evidence of his being carried headlong with passion Ver. 3. Therefore now O LORD take I beseech thee my life from me for it is better for me to dye then to live Jonah subjoynes to his expostulation an impatient wish that God would take him away by death since hee got not his will and could not endure the infamy which he apprehended would come upon him Whence learne 1. Death not as it is a releasement from sin or a chariot to convey us to the place where we will be with God for ever but as it takes away from a present imagined or real bitternesse is the ordinary refuge of imbittered spirits and the back-doore unto which out of impatiency wearinesse of life pride and contest with providence they seek therefore doth Jonah now pray Take my life from me 2. It is the fruit and the evidence of an imbittered spirit that any condition how ill soever seemes better then the present case unto them therefore Jonah thinkes it better to dye then live without any affectionate eye to glory but rather having respect to his rest from present trouble as appeares from Gods reproving of it whereas it ought rather to have affrighted him to think of going out of the world in such a bitter frame 3. The children of God under tentation may be very ardent in expressing the drosse of their owne heart and in seeking that which is altogether wrong for Jonah in his passion beseeches the Lord to take away his life Great is the mercy of Saints in having a Mediatour to reforme their petitions 4. It is a sign af great corruption and selfe-love in men to seek their own contentment and satisfaction in dying or living rather then in these to be subject to the Will of God and it is basenesse and cowardise to seek passionately to be out of this life because of any trouble we may meet with in it in our following of God for such is Jonah's infirmity and this is his reason in his passion take my life from me For it is better for mee to dye then to live Ver. 4. Then said the LORD Doest thou well to be angry The Lord doth first reprove Ionah's passion by Word and appeals to himselfe whether he thought it seemly so to repine
signifying dust we are to understand either that City in Benjamin Josh 18.23 where the Assyrian was to come and which was far from the Philistines hearing or generally a place brought to the dust and made dusty by affliction who therefore are to roll themselves in the dust in token of great sorrow for their dusty and afflicted condition see Ier. 6.26 Doct. 1. As the children of God by their behaviour in trouble are to give no occasion of reproaching unto enemies so are they before the Lord to evidence that they are sensible of his hand for as they are not to weep at all in Gath or where the Philistines may hear it so are they notwithstanding in the house of Aphrah amongst themselves to expresse their sorrow 2. As great afflictions will be very grievous and bitter making men without any regard to themselves wallow in dust and ashes so the sweet use of trouble is when men stoop to their condition and to what it calls unto while Aphrah made dusty by affliction descends to the dust in the house of Aphrah roll c. 3. Our kindly bed in trouble is dust as being dust by our Original and the end of affliction being to let us know we are such In the house of Aphrah or of dust roll thy self in the dust Ver. 11. Pass ye away thou inhabitant of Saphir having thy shame naked the inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth in the mourning of Beth-ezel he shal receive of you his standing The next place mentioned is Saphir the signification whereof leads to this Interpretation That such as dwelt beautifully and pleasantly for so much doth the inhabitant of Saphir signifie should either flee or be carried into captivity by the enemy in much ignominy and reproach as this manner of speech is used to expresse great ignominy put upon captives by licentious souldiers Isai 20.4 47.3 Ier. 13.22 It teacheth that as pleasures and delectable situation and dwelling will be no guard against God pursuing a controversie for sinne so pleasure abused will be forth-coming for double ignominy and will contribute to imbitter a cup of affliction for the inhabitant of Saphir passeth away having her shame naked her glory keeps her not from ignominy and it is so much the sadder as that she had been a Saphir The next place Zaanan signifying a place of concourse like flocks and Beth-ezel signifying a place that is neer lead us to this exposition of the rest of the verse That a place of great concourse and many people shall not come out to help or comfort when their neerest neighbours are mourning the reason whereof is subjoyned in these words He shall receive of you his standing that is Zaanan shall not appear in Beth-ezels trouble as having their own difficulties and learning by the example of their neighbours that there is no standing out or resisting of the enemy or they dare not express compassion as looking that the enemy will settle his camp among them and take a sore recompence if they make him continue in a siege against them Doct. 1. Humane helps and greatest probabilities will prove but vain in a day of vengeance for a place of repair such as Zaanan will not be able to help no not a place neer unto them whereas either their number or the vicinity of the place afflicted might seem to promise otherwise 2. It is an usual thing in a day of calamity to see men selfish and taken up with their own grievances without regarding others and to see the Lord give every man and place so much to do as shall give him no leasure to look about him Zaanan came not forth in the mourning of Beth-ezel c. See Ier. 47.3 3. Universal discouragement ordinarily goes before an instrument of Gods vengeance especially once prevailing to make way for his further successe one place learning by the example of another that there is no resistance for so much doth the first interpretation of that passage He shall receive of you his standing teach 4. However it be both lawful and necessary for a people to bestir themselves for their own defence in danger yet such is the fierceness of Gods anger pursuing forsin as all opposition made to the instruments thereof doth but tend to the opposers greater disadvantage while as the enemies losse of time means or men is made up by their spoil and further ruine for so much doth the other interpretation of that passage which agrees also with the principal scope import Ver. 12. For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good but evil came down from the LORD unto the gates of Jerusalem This verse contains another evidence that there shall bee no standing against that calamity and therefore comes in as a farther clearing of that in the end of the former verse as appears by the Particle for The signification of Maroth which is bitterness and of the Original word rendred waited which signifieth also to be grieved and of the word rendred But which signifies chiefly Because leads to this interpretation of the verse That those whose condition is made bitter by affliction should earnestly expect for some good but in vain they should yet be more grieved for want of it and for disappointment of these expectations and that because the trouble should overspread and reach to the gates of the royal City where the Temple was Whence learn 1. When the Lord ariseth to plead against sinners he can put them in a very disconsolate condition and make all their pleasures end in bitterness for in this calamity there is The inhabitant of Maroth or of Bitternesses even many of them See Ruth 1.20 2 Howsoever afflicted people do usually much look out for some issue yet grief may be oft-times but growing when such as have felt some bitternesse are expecting an end of it for The inhabitant of Maroth was grieved or sick with grief for good which they wanted though they waited carefully for better as the word also signifies See Jer. 14.19 3. Sometime the only comfort left a people in trouble may be this that a greater trouble is coming to shoulder out and make them forget a lesser Evil coming unto Jerusalem to make them forget particular grievances and from the Lord to make them digest the Assyrians fury 4. Afflictions sent from God upon the Church are to be observed and laid to heart as not only sad in themselves but as Presages of great anger to come on the rest of the world beside for they were grieved for good because evil came down from the Lord unto the gate of Jerusalem that added to their grief and was an evidence of their own hopelesse condition Ver. 13. O thou inhabitant of Lachish binde the charet to the swift beast she is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee Lachish a City in the Tribe of Judah Josh 15.21 39. Jer. 34.7 is threatned that they should
more that it hath proved vaine 4. Men without God and not walking in his way are easily confounded when the Lord turneth his hand against them and to do for his people for they who no doubt were insolent and proud before shall lay their hand upon their mouth c. 5. Gods wonderful works of providence in behalf of his people and against their enemies do ordinarily produce but vanishing and empty fruits in the world and amongst enemies as either to confound and astonish them as if they were dumb and deaf when what God hath done for his people is mentioned They shall be confounded they shall lay their hand on their mouth their cares shall be deafe Or if they work any more it is but pretended subjection and friendship out of feare They shall lick the dust like a serpent they shall move out of their holes c. They shall be afraid So hard a piece of work are mens hearts to work upon especially being once engaged in enmity against God and his people and so hard if not impossible is it for any work to work savingly where the Word hath not place and where mens misery and Gods mercy are not discovered to them 6. It is a great proof of Gods power and metter of encouragement to the Church to see their enemies brought so low as to yield if it were but feigned obedience and pretend friendship as is usual in the time of the Churches prosperity for it is an encouragement That they shall lick the dust like a Serpent c. We are to be sensible and warie of the falshood of some who pretend to serye Christ and to be friends to his Church as withal to adore the Power of God making them to stoop so far as to lie as it is Psal 66.3 in the original 7. All the glory of bringing down enemies and the making them to stoop is to be ascribed only to God the Church being so terrible only because of Gods interest in her and presence with her They shall be afraid of the Lord our God and feare because of thee The latter part of which speech may either be understood of God the sweetnesse of the encouragement making them turn the speech to him by way of warme and hearty acknowledgement or of the Church made dreadful because God maketh manifest that he is hers by Covenant Vers 18. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy In consideration of all these encouragements the Prophet in the Churches name concludes all with a commendation of God as singular in his mercy ver 18 19. and his fidelity ver 20. He begins at mercy and sets it out in a speech full of various affections sometime directed to God by way of praise sometime spoken of God for the Churches own encouragement sometime spoken with particular application to themselves sometime with relation to all the people of God to set forth the publick-mindednesse of all such as have obtained mercy He instanceth this singular mercy of God in the matter of pardoning sinne which being propounded in this verse is further cleared from two expressions setting forth more of the riches of this benefit and of the security and comfort may be had by it Doct. 1. Mercies received from God ought to commend and endear hiâ—self to our hearts therefore after rehearsal of mercies he falls to commend the giver 2. The Lord being rightly seene and taken up in himself and his dispensations will be found singular and matchlesse as one of whom we may boast over all idol-gods whose wayes are only best to be followed who will do singular things for his people and make them singular and consequently who ought to be singular in their affection Who is a God like unto thee saith he 3. Gods matchlesnesse appears to his people and doth affect their hearts not so much in acts of his power absolutely considered though they ought to be sensible of these also as in his acts of grace and his being great in his Christ pardoning sin yea when great things are done or promised to them they wonder not so much at these as that his mercy should come over their transgressions to make way for these great things Therefore they declare there is no God like him who pardoneth iniquity and when they heare of all the former encouragements they admire this above them all that their sin had not stood in the way of these mercies and that because the godly are sensible of the desert of sin and of their inability to satisfie justice for it and therefore pardon is sweet above all to them 4. Outward mercies were they never so great and full will never yield true satisfaction unlesse they be joyned with reconcillation with God and pardon of sin so also are we taught here all the former encouragements do refresh when they may also admire and rejoyce in God who pardoneth iniquity 5. God by a free pardon will for his Christs sake lift off and take away the burden of the guilt of sin were it never so great from off his wearied people who flee to him for refuge and so ease them of it and give them ground of quietnesse in their conscience for so doth the word in the Original tendered pardoning import and it is extended even to iniquity and transgression and this is the only way to get true ease and deliverance from sin 6. The self-condemned sinner in looking for pardon from God ought to look upon him as singular and not measure his condescendence or mercy by their thoughts or by any other mould but expect that as he is matchlesse so is his mercy pity and love for Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity doth teach us so much and this is to be taken along with every expression of pardon that he is matchlesse that doth that and doth it matchlesly The first expression clearing this benefit yet further is and â—sseth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage wherepardon is expounded to be a passing over or so to say a seeing and yet not seeing the faults of his people and withal it is declared to whom this benefit doth belong Whence learn 1. So great and many are sinful mans provocations and so great is his inability either to be rid of them or satisfie God for them that there is no way of reconciliation betwixt God and him but by the Lords quiâ—ting the plea and passing over his faults not calling him to any strict account for them and this he doth to those who see their own saults much and flee to him through Christ for he passeth by or over transgression Isa 57.17 18. Gen. 8.21 Psal 130.3 4. 2. These advantages are not to be expected by all but by the Lords own who are his beritage which imports on their part that they close with
the river where it seemed most impregnable and where it seems their Palace was built The gates of the rivers shall be opened As nothing will prove weak which God employeth so nothing proves strong where he is a party 3. Divine vengeance can strike Kings and wicked Rulers not only with judgments abroad on armies or subjects but can pursue them to their very Palaces and pull them down upon their heads for The Palace shall be dissolved Vers 7. And Huzzah shall be led away captive she shall be brought up and her maids shall lead her as with the voice of doves tabring upon their breasts To omit the various Interpretations of this verse I conceive it most clear to expound it of the Queen or generally of the great Ladies who living before quietly and delicately in an established or setled condition as the word Huzzah signifieth shall now be found out and pulled away to go into captivity accompanied with her maids who having been with her in pleasure shall now condole with her and lament her and their own miseries And this is the first effect of the taking of the City Whence learn 1. The most delicate and weak and such as have not been accustomed to hardships may look for a change when they provoke God how stable soever their prosperity seem to be for Huzzah shall be led away captive or discovered and spoiled and made bare as the word also signifieth and it may be she was handled so See Deut. 28.56 57. Lam. 4.5 2. As giving of ones self to much delicacie contributes to embitter afflictions unto them so such as have been companions in pleasure may contribute to set an edge on anothers grief for so are we taught by the example of this mournful company brought out of pleasure to misery and her maids leading her tabring on their breasts for sorrow do help to set before her the bitternesse of her condition 3. It is an addition to common calamities that the afflicted must smother their grief and dare not vent it openly for fear of further injuries from enemies therefore albeit women use most violently to expresse their sorrowes yet her maids lead her as with the voice of doves which is a secret groaning and bemoaning not daring to do it openly Verse 8. But Nineveh is of old like a pool of water yet they shall flee away Stand stand shall they cry but none shall look back Another effect of the taking of Nineveh is the flight of the inhabitants and defendants which is amplified from her former condition that albeit she had been of a long time or since she had a being populous rich and at ease not stirred with commotions as a pond of standing water abounding with fish yet at the enemies entry she should be troubled and forsaken and men should for no intreaty stand to it Doct. 1. Gods former sparing of a people or their quiet prosperity and numbers of men will prove no shelter against Gods judgements when their cup is full for Nineveh is of old like a pool of water yet they shall flee away 2. No encouragements will hearten a people pursued of God and effeminate with security and ease when their day of trouble comes for to such as had lived in her as in a pond Stand stand shall they cry but none shall look back 3. The great desert of sin may be seen in the great changes it brings upon most flourishing places for so in Nineveh of old like a pool of water there is not one now to take her part or abide Verse 9. Take ye the spoil of silver take the spoile of gold for there is no end of the store and glory out of all the pleasant furniture Another effect of the taking of the City is the spoiling thereof by the souldiers unto which as being exceeding great for treasures and precious furniture and that which the Ninevites gloried much in the Lord invites them by his Prophet Doct. 1. Riches jewels and pleasant furniture are so far from delivering in a day of wrath that they are a bait and invitation to enemies couragiously to set upon the enjoyers for so doth the Lords speech Take ye the spoile for there is none end of the store c import that the hope of spoil made the enemies bold 2. God doth justly suffer such to be spoiled of their riches and treasures as are endlesse and immoderate in purchasing and place their glory in such things for so much also doth this speech import 3. However instruments may unjustly deprive wicked men of their gloried in riches yet it is done in the Lords righteous judgement who allowes it to be done though he approve not the way of mens doing of it but will in due time take order with them therefore for albeit the enemies did for their own ends spoile Nineveh yet the Lords invitation Take ye the spoile sheweth that it was righteous with him it should be given up Vers 10. She is empty and void and waste and the heart melteth and the knees smite together and much paine is in all loinee and the faces of them all gather blacknesse The sad case of this taken City is further held forth that it should be made empty and desolate and the inhabitants thereof should be utterly discouraged the inward feeble and desperate condition of their mindes through trouble and feare of death being expressed by usual signes in their body such as the trembling of the knees when the strength and spirits go in to keep the heart Dan. 5.6 pain in the loines expressing the sorrow of a woman in travel Isa 13.8 Jer. 30.6 and blacknesse in the face which is a signe of a deadly condition reaching to the heart Joel 2.6 Whence learn 1. The Lord can and will because of sin lay most populous and flourishing places utterly desolate for Nineveh that great City is empty and void and waste 2. Guilt and the want of reconciliation with God will make men prove great cowards in a day of trouble either in bearing what they are under or in looking to what they may expect for all these signes of discouragement do teach how heartlesse their case was and how little man is able to bear out when he hath to do with a God dealing in justice Ver. 11. Where is the dwelling of the lions and the feeding place of the young lions where the lion even the old lion walked and the lions whelp and none made them afraid 12. The lion did teare in pieces enough for his whelps and strangled for his lionesses and filled his holes with prey and his dens with ravine The greatnesse of this desolation as also the cause procuring it are insinuated in the admiration or insulting of all who see or hear of it wondering what was become of Nineveh which had been a safe and delicate place of abode for magnanimous oppressors both Princes and people who as lions had oppressed all others that they might enrich themselves and their
Admirers of the hand of God against her both these are held forth in that Preface Behold ye among the Heathen and regard and wonder marvellously for I will work a work c. as hath been before explained 4. It is usual that when judgement cometh upon an impenitent people they attain not to any right use of it but are surprised with admiration and astonishment under it for so is fore prophesied even of the Jewes that they shall behold and regard and wonder marvellously at their own calamity and go no further 5. This stupid disposition as it flowes from former contempt of Gods Word which hath so stupified them as judgements cannot pierce so it will prove fruitlesse and doth portend the further ruine of such as continue in it so the Apostle citing this place Acts 13.41 makes clear that they are despisers who wonder as is also clear from v. 4. and that they wonder and perish or vanish that is as their admiration and astonishment usually vanisheth and cometh to nothing without any fruit so such a disposition portends ruine and such a stroak will undo a people they not being able to endure and bear out under both the stroak and fearful astonishment accompanying it 6. As the Lords judgements upon the Church may be far beyond the expectation of the Heathen and her very enemies Lam. 4.12 so it is just with God that those who doting on their priviledges do contemn the Word should meet with unexpected and incredible judgements for so saith he to these prophane Jews I will work a work which ye will not belive though it be told you 7. Divine indignation against sin is more terrible and will appear more sad when it is inflicted then secure sinners do ordinarily imagine so much also is intimated in that this work will be above belief Ye will not believe though it be told you See Psal 90.11 8. The contempt of the Gospel and the rejection of Christ offered unto lost man is the height of iniquity and draws on all the judgements that at any time have been threatened against any sin therefore the Apostle Acts 13.41 denounceth the same judgement here threatened for contempt of the law and sins against the second Table to come upon the Jews who opposed the Gospel and rejected the Messiah as being then fully accomplished when wrath came upon them to the uttermost for casting off of Christ Ver. 6. For lo I raise up the Caldeans that bitter and hasty Nation which shall march through the breadth of the land to possesse the dwelling places that are not theirs The Prophet subjoynes a particular description of this calamity in describing the instruments of it the Caldeans under Nebuchadnezzar their King whose disposition furniture and proceedings are so exactly set down as may confirme the truth of the prediction may set forth the justice of God in repaying the Jewes in their own coine may be terrible to the stout-hearted among them and may confirme the godlies hope of a deliverance from the way of the Caldeans their managing that work This description is contained in several particulars the first is that they are a Nation of a bitter cruel fierce and active temper who therefore to satisfie their ambitious covetousnesse should speedily and without fear over-spread the land of Judea not only to over-run it but to make a Conquest thereof for themselves Doct. 1. When God hath a controversie against a people he will not want instruments by whom he may prosecute it or he can fetch the Caldeans from afar who being already satiated with victories and conquests needed not otherwise much to have minded so remote a corner as Judah 2. Instruments of vengeance upon the Church would be looked upon as imployed by God and therefore the Churches eyes would be more on God then on them for Lo I raise up the Caldeans saith the Lord. 3. It is usual for the Lord to give up troublers and oppressors of the world to meddle also with his Church that it may hasten their ruine however the Church be sinfull therefore the Church is to be chastised by the Caldeans who were the hammer of the whole earth Jer. 50.23 that this might hasten the filling of their cup. 4. The Lord can make holy use even of the sins of creatures imployed for executing of his judgements for He raiseth up the Caldeans that bitter and hastie Nation and makes use of this their temper without any imputation to his holinesse 5. When the Lord armes any instruments with vengeance against a sinfull people they will not want dispositions and successe for attaining his end for if God raise up the Caldeans against the Church then they are not only bitter and fierce but a hastie or active Nation and will march through the breadth of the land without opposition or fear and will not only overcome but so carrie all before them as they may possesse the dwellings that are not theirs without molestation 6. The Lord in executing vengeance doth righteously proportion mens sins and his judgements and pay home transgressors in their own coine therefore the Jews who had been cruel meet now with bitter adversaries and they who had used spoiling and violence towards others v. 2. are now over-run and cast out of their own possessions The like also may be read in the following purpose 7. However men account it purchase good enough when they are able by power to overturne others and sit down in their room yet the Lord doth not so reckon but will put a difference betwixt mens power or possession and their right for albeit the Caldeans conquered Judah yet in the Lords account They possesse the dwelling places that are not theirs Verse 7. They are terrible and dreadfull their judgement and dignity shall proceed of themselves The Caldeans imployed in this work are yet further described that being armed with divine vengeance emboldened with former victories and exercising the same cruelly they should fill the land with terrour and dread of them which they should also tyrannically improve and be their own carvers in all matters of advantage and honour standing to no law either of Nature or Nations in their dealing with a terrified and subdued people but meerly following their own will armed with power Doct. 1. Divine indignation pursuing sinners will take away their heart and courage in a strait and make their enemies terrible to them for so are the Caldeans to the sinfull Jewes terrible and dreadfull 2. When a people do not stand in awe of God speaking from his Word to them he doth righteously send judgements upon them which will cause their hearts to faint for the Caldeans are terrible and dreadfull to these wicked Jews who sleighted the Law God Almighty speaking in it v. 4 3. It is a great height of impiety before the Lord when besides the unlawfullnesse of a war in general and many particular acts of injustice in the heat of hostility a Conquerour even in
times are we little the better but do sit downe in bitterness as if all felicity were lost if we find it not where we expected it and thus do we neglect the true remedy of our gievances and do provoke God to consume our dayes in vanity and our years in trouble Psal 78.33 How great cause then have wee to admire and lament the folly of the children of men who do so farre mistake and upon their mistake do forsake their own mercy whereunto they are led by the discovering of the emptinesse of all things beside God who do quarrell with the wise and holy dispensations of God whereby a foundation might be laid for much good if they were wisely considered when yet their quarrellings can availe or help them nothing and who doe not improve such dispensations for the end for which they are appointed but either sit downe stupidly under them or grow the worse that paines are taken on them or at least doe pine away under the punishment of their iniquity and do howle upon their beds for corne and wine and oyle but return not to the most High Hos 7.14.16 And on the other hand we have cause to admire the mercie of God toward his own chosen ones in that he will so to say make them happy against their wils and when they would destroy and deceive themselves with a vaine shew he in mercy to them wil famish their idols and drive them from snares as he did Lot out of Sodome And when the Lord hath dealt so hardly with them as many times in their bitterness they want language to express it yet he wil let them see their mistake by giving them meat even out of that eater and by setting them on work to mind their country more and to see the Commandments exceeding broad when they have seene an end of all perfection Psal 119.96 And he will discover the riches of his grace and fulness of his spiritual comforts by making his people bless him and acknowledg the mercy of these dispensations which somtimes they so much startled at Psal 119.71 75. and causing the voice of rejoycing and salvation even in the pilgrime tabernacles of the righteous Psa 118.15 Herein Madam your Ladiship hath cause to observe the loving kindness of the Lord toward you who from your tenderest years having been exercised with difficulties of sundry kinds and having experienced this truth of the vanity of all things yet your Ladiship hath obtained mercy to be led thereby and much more by the Law and by the love and hope of mercy through Jesus Christ to seek after a more enduring substance and after Christ that pearle of price which is indeed a token for good even in lots wherein God seemeth to write most bitter things when they set hearts on work this way And as it hath been refreshful to such of the Lords servants and people as know your Ladiships way and exercise to see your sweet submission under the Lords hand and your desire and care to have afflictions rather blessed then removed and to make sure your interest in Christ when the throng of other things might rather have put flesh and blood to other exercise so it hath laid a special obligation upon my self as having been a witness thereunto at several occasions to be instrumental as the Lord shall enable for your Ladiships furtherance and encouragement therein which together with my obligations to make some acknowledgment of the many respects it hath pleased your Ladiship to shew unto me for the truths cause have induced me to make bold in dedicating unto your Ladiship this piece upon some of the Lesser Prophets who were the faithful Interpreters of the Law of God applying the same unto the sins of several times and who do point out the infallible and true causes of calamities lamities with the use to be made thereof and the true remedy thereof to wit Christ the hope of whom to be manifested in the flesh for the Redemption of lost man was the godlies life in these dayes and much more ought he to be so now when the substance is come and that abundance of grace and truth treasured up in him is brought to light by the Gospel If these my weak endeavours may prove serviceable to any of the Lords people in their exercises and journey toward Heaven and in special to your Ladiship that shall be more then abundant recompence unto MADAM Your Ladiships obliged Servant in the Gospel GEORGE HUTCHESON To The READER Christian Reader I Do here present thee with an Exposition of some of the lesser Prophets concerning which and my undertaking thereof I do in the entry give this briefe account As I have looked upon a short Exposition of holy Scripture joyned with the principal doctrines flowing there from after the mould of the Reverend Mr. David Dickson his late peece upon Matthew as a special means through Gods blessing for promoting of truth and piety and for preventing of errours so I little thought to have undertaken any such thing my self when so many godly able and experienced Ministers of the Gospel did not for reasons knowne to themselves put hand to it But being some yeers ago seriously invited with divers others by the Reverend Author of that Exposition on Matthew to concur with him in prosecuting that purpose which he had begun and hath since made further progress into upon the booke of Psalmes I did then essay some of these Prophets being at that time recommended unto me and of late at his desire living now through Gods providence in one City I have looked upon them over again and adventured to present these to publick view if so be it may invite others who have more ability and leisure to mind and help forward such a work upon the whole Bible which is a study beside the profit the Church of God might reape thereby I am confident wil richly recompence the undertakers in their own bosome by many advantages As this recommendation did determine me to the choice of these Prophets in this undertaking so this narration may shorten my account concerning the mould of this piece seeing I have conformed my self so far as my weakness could reach or the nature of the subject being oftentimes very dark and obscure would admit to the mould followed in the Exposition upon Matthew formerly mentioned I have found it necessary beside a short summe of each Chapter in the entrie to premit some short Exposition of the words before the doctrines which is inlarged when neede is in clearing the deductions of each Doctrine In the Exposition I have pointed upon occasion at other Scriptures helping to cleare the place but for the Doctrines I did not set my selfe to bring Scripture confirming them it being my desire that no more be admitted or received here then such as clearly flow from the text in hand only where a passage occured to memory for illustration of the Doctrine I have added it as affording
birth-right for red pottage Gen. 25.29 30. c. 4. The counsel and providence of the Lord extends it self and is exercised not only about his Church but even among enemies he who reignes in the midst of enemies hath to say concerning Edom. 5. Albeit the enemies of God and his people be little sensible of their own condition and what God intends against them yet the Church is not left ignorant of what God will do with these enemies but in his Sanctuary and from his Word it may be seen We saith he that is I and my fellow Prophets Ezchiel and Jeremiab and by our Ministery the Church of God have heard a rumour from the Lord concerning Edom that is some taste of his dark counsel before it break forth in effect 6. It is a comfortable and useful doctrine to the Church to be instructed concerning Gods judgments to come upon her enemies partly that she may be comforted in her troubles in expectation that God will clear his affection toward her in plaguing those that wronged her And partly that she may hereby see what sins especially God is angry at to avoid them for these ends is a Prophet raised up to preach not in Seir but in Judah concerning Edom. 7. War is one of the sharp scourges whereby God punisheth wicked Nations and it cometh upon a people not accidentally but by the especial providence of God who hath Peace and War in his own hand and who when he hath any work to do can make instruments however led by their own principles and ends active and willing For it is from the Lord an ambassador is sent among the Heathen who not only stirs them up but makes them mutually to excite one another Arise ye and let us rise up in battel against her Ver. 2. Behold I have made thee small among the heathen thou art greatly despised The greatness of Edom's calamity by this war is held forth from its effects that hereby the Lord would diminish their number power wealth and reputation and put them beneath all other Nations and load them with contempt and ignominy Doct. 1. What ever instruments be imployed in inflicting any judgement yet God is to be eyed as having chief hand in them all I have made thee small saith the Lord. 2. The Lord pursuing for sin can bring down the greatest person and people in the world and lay them in the dust and poure contempt upon the most honourable I have made thee small and greatly despised 3. As the Lords judgements upon enemies are not readily foreseen or expected by them so when they come they are remarkable and to be remarked so much doth this Behold import 4. Things undertaken by God and foretold by him in his Word ought to be reckoned as certain as if they were already come to passe I made thee small thou art despised saith he Whereas yet it was but in his purpose and not accomplished 5. To be singular in afflictions or judgements or in the measure of them addeth to the weight and renders them more grievous for to be smal among the Heathen or Nations implies not only that Edom was reckoned among the Heathen Nations not of the Church but that God by his judgements should make him one of the smallest of them and that none should be so far brought under as he and this is told him as an aggravation of his stroke 6. As the Lords shewing mercy upon any makes way for mans mercy towards them also in so far as may be for their good Jer. 42.12 So when the Lord becomes a party in anger mens affections and respects will dry up for however Edom was esteemed of before yet when God dealeth with him he is greatly despised Ver. 3. The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock whose habitation is high that saith in his heart Who shall bring me down to the ground Ver. 4. Though thou exalt thy selfe as the Eagle and though thou set thy nest among the stars thence will I bring thee down saith the LORD For further confirmation of the judgement the Lord enlargeth and amplifies the former sentence from several considerations overturning all their vain confidences wherewith they were puffed up as supposing to be exempted from the stroak by them Whereby also the Lord partly discovers their pride and conceit because of these to be one of the causes of his controversie against them and partly also he explaines further the judgement to come upon them by threatning to pull down every one of these confidences and so make them completely miserable and contemptible The first vain confidence is the situation of their hilly Country and their Cities built upon inaccessible rocks of which as of the rest they were intolerably proud as conceiving their Country to be inaccessible and their Cities to be invincible Against which the Lord threatens that though they dwelt as high as the Eagle builds her nest yea as the Stars toward which Eagles mount yet he should reach them and debase them and so their Country should be invaded and their cities taken Doct. 1. Outward advantages and accommodations concurring with a natural heart usually do produce pride self-confidence insolency for Edom whose habitation is high is proud and saith in his heart Who shal bring me down to the ground whereas a renewed heart in all these is poor and dependeth on God 2. The Lord judgeth of mens pride no so much by their outward carriage which may be masked over with a shew of humility as by looking to their heart and diseerning the conceit and losty imaginations that reign there He eyeth the pride of Edoms heart 3. Of all the deceits that men are essayed with self-deceiving is one of the greatest when they are given up to delude themselves with vain imaginations and confidences thine heart hath deceived thee 4. As pride and conceit however it muster up mens excellencies before them is but a deluder and makes a shew of what will prove nothing as being either an evidence of being nothing in reality or that what they conceit of is blasted and withered so in particular however presumtion promise great things to make sinners secure and contemne Gods threatnings yet it doth but deceive and feed with vain hopes and will prove a deceiver in the end when there is most need of what they promised The pride of thine heart hath deceived c. 5. Pride in the creature is looked upon by God as a party against him as striking eminently at his glory in not depending on him and as affecting his throne and therefore provokes God though there were no other quarrel or enemy and ingages him to prove his power in abasing it Therefore that general defiance Who shall bring me down to the ground is answered by God as especially concerned I will bring thee down saith the Lord. 6. The Lord is able to reach man and bring him down in his most
dependent on him who gives or takes them away at his pleasure and according as he hath a people to raise or to ruine for He destroyeth the wise men when he will 4. Mens wisdom and prudence is ordinarily looked upon by God as an enemy to him and ground of a controversie in regard that mens conceit of their wisdom is the cause why they give God little to do acknowledg not his providence but take all upon themselves for this question Shal I not saith the Lord even destroy the wise men out of Edom imports that there is some necessity for his doing of it and that their wisdome may not escape without a stain 5. It is a singular demonstration of Gods Soveraignty and providence in the world when he overturns the wisdome of the wise brings all their well-contrived projects to nought snares them in their own works and counsels makes eminent fooles of them and causes them to reel like drunken men who were in reputation for wisdome for When there is no wisdom in him the Lord declareth himself the Author of it that we may see his hand in it and give him the glory of it and may believe his power to do the like when the wisdom of Adversaries is the Churches fear Shal I not saith the Lord destroy the wise men c 6. However the threatnings of Gods Word may oftentimes seeme improbable when they are pronounced yet in the Lords time the accomplishment will be remarkable for albeit Edom notwithstanding the Lords threatning retain his former wisdom the Lord in his holy providence ensnaring wicked men so who do contemn threatnings when they are not speedily executed Jer. 17.15 yet In that day to wit of his calamity shal I not destroy the wise men saith the Lord Ver. 9. And thy mighty men O Teman shall be dismayed to the end that every one of the Mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter The fifth vain confidence is their valour and strength for which also that Nation was eminent as living by the sword according as was foretold Gen. 27.40 concerning this the Lord threatens to confound with terror the mighty men of their Country or some part of it most renowned for valiant men and called Teman from Esan's Grandchild Gen. 36.15 or from its situation Southward as the word signifies from Judea And so these being laid by there should be an universal slaughter of the inhabitants of the Country at least of every one of note as the word in the Original signifies and is translated so Psal 49.2 and 62.9 and elsewhere as was usual for the Chaldeans to do where they prevailed 2 Kings 24.15 Doct. 1. Natural men are in a sort endless in their carnal confidences and hard to be put wholly from them but when one fails they will have another to flye to Therefore is all this paines taken to shew the vanity of Edoms refuges who if the situation of his Countrey faile him hath treasures to gather forces with and failing that confederates or if they be wanting prudence which hath delivered people in great extremities and if he be yet put to it he hath mighty men to run on all hazards And every one of these needs to be particularly threatned to make them sure of vengeance 2. The terror of God is sufficient to crush and overthrow the mightiest of men mans valour is not terror-proof when the terrour is from God Thy mighty men O Teman shall be dismayed and broken with terror as the word also signifieth 3. As terror upon a people is an ordinary forerunner of great desolation Thy mighty man are dismayed and every one of the mount of Esau cut off by slaughter So where the Lord hath a judgement to go through a Land no probable or promising furniture will turn it away but what would hinder it shall be made uselesse The mighty men shall be dismayed to the end that he may reach his purpose and cut off every one c. Ver. 10. For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee and thou shalt be cut off for ever The Lord having pronounced sentence against Edom proceeds to shew the equity thereof from the cause procuring it upon which the sentence is again repeated In general Gods quarrel against them is for their violent carriage towards Judab for which they are again threatned Doct. 1. As the Lord doth not strike a people but where he hath a just quarrel so the stupidity of men in not laying sin to heart and their blindnesse and self-love is such as Gods quarrel will not be taken up till himselfe discover it Therefore doth the Lord himself here reveal it 2. Of all the injuries and evil deeds committed by wicked men none are so remarked or so suddenly and severely punished as the injuries they do to the Church and people of God The Lord threatens Edom for violence against Jacob as if he had committed no other fault and as filling his cup speedily 3. The Lord will not forget enemies their interest in and obligations to the people of God whom they oppresse that thereby he may aggravate their guilt and double their punishment Therefore the Lord reckons Edoms kindred to Jacob that his unnaturalnesse might appear and to be a ground of the sentence Thy Brother Jacob. 4. Much ignominy and shame is abiding those especially who ought to be friends and are foes to the Church of God partly in that they shall be disappointed of their expectation to see the Churches ruine and partly in that judgements from God shall make them base and contemptible if not also confound them with horror that they should have taken part against the Church with those who ruine themselves for shame shall cover Edom when he is destroyed by the Chaldeans with whom he joyned against Judah 5. Judgements upon the troublers and enemies of the Church are without moderation and hope of recovery as coming from the hand of Justice and of a jealous God Thou shalt be cut off for ever for however there may be some relenting under this or that particular stroake yet unlesse that repentance prevent justice makes what they get but an earnest of more and pursues them to all eternity as this stroake of Edom is expounded Mal. 1.4 Ver. 11. In the day that thou stoodest on the other side in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces and forreigners entred into his gates and cast lots upon Jerusalem even thou wast as one of them Edom's violence is more particularly described by shewing positively what he had done to wit that in the day of the Churches trouble he not only was an idle spectator as to assisting of his brother but concurred with the enemy as one of themselves to help forward the affliction VVhence learn 1. Many sad afflictions may come upon the priviledged people of God when God is provoked and those not onely cleanly trials and sufferings for Truth which have their large
allowance of comfort but judgements full of bitternesse and calamity for here Strangers carry away their forces enter the gates by force and cast lote upon Jerusalem or divide their prey by lots as Joel 3.3 Nahum 3.10 2. However the Lord in great feverity punish his people yet he hath an eye upon the carriage of every instrument of their calamity to requite them accordingly and would have his humbled people comforted in believing that his love is such as to do so for whereas it might have been thought that the Lord when he was afflicting Judah had cast of all pity towards them yet afterwards he reckons with Edom for his behaviour as that which he had narrowly marked and revealeth this Doctrine to the Church for her comfort 3. An idle beholder or on-looker on the people of Gods distresse as not concerned or affected with it is in Gods account an enemy especially being one who is obliged to do otherwise for it is a part of Edom's violence and cruelty that He stood on the other side staid aloof looked on and came not near to condole as the same word in the Original is used Psal 38.11 4. It is horrible wickednesse before God and will be especially remarked by him when false brethren not only countenance but actively concur and partake with enemies in oppressing the Church of God Even thou wast as one of them in all their hostility and a remarkable one as being not only a brother and they but strangers and forreigners but a most active instrument setting on the rest Psal 137.7 Ver. 12. But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distresse Ver. 13. Thou shouldst not have entred into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity yea thou shouldst not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity Ver. 14. Neither shouldest thou have stood in the cross way to cut off those of his that did escape neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distresse Edoms violence is yet further described by shewing negatively what he ought not to have done and yet did to wit that in the day of Judah's calamity by the Caldeans he a brother who is borne for adversity Prov. 17.17 ought not to have looked on their condition with delight nor insulted and spoken blasphemously against God and his people as this is expounded Ezek. 35.12 13. not entred the City with the enemies and spoiled them of their goods nor have laid wait for such of the Jewes as fled to cut them off or deliver them into the enemies hand Doct. 1. The houre of the Churches trial and conrection is a very sharp dark and violent blast It is a day of calamity destruction and distress a day wherein he becomes a stranger That is not dealt with as a priviledged people but as strangers and sent to a strange Country in exile and were exercised with strange lots The Churches heinous sins and Gods jealousie over his confederate people causeth this and withal the Lord mindeth to haste over the Churches affliction and therefore sends it thick on 2. The Church of God suffering much must not therefore think to be exempted from more trial but must by what they suffer be taught submission to yet further exercise if the Lord will For Judah in their distresse and calamity must yet have more from Edom. 3. However wicked men walk after the lusts and passions of their own hearts and stick at nothing which they will and have power to effect yet the Lord will let them know that they stand obliged by a Law to duty the violation whereof he will remark aggravate and punish For though Edom satisfied himself and his passion in what he did against Jacob yet the Lord tells him thou shouldest not have done thus and thus but wast obliged by the Law to do otherwise being both a brother and a neighbour 4. To adde affliction to the afflicted is great cruelty especially when it is done by those from whom comfort might in reason be expected Thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger c. This adds to Edoms sin that he chose such a time wherein to let out his hatred 5. As a careless or greedy look on the affliction of the people of God as it were a pleasant spectacle is a further degree of their triall and affliction So it is Esau-like and the badge of a reprobate condition to take pleasure in such a sight For it is twice marked that hee looked on the day of his brother as an evidence of his cruelty in adding that to their affliction See Ps 22.17 6. As rejoycing of enemies and their blasphemies against God his truth and his peoples priviledges in him is an usuall and sore triall of the Church when she is in affliction So it is the badge of wicked men to become insolent with successe and a cause wherefore God will plead with them For it is another challenge as for great cruelty that Edom rejoyced over Judah in the day of their destruction and spoke proudly in the day of distresse 7. The Lord will not forget the least injures done by any to the Church even when greater wrongs are in doing to them which might seem to hide the lesser For albeit the Caldeans were now bringing all to ruine yet the Lord takes notice of an insolent eye proud looks entering into the gate and laying hands on substance 8. Apostates and false brethren are most cruel enemies and persecuters of those whom they desert For Edom the brother beside all his insulting and joyning with the enemy did yet more and stood in the crosse way to cut off those that did escape and delivers up the remnant when it seems the Caldeans had given over 9. Even when God is afflicting his Church and letting loose the reins to the fury of men against them yet he doth not quit his interest in them For in the midst of all this storm from the Chaldean and Edom the Lord gives them the Covenant-title My people as not onely standing unrepealed but forth-coming for much sympathie from God and a reason why he thus pleads their cause Sin may procure affliction but every provocation will not make void the Covenant Ver. 15. For the day of the LORD is neer upon all the heathen as thou hast done it shall be done unto thee thy reward shall returne upon thine ownâ— head 16. For as ye have drunk upon mine holy mountain so shall all the heathen drink continually yea they shall drink and they shall swallow down and they shall be as though they had not been The
out a great winde into the sea and there was a mighty tempest in the sea so that the ship was like to be broken Followeth Jonah's correction The Lord by a violent tempest likely to break the ship pursues him till he bee found guilty and cast into the sea Whence learn 1. A storm will sooner or later overtake them who rebel against God though they were his own people for Jonah went on in his way but the Lord sent out a great wind c. 2. God is Sovereign Lord of the winds and in the sea as well as the dry land and can arm any creature he pleaseth against a rebel for The Lord sent out a great wind and caused a mighty tempest in the sea 3. To be in company with wicked men or with men in a wicked way of rebellion against God is dangerous and may involve the society in hazards with them for the ship was like to be broken and all the rest in danger of perishing with Ionah Ver. 5. Then the Mariners were afraid and cryed every man unto his god and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea to lighten it of them but Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship and he lay and was fast asleep In the next place we have some effects and consequences of this tempest by which at last Gods purpose in it is brought forth The first effect upon the Mariners is fear stirring them up to do all that is usual in such desperate cases for their own relief both such means as they accounted divine in calling on their gods and such as were humane in casting out of their commodities to lighten the ship all which is amplified from Jonah's security who in the mean time was sleeping Doct. 1. God can shake and by trouble will shake the hearts of stoutest men and make them fear for the Mariners otherwise stout at sea are afraid 2. Men may be afraid and much exercised about troubles whom yet the Lord intends not to hurt by them for the Mariners are afraid of the storm sent out to pursue Ionah and not them however they had their own gross sins 3. Even natures light may teach men to ascribe singular effects to the hand of a Sovereign Lord and that without acknowledging thereof there can be no safety in eminent dangers for so doth these Pagans practice teach us while in their fear they cried every man to his god 4. As natures light in corrupted man will mislead him in taking up the true God so when men turn their back upon the true God and the knowledge of him they become vain in their imaginations and endless in their seeking out of false gods and confidences therefore among Pagans even in one ship there are more false Gods then one worshipped They cryed every man to his god There is no certainty when the true God is forsaken 5. Although men ought not to be unwilling to yeild up their life to God when or wheresoever he in his providence shall bee pleased to call for it yet life is so precious that nothing worldly beside is too dear to be employed for preservation of it Natures light teacheth this to these Mariners who cast out the wares that were in the ship to essay if that could be a means of preserving their life 6. Ordinarily those who are most guilty and whom affliction is pointing at are most secure under it for all this while Jonah the guilty man was fast asleep 7. The conscience of a renewed man may after it is wounded by a grosse sin be a very dead and stupified conscience for a time for Ionah flying from his Master in the midst of the storm lay fast asleep and was gone down to the fides of the ship for that end 8. It is ordinary for guilty consciences to think to shift and sleep away challenges without essaying the true remedy for Ionah in his rebellion was gone down to the fides of the ship to sleep away his trouble Ver. 6. So the shipmaster came to him and said unto him What meanest thou O sleeper Arise cal upon thy God if so be that God will think upon us that we perish not To the end the Lord may discover the guilty man and cause of this tempest as he made the Mariners sensible themselves so the Shipmaster is set on work to waken Ionah to try his interest with his God whom they knew not yet to be the true God if possibly he had more power or good will to such as worshipped him then theirs had Which is the first step to his discovery Doct. 1. A childe of God may sometimes miscarry so far through infirmity negligence and tentation that even a Pagan by natures light may see him reproveable and blame-worthy for so is Ionah reproved by the shipmaster What meanest thou c. 2. It is deeply censurable and absurd even to natures eye to be secure in trouble What meanest thou O sleeper arise c. 3. Variety of false Gods hold men in great suspense and incertainty therefore every man having cryed to his god ver 5. yet they are not setled but will have Ionah to essay his God if he be better then the rest Arise call upon thy God so much also doth that doubtful speech if so be that God will think upon us c. import in this place in part 4. Natures light will acknowledge that he who is the true God hath power to deliver in most extreme dangers for in this great tempest they assert it If God think on us we will not perish 5. Howsoever in a calme day nature conceit and boast of merit yet in a strait even natural men are forced to have their recourse onely to the favour of God for these Pagans have no ground of hope that they shall not perish but in Gods thinking or being bright and shining as the word signifies that is looking favourably on them Ver. 7. And they said every one to his fellow Come and let us cast lots that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us So they cast lots and the lot fell upon Jonah The second effect of this tempest tends to a further discovery of Jonah to be the guilty man Hee being awaked and not confessing his sin the tempest continues notwithstanding all they had done Therefore the mariners in stead of searching every man into himselfe that all might take with guilt and finde favour begin to suspect that God was pursuing some notorious guiltinesse in some of them and none voluntarily confessing it they resolve with common consent to seek it out by an extraordinary way of lots Wherein whatever fault there was yet Gods providence ordered it so as the lot fell on Jonah to awake his conscience Doct. 1. Nature may lead men so far as in great difficulties to take up sin to be the cause thereof for so much doth this consultation import which however it was true in this case
are able before naturall men that they may have no occasion to think basely of him For so much also doth this description of God The God of heaven which hath made the sea and the dry land intimating that hee onely had raised that tempest import 4. It is a fearfull condition to be found in a way of rebellion against the great and mighty God therefore these Pagans hearing of the greatnesse of God and of Jonahs fact were exceedingly afraid and said unto him Why hast thou done this c. 5. The more men see of Gods hand in judgments especially that he is pursuing for sin they will affect the more For they who were afraid before at the tempest ver 5. now when they see God pursuing Rebellion by it are exceedingly afraid 6. The light and judgment of naturall men may be more cleer in many things then the light of a childe of God under tentation For they fear exceedingly and tremble at what Jonah hazarded upon in fleeing from the presence of the Lord Why hast thou done this c. Vers 11. Then said they unto him What shall wee doe unto thee that the Sea may be calme unto us for the sea wrought and was tempestuous 12. And he said unto them Take me up and cast me forth into the sea so shall the sea be calm unto you for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you Jonah being now found out and by his own confession convicted of guilt pronounces his own sentence against himselfe that he as the cause of all their trouble should be cast into the fea in regard that it still raged testifying that Gods anger was not appeased Doct. 1. Confessing yea and repenting for scandalous sins will not sometimes exempt from such correction as may make the guilty see more of Gods displeasure and so the desert of sin For albeit Jonah had now confessed his sin and that with remorse as may appear from the confession and that which followeth here yet the sea wrought and was tempestuous as seeking him 2. It is a kindly fruit of affliction when men are taught tendernesse and humanity and a greater subjection of spirit to follow the revealed will of God under it therefore the Mariners in this strait consult with Jonah himself What shall we do unto thee as minding in humanity and compassion to do nothing without his own consent and intending to reverence what he should say as being a Prophet of God 3. A sinner truly humbled will be sensible of the huge desert of sin and will submit and reverence the righteousnesse of God in saddest punishments Therefore Jonah counsels Take me up and cast me into the sea not out of any bitterness or hatred and wearinesse of his own life but from a Prophetick spirit knowing Gods mind and from the sense of sin acknowledging the equity of the sentence in his conscience 4. It will be most sad and bitter to an humbled sinner to be accessory by his provocation to the affliction of others and to be a drawer on of common calamities Cast me forth saith he so shall the sea be calme unto you for I know that for my sake c. Ver. 13. Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land but they could not for the sea wrought and was tempestuous against them Ver. 14. Wherefore they cryed unto the LORD and said We beseech thee O LORD we beseech thee let us not perish for this mans life and lay not upon us innocent blood for thou O LORD hast done as it pleased thee 15. So they took up Jonah and cast him forth into the sea and the sea seased from her raging Jonah having pronounced sentence against himself the Mariners execute it but first out of compassion toward him they used their utmost endeavours to get to any land by rowing but to no purpose for God made the sea fight against them Therefore they pray and protest that their executing of the sentence might not be imputed to them as blood-shed he being innocent in respect of them and what they were now to do being undertaken only in obedience to Gods Soveraigne providence and will revealed by Jonah himself And on these conditions they proceed to execution upon which followeth their deliverance from their strait Doct. 1. Even humanity in natural men will be tender and compassionate towards those who are in trouble though justly procured especially if they know them to have relation to God and to be sensible of their condition Therefore albeit Jonah had been the cause of their trouble yet looking on him as a Prophet of God and pitying him when they heard his confession and sentence against himself they rowed bard to bring it to land and would trouble themselves to exempt him 2. Even refined nature hath an antipathy against blood-shed and manslaughter if in justice it could be avoided This appears in their endeavours and earnest protestations before they execute a just sentence 3. The utmost endeavours of men will not frustrate the purposes of God nor free a guilty sinner from his stroak For they rowed hard to exempt him but the sea wrought and was tempestuous against them as pursuing him and them also if they did not what God revealed to be their duty 4. God in his Sovereignty disposeth of all things at his pleasure and will This do they acknowledge and see in this sentence Thou O Lord hast done as it pleased thee 5. Extremest necessities give no latitude to men to do any thing but what is warranted of God For they judg that no necessity could free them from the guilt of innocent blood in casting out Jonah but only Gods revealed will For say they as a reason Thou O Lord hast done as it pleased thee 6. Men are to go about actions in obedience to the Sovereign will and pleasure of God revealed to them which otherwise their inclinations are much averse from For in obedience to the Lords will They took up Ionah and cast him forth much against their own hearts 7. As God is a severe chastiser of rebellion in his own dearest children so rebellion against him deserves that the Rebel should be cut off in a violent way and that the Lords earth or sea should not carry him For so is Ionah cast forth into the sea 8. The execution of justice upon the guilty in a society is a means of turning away judgements from the rest For Ionah being cast forth the Sea ceased from her raging See Ps 106.30 Ver. 16. Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD and made vowes All those passages are amplified from an effect they had upon the Mariners who abserving all that was done and having no doubt heard Ionah preach more of God then is recorded as appears from ver 10. are moved to tremble and fear the true God and testified it by sacrificing unto him whether presently they being as yet ignorant or at
no better in their own eyes then dead and rotten in their graves For thou hast brought up my life from corruption that is his body from the fishes belly where it was as in a grave ready to rot and his soule from those terrours that would haue consumed him 8. In Gods working for his people much of his power and love is to be seen and acknowledged This is imported in that sweet compellation O Lord my God The Lord who hath brought him out of deaths pangs and his God who had respected him in this low and guilty condition Ver. 7. When my soule fainted within me I remembered the LORD and my prayer came in unto thee into thine holy Temple Ionahs exercise and deliverance is againe summed up in this that when his spirit was ready to faint under a burthen of affliction and terrours of conscience he calling God to minde found incouragement to pray and got audience Learn hence 1. The spirits of men how stout and couragious soever yet being left alone in trouble and tentation will soone be overthrown and faint for his soule fainted or was overwhelmed with anxiety within him 2. Before the Lord doe for his people he uses to lay them and all their courage once by that he may staine the pride of all glory and no flesh may glory in his presence for saith he my soule fainted within me 3. Much unbelief and discouragement flowes from ouâ— infirmity and weakenesse in not fixing our hearts to meditate on God casting off other perplexing thoughts which we cannot resolve and in not pondering seriously what God is and wil be to his people or hath at any time been unto our selves therefore his remedy and antidote against fainting is I remembred the Lord. 4. Remembring and serious apprehension of God by faith is a notable encouragement to prayer and gives a good account of prayers successe whereas to the misbelievers sense his prayers wander and go he knowes not whither I remembered the Lord and my prayer came in unto thee 5. Gods mercy is to be much seen and magnified in his answering of his peoples prayers in their distresse My prayer saith he Came into thy holy Temple that is into heaven the habitation of thy holinesse where it was a wonder such a rebels prayers should be admitted and were accepted by vertue of the Covenant and Promise made in Christ not for any worth in them 6. Gods manifestation of himself in any place calls for holinesse therefore is not only heaven but the Temple at Jeâ—usalem called Thy holy Temple or the Temple of thine holinesse because not only he is holy but his presence there calls for holinesse in all that approach unto him 7. To be delivered from fainting in trouble and to get accesse unto God by prayer it the childe of Gods greatest mercy in trouble as speaking special love whatever his outward issue be therefore doth Jonah so much insist in commending this mercy of enlargement of soul and support ver 2 4 and 7. Ver. 8. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy From all this his exercise and deliverance he gathers some Conclusions by way of instruction and use from it and first he gives out his verdict of all by-wayes as depriving man of true happinesse and disapointing him in the end by which we are not only to understand the courses of gross Idolaters but more generally all courses which men lay down for attaining happinesse in any thing beside God and particularly his own former folly and â—ebellion wherein imagining to have found happinesse and content he by the contrary ran quite from it and plunged himself in misery Doct. 1. The experience of Saints from many changes and variety of conditions ought to imprint in their hearts more serious and settled thoughts concerning true happinesse and the right way of attaining it therfore Jonah thus exercised and daunted gathers this Conclusion as a certain Truth They that observe c. 2. All things beside God when they are not made use of if lawful for the end for which God appointed them but happinesse sought in them or confidence placed on them and all wayes and courses beside these prescribed of God will not be able to answer the expectation of the creature but being observed as mans happiness they are vanities in regard of their emptiness to supply the creatures need or to satissie its desires and lying vanities in regard that for the present if we be not attentive they delude us with a vain shew and in the issue doe miserably disappoint 3. Albeit things stand thus yet men are so deluded and doated that they will place their confidence and look for happiness in those things which will disappoint them for there are who observe with all estimation care and expectation depend upon and pursue after lying vâ—nities 4. Men by their pursuing happinesse not in God noâ— in his way do indeed deprive themselves of happiness and consequently run upon their own ruine Therefore such do for sake mercy for as happiness is only to be found in God so they who follow vain courses do in effect renounce and forsake God who will not be joyned with Idols and withal is provoked to plague such things as we put in his roome 5. The portion of such as seek happinesse in God and in his way only is mercy and what mercy in so all-sufficient a God can afford Therefore men taking another way forsake mercy that is their happiness flowing from the infinite mercy of God all happinesse to lost man being mercies gift 6. Men by forsaking of God can take nothing from him but all the prejudice redounds to themselves for they forsake their owne mercy but do not deprive him of happinesse 7. Men in their forsaking of God or his way can have no just challenge or ground of exception against him as putting them away but must take all the blame upon themselves for it is their own mercy which they forsake their own I say by offer for God notwithstanding his secret purpose yet secludeth not any from mercy to whom the offer is made till they seclude themselves Vers 9. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving I wil pay that that I have vowed salvation is of the LORD The second conclusion that Jonah gathers is that seeing the Lord had thus in his folly reclaimed him and in his deep distresse delivered him he will testifie his thankfulnesse by offering praise and performing what he had vowed in his trouble and will learne by this experience that deliverance can be expected from God only and may be expected from him Doct. 1. Received mercies call for praise at the Receivers hand as a testimony of his thankfulness for the mercâ—e and of his estimation of God who gave it and as a means speeding in new straits for Jonah thus delivered will sacrifice c. 2. The Lords crossing and afflicting us in our wandrings till we be brought
accountable to God for it and to examine how it is done whether well or not for so doth Gods challenge to give an account and to examine teach Dost thou wel c 2. To be excessively discontent at Providences especially for small matters is a thing no way beseeming the servants of God for this also is imported in the challenge that it was not right in him a Prophet to be angry yea exceedingly angry as the words may be read for the gourd 3. The pride of mans heart is such that it will justifie it selfe and stand it out even against the verdict of God if hee be given over to tentation for so doth Jonah's Answer to the Lords question teach I doe wel saith he to be angry or I am greatly angry even unto death Nothing will please him but death to bee by it rid of those troubles Ver. 10. Then said the LORD Thou hast had pity on the gourd for the which thou hast not laboured neither madest it grow which came up in a night and perished in a night 11. And should not I spare Nineveh that great city wherein are more then sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand and also much cattel The Lord doth now apply all that is past to his present purpose and from this discontent of Jonah le ts him see the absurdity of his former murmuring for if hee had given way to himselfe so passionately to commiserate so smal a thing as a gourd in producing whereof hee had no hand which was of so short continuance and which needed no pity and that onely because he received some profit and refreshment by it why did he so much stumble that the Lord spared Nineveh which was his handy work and every way considerable there being so many in it that eminently called for pity being neither sensible of any thing nor yet by grosse actual transgressions had provoked the Lord to denounce that judgement So that here the Lord is not approving Ionah's passion but by a reason drawn from the less to the more wherein Ionah a creature and the great Lord a stick and great Nineveh are compared Ionah is convinced of selfishnesse in approving himself in doing that unjustly which he condemned in God when done most mercifully and rightly Doct. 1. Self-love will easily blinde men so far as to make them approve themselves in doing of worse things then those they condemn in others for this is the scope of this reproof to shew Jonah that he would not allow the Lord on just causes to be merciful and yet could allow himself in his selfish passion 2. Much more latitude ought to be allowed to God in his way of working without our quarrelling then we may take to our selves for saith the Lord Thou who mayest be blinded with fancie and humour hadst pity and allowedst thy self in it and should not I a wise and sovereign Lord spare Nineveh being he to whom absolute submission of spirit is due though I thus reason thee out of thy folly 3. The Lord can easily take off the veile of fair pretexts from selfish men and let them be seen in their owne colours for whatever Ionah might pretend as the cause of his grief for Ninevehs sparing the Lord by this demonstrates that his bitterness flowed indeed from love to himself as might be seen in the matter of the Gourd 4. Men under tentation and in an ill way are not without much difficulty convinced that they are wrong therefore the Lord useth all these meanes that Jonah may take with the reproof when by lively demonstrations and deeds he should see his errour Thou hadst pity upon the Gourd c. And should not I spare Nineveh 5. The Lord is so constant in his good-will that he will not only shew mercy but wil maintain his so doing against all who will oppose it for here he pleads for his mercy to Nineveh against Jonah Should not I spare Nineveh 6. The Lord by his practice teacheth us to let out our affections upon objects according as they are of worth in themselves therefore albeit nothing can be of worth to him yet he reprehends Jonahs pity on the gourd a thing of so smal worth coming up in one night and perishing in another as far worse imployed then his mercy in sparing Nineveh that great City and therefore the more to be tendered by him 7. The Lords creating of men may give ground of hope to the sensible sinner that God delights not in his destruction but upon repentance will be willing to spare for while he reasons from Jonahs pity on the gourd for which he had not laboured neither made it grow he teacheth that he could not but spare repenting Nineveh it being his own handy-work 8. Not only persons come to maturity and turning to God but even their children yea and cattel who cannot sensibly acknowledg him do concur to plead for pity to the penitent at Gods hands and his mercy will look on their condition and number as a reason of sparing for he knoweth what Infants are in Nineveh how innocent they were of grosse provocations and that there was much cattel there and from that pleads that so great a City wherein there are so many Infants and so much cattel should be spared 9. The children of the Lord will at last be cleared and satisfied with all the Lords dispensations and will submit to Gods way in them as only right and wise however they repine under their fits of tentation for the Lord gets the last word in this debate and therefore it is evident from Jonah's silence and not answering again that he submitted at last in testimony whereof and of his unfeigned repentance for his miscarriage he glorifieth God in registring all these passages for the edification of the Church whereby also is held forth the infallible certainty of holy Scripture in that the Penmen thereof were so little their own in writing of it as they spare not at Gods command to register their own infirmities that he may be glorified MICAH The ARGUMENT THis Prophet living almost in the same time with Isaiah only he was sent out a little after him and his commission is also extended to the Kingdome of Israel is much like him in matter and is recorded in after-times to have been a faithful man in declining times as it is Jer. 26.18 If we compare the beginning of the first and the sixth Chapters which are almost one and the same we may take up the whole Prophecie in two solemn Sermons in the first whereof he foretels the captivity of the ten Tribes and calamity of Judah by the Assyrians because of Idolatry Chap. 1. and because of covetousnesse oppression and contempt of the Messengers of God Chap. 2. and the wickednesse of Rulers both in Church and State for which Judah is yet further threatned Chap. 3. Then he armes the godly against the Babylonish captivity then approaching with
will external reformation hold it off but rather ripen the faster for it for it was their presumption even under reforming Hezekiah to say Is not the Lord among us no evil can come upon us so long as they had not repented indeed as it is Jer. 26.18 19. 12. God will approve of no faith but such as is fruitful and stirs up men to purifie and cleanse their heart and way for they are here challenged that when they have done all the former iniquities and are going on in them Yet they wil lean upon the Lord or pretend to true faith whereby a man casts himself and all his burdens on God and say Is not the Lord among us Ver. 12. Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field and Jerusalem shal become heaps and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forrest Followeth the Lords sentence subjoyned to this accusation He threatens that for their sinnes the stately buildings of the holy City should be made desolate heaps and the ground it was situate upon especially the Kingly dwelling should become arable and to be plowed as a common field and that the mountain Moriah whereon the Temple stood should become wilde and dishaunted as a forrest and filled with shrubs and bushes See Chap. 1.6 Doct. 1. No place or visible Church hath any such priviledge but that sinne will make it desolate for no place hath such promises as Zion Jerusalem and the mountain of the house had and yet they were to be plowed as a field c. 2. The servants of God must be bold and faithful not onely in speaking against the sins of the Rulers but even against a Church having great priviledges when she is found in transgression for this passage is recorded as a proof of Micah's fidelity Jer. 26.18 3. It is our duty to look upon sin and to be affected with it not only as procuring corrections upon our selves but especially as it hath an hand in drawing on calamities on the Church and Kingdom where we live this he tells them For your sake Zion shal be plowed as a field and Jerusalem shal become heaps and the mountaine of the house as the high places of the forrest 4 Universal defection of a Land especially of Rulers and Teachers in their Offices and Judicatories will bring on speedy desolation unlesse that by repentance it be prevented as the execution of this threatning was in Hezekiahs dayes Jer. 26.18 19. For your sakes Zion shal be plowed c. saith he to the corrupt Rulers and Teachers in regard their corruption had a chief hand in procuring this ruine and could not but involve the people in the like defection to hasten the judgement 5. Judgments on a backsliding Church are most severe and sharp howsoever there be moderation in them to the Elect for no lesse is here threatned then being plowed as a field becoming heaps and as the high places of the forrest So great a sin is the contempt of mercy offered to a Church 6. As for this part of their calamity that the ground whereon the holy City and Temple stood was plowed as a field albeit when it was first denounced in Hezekiahs dayes it was suspended on their repentance Jer. 26.19 And albeit we find not that it was accomplished at the first destruction of the Temple yet common history informs us that after the second destruction thereof it was performed by the Romanes who according to their custome plowed up the very ground whereon the Temple had stood in sign of perpetual desolation So infallibly certain is the Word of God that after so long a tract of time it will take effect albeit upon repentance it had been delayed yea and after they had past through many troubles and had been delivered and so might think they had done with it yet upon new sin and provocation that sentence is still standing against them and at last takes effect CHAP. IV. IN this Chapter which agrees with Isai 2 1 c. the Lord comforts the godly against the calamities which were foretold Chap. 3.12 by setting forth the glorious blessings of Christs Kingdome or of the Church of Jewes and Gentiles under the Messiah wherein is contained the glorious excellency and increase of the Church v. 1 2. her peace and tranquillity under the government of Christ ver 3 4. her zeal and constancy in Religion ver 5. and her delivery from former misery such as Israel was to be under ver 6 7. To whom which is the second part of the Chapter he makes a more comfortable and particular application of the Promises by promising that the Kingdom as it was of old should begin at them ver 8 and by shewing his mind concerning their troubles ver 9 10. and concerning the enterprises of their enemies ver 11 12 13. Ver. 1. BVt in the last dayes it shall come to passe that the mountaine of the house of the LORD shall be established in the the top of the mountaines and it shall be exalted above the hils and people shal flow unto it 2. And many Nations shall come and say Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD and to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his pathes for the Law shal go forth out of Zion and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem The first Promise for comfort of the godly contains the excellency of the Church and accession of many Nations to it It hath two branches First That however the Church of the Jewes was to be in great misery for sin yet it should come to passe in the dayes of the Messiah that the Church called by the name of old Zion or the mountain of the house as best known to the Jewes and the Church of Israel as eminent and chief among the rest should be glorious and exalted above every society that is excellent in the world as if the mountaine whereon the Temple stood were made higher then any hill or set upon the top of them Whence learn 1. As the Spirit of God is a Spirit of unity and doth not differ from himself in his manifestations to his servants so it is a comfortable thing when the Messengers of God do concur and unite in bearing testimony to any Truth in the Church for thus it was with Isaiah and Micah who being contemporary do preach the same things here and Is 2. 2. God doth no sooner afflict his people but as soon mercies to make up their losses come in his mind and the Churches afflictions are never to be studied but when the promises making her up are taken along in our thoughts for immediately upon the back of that threatning Chap. 3.12 this promise cometh forth as testifying his affection and for her to look upon with the other 3. The Churches happinesse and felicity is much in gracious promises and to come in respect of performance
us go say they and he will teach us of his wayes they account it a mercy to be taught and that not what they like or as they effect but what is his will 13. Albeit the Lord hath appointed a teaching Ministry in his Church which his people ought and wil acknowledge yet every true convert is taught of God partly while they hang not their faith on mens authority but exalt God alone to be the infallible Teacher and Law-giver in his Church and do try if what men say be agreeable to his mind and partly while they feele God in and by his appointed means teaching truth effectually and perswasively to their hearts Hee will teach us of his wayes say they See John 4 42. 1 Thes 1.13 14 As all knowledge of divine things ought not to rest in contemplations but stirre up to practice so however men of much literal knowledge may be more prophane in their conversations then others yet such as are taught of God and acknowledg his Authority in the meanes of instruction and feel the efficacy of his Spirit conveighing what is taught to their hearts their knowledg will resolve in practice it being the Lords prerogative to convince the conscience and subdue and stir up inclinations to practise what is taught He will teach us and we wil walk in his paths Unto this promise the Prophet subjoynes a reason why Nations should seek to joyn with the Church to wit because the doctrine of salvation should go forth from the Jews among all Nations to stir them up to seek the Lord and this light shall shine forth in the Church in all ages to invite Nations to come and seek teaching Doct. 1. The glory of the Church of the New Testament consists not in idle ceremonies but in the profession and holding forth of true doctrine according to the Word which is the badge and mark of the true Church for the Law or generally the true doctrine as the word in the Original bears shall go forth out of Zion and the Word of the Lord from Ierusalem that it may shine in all the Churches of the Gentiles and this is a part of the eminency of the mountain of the Lords house 2. The Lord hath made it clear that the Doctrine of salvation in the days of the Messiah was not to be treasured up among the Jewes only as of old Psal 147.19 but to spread throughout the world for the Law shall go forth of Zion c. 3 The Doctrine of the Gospel is the same for substance with what was in the Church of the Jewes though clothed with new circumstantials Therefore it is called a Law alluding to the old name and cometh from among them to us though not from Sinai cloathed with dark shadowes and fearful terrours but from Zion adorned with cleernesse and seasoned with sweetnesse 4. As the Word of God published in his Church is the instrument of true conversion so it is the meanes whereby Christ inlargeth his Kingdome and will prevail in the world to perswade Nations to joyne themselves to him in his Church therefore is this given as a reason of the inlargement of the Church and activity of Converts for the Law shall go forth of Zion c. Ver. 3. And he shall judge among many people and rebuke strong Nations afar off and they shal beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hook Nation shall not lift up a sword against Nation neither shall they learn war any more Ver. 4. But they shall sit every man under his Vine and under his fig-tree and none shall make them afraid for the month of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it The next promise contains her peace and tranquillity setting out yet more the Churches glory under Christs government that God in his Son Christ shall by his Gospel have and exercise a spiritual jurisdiction and kingdome in the world whereby he shall subdue them to his obedience and having subdued shall govern them so as to procure peace and tranquillity to the Church that the converted may serve God quietly in their particular stations and become useful each to other This their condition is expressed in termes taken from the usual practice of peaceable times wherein men being out of use of war do turne their weapons of offence into instruments of husbandry and utility and wherein men go about those callings and abide abroad in the fields without fear of danger as 1 King 4.25 Doct. 1. Christ coming with his Gospel is to reigne as a King and have authority over those who receive him for he shall judge among many people 2. It is a truth to be much and frequently studied that Christs Kingdome is universal his Church spread over the world and he having power over all for her good that he may have his glory and every particular Church and believer be comforted in such a head and in hope of the enlargement of his dominion when by Apostafie or persecution it is confined to narrow bounds therefore is it again promised that he shal judge among many people and rebuke strong Nations afar off to wit far from Judea and meaning all people far and neer 3. The Lord may deal very terribly with such as he purposeth to do much good unto he may convince rebuke and afflict them for sin that he may drive them to his mercy for that is a part of his work in gathering a Kingdom to judge and rebuke 4. Albeit the Lord in gathering of his Church do not make use of weapons of war but only his Word with the reproofs and terrors thereof yet that will suffice to subdue them to him nothing in the creature being able to stand out against the Lord convincing and rebuking for sin for if he judge and rebuke many people and strong Nations they will feel it and beat their swords into plowshares c. and come under his government 5. This promise of great tranquillity and peace is not so to be understood as if the Lord did condemn Christians their undertaking of lawful wars for Magistrates bearing the sword of Justice which must oft-times be executed by force of armes is the Ordinance of God Rom. 13. Nor are we so to understand it as if the Church were alwayes to enjoy outward peace and tranquillity for Christ refuses that himself Matth. 10.34 Nor doth the godlies spiritual peace in all troubles exhaust the full scope of this promise But the scope is to teach us 1. The saving effect of the Gospel upon men is when it daunts and subdues their corruptions and so makes them as tractable and plyable to the will of God so peaceably study to serve God in their stations and to be useful each to other for when these strong Nations are rebuked they beat their swords into plowshares c. Which are instruments of their lawful calling and of utility to themselves and others 2. This taming of mens corruptions by the Gospel will appear farther
1. Christ will have nothing seen in his Churches protection and deliverance but himself only nor will he make use of any thing which might seem to obscure his glory in doing all therefore whatsoever might seem to challenge any of that glory must in that day be cut off See Judg. 7.2 Zeph. 3.12 13. 2. Humane helps confided in prove a great hinderance of deliverance therefore Cities Horses c. will he cut off not only by judgements to come on that people but even in that day of restitution they will be laid by as impediments 3. Confidence in outward things is idolatry Therefore here their cities horses chariots to wit as they are depended on are ranked in with witchcrafts and idols 4. It is rare to see a people enjoying outward things that may seem to promise any thing unto them and yet not confide in them this is evident in that their cities chariots c must be cut off they can hardly enjoy them and acknowledg God as becomes them 5. When the Lord is pleased to deprive his people of probable means of help and calleth them to depend on him it is a pledge of his appearing in an eminent way for them for their cities c. being cut off ver 10 11. so will he destroy their enemies as the latter part of ver 14. ought to be read as agreeing with the Original also and fitting the scope best in this place 6. In the Church of God there is hazard of falling into grossest evils for here it is supposed there may be witchcraft or magiâ—k whereby men wanting the fear of God enter into one expresse or implicite league with the devil for attaining such ends as their discontentment in their condition impatience under affliction envie malice or curiosity propound unto them there may be soothsayers or divinations whereby men not conâ—ent to know their duty nor with what God hath revealed of future events do take sinful and damnable courses and put other things in Gods room to foretel what they desire there may be also images and the work of mens hands set up in Gods room as the object of worship and groves or shadie places where they pretended to worship God or indeed worship their idols after their own imaginations There are no evil courses but the Church of God how reformed soever is to be afraid of falling into them 7. These devillish courses and corruptions in worship do hinder the Lords appearance for his people for these must be cut off that he may do for them 8. The cutting off of idolatry and wicked courses is a work of the Lords own hand it is he who oft-times destroyes them by sore plagues and it is he only who can banish these things out of mens hearts I saith the Lord will cut off witchcrafts out of thy hand or make thee not to practise it I will cut off thy graven images c. 9. There can be no blessed delivery from trouble but when there is a compleat and thorough reformation of Religion endeavoured and a destroying of the very monuments of idolatry for not only shall they not worship any more the work of their hands but their images and groves shall be cut off and plucked up and so will he destroy their enemies 10. The Lord will appear for his Church in a singular and wonderful manner and plague their enemies with unuseful judgements after that he is reconciled with them and hath brought them to walk in his wayes for after all this is done I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen such as they have not heard saith the Lord. CHAP. VI. IN this Chapter the Lord again after these many promises stirs up the Prophet to plead his controversie and expostulates with his ungrateful people v. 1 2 3. shewing forth his kindnesse toward them v. 4 5. and what duty they offered to him v. 6 7. with what they ought to have done v. 8. which seeing they did not obey therefore he gives an alarm of the rods coming upon them v. 9. then he more particularly sets forth and proves their several transgressions of their duty in sins against the second Table v. 10 11 12. for which he gives out sentence against them v. 13 14 15. and for their idolatry against the first Table v. 16. Vers 1. HEar ye now what the LORD saith Arise contend thou before the mountaines and let the hills hear thy voice 2. Hear ye O mountaines the LORDS controversie and the strong foundations of the earth for the LORD hath a controversie with his people and will plead with Israel The Prophet propounds in general the Lords controversie given him in commission to plead publickly as it were in view of all the creatures from the high mountaines to the low channels or foundations of the earth this way of procedure formerly used chap. 1. v. 2. doth yet further teach us 1. That sin causeth a controversie betwixt God and the sinner for the Lord hath a controversie 2. The controversie is so much the sadder as it not breaks out betwixt God and strangers but betwixt him and his Church with whom he dealt friendly and who professed friendship and subjection to him and therefore he can endure their offences the worse The Lord hath a controversie with his people and he will plead with Israel 3. The Lord is zealous to have the controversie discussed and himself cleared Arise saith he the Prophets zeal coming short of his forwardnesse to plead this cause contend thou c. and he will plead with Israel that is not only will he have his quarrel shewed but will have it clearly demonstrated that he gave no occasion of the discord and therefore will justly punish as the following purpose cleares 4. Even insensible creatures are so to say more fit to be spoken to then an obdurate people and will bear witnesse against them for therefore beside other reasons insinuate on chap. 1 2. are the mountaines and strong foundations of the earth called to in this processe they keep still their obediential subjection to their Creatour and do tremble if he threaten whereas Israel was stupid and withal these had sometime been shaken and discovered for the good of Israel Psal 18.15 and 114.3 4. and therefore might beare witnesse against their ingratitude 5. A backsliding people are for the most part dull of hearing and plagued with obstinacie and cannot be sensible of their case and danger therefore is the dispute repeated again and they called to hear Hear ye now what the Lard saith 6. Messengers of God their reproofs are not to be sleighted but taken notice of as the Lords controversie for Micah by contending is to cause the Lords controversie to be heard Vers 3. O my people what have I done unto thee and wherein have I wearied thee testifie against me Followeth the pleading of the controversie wherein God first appears and challengeth them for their ungrateful departing from him and his obedience
Gods being an adversary to the wicked is neither soon seen by them nor suppose it be seene is the sadnesse of such a condition easily laid to heart therefore is it again inculcated Behold I am against thee saith the Lord of hostes though it had been told before chapter 2.13 2 Abuse of mercy will in the end resolve in the abusers misery for beautifull Nineveh who plaid the harlot with it her skirts are discovered and abominable filth cast upon her and she with whom the Nations committed fornication is made the object of peoples detestation 3. People in their greatest pomp and glory do but flie with borrowed wings and are in such a condition as God can easily strip them of what they gloried in and set them as contemptible objects for Nineveh hath shame and nakednesse which he will shew to nations and kingdomes when he strips her of her borrowed glory 4. As wicked men cannot enjoy honour and greatnesse in the world and not abuse it so the Lord is provoked thereby to plague the abusers with ignominy for I will cast abominable filth upon thee and make thee vile saith he to glorious Nineveh 5. The Lord will make such as have publikly sinned without repentance to become publik spectacles of his justice and severity to the terror and astonishment of the beholders for I will set thee as a gazing-stock and it shall come to passe that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee 6. It is righteous with God not onely so to smite his enemies as the stroak shall surpasse the cure of any consolations from friends and the terror thereof so to overwhelm them as that they cannot and dare not appear to bemoan and comfort them but it is rightcous also that such as have oppressed without pity should have none to condole with them in their justly procured and inflicted corrections for all this is imported in this threatening all that look upon thee shall flee from thee and say Nineveh is laid waste who will bemoan her whence shall I seek comforters for thee that no sorrow should expresse her stroak nor any consolations prove sufficient that her friendg being terrified should not be able to appear for her and that she should be abhorred and detested of all in her miseries Ver. 8. Art thou better then populous No that was situate among the rivers that had the waters round about it whose rampart was the sea and her wall was from the sea 9. Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength and it was infinite Put and Lubim were thy helpers 10. Yet was she carried away she went into captivity her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets and they cast lots for her henourable men and all her great men were bound in chains 11. Thou also shalt be drunken thou shalt be hid thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy To confirm what hath been said and to crush all presumptuous thoughts in Nineveh as if she should be able to stand it out he sets before her the example of No or Alexandria a great city in Egypt or neer unto it of which see Jer. 46.25 Ezech. 30.15 And in this example 1. He rehearseth the flourishing condition of that city it was populous or nourishing that is a great market-town nourishing the countrey about it it was strong be situation being built among the Channels of Nilus and environed with strong ramparts the sea also enclosing it on divers parts it was also strong by great and many confederates such as Ethiopians or Arabians who are frequently named Cush in Scripture Egyptians and other people of Africa wherein the speech is directed to No as insulting over her vain confidence in these to the terrour of Nineveh 2. He repeats their stroak That that City had been made desolate her people being carried captive her young children dashed in pieces her honourable men divided amongst the souldiers as prey and carried away as slaves as for the time of this desolation and the persons by whom it was acted it is needlesse for us further to enquire seeing the Spirit of God puts it out of controversie that it was done before the utter ruine of Nineveh 3. This example is applied to Nineveh wherein is shewed that since she had no more advantages then the other had it was but folly to think her self to be invincible and she is assured that how potent soever she be yet she shall be drunk with the wine of Gods wrath and that notwithstanding her former splendour she should be made to hide her self for shame and fear and become obscure as if she had not been and that she should notwithstanding her own strength be forced to seek help from abroad or to supplicate her enemies for pity Doct. 1. The Lord hath given abundant proof that there is no power nor probable means of defence able to stand out against him when he prosecuteth a controversie for so doth the bringing in of this instance teach 2. Men are still ready to be presumptuous and confident of their own standing whatever they see done to others therefore is this example produced and applied that her conceit may be thereby crushed Art thou better then populous No c. 3. Men have nothing to boast of as sufficient to preserve them from ruine but others have had the same or better who yet have succumbed herefore are all the circumstances of ruined No's strength pointed out to shew that she might well have compared to Niuevch in any thing that would have seemed to be a defence 4. The Lords minde concerning sin and impenitent sinners is the same in all ages and he will so declare himself by his judgements for as No for her sins was carried away c. so is Nineveh threatened because of her provocations Thou also shalt be drunken c. 5. The wicked may not only expect to be deprived of counsel and prudence in straits as drunken men are but to be totally overwhelmed with the judgements of God in full measure for they are not to taste a little of the cup of wrath but to drink of it till they be drunken Thou also shalt be drunken See Jer. 25.15 27.6 The Lord can and because of sin will bury in obscurity the greatest of Nations as if they had never been and make them who made great shew of glory and courage seek holes to hide themselves in for saith he Thou shalt be hid 7. Unto such as are pursued by the justice of the Lord their enemies are made terriblé and all their strength and preparations are not sufficient to secure them from fear or keep them from being brought into their enemies reverence for whatever Nineveh had to oppose yet thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemie Vers 12. All thy strong holds shall be like fig-trees with the first ripe figs if they be shaken they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater For further confirmation of
with somewhat of faith therefore the Prophet in the midst of his dark mists begins with this as an unalterable ground what ever his heart say that God is of purer eyes then to behold â—vil and cannot look upon inâ—quity See Jer. 12.1 5. The onely best way to refute â—emptations and dispell mists is not to debate dark cases with our own hearts overcharged with weaknesse and fears but to vent the matter and our case to God and seek his resolution upon it for so doth the Prophet lying under this temptation Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously c. 6. However the Lord have just indignation against and will in due time punish the grosse iniquities of men without the Church yet considering the many aggravations of lesse sinnes within the Church and Gods jealousie over his people and care to have them reclaimed from every evil course it is no wonder to see the Churches sins though lesse in their own nature punished when more grosse sins without the Church escape for a time unpunished for the Prophets complaint that God holds his tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous then be imports that God doth so and Gods doing of it proves it to be a righteous act however we may quarrell 7. The Lord makes use of wicked instruments to punish his people that in the foulnesse of the rod he may discover the yilenesse of their sin for this end are the Jewes devoured by the wicked and by men viler then themselves See Ezek. 7.24 8. Treachery is a great aggravation of and addition to oppression when the oppressor by his practices belies his great profession or particular pretences in a quarrell or doth otherwise then in reason might be expected considering either his obligations or any provocations given or injuries done to him Therefore it is the Prophets complaint that they deal treacherously and devour Though the Scripture doth not speak particularly of the Caldeans treachery yet it is here asserted they had been such and therefore the Prophet laments that they should be permitted to prosper 9. Albeit God be righteous in punishing his Church by wicked instruments yet the holinesse of God compared with their wickednesse gives ground of hope that he will at last reckon with them for this expostulation of the Prophets imports this truth that the holinesse of God would not alwayes fit with this but in the end would right it Psal 50.21 Vers 14. And makest men as the fishes of the sea as the creeping things that have no ruler over them 15. They take up all of them with the angle they catch them in their net and gather them in their dragge therefore they rejoyce and are glad 16. Therefore they sacrifice unto their net and burn incense unto their dragge because by them their portion is fat and their meat plenteous The Prophet seconds and cleares his expostulation concerning the enemies wickedness from two grounds whereof the first is taken from their unjust and violent conquest and oppression for by their oppression men were no otherwise dealt with then irrational creatures such as fishes where the greater devoure the lesser or creeping things wanting rulers who run over other and are trodden down by every foot or yet further that men should be like fishes not only devouring one another but exposed as a prey to every one who can first catch them that as fishes are easily taken and when nets and draggs are made use of in great numbers so men and multitudes of people and Nations should without difficulty be preyed upon by oppressors and that as nets and drags do promiscuously draw all to land so oppressors should get liberty promiscuously to over-run Nations good and bad the Church as well as others those who never wronged the oppressors as well as they who injured them most c. All this the Prophet cannot see how it should consist with the holy Providence of God and therefore layeth it before him to clear and consider Doct. 1. Temptations are very ready to grow upon our hand and the more we think on them we may seeme to have the more ground to subscribe to them and therefore as fast as they are suggested to us we should tell them to God as the Prophet doth here with his fertil invention in expostulating and complaining 2. Men are so naughty by nature as if the Lord would let loose the reines of a restraining Providence and give them up to themselves the world would become monstrous for so doth the Prophet teach men would be as the fishes of the sea as the creeping things which have no ruler over them 3. It is an evidence of monstrous and brutish wickednesse when men acknowledge no rule of right and wrong but power and imploy all the power they have for usurpation upon others for then indeed men are as the fishes the of sea and they take up all of them with the angle they catch them in their net and go her them in their drag 4. Man being exalted of God above the creatures it is a great abuse when their way and lot from others debaseth them from that dignity that the oppressing Caldeans should live in the world like monstrous beasts and fishes depraving the image of God after which they are made and observing no shadow of equity and that the oppressed should not be used as rational creatures made after the same image but as fishes taken up with the angle c. 5. However we be unsatisfied with dispensations yet it is our safest way and a step to our issue to keep Gods providence about them still in our eye for thus doth the Prophet better his former thoughts of God looking on and holding his tongue by saying Thou makest for the speech is still directed to God men as the fishes of the sea c. 6 It beseemeth the Lords providence well to restrain brutish violence to see to right and wrong in the world and to protect the weak and poor from the strong and mighty or give a redresse when they are injured by them for the Prophets reasoning imports that it would beseem God not to make men as fishes of the sea c. and so he proved in due time The second ground of the Prophets expostulation clearing yet further the Caldeans wickednesse is taken from their abusing of their successe and that the Lord should permit them not onely to do wickedly in their purchasing but yet more wickedly in their boasting and insulting because of their victories and in their glorying in their own wisdome and strength as if by them they had conquered the world and made themselves feasts and a good life Doct. 1. Evil purchase is not ordinarily well used but the purchasers are given up to insolency conceit of themselves and luxury which are the usual plague and snare of prosperity for therefore that is seeing they speed in oppression they rejoyce and are glad therefore they sacrifice unto their
make their rich men and Merchants to howle v. 11 and spoile Epicures of their wealth v. 12 13. 2. He sets that sad approaching day yet before them in its terriblenesse making the stoutest to cry v. 14. the wrath of God bringing men in distresse without any comfort v. 15. affrighting them with the alarms and assaults of their enemies v. 16. leaving them void of counsel in their greatest calamities v. 17. and destitute of all reliefe wherein they trusted to be suddenly consumed v. 18. Ver. 1. THe word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah the sonne of Cushi the sonne of Gedaliah the sonne of Amariah the sonne of Hizkiah in the dayes of Iosiah the son of Amon King of Iudah The Inscription holds forth 1. The messenger employed in this service who is described from divers of his Progenitors who were either Prophets themselves or men of note in their time for so is generally conceived when the Progenitors of the Prophets are recorded 2. His commission from God and the authority of his doctrine which he devised not of his own head nor learned by ordinary meanes but received it by immediate inspiration And 3. The time when he was employed Whence learn 1. Though the persons of men adde nothing to a divine message but God can employ the meanest and make them honourable by employing them yet sometime it pleaseth him to make choice of men of eminency to clear that it is the honour of the greatest to be his Ambassadours to his people yet further to make them inexcusable who contemn his message for the meannesse of the messenger therefore he employeth this Prophet Zephaniah the sonne of Cushi the sonne of Gedaliah c. whose Parents in many generations had been of eminent note amongst that people and consequently himself famous for descent and pedigree 2. People through long obduration in sin may come to that height as no endeavours of pious rulers will bring them to repentance whereby they might prevent sad threatnings judgments for this word of sad denunciations is sent in the dayes of Josiah a pious King and zealous reformer but the son of Amon who by his corrupt wayes following his father Manasseh had made that people incorrigible 3. In a time of general and continued defection the Lords long-suffering is so great as to multiply messengers and warnings before he strike that so men may be reclaimed or made inexcusable for this end was the Prophet sent out with many others about the time of the approaching captivity See 2 Chro. 26.15 16.4 As the divine authority of God is alwayes to be studied and seen in messages in the mouth of his servants so especially when the Word speaks sad things it is good to see God our party and how little cause we have to fix on messengers or their humours as the cause of such unpleasing doctrine therefore when the Prophet brings out this message it is avowed and held out to be the Word of the Lord which came unto Zephaniah Ver. 2. I will utterly consume all things from off the land saith the Lord. 3. I will consume man and beast I will consume the fowles of the Heaven and the fishes of the Sea and the stumbling blocks with the wicked and I will cut off man from off the land saith the Lord. The Lord begins here as with a closed processe that needs no more but to pronounce the sentence and therefore this people having been abundantly warned and convinced by former Prophets he threatens them with a general desolation of the land by the destruction and taking away of all things in it not only of men who had sinned but of the creatures which they had abused to satisfie their lusts insomuch as the beasts should be cut off and destroyed yea the very fowles should be driven away and the fish exhausted from their ponds lakes or rivers as it is usual in countries infested with wars By which judgment the Lord threatens to make short work with the sinner his abused riches or his Idolatry which no reformation could purge from him Doct. 1. The Lords spirit will not alwayes strive with his sinful people but will at last give out his sentence according to their ways so much doth this abrupt falling on threatning without any previous dealing import 2. A publike reformation never so piously intended and zealously prosecuted by Rulers after much defection will be so far from keeping off wrath when the people are not cordial and thorough in the reformation as by the contrary it may ripen a people faster for a stroak for though Josiah was a pious and approved reformer yet considering that the people did but dissemble in the matter and dally with God as is marked Jer. 3.6 10. and appeared suddenly upon Josiahs death in that in three moneths they went all wrong with the succeeding King 2 Kings 23.31 32. therefore the Lord gives them up as desperate and begins I will utterly consume all things c. 3. When men will not read the greatnesse and dreadfulnesse of divine displeasure against them from the greatnesse of their sin or from the threatnings of the Word it is righteous with God to write it in legible characters of extreame desolation as here he threatens to do to this incorrigible people by utterly consuming all things from off the land man and beast c. 4. Sinful man is a great burden to the Creation in his abusing of the creatures to fight against God with them and provoking God against them not for any fault of their own but that he may punish man for whose use they were created by smiting them for Judahs sins make all things be utterly consumed from off the land and bring stroaks on beasts fowles of the heaven and fishes of the sea where by the sea we may understand any gathering of waters in ponds rivers or lakes for in Scripture the very Laver in the Temple is called A Sea because it conteined much water 1 Kings 7.23 so also the lake of Generazeth and Tiberius Matth. 8.24.27 John 6.1 See for this doctrine Jer. 4.25 and 12.4 Hos 4.3 5. As wicked mens prosperity proveth the neck break of their souls by their abusing of it and hardening themselves in sin thereby and as Idolatry will certainty end in the eternal ruine of the impenitent Idolater so these sins are oft-times so rooted in the heart and estimation of sinners that there is no ceasing to sin that way till the sinner cease to be and in this case the Lord will not spare seeing there is no remedy so here after that reformation had essayed them in vain either as to removing their Idols from them or making them to cease from abusing the creatures to sin in which case they are stumbling blocks as well as Idols God threatens to cut off the stumbling blocks with the wicked and so put an end to their sin by destroying themselves 6. In a time of general calamity on all the
creatures man is bound to look upon himselfe as the chiefe and only Delinquent and to see the controversie pursuing him therefore is he twice pointed at here I will consume man and beast and again I will cut off man from off the land saith the Lord. Vers 4. I will also stretch out mine hand upon Iudah and upon all the Inhabitants of Ierusalem and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place and the name of the Chemarims with the Priests 5. And them that worship the hoste of heaven upon the house tops and them that worship and that swear by the Lord and that swear by Malezham 6. And them that are turned back from the Lord and those that have not sought the Lord nor enquired for him The Lord proceeds to declare more particularly upon whom this desolation was to come to wit upon Judah which was the head of those that were left after the captivity of the ten tribes particularly upon the chief City Jerusalem and he cleareth up the causes of this sentence by pointing at the particular sorts of sinners whom he would cut off These he instanceth in several kinds especially against the first Table of the Law As 1. Grosse Idolaters of all sorts as these who notwithstanding Iosiahs reformation still held up some remnant of Baals worship which was an Idol of the Zidonians the worship whereof was of old followed by Israel in the dayes of the Judges after that was brought into Israel by Jezebel 1 Kings 16.31 and from thence it came into Judah These the Lord threatens to cut off together with the Ministers of Baal both Chemarims who are mentioned also 2 Kings 23.5 Hos 10.5 in the original and seem to have been some inferour order of artenders on the Idol much resembling Monks in Popery and Priests of a superiour order As also he threatens to cut off another sort of Idolaters who imagining a Deity in the stars and planets because of their splendor or influences did worship them on the tops of their houses which were flat in those countries as intending to do them homage in their own view 1. Such as halted betwixt God Idols who made a profession of worshipping the true God a part of whose worship is swearing by his name or having sworn obedience to God in that Covenant renewed by Josiah yet did mixe his worship with the service of Idols particularly of Malcham or Molech the Idol of the Ammonites 1 Kings 11.7 3. Apostates who after their vowes and Covenant and begun reformation had fallen back from God to Idols 4. Atheists who had no respect to God nor his worship whether they followed Idols or not Doct. 1. No former stroak inflicted upon the Church and no priviledge will exempt impenitent sinners but if they goe on in their way the last stroak will be sorest for though Judah was not only left of all the children of Israel and Jerusalem had God dwelling in the midst of her yet the Lord will plague Judah and all the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and that not in an ordinary way but will streth out his hand upon them which imports a stroak beyond ordinary Exod. 3.20 and 7.5 Deut. 4 34. even that which is mentioned here v. 2 3. 2. When the Lord plagueth a land the controversie must be of his discovering least we miscarry in taking it up therefore when the Lord threatens to strike he also cleareth wherefore it is 3. Albeit common calamities comes indifferently upon all albeit the godly who study to keep their garments ought to be sensible in such a time and to renew their peace with God yet it is ground of comfort to them that the stroak is not principally for their cause nor the wrath pursuing them therefore the Lord enumerates the grosse sinners who are his party that the godly whatever their lot were might see their names out of that roll 4. Mens hearts are naturally so besotted addicted to Idolatry as it is hard to get a thorough reformation of it where once it hath place and God is so jealous of his glory as for the least transgression of this kinde he may justly destroy a land for here after Josiahs reformation there is the remnant of Baal Chemarims and Priests and they who worship the host of heaven for which he will consume all things that he may cut them off 5. It is too usual for men that when they see any excellency in the creatures or finde any advantage by them their hearts doat on them and are drawn from God by them for upon these grounds did they worship the hoste of heaven upon the house tops and many do yet doat on some creature or other though that grosse Idolatry be removed 6. The Lord cannot endure any halting in his matters or any mixing of true Religion and his worship with creature worship or Idolatry but will make that a ground of controversie against a land as well as for grosser Idolatry for they that worship and that swear by the Lord and that swear by Malcham are here put in the roll to be cut off with the remnant of Baal and them that worship the host of heaven 7. Oathes are a part of divine worship wherein is ascribed unto God the glory of Omniscience and of power to avenge false swearers and he is called upon for that effect therefore are not lightly to be used nor to confirme a falshood nor is this glory to be given to any creature to swear by them for swearing by the Lord is subjoyned to worshipping him as a chief part of it 8. Apostasie from professions and engagements is a land-destroying sin and a great aggravation of sin whatsoever it be that the decliner turnes to for so these words also may be read They swear to the Lord to wit in renewing the Covenant and yet swear by Malcham and clearly v. 6. they that are turned backe from the Lord are put in the roll to be cut off 9. As it is usual in times of reformation where diversity of wayes of Religion are justling out one another that there arise a generation of Atheists who care not for God or any Religion at all so such are abominable and in a day of vengeance will be ranked with the grossest corrupters as here Those that have not sought the Lord nor enquired for him bringing upon the reer of them whom God will cut off Ver. 7. Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God for the day of the Lord is at hand for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice he hath bid his guests To make the preceeding doctrine take the deeper impression the Prophet to v. 14. resumeth the threatning and holds out the judgement as neer at hand to come on both Court chief City and withal cleareth up yet more causes of his sentence especially in sins against the second Table In this verse he threatens that all their opposition to the Prophets doctrine by
defending and excusing their sins and rejecting of threatnings should be compeseed by the approaching judgement when the Lord should make another manner of sacrifice then they dreamed of wherein themselves should be the sacrifice the Chaldeans as Priests to cut them off and slay them and as they invited friends in their sacrifices of thanksgiving to a feast and the Priests got a portion so the Lord would bring the Chaldeans to take the spoil and the beasts and fowles to feed on their carcasses as Ezek. 39.17 Rev. 19.17 Doctr. 1. The greatnesse of Gods wrath against sinne is not soon seen nor easily laid to heart by them who are most concerned therefore the Lord findes it necessary to inculcate his sentence over over again unto them 2 Howsoever men going on in sin without controll readily have low thoughts of God yet in due time he will manifest himself to be God upon them and as sinners take their time of it for walking after the imagination of their own hearts so God will take his time for putting things in order therefore is the day of vengeance called the day of the Lord wherein he will appear to be the Lord Jehovah 3. As sin never so long forborn and yet continued in will at last bring judgment neer so especially sin after reformation ripens fast for speedy judgment for after Josiah had laboured in vain among them then the day of the Lord is at hand 4. As it becomes all to tremble and adore the justice of God in his stroakes so however impenitent sinners be both proud and stout-hearted when the Word threatens yet the majesty and severity of God in punishing will dash and confound them and put them from all their boasting and strike them mute then will this be obeyed Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God 5. Such as tread under foot or despise the blood of the Covenant and those ordinances which hold it out unto us and are appointed as meanes of our partaking thereof it is righteous with God to be prodigal of their blood and deal with them as they have entertained it for in recompence of their sleighting and prophaning of sacrifices which were types to point out and lead them to the blood of Christ The Lord hath prepared a sacrifice he hath bid his guests Ver. 8. And it shall come to pass in the day of the Lords sacrifice that I will punish the Princes and the Kings children and all such as are clothed with strange apparel He threatens that in this bloody approaching day he will take order with the prophane Court with the Grandees royal family and Courtiers who abounded in prodigality as was accomplished 2 Kings 25 17 18 19 20 21 Jer. 39.6 Doct. 1. When the Lord commeth to plead a controversie with a land for sin as great men are found ordinarily chief in the provocation abusing their power and being effectual by their example to draw others to sin so the Lord will not spare such but reckon with them among the first for in that day of the Lords sacrifice I will punish the Princes and the Kings children saith the Lord. 2. When men of what rank or quality soever give themselves over to prodigality and hunting of fashions in apparel as studying to make that their glory which was given at first for a badge of sin the Lord may justly reckon that among the grounds of his controversie against a land and punish because of it for the Lord will punish the Princes and the Kings children and all that are clothed with strange apparel See Isai 3. from v. 16. to the end Ver. 9. In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold which fill their masters honses with violence and deceit The Lord threatens in that day to punish another sin of the Court and flowing from it to wit their oppressing of the poor by their agents and servants who with great insolency invaded the houses of other as if no door should be shut against them and came back rejoycing into their masters houses to furnish them with the goods they had purchased by fraud and violence Doctr. 1. As luxury superfluity and prodigality ordinarily exhaustoth mens estates and driveth them to evil shifts to uphold what they account their greatnesse and as great men and those employed by them think that their will should be a law and that they may take what they please without controll so the Lord will in due time appeare an avenger of all such exorbitancies for they who are clothed with strange apparrel ver 8. and their agents boldly leap on the threshold of those whom they oppresse and the Lord threatens in the same day to punish all these c. 2. As wicked inferiour officers do prove a Court to be corrupt Prov. 29.12 so the Lord in a day of anger will not only reckon with the authors of oppression but with all the insolent Ministers and Instruments thereof In the same day will I punish all those that leap on the threshold which fill their masters houses c. Ver. 10. And it shall come to pass in that day saith the Lord that there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish-gate and an howling from the second and a great crashing from the hills From the Court great ones he cometh to threaten the chief City that it should be taken by the Chaldeans so that from all parts of the City where the enemies entered as the fish gate in the City of David toward the west the second gate at which also the Chaldeans entered Jer. 39.3 there should be a terrible noise of enemies assailing and killing all they met with of the Inhabitants howling all which should make a great echo to resound from the hilly places of the City Doct. 1. High walls and senced Cities are no shelter to hold out divine vengeance pursuing impenitent sinners but will prove as a pound or prison wherein they shall be surrounded with judgments for here the Chaldeans fall upon them in their City on all quarters A noise from the fish-gate howling from the second c. 2. As the tumults of war are very dreadful when they meet with a guilty conscience so neglect of repentance will in due time resolve in dreadful and woful wailings under the heavy hand of God for here they are threatned with it as a dreadful judgement and fruit of their sin that there should be a cry an howling and great crashing by reason of the noise of assailing enemies and pursued sinners Ver. 11. Howle ye Inhabitants of Maktesh for all the Merchant people are cut down all they that beare silver are cut off He yet threatens further the Inhabitants of a particular part of the City to wit those who dwelt in the hollow valleys of the City betwixt the hills whereon much of it stood which places did resemble a Mortar as the word signifieth here the merchants and men abounding
in money by reason of trade dwelt who are threatned that they shall be made to howle and be cut off this place of the City seemeth to be the same with that Neh. 3.32 Doct. 1. When God pursueth a controversie it is folly for any in any place to dream of safety for the Inhabitants of Maktesh the securest and inmost part of the City are threatned with howling and cutting downe as well as those at the gates 2. As former abundance of prosperity will make judgements more bitter so unlawful courses whereby men inhaunce and heap up riches will draw on the bitter judgment therefore the Lord not only threatens particularly that merchants and all they that bear silver should howle as being a fore stroak to such but the word merchant being in the Original a Cananite imports that this judgement came upon them because they had dealt rather like Cananites then Jewes in gathering their riches Ver. 12. And it shall come to pass at that time that I will search Jerusalem with candles and punish the men that are settled on their lees that say in their heart The LORD will not do good neither will be do evil Ver. 13. Therefore their goods shall become a booty and their houses a desolation they shall also build houses but not inhabit them and they shall plant vineyars but not drink the wine thereof The Lord threatens yet further in this taking of the City to take order with all Atheists and Epicures who abounding in wealth lay secure and at ease like wine on its dregs when it s not removed in their heart denying Gods providence or that he took any care of things beneath to reward good or punish evil and therefore neither loved nor believed his promises that they might walk in his way nor feared his justice so as to abandon sin Concerning these the Lord threatens that as a man searcheth for what is hid or lost with a candle so he would narrowly search out their sins themselves to punish them for their sins so as none should escape and their goods to give them for a spoil whereby their houses should become desolate and they should be disappointed for all their expectations from their enjoyments according to his sentence pronounced of old in his law Deut. 28.30 39. Doct. 1. Ease and prosperity slayeth the fool and breeds such distempers of security and setling on the earth as justly provokes God to smite for God will punish the men that are setled on their lees 2. Prosperity and want of exercise by vicissitudes of dispensations it s a great feeder of Atheisme and an enemy to the observation and making use of divine providence and this again doth embolden and harden men yet more in their secure and wicked courses for the men that are setled on their lees are also the men that say in their heart The Lord will not do good neither will he doe evil which is both the effect of their secure condition and a ground they lay down forsetling themselves yet more in it 3. Secure Atheists and contemners of God and his providence may expect that God will refute them in a language which they will understand and make them know his providence upon their own experience by effects which they shall not get avoided for the Lord will prove his Omniscience and care of things below by searching Jerusalem as with candles that they may not esscape him and his effectual providence by punishing them making their goods become a booty and their houses a desolation 4. When the Lord strips a sinful person or people of any mercies which they enjoyed they will finde upon narrow search that their enjoyment thereof hath been a snare to them to draw them to sin and they shall read this in the stroak for Therefore that is because these things had emboldened them to settle on their lees deny a providence therefore their goods shall become a booty c. 5. As the Lord will prove the infallible verity of his threatnings however contemned upon such as dare run that hazard so the holy justice of God is to be adored in disappointing men of any happinesse or contentment they expected in these things for which they hazzard their souls and so rendring them twice losers who will not serve him for here an old sentence of the law was to be executed wherein this just procedure shines They shall also build houses but not inhabit them c. Ver. 14. The great day of the LORD is neere it is neere and hasteth greatly even the voice of the day of the LORD the mighty man shall cry there bitterly The Lord having hitherto denounced his judgments to be neer and declared the causes of them now to the end all these threatnings and the sins procuring them may have weight and sinners may yet if possible be rouzed up and put from all their subtersuges he holds out this approaching day of Vengeance in its terriblenesse which he clears from several instances whereof the first is that the most couragious much more the feeble amongst them should be affrighted by it and be made to cry and weep bitterly Doct. 1. Though secure sinners contemne all opposition from men and do put the evil day far off and think nothing of vengeance when it is looked on at a distance yet God is a terrible party against such and can bring evil on a sudden and when it is imminent it will be sad and dreadful for it is the day of the Lord that they should not eye weak Prophets or the Chaldeans only and it is neer and hasteâ—â— greatly the sound or voice of its approaching being in their eares that they may not dream of it as afar off and being neer it is terrible and the great day of the Lord. 2. Natural courage and magnanimity however it may promise much yea and suffain many infirmities yet it will not bear out but saint when God pursueth a controversie for sin for the mighty man shall cry there bitterly Ver. 15. That day is a day of wrath a day of trouble and distress a day of wasteness and desolation a day of darkness and glâ—ominess a day of clouds and thick darknesse A second instance of terriblenesse is that in this day the wrath of an angry God should be made manifest by distresse and trouble on men and wasting and desolation on cities and countreys and that all those calamities should he without any light of comfort the clouds of their sin and of Gods judgement rendering all things black and dismal-like Doct. 1. As the Lord may justly for sin testifie wrath against a visible Church and fatherly displeasure against his own in it so that will make a judgement terrible when his anger is seen and felt in it for that is an instance of the terrour of that day that it shall be a day of wrath 2. Though God testifie his displeasure against sin many wayes yet such is the stupidity of men that
enquiry and fanning of themselves and one of another and that for this end they would gather and recollect themselves and meet together in solemne Assemblies for humiliation and repentance and that they would do this timously before he decreed vengeance which in Gods long-suffering had been yet suspended break forth and before a day of patience pass over swiftly as the chaff before the wind or before the day come wherein they should be as chaffe before the wind and the decreed vengeance should break forth in execution suddenly and easily and wherein the great fierce anger from the Lord should inflict judgement without mercy Doct. 1. When the Lord speaks in hardest tearmes to his sinfúl people yet they are to read in it an invitation and allowance to come to him by repentance and not that he is putting them away from any duty of that kinde Therefore though the Lord had uttered his sentence as a concluded business chap. 1. v. 2. yet here he sheweth what use they should make of it in turnning to him by repentance 2. Repentance is not acceptably endeavoured where there is not a thorough and harrow search enquiry made into our own hearts and wayes and an helping one of another in our stations to perform that duty that so our consciences from clear conviction may charge upon us those sins for which the Word threatens and the sinfulnesse of them and may stir up to turn unto the Lord for so the words in the Original may be rendered search narrowly into your selves and search as men do after stubble scattered here and there as the word is used Exod. 5.12 or after what is lost amongst it that is search and search again while ye are thus employed about your selve stir up and help others to search for so the original construction doth import 3. For stirring up to this duty of searching and making it effectual it is necessary that every man recollect his wandring thoughts whereby he hath snuffed up the winde at his pleasure and hunted after vanities and that the communion of Saints be entertained particularly in solemne and publick humiliations for so doth the Word signifie according to the translation gather your selves together yea gather together See Joel 2.15 16. 4. As this duty of repentance and self-searching is of great importance and concernment in all times and cases and especially when God declares himself to be angry so it is a duty to the performance whereof there is need of much stirring up from the Lord so much also doth the doubling of exhortations gather yea gather import 5. It is necessary for our humiliation and for setting forth the freedome of Gods love and how much he tendereth our wellfare that we know our selves well and what we are to whom the Lord gives invitations or makes gracious offers for this end is it declared here that the Lord invites to repentance a nation not affected with desire to wit of turning to God or of their own good and not desired or worthy to be beloved of him the Original word will import both 6. It is a great addition unto and aggravation of sin when it is general and overspreads a land either by general corruption or by rulers their connivence at sins of particular persons which brings guilt upon the whole land or by private persons their not mourning for the abominations of the time which involveth them in the guilt thereof All which also may contribute to commend Gods kindness in following such a crew and to hold forth the necessity of repentance when the disease is so desperate for this cause it is marked that they were a Nation not desired especially by reason of overflowing sin 7. As the Lord in his long-suffering doth not always execute vengeance immediately upon his purposing or threatning so to do but alloweth some time for bringing forth of that conceived birth as the word in the original imports so the Lords most absolute threatnings do not seclude the penitent from hope but rather invite to speedy repentance so are we taught here gather your selves before the decree bring forth as giving time to them to repent and ground of hope if they should so do for however the Lords eternal purposes be unalterable yet his threatnings which are his pronounced decree or sentence according to the law when most absolutely pronounced to exclude the exception of repentance Jon. 3.4 10. The Lord threatning so sharply that upon our perverting of him he may not execute it as on the contrary he promiseth that he may fulfill And when his threatnings do hold forth even his irrevocable purpose to send outward land-judgements notwithstanding the repentance of any as 2 Kings 23.26.27 yet repentance before it be executed is to good purpose for removing the penitent before the evil day come as was done to Josiah for moderating it to him if he be continued as Jeremiah and the godly remnant found Jer. 15.11 for taking off wrath out of whatsoever they shal taste of the cup. 8. It is an horrid iniquity to despise the patience and long-suffering of God or to neglect the setting up of our furnace of examination self-searching when he threatens and will provoke him to set up his furnace of judgment so much the hotter that it hath been long forborn for if they let the decree bring forth and a day of patience blow over without repentance and fanning themselves he will make the day pass and drive them as chaff and will send his fierce anger upon them 9. None who do believe divine wrath how forcible it is and how weak themselves are to resist but they do proclame their own madness if they set not about repenrance when God threatens Therefore it is thrice held out what this day will be that it shall pass as chaff that the fierce angers of the Lord the day of the Lords anger shall come upon them as sufficient to move any who were not quite bereft of sense to gather together before the decree bring forth Ver. 3. Seek ye the LORD all ye meeke of the earth which have wrought his judgement seeke righteousnesse seek meekness it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORDS anger There being little hope of the body of the land that they would be repentance avert a day of anger Therfore the Lord turns to the godly remnant in the land who are humbled and made meek under the sense of sin and Gods hand and who have studied to make conscience of their duty enjoyned in the word These he exhorts to go on in seeking the Lords face and favour and to grow in humility in meeknesse and in righteous walking and in making use of the righteousness of Christ as being the certain way to be hid from wrath to come the only way giving any ground of hope to get safety in outward judgements though he will not make them absolutely sure of it for this sort of speech see on Jon.
the judgement for both Prophets and Priests are here found guilty See Lam. 2.14 2. Want of gravity in carriage and rashnesse and inconstancy in doctrine making the Word Yea and Nay and fitting doctrine to all humours parties and times is a character of a false Minister accessory to a lands sin and liable to sad judgements whatever extraordinary or singular thing he pretend to Her Prophets are light or rash unstable and heady persons 3. An unfaithful time-serving Minister though he may please himselfe and others may like well of his way yet in Gods account he is but a perfidious man betraying his trust and the soules of men and men will finde it so in due time for being light they are also treacherous persons 4. Every Minister that would approve himselfe to God ought to give himself both to deal with God in behalfe of the people and with the people on Gods behalfe for such was the Priests charge to minister unâ—o the Lord in the Sanctuary in name of the people and to be ordinary teachers of the law to the people in both which they failed here 5. It is a token of sins full ripenesse and of speedy approaching judgement when Ministers dare pollute the holy things of God by going prophanely and in a carnal way about his worship and service their own familiarity and frequent employment about it without sensible hearts having bred a contempt of it and so embolden others to do the like or tempt them to abhor Gods service thus was it with Jerusalem when wo came upon her Her Priests have polluted the Sanctuary 6. The holy Scripture being the revealed will of the supreame Lord and the unalterable rule of mens duty according to which they may expect blessings or curses it must be an high presumption in men to wrest and force it to applaud their fancies and to take their light to the Word and father it upon it and not come with submission of heart to receive light from it and so make of Scripture what they please this is also a quarrel They have done violence to the Law Ver. 5. The just Lord is in the midst thereof he will not do iniquity every morning doth he bring his judgement to light he faileth not but the unjust knoweth no shame The equity of this threatned wo is cleared from the justice of God who not only dwelling amongst them could not without impuration to his holinesse passe over such grosse abominations but also was a just God in giving her faire play in this processe and not pronouncing this sentence till she was found incorrigible which he proveth from two evidences whereof the first is that however he had daily and early by his Messengers held forth this law as a lamp whereby they might see the evil of their wayes and so failed not to give them warning that they might be reclaimed yet they proved obstinate and impudently blushed not to sin against cleare light Doct. 1. However a visible Church persevering in sin may blesse her selfe and expect great things from Gods visible presence with her yet all these priviledges speak the impenitent sinners disadvantage their lying neer a stroak for if the just Lord be in the midst thereof he will doe no iniquity to wit in sparing her being so sinful See Amos 3.2 3. 2. God doth so much delight in mercy and is so tender of his people that he never proceeds to severity so long as there is another way unessayed to reclaim them or to stint the course of their sin which doth abundantly justify him when he judgeth for in this also he is the just Lord in the midst thereof he will not do iniquity in that he will not cast off till other means be essayed as the following purpose cleareth 3. It is a great favour from the Lord and a testimony of his long suffering when he doth not take every finner at his first word but followeth him with frequent warnings of his danger if he go on and offers of advantage if he returne for it is marked here as an evidence of Gods kindnesse in this processe that every morning which was the usual time of Prophets preaching Jer. 7.25 doth he bring his judgements to light he faileth not 4. Albeit men may pretend to acknowledge the authority of God and his Word yet it is usual that when they are mad on sin and going to ruine this should be a presage of it that the Word will do nothing at them for it is marked as their sin and a token that judgement must come on when notwithstanding warnings the unjust knoweth no shame 5. None who are within the visible Church and doe acknowledge a Deity and yet dare with a high hand sin against the cleer light of the Word but they proclaim themselves to be destitute of all ingenuity and given up to the plague of effronted impudence for such know no shame Ver. 6. I have cut off the Nations their towers are desolate I made their streets waste that none passeth by their cities are destroy'd so that there is no man that there is none inhabitant 7. I said Surely thou wilt feare me thou wilt receive instruction so their dwelling should not be cut off howsoever I punished them but they rose early and corrupted all their doings A second evidence of their incorrigiblenesse is that the Lord had often-times visited the Nations round about not one but many of them and not with an ordinary but with remarkable stroakes destroying their strong holds or Princes which as corner stones as the word imports uphold the fabrick of the Common wealth and making such havocke of the Nations as there were neither traveller nor Inhabitant to be found all which considering out ward meanes and their duty might have warned them to flee those sinnes for which those Nations had been punished and instructed them to fear God and reforme their wayes that so their afflictions might have kept within bounds of fatherly correction and they might have prevented the last stroake of being put out of their land and yet for all this they were so farre from turning to God that they were even worse all their wayes being not only sinful but corrupt and bent active and headlong in going wrong as if it had been their study and they were as earnest to goe wrong as he had been to reclaim them v. 5. Doct. 1. The Church is so dear unto God and he so tender of her well-being that before he ruine her he will preach her duty and danger to her upon the dear expence of others for all these sad judgements on others v. 6. was to inform her that she might prevent the like 2. Judgements inflicted on any of the world is a document and call to others to fear God especially being guilty of the like sinnes yea even the Church ought to take warning from judgements on enemies for He cut off thir Nations laid their Towers desolate c. that his Church
ground of encouragement is that these calamities on the Jewes and their enemies should â—ot make the Church to cease but God should propagate pure Doctrine pure Worship and profession unto many people both Jewes and Gentiles who should joyntly concurre to serve him and help one another in his obedience v. 9. Thus a pure language seemes to be understood as Isa 19.18 not secluding purity of heart amongst some of them which it evidenced by purity of language as may appeare from Isa 6.5 Matth. 12.34 Jam. 3.2 and from what is further promised here yea the Lord promiseth that he will gather them from the furthest parts of the world to seek him and offer service to him v. 10. This promise is accomplished partly in his gathering together in Christ his dispersed elect throughout the world and remotest corners thereof Joh. 11.52 and these Ethiopians or as some conceive Egyptians among the rest and partly it shall be accomplished when the Lord shall call scattered Israel from the remotest parts of the world to serve him and they shall bring in some Gentiles with them as a gift to God Doct. 1. It is matter of praise to God and of encouragement to the godly that go with Nations as it will yet he is not to want a Church though he should gather it from among Pagan Gentiles and such as there is little apparent hope of for when the earth is devoured v. 8. then he will get many people as the word is and that from beyond the rivers of Ethiopia 2. Purity of Doctrine worship and profession is the glory of a Gospel-Church and a glorious work of God to make it so and keep it so for saith the Lord I will turne to the people a pure language or pure Doctrine and profession instead of their Idolatrous and blasphemous fancies and their way following thereupon 3. Purity of Doctrine worship and profession doth not consist in a lawlesse liberty or toleration to think or say what men will but is conjoyned with and carried on by an united uniformity which as it is the rich fruit recompence of much trouble so it is to be expected in the Lords time and measure for when after their much trouble they shall have a pure language they will serve him with one consent or shoulder even in that pure language See Jer. 32.39 Zach. 14.9 4. As unanimity in the matters of God and the free accesse of Jew and Gentile to serve God the one as well as the other is a great mercy of the Kingdome of Christ so when seekers of God are of one heart and do all put hand to the work to help one another without obstructing or lying by it is a token of thriving service this is also included in the promise as a great blessing and a meanes of much good They shall serve him with one consent 5. The true characters of a converted and spiritual people are their being much in calling on God imploying and making use of him in all things and their giving up themselves to be his servants at his disposal and in testimony of their subjection and thankfulnesse they will put hand to his work as they are called will do all as service to him and bring their worship themselves or others as they are able to offer up to him thus are they here described They all call on the name of the Lord when they get the pure language they are suppliants they serve him and bring his offering 6. As the Lord will not lose any of his elect how farre soever scattered through the world and will recover his own when their case speakes them afarre off and they are driven to exile without hope or probability of returne in their own apprehension so in particular the Lord will in due time seek after and recover his ancient people now of a long time scattered whereby there shall be a reviving of his service in the world for from beyond the rivers of Ethiopia he will seek the daughter of his dispersed and cause them to come at which time there will be suppliants and offerings brought and serving of him with one consent Ver. 11. In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings wherein thou hast transgressed against me for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoyce in thy pride and thou shalt no more be haughty because of mine holy mountaine A third ground of encouragement is the promise of the Churches reconciliation with God through the free pardon of finne and her renovation the glory whereof should rub off the shame of her former iniquities and should be followed with such felicity as should take away the ignominy of her former afflictions for sinne and particularly he promisâ—th to purge away their conceit and carnal gloriation in the Temple and outward ceremonies and to make worshipping of God in spirit and truth to be only in request these promises are made to the Church in relpect of the elect in her and do hold forth that eventually at some times and spâ—cially at the conversion of Israel there may be a more general renovation of Church-members but do neither hold forth that they will be universally such nor yet do proscribe that it is the Churches duty to admit none but such Doct. 1. Greatest promises of outward things will not afford matter of encouragement to the godly unlesse with these the work of reconciliation and renovation be going on therefore is this promised to encourage the godly Jewes 2. Albeit the Lords reconciled people have cause to be ashamed of themselves and to testifie their repentance by blushing for their backslidings Ezek. 16.61 yet being reconciled and turned to God they may lift up their face through a Mediator expecting not to be eternally confounded and that God will not charge them with these finnes but will bury them and make their future conversation rub off that reproach and by his doing for them will take away the ignominious effects of their sinne so much doth this promise assure us In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings wherein thou hast transgressed against me 3. As men cannot prove their sinne to be really pardoned but by their renewed conversation so without this there is no taking away of the ignominy of former sinful wayes thus doth the Lord prove that they shall be a pardoned people and not ashamed for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoyce in thy pride c. 4. The shameful sinne of the visible Church is her boasting of external priviledges and being bold to sinne because of them her outward mercies of that kinde becomming her snare and standing betwixt her and the kernel of them for this is the sinne to be removed rejoycing in thy pride or excellency as the word signifieth and being haughty because of my holy mountaine 5. As the Lord must be the worker of our reconciliation and renovation
as his making a promise about it doth teach us so when the Lord hath a minde to do good and appear for a people who have lain under great ignominy and judgements for sinne he can soone reforme them and make them shine in holinesse as here he promiseth to the Church of the Jewes whose name to this day is a reproach Thou shalt not be ashamed I will take away them that rejoyce in thy pride c. Vers 12. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and pure people and they shall trust in the Name of the Lord. Ver. 13. The remnant of Israel shall not doe iniquity nor speak lies neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth for they shall feed and lye down and none shall make them afraid The sanctification of the Church is further commended that no affliction paucity nor poverty as when they returned from Babylon should obstruct but rather help it on the Lord emptying them of all things by affliction that they may learne to trust in God and study holinesse and sincerity which are approved in his sight whereunto they shall be encouraged by Gods protecting of them and keeping them in safety from violence and feare notwithstanding their low estate Doct. 1. When the Lord corrects his Church he useth not to make a full end but to leave some to get good by these afflictions and the fruit of them from the Lord I will also leave saith the Lord the remnant of Israel 2. The Lord seeth it fit to exercise even a remnant of his people with many afflictions after he hath by their deliverance taken away their reproach that so they may be put yet to a more serious study of holinesse for they are afflicted and a poor people that they may trust and do no iniquity 3. As trust in God is a chiefe part and the root of true holinesse and as the afflicted may have yet ground of hope and may rise the more in confidence that trouble would lay him low and that carnal confidences do faile And as afflictions do not allow us to be discouraged but to put us to trusting and immediate dependance and do feed faith so to trust in God is ordinarily mans last shift which he will never essay till he be emptied of all things beside and led by God to this duty who undertakes to work faith as well as to give the reward of it all these are imported in this promise as it is propounded I will leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people and they shall trust in the Name of the Lord and here their holinesse begins 4. Trust in God will encourage and enable the believer to follow holinesse and Gods way And albeit perfection be not attainable in this life yet the beliver is to prove his integrity by avoiding the dominion of sinne and hypocrisie and dissimulation and to emplore God for attaining thereof This is the summe of that promise The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity nor speak lies neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth 5. As God is sufficiently able to give safety and support to his own in their weakest condition and as the godly have the Covenant-right to temporal preservation when it is good for them and are alwayes hid in the secret of Gods presence and may attaine to peace and freedome from the slavish feare of trouble so the faith or sensible experience of this protection is a sufficient motive to Saints to study holinesse and keep the way of God This imported in the promise They shall feed as his flook and lye down and none shall make them afraid and in its being subjoyned as a reason why they shall study holinesse They shall not do iniquity c. for they shall feeh and lye down c. Ver. 14. Sing O daughter of Zion shout O Israel be glad and rejoice with all the heart O daughter of Jerusalem 15. The LORD hath taken away thy judgements he hath cast out thine enemy the King of Israel even the LORD is in the midst of thee thou shalt not see evil any more The Lord subjoynes yet further encouragements to the godly in two exhortations directed to the Church of the Gospel wherein yet more of her allowance and priviledges are held forth The first exhortation is to full joy because of Gods removing of plagues and enemies because of Gods presence manifested in the midst of her and her freedome from former evils importing a promise that she should rejoyce because of this and that the godly of the present time might rejoyce in hope of it Doct. 1. As the true Israel in spirit children of Zion and of that Jerusalem which is from above and who are heirs to all the promises have allowance and matter of compleat joy above any other society whose joy is still embittered with sorrow and ought to entertaine their good condition with thankfulnesse and rejoycing So when Israel shall be converted the Church may expect that after their long silence and bitter sorrow there will be a notable song among them for this exhortation Sing O daughter of Zion shout Oh daughter of Israel c. is a warrant and direction to all the godly shewing how short they often come and promise to Israel in particular 2. Though sinne and spiritual judgements together with outward calamities following thereupon and enemies both outward and inward do oft times trouble the Church yet in due time they shall not mar her mirth but rather furnish matter of a song when God having quit the processe against her and healed her spiritual judgements and plagues shall speedily remove them and her enemies Sing c. saith he The Lord hath taken away thy judgements he hath cast out thine enemies whereby judgements we are not only to understand her outward calamities but all her spiritual plagues accompanying sinne and all the Lords sad sentences against her which were the rise of the enemies invasion and success 3. It is matter of great joy to have interest in the true God of the Church who is the Lord Jehovah alsufficient to make his followers happy and maintain his and their rights Ezek. 35.10 especially when the right is made clear to beleevers and that the Lord is not to their sense standing afar off but very neer and in the midst of them which every one that lives by faith may expect for this is also matter of a song the King of Israel even the Lord is in the midst of thee 4. Albeit the Church cannot promise to her selfe to be wholly and perpetually free from trouble while she is within time yet Israel being converted may expect not to meet with those judgements they have endured since their rejection and the godly may expect their own competent breathing times from trouble that trouble shall not hurt them nor prove evil when it cometh and that the day shall come wherein they shall be for ever
which he proves by purging himself of any wrong done to them shewing that they had nothing to say against his dispensation toward them and nothing to lay to his charge wherefore they should have forsaken him charging their consciences that as he had called the mountaines to witnesse against them so they would declare if they had any injury on his part to complain of and would bring out any thing they had to say to clear themselves of that crime of ingratitude Dect 1. It is the Lords love to his people that maketh him challenge them for forsaking him and this should make the challenge affect their hearts and will aggravate their guilt if it do not So much doth this stile O my people prefixed to the challenge teach us 2. The Church of God by her backsliding doth raise an evil report on God as if he dealt not well with his people and as if he were not easie to serve for his enquiring what have I done unto thee wherein have I wearied thee imports that their backsliding said in effect he had done them injury and wearied them with rigorous service 3. However our corruptions do snuffe and weary in Gods service as Mal. 1.13 yet there can be no true cause shewed why any should choose to forsake God but rather should cleave unto him seeing his commands are not grievous his yoke easie trials sent by him not above measure punishments not above deserving and a Mediator ready to undertake for his people in all exigents Therefore the Lord will have it disputed and will have the consciences of backsliders to clear him wherein have I wearied thee testifie against me See Jer. 2.5 3. 4. To forsake the Lord without cause and when men have nothing to lay to his charge wherefore they do it is great ingratitude for this is the scope of the challenge that fince they could lay nothing to his charge and yet turned away from him they could not shun the crime of ingratitude Vers 4. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt and redeemed thee out of the house of servants and I sent before thee Moses Aaron and Miriam A further proof of his challenge for their ingratitude is taken from his mercies towards them whereby he further vindicates himself and proves that they were so far from having any harsh usage to lay to his charge wherefore they did forsake him that on the contrary he had manifested many rare and singular favours toward them which did aggravate their fault This proof he cleares from several instances The first instance is his redeeming them from Egypt and that when Egypt dealt most hardly with them and had made them bond-men although the Egyptians themselves ought rather to have been slaves as coming of cursed Cham Gen. 9.25 A second instance is taken from his conducting them through the wildernesse giving unto them a well-setled government and faithful Governours such as Moses in the State to give laws from Gods mouth and to conduct the people Aaron to be Priest and Meriam their sister to instruct the women in that extraordinary time Exod. 15.20 Doct. 1. Mercies received do contribute much to aggravate the defection of a people so much doth this instancing of mercies in a time of defection teach See 1 Sam. 15.17 c. 2. Our delivery from bondage spiritual or temporal inward or outward that we may serve the Lord ought to be an eternal bond upon the delivered to be for God therefore their bringing out of the land of Egypt a shadow of spiritual deliverance by Jesus Christ wherein God had manifested himself gloriously is brought to remembrance though past and done long ago as yet obliging if it were well considered I brought them up out of the land of Egypt c. 3. The Lords conducting and guiding of his people in this world under a sweet and orderly government and honest governours in Church and State working to others hands for advancing Gods honour and the good of a people is a singular and obliging mercy though the people enjoying it were otherwise in a wildernesse for it aggravates their ingratitude that he sent before them Moses who received Gods minde in Lawes to them Psal 103.7 who was singularly meek Numb 12.3 and vehement in his affection to that people Exodus 32.31 c. Numb 14.13 Aaron who was the Saint of the Lord Psal 106.16 and Miriam though a weak woman and extraordinarily employed and not to be imitated in ordinary yet the sense of the mercy should not have died with her Verse 5. O my people remember now what Balak King of Moab consulted and what Balaam the son of Bâ—â—r answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal that ye may know the righteousnesse of the LORD A third instance of mercy is taken from a particular passage of his goodnesse in the wildernesse turning Balaks intended curse into a blessing and causing Balaam against his own inclination to blesse the people and publish Gods good will toward them See Numb 22.5 and 23.7 and 24.1 14. Deut. 23.4 5. This instance is yet further enlarged that when Balaam had counselled Balak to tempt Israel to whoredom and idolatry at Shittim that so God might turn their party Rev. 2.14 Num. 25.1 yet the Lord spared them and justly brought Balaam to a violent death Josh 13.22 Numb 31.8 He gave them victories over Og and Sihon Numb 21. he brought them unto the promised land and in Gilgal renewed the Covenant by circumcision and the Passeover Josh 3.1 and 5.2 c. By all which they might be sufficiently convinced of his fidelity in keeping promise in every thing Doct. 1. Forgetfulnesse of mercies is the cause why they take so little effect and produce so small fruit Therefore he calls them to remember now 2. The Lord in assuring his people that he takes pleasure in their prosperity is pleased so far to condescend to our capacity as to expresse himself as one whose heart warmed at the remembrance of wonted familiarity and consequently would be content to have it renewed therefore upon rehearsal of this benefit he repeats again O my people as if his affection were kindled and revived by the rehearsal See Jer. 2.2 much more should it so work upon us 3. As the Lord hath the power of cursing and blessing in his own hand however men be disposed so doth he turn intended curses against his people into blessings he can when he will protect them against the fraud as well as the violence of enemies yea and make their very enemies befriend them for so much doth that history of Balaam and Balak here pointed at teach us 4. The Lords sparing mercies his goodnesse striving with his peoples wickednesse and his keeping and renewing of a Covenant when their sins deserve that it should he broken and his just judgements upon their violent and fraudulent enemies ought to convince and engage his peoples hearts much to him therefore ought they to remember for their
conviction what had past from Shittim to Gilgal 5. There are standing monuments and experiences in the Church which may abundantly satisfie them of the Lords truth mercy and stedfastnesse in good will toward them for their incouragement in walking in his way and against every tentation they meet with therin and for their conviction and clearing of the Lord when it is otherwise for all these passages are rehearsed that ye may know the righteousnesse of the Lord or the manifold proofes of his fidelity in keeping promise Verse 6. Wherewith shall I come before the LORD and bow my self before the high God shall I come before him with burnt-offerings with calves of a yeare old 7. Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rammes or with ten thousands of rivers of oile shall I give my first-born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul Having proved their ingratitude the next fault challenged is their hypocriticall formality and therefore the Lord having cleared himself and shewed what he had done in the next place the people are brought in for their part making great offers of service and duty to God wherein they manifest nor onely their formality and affected ignorance but their malicious hypocrisie also for whereas the Prophet spoke sharply against them they are brought in complaining that they were most willing to appease Gods anger and ready to offer him all kinde of service yea even what seems impossible and is unlawfull if it would please him and yet he would never be pleased but his Prophets still cry out against them Whence learn 1. The right way of worshipping God and of appeasing his anger hath been an old controversie and the truth thereof lighted on by few how clearly soever it be revealed Wherewith shall I come before the LORD or prevent the face of the LORD or the breaking forth of his anger say they as yet to learn 2. Whatever convictions of sin men may attain to or whatever necessity they may see of being brought back to God by these conviction both which may be supposed here in heir profession yet corrupt men do heal these wounds slightly placing all their confidence in external performance of ceremonies or religious duties and neither fleeing to Christ nor regarding the substantiall duties of faith repentance and new obediences for shall I come before him with burnt offerings c is all they minde 3. Men may have fair and broad professions and pretend much reverence to God whose deeds do prove but stark naught for they pretend to how before the high God and yet give him no more but a ceremony 4. Corrupt and unrenewed men had rather be at any pains yea even what is unpossible and sinfully cruell then follow Gods way in fleeing to Christ quitting their own rightcousnesse and studying mortification of sin for so are we taught by their offer of thousands of rammes and ten thousands of rivers of oile which could not be had in all the world and their offer of their first-born to be slain in sacrifices for sin as Jdolaters do and all this rather then the killing of one lust 5. Externall performances of religion prove oft-times a great snare to wicked men who use them and a great obstruction to the Ministery of the Word reproving sin for this was their defence cast in the Prophets teeth that they were very observant of the Ceremoniall Law and were ready to do more of that kinde and therefore how could God be angry at them Ver. 8. He hath shewed thee Oman what is good and what doth the LORD require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God In opposition to their way the Lord sets down the true way of pleasing him and of their duty containing the duties of justice and mercy whereunto they stood obliged each to other and which hypocrites ordinarily neglect and their duty of keeping communion with God in humble and sober walking before him in the exercise of Religion and all these as a fruit of faith fleeing to God through Christ in the Covenant whereby he becomes ours Doct. 1. However men be ignorant or contentious yet the way of pleasing God is clearly revealed in his Word for in answer to their question he replies He hath shewed thee O man 2. The Lords commands albeit they be the Lords injunctions to man yet are not rigid or severe and unreasonable as hypocrites would alleadge but gentle and desirable so is implied in that speech What doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly c and in that they are called good 3. The Lord requireth especially of men professing Piety that they make conscience of justice and equity in their dealing each with other that so they may prove the sincerity of their profession and may adorn it for the Lord requires to do justly 4. Besides the duties which we owe to our neighbours in justice there are other duties which we are also bound to perform in humanity or by the bond of Christianity and charity These are here called mercie which though no humane law can reach us if we omit them yet the Lord requires them and conscience and Christianity doth call for them 5. Though love be required in performing every commanded duty yet for performance of mercy it is especially requisite as that which bindes the duty upon us and which must season the duty when it is a doing The Lord requires to love mercy 6. No duties can ever be acceptably performed by an unrenewed person or one who hath not by faith fled to God in the Covenant to be reconciled with him through Christ that so his duties may be performed as fruits of saith proving the sincerity thereof and strength may come from God daily enabling him thereunto Therefore also here God must be theirs by Covenant thy God 7. A man reconciled to God by faith ought not only to study to perform duties of the second Table but to joyn therewith a study of keeping communion with God in the exercises of true piety by both which conjoyned and flowing from faith he may prove himself to be somewhat more then either a moral civilian or an hypocrite attaines to and also that he may not provoke God to punish his neglect of keeping communion with him by suffering him to fal into some sin against the second Table Therefore also is required to walk with thy God 8. In relation to God humility and sobriety is required in the performance of duties either of the first or second Table there is no conceit of righteousnesse or merit to be allowed in what we do but when we have done all we are to come humbly to finde grace by vertue of a free Covenant we are to debase our selves when we are before God in religious worship we are in all sobriety and humility to receive commands take on imploiments and go about them with an humble dependance on him for