pawne when there is some speciall thing done in way to that which wee make account of that we are not only promised it and have it under hand and seale and have an oath and a pawne but it is in a great degree begun and so begun as the difficulty is over Those who live under the Gospell see the greatest part of our salvation already done for us God made a promise of sending his Son into the world Now in Gods performing that promise that God-man should come into the world to be made a curse for sin this is the greatest worke of all that is to be done to all eternity and if God would have failed in any thing it would have been in that It is not so much for God to deliver us in this world it is not so much for him to bring us to heaven as it is to send his Son into the world to be made a curse for us Now when God hath done so great a work and hath beene faithfull in that great promise he hath taught us for ever to trust in him to beleeve his faithfulness in making good other promises If a man who owes five thousand pound and payes you foure thousand nine hundred of it you thinke surely hee will never breake for one hundred I may trust him for the rest seeing hee hath dealt so faithfully with me in the great summe God hath paid the four thousand nine hundred and much more in comparison of what God hath done for us take all the glory of heaven we have not one hundred of the five thousand left behince therefore we may well confide in him for the payment of the rest But is God able It is true God is faithfull This is seldome an objection at least an explicite objection in the mouths of people but surely an implicite one it is in the hearts of many that appears by those cautions God gives to take away that objection 1 Pet. 4. 19. Commit the keeping of your souls unto him as unto a faithful Creator as if he had not said enough in saying he is faithfull he adds faithfull Creator as if he should say f there be no means to help you I will create means I will put forth my Almighty power to create helpe for you but you shall have helpe Dan. 9. 27. The Lord will confirme the Covenant the word is used for a mighty man a Giant in Scripture Gen. 19. 8. He began to be a mighty one in the land as a Giant in the earth the word here is of the same root God will come forth as a Giant as a mighty man to make sure the Covenant he hath made with his people if there be any thing in the world wherein God will stirre up his infinite power the excellency of his power the glory of his right hand it will be in confirming his Covenant to his Saints Esay 26. 4. Trust ye in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Esay 54. 5. Thy Maker is thy husband the Lord of Hosts is his name the God of the whole earth shall he be called Seeing God is so faithfull let not us be faithlesse But things goe very crosse and how shall we beleeve our faith shakes the true genuine love of the Saints is such as will love God without gifts for himself so the genuine art of faith is to beleeve in God without experience yea though things seem to goe contrary That love is but a lame love that loveth God onely for that which vve receive from him for the present and that is but a lame faith that beleeveth only in â—od for that which we see for the present Doe things goe crosse they are corrections and those may come from faithfulnes as well as any thing the Church enjoyes Psal 119. 75. I know O Lord that thy judgements are right and that thou in faithfulnesse hast afflicted me As God comes downe to you and sutes himself to you as his poor creatures so you should labour to raise your hearts to him to beleeve in him as a great God â—od deals with you as having to deale with weak creatures you should deale with him as having to doe with an infinite God You must give God leave to doe his worke his owne way The object of our confidence in God it is the thing will be done it is not how it will be done or when it will be done but that God will carry his worke thorough Shall our weakness be so much regarded as that things must not work so as to shew Gods power Certainly it is too too much for us to think our weakness must be so far condescended to One would think that it is enough that God condescendeth so much as to expresse himself so to you as you may beleeve would you have God condescend to expresse himselfe so to you as he should not have the glory of his worke nor you the glory of your faith this is too low Though we be bound to deny our selves much because of the weakness of our brethren Must God deny his glory because of our weakenesse We burden God too much with our weaknesse It is for Gods glory that things goe as they doe Lazarus was dead and dead so long that the work of God might appeare But I finde not things go so as I expected I thinke I have beleeved at such a time in prayer I thought my heart did close with the promises of God but yet things goe not so as I expect Though things be otherwise then thou expectest yet it may be God calls for new acts of thy beleeving and it is because there is no renewing of thy faith in his faithfulness You must know the continuall actings of Faith draw out the continuall actings of the power of God I will give you for that one famous Text perhaps you may reade it often and heare it but not perceive the strength there is in it Psal 31. 19. O how great is thy goodnes which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee but marke what followeth which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee Great is the goodnesse thou hast laid up Gods goodnesse is great to admiration for them that feare him but how It is laid up for them but now marke which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee All the goodnesse that is in God is for them that feare him but it is not fearing God that will bring it to work it is laid up in a treasury indeed do you feare God God hath laid up abundance of goodnesse in a treasury for you but you must not expect this will work for you unless you trust in him your Faith must bring it forth into work and that before the sonns of men thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of men Would you be hid in the secret of Gods presence from the pride of men you
sponsa vendicat Bern. Christ stands much upon this that the harts of his Saints should confide in him God a sure object for our faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our faith must rayse us above difficulties Renowned acts of faith drawes forth God power to worke foe the Saints Faith will hold God to his word Evidences that we do not trust in Gods faith fulness We must be faithfull to god so as God may confide in us We must be faithfull one toward another Obser Quia ego dominus Obser The right knowing God is a fruit of the covenant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The light of the Saints is three stories high Ephes 4 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser Obser Obs Obser Obser Obser Obser Obser Lect. 19 Obser Obser Obser Obser Obser Obs Obser Obser Obser 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser Obser Obser 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser Obser Obser Obser Quae omnia Iudei post Antichristum in fine mundi prestolantur Hieronym in locum Lect. 1. Obs Obser Obser Love must not be abused 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ezek. 23. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser Idolatry and sensuality goe together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cognatum cum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pagn Contrabentes dextras invicem datas ut rem ratam essâ— significarent percutiendo discinderent sicut in faederibus bestiae disse cabantur Pagn O Marâ—emani O Quadi O Sarmatae tandem alios vobis deteriores inveni Ammian lib. 2. Alios Romanos appellari permitterent non Iudaeos ne quid labis ad haertscenit nomini ab odioso ac sordido genere August in Psal 58. ad illud ne occidas Suetonius in Domitianâ— c. 12. Obser Sin puts into a vile condition Obs Obser Those to whom God intends great mercy may for a long time be in a sad condition Obser Obser Obser Obs Obser Obser Lect. 1. Obser Obser Ier. 31. 21. VVe may know what is done in heaven by by the beatings of our own hearts Obser Answ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lect. 2. Plutarch in the life of Pyrrhus Obser 2. Things in which wee must take heed of mixture Some coples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The evill condition of those who are out of Christ God is sought in straits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What the Ephod was What to be observed from the precious stones upon the Ephod Obser Obser Faetentur Rabbini sum mam esse apud Hebraeos harum rerum ignorantiam we must know Gods mind by Christ Obs Obser Obser Quae sit causa tam grandis offensa ut tanto tempore relicti sunt maxime cum idolae non colant praeter interfectionem salvatoris aliam non valent invenire Hieron in loc What Teraphim was Quem admodum per Ephod Deo consecratum quid agendum esset consuleâ— illbus significabatur ita per Teraphim Idolorum praedictiones declarabantur Procop. in Sam. 15. 23. Mactabant hominem cujus caput terquendo prescin debant quod postea â—ale aromatibus condiebant scribebantque super laminam auream nomeâ—â— spiritâ—â— immundi qua sopposita capiti ejus ponchant illud in parictâ— intendentibus coram eo candelas adorantes coram eo supponebant nomen spiritus immundi sub lingua ipsius ille alloquebatur eos Sic. R. Eliez How the taking away the Image and the Teraphim is a threatning How violently mens hearts are set upon superstitious wayes Obser Obser Obser Obser Obser Obser Obser Obser Obser Iâ—daos in Christum nostrum credituros celeberrimum est in sermonibus cordibusque fidelium August 1. Nihil ista propheta manifestius quam David Regis nomine significatus intelâ—igitur Christus August de civit lib. 18. c. 28. Lect. 3. Answ Obser Non solum periculosum sed horrtbile est de Deo extra Christum cogitare Luther Ego sape libâ—nter hoc inculco ut extra Christum oculos aures claudates dicaâ—â— nullum vos scire Deum nisi qui fuit in graemio Mariae suxit â—bera ejus Luther David and Christ paraleld in their exercise of kingly power Obser The feare of God is strong in a repenting 〈◊〉 The fear of God wil be most strong when the Church shall bee most glorious Foure grounds of the feare of God in the times of he Churches deliveranc◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is that goodnesse they shall feare God will take away the reproach of his Saints How the goodnesse of God is to be feared Wantons who abuse Gods goodnesse Differen ces between legall feare evangelicall
for the bow was a great warlike instrument in these dayes therefore in Psal 46. 9. He makes wars to cease he breaks the bow and cutteth the spear in sunder c. But here by breaking the bow there is something more it is not onely mentioned because the bow is a warlike instrument but there is some particular reason why the bow is instanced here and that is this because whereas Jehu did many memorable things in his warlike affairs yet none more then that he did by his bow Mark that place 2 King 9. 24. And Iehu drew a bow with his full strength and smote Jeroboam between his arms and the arrow went out at his heart c. So that the victory that Jehu got ever the two Kings of Israel and Iudah was by the Bow especially What observe we from hence That wherein wicked men have been most prosperous and succesful even in this God will curse them and let out his wrath upon them Againe Breake the bow blast all the power of their Ammunition Carnal hearts trust much in their warlike weapons but they are nothing when God commeth to break a peoples strength God hath the power of all Ammunition the Lord is called The Lord of Hosts and he delighteth much in this title First because God hath not only the power over Ammunition and all Warlike weapons so as they cannot be used but by him But secondly because when they are used they can have no successe at all but by him and so the Lord is the Lord of Hosts in a peculiar sense Hee is the great Generall of all Armies more then all other Generalls for the successe of all dependeth upon him My brethren why then need the Church of God feare the strength of weapons the Bow the Cannon or all the Ammunition of the enemies of the Church seeing our Lord is the Lord of Hosts no weapon can be used or have successe but by this Lord of Hosts He can break the bow though of steele when pleaseth and can give his people strength to doe so too For this you have an admirable promise Esa 54. 17. Behold saith God I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire and bringeth forth an instrument for his worke and I have created the water to destroy No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper What need the Church fear then God breaks the bow when he pleaseth For as God hath a providence over all the things in the world so there is a specialty of providence of God to order Battels to give the victory not to the strong or to the multitude but sometimes to the weak and few even as hee pleaseth And therefore hee is the Lord of Hosts because though his providence is generall over all creatures yet there is a specialty of providence of God in warlike affairs But what was this valley of Jezreel It is worthy our time to enquire after this valley of Jezreel wherein God will break the bow of Israel There were two places called Jezreel the one belonging to Iudah Iosh 15. the other belonging to Israel Iosh 17. 16. Chap. 19. 18. Iezreel was a fruitfull valley ten miles long and by it there was a famous City built which was in Ahabs time the principall seate the Metropolis of the Kingdom and there was a glorious tower in it from thence they might see over Galilee and over Iordan Now there were two great Cities that belonged to the tenn Tribes Samarea and Iezreel as we in England have two principall Cities London and Yorke But this Iezreel was the most fortified in which they put a great deale of confidence yet God saith here He will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Iezreel That is there by that City in that place that they accounted the great strength of their Kingdom there he would break the bow of Israel Fortified Cities cannot help when God cometh out against a people If we can fortifie our Cities against sin we may soone fortifie them against an Enemie If sinne once get in the enemie will quickly follow Nah. 3. 12. All thy strong holds shall be like fig-trees with the first ripe figs if they be shaken they shall fall into the mouth of the eater You shall with the least wind like the first ripe figs sall off all your strong holds shall doe so Yea ver 13. Thy people in the midst of thee are women the gates of thy land shall be set wide open to thine enemies the fire shall devourthy bars You see what the valley of Iezreel is the meaning of it But why will God breake the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel There are these two reasons for it 1. Because God would deale with this people of Israel as Judges deale with Malefactors they will hang them up there where the fact was committed as wee see some hanged up in Chains neer to the City at or about the place where their villany was done So in Jezreel was shed the blood of Jezebel and the blood of the 70. sons of Ahab and the blood of Jehoram and there will God break the bow Hence it is that guilty consciences are many times afraid to goe neere to the places where they have committed wickedness because their consciences will fly in their faces for feare God should come upon them in the place where the fact was done But further He will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel that is in that fortified place in which they did so much glory this is specially observable Even in that place wherein a kingdom shall most glory seem to trust most in God many times doth come and break the kingdom in that very place and makes that the breaking of the kingdome most Nah. 3. 8. Art thou better then populous No that was scituate among the rivers that had the waters round about it whose rampant was the sea her wall was from the sea Mark a people just like England in this case what we overcome by the Enemie we that have the Seas for our Wall and such a multitude of people amongst us These have been are the two pleas that England hath for her selfe because our people are many and we have the seas for a wall But art thou better then populous No yet was she carryed away she went into captivity c. vers 10. Thus the Prophet pleadeth with them But further These trusted in Jezreel they seemed to scorn the Prophet What the kingdome of Israel cease what thinke you of Jezreel such a strong place as that just as we should say what an Enemy come to us what say you to London a brave City a strong City what say you to the Ammunition to the Militia to the strength that is there Are they not able to resist all that can come against it Have we cause to feare danger It is true the kingdom hath cause to bless
been only the hearing of what our brethren have suffered yet do suffer Whereas all about us is as the fiery furnace and we walk in the middest of it like the three children our garments not touched nor the smell of the fire passed on them when as we see all Countreys as Gideons fleece bewetted with the tempest of Gods wrath yea with their own blood behold we are dry aud the sun-shine of Gods mercie is upon us the blackness of the misery of our brethren is the brightnesse of our mercie I will save them It is the Lord that will save them This is an upbraiding of Israel Oh Israel you think to be saved by your owne policy you have got a fetch beyond God you are afraid that the people should go up to Jerusalem to worship therefore you have set up the two Calves to save your selves But Judah shall be saved and saved after another way Iudah need not go to such carnall setches and policies to save themselves for the Lord shall save them Though carnal hearts thinke and endeavour to save themselves onely by their own policie and carnall waies yet let Gods people know that they have a stronger means to save them then all the policie in the world So long as the wisdom the power the mercy the faithfulnesse of God is for them they need no other string to their bow but that I will save them by the Lord. VVhat is the meaning of this This by Interpreters is carried concerning Christ That God the Father promiseth to save by Christ As Dan. 9. 17. we have such an expression in prayer Now O Lord hear the prayer of thy servant for the Lords sake that is for Christs sake So here God wil save by the Lord that is by Christ A sweet lesson we have from thence viz. That the administration of Gods grace to his people is given into the hands of JESUS CHRIST It is Christ that doth save the people of God and hath saved them in all former times in all ages It is true in the merits of Christ all are saved that every one will grant as Zach. 9. 11. By the blood of thy Covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit All the prisoners of Gods people ever since the world began that have been sent out of the pit it hath been by the blood of the covenant by the merits of Christ and not onely so but Christ in the administration of all hath been the chiefe he hath been the Angel of Gods presence that hath stood up for his people in all their necessities he hath been the great Captain deliverer the Saviour of them all Let Christ then have the honour of a Soveraigne to us in regard of our salvation in outward deliverances Let us look up to him then for salvation in all our straits And if Christ was the Saviour of his people in all ages and still will be then surely those ages and places where Christ is most known and honoured may expect the greatest salvation And this is for our comfort far above all the ages that ever was since the world began Christ is most known and honoured in this age and of all places in the world here in England and amongst our countrey men and if Christ will be a Saviour of those places where he is known and honoured surely England may expect a salvation England hath had it and as England is peculiar in the way of the knowledg of Christ so England shall be peculiar in a way of Gods grace to her I will save them by the Lord their God Not your God oh Israel but their God Thus he upbraydeth the people of Israel that they had forsaken their God that Iudah had kept their God but Israel had not It is a great upbrayding of a people when it can be said of them that they have forsaken the Lord. It is a wofull thing not to have God to be our God at all that conscience can charge this upon a man that Daniel did upon Belshazzar That God in whose hand thy breath his whose are all thy ways hast thou not glorified but that conscience can charge this That God that thou hast chosen that thou hast entred into covenant withall Oh thou apostatized soule thou apostatized Nation thou hast forsaken him he is not thy God This is a sore and heavy charge indeed Again The Lord their God It seemes he is the God of Judah though Judah had many evils but not the God of Israel Those then that do not worship God in a right way God will not acknowledge himself to be worshipped by them at all The people in the wildernesse proclaimed a fast to Jehovah and yet the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 7. calleth them Idolaters and it is said they sacrificed to Idols because they worshipped God by the Calfe and not in Gods way Though we may think we worship God yet if wee doe not worship him in his own way he doth not own himself to be worshipped by us at all Again The Lord their God This could not but sting Israel that Judah should be thought to have more interest in God then Israel had It is a stinging thing to carnal hearts and much bitternesse of spirit it must needes be entertained withall that any one should but think of challenging any peculiarity of interest in God Thus they scorned at Christ Oh he trusted in God he thinketh he hath more interest in God then others now let his God come and save him I remember in the book of Martyrs we read that the Papists were much vexed against the protestants because they used to say our God and our Lord they were knowne by this speech and the Papists were inraged against them for this because they seemed to claime more interest in God then others And indeed what is the cause of the quarrel in the World against Gods people but because they thinke they claime more peculiarity and interest in God than others and this is the reason that soule-searching preaching cannot be endured because it makes a difference between the one and the other and shewes that some have an interest in God more than others Hence it is that in no places in the world mens spirits so fret against preaching as in England why because there is not such soul-examining such soule-distinguishing preaching in the World as in England Yea that is the reason of the bitternesse of one professor against another because one is a Protestant at large and the other manifesteth more power of godlinesse is more strict in his course and seemes to claime a greater share in God than the former Profession in England is a more distinguishing profession than in other places I will save them by the Lord their God God is the God of Judah still therefore God will save them So long as God is our God we need not fear our adversaries Yee
be seene and another thing to do a thing that it may be seen And yet Gods people may do both not do good onely that may be seen but if they keepe still the glory of God above in their eye as the highest ayme they may desire and be willing too that it may be seene to the praise of God But this I confesse requireth some strength of grace to do it and yet to keep the heart upright The excellency of grace doth consist not in casting off the outward comforts of the world but to know how to enjoy them and to over-rule them unto God so the strength of grace doth consist not in forbearing of such actions as are taken notice of by men or not to dare to ayme at the publishing of those things that have excellency in them but the strength of grace consists in this in having the heart enabled to do this and yet to keepe it under too and to keep God above in his right place Thirdly It shall be said they are sonnes c. It is a great blessing unto Gods children that they shall be accounted so before others Not onely that they shall be so but that they shall be accounted so Blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God This is a blessing not onely to be Gods children but to be called Gods children We must account it so and therefore we must walk so as may convince all with whom we do converse that we are the children of God and not thinke this sufficient well let me approve my heart to God and then what need I care what all the World thinks of me God doth promise it as a blessing to have his people called the children of God then this must not be slighted You shall find it often in the Gospel that Christ made a great businesse of this to make it manifest to the world that he was sent of God he would have them to know that his Father sent him and that hee came from him So the people of God should count it a blessing and walk so as they may obtaine such a blessing that the world may know that they are of God Further. In the place where it was said unto them Ye are not my people there it shall be said unto them Ye are the sonnes of the living God Marke It is not said thus that in the place where it was said they are not my people it shall be said to them they are my people No but further it shall be said they are sonnes and sonnes of the living God this goeth beyond being his people Hence then the observation is That The grace of God under the Gospell it is morefull and large and glorious then the grace of God under the Law For this is spoke of the estate of the Church under the Gospell They were Gods people indeed under the Law but the sonnes of the living God this is reserved for the times under the Gospel Sometime they under the Law are called by the name of sonnes but it appeareth by this Text that in comparison of that glorious son-ship that they shall have under the times of the Gospell that they in former times were rather servants then sonnes There is very little of our adoption in Christ revealed in the Old Testament No that was reserved for the Sonne of God to reveale for him that came out of the bosome of the Father and brought the treasures of his Fathers councel to the world the revelation of these things were reserved to the time of his comming both adoption and eternal life was very little made knowne in the time of the Law therefore Saint Paul saith that life and immortality were brought to light through the Gospel 2 Tim. 1. 10. 2. Sonnes Because in the time of the Gospell the spirits of the Saints are of son-like dispositions they are ingenuous not mercenarie In the time of the Law God carried on his people in offering rewards especially in outward things but in the time of the Gospell we have no such rewards in outwards but the Scripture speakes of afflictions most there is not spoken so much of afflictions in the time of the Law but much outward prosperity there was then but in the time of the Gospel more affliction because the dispositions of the hearts of people should not be so mercenary as they were before they should be an ingenuous a willing people in the day of Christs power 3. Sonnes Because of the son-like affection to be much for God their Father out of a naturall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they should have more then in the times of the Law I suppose some of you have heard of the story of Craesus his sonne though he was dumb all his dayes when he perceived a souldier striking his father his affection brake the barres of his speech and he cryed out to the Souldier to spare his rather This is the affection of a sonne and these affections doth God looke for from his children especially in the time of the Gospel that they should heare no wrong done to him but though they could never speake in their own cause yet their should be sure to speake in their Fathers cause 4. Sonnes Because they have not such a spirit of servility upon them as they had in the time of the Law Christ is come to redeem us that we might serve the Lord in holinesse and righteousnesse before him without feare all the dayes of our life to take away the spirit of feare Hence the Apostle saith We have not received the spirit of feare but of love and of a sound minde And Heb. 2. 15. Christ is come to redeem those who through feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage The spirit of a sonne is not be spirit of feare We have not received the spirit of bondage to feare again but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father It is unbeseeming the children of God especially in the time of the Gospel to be of such servile spirits as to feare every little danger to be distracted with fear and presently to be amazed Hath not God revealed himselfe to us as a Father to his children that we must not feare He would not have us feare himselfe not with a servile sear as men do and therefore surely not to fear men be they what they will be We are sons Again Not only sons for so we might find in Scripture where the people of God under the Law perhaps are sometimes called so but elder sons sons come to yeares It is true they were before us and so in that respect we are not elder bnt sons that are come to our inheritance that is it I mean that we are such sons Not children under tutorage not under School-masters and governours as they were in the time under the Law You know what comparison the Scripture makes of the difference betweene
of the Church that shall be marke what the Text saith The Lord shall regard the prayer of the destitute and shall not despise their prayer speaking of those that shall live in those times a little before this day of Iezreel shall be The Lord shall regard the prayer of the destitute the word that is translated destitute it signifieth in the Hebrew a poor shrub in the wildernesse a poor shrub that the foot of every beast is ready to tread downe and that poore shrub that perhaps is despicable in the eyes of the world and despicable in his own eyes yet saith the Text the Lord shal regard the prayer of that poor shrub Is there ever a poor shrub though never so destitute so despicable in the eyes of the world or in thine owne eyes yet be thou a praying Christian a praying soul praying for those things and God will regard thy prayer he will not despise thy prayer Perhaps thou art ready to despise thy prayers thy self but God will not despise them let all our hearts be lifted up and let us all cry with the Church Come Lord Jesus Come quickly O let this day come for great shall be the day of Jezreel HOSEA CHAP. 2. The First Lecture CHAP. 2. VER 1. 2. Say 〈◊〉 your brethren Ammi and to your sisters Ruhamah Pled with your mother plead for she is not my Wife neither am I her husband c. SOme joyne the first verse of this Chapter to the end of the former and according to a sense that may be given of the words agreeable to the scope of the latter part of the former Chapter it may seem more fit to be made the end of that then the beginning of this In the latter end of the former God was in a way of promising mercy to his people that those that were not his people should be his people and those that had not received mercy should receive mercy Now he calleth upon all whose hearts were with God to speake to one another of this great favour of God to his people foâ— their mutuall encouragement and for the praise of his Name As if he should say Well you have been under dreadfull threats of God your sins have called for dreadfull things but my grace is free and it is rich powerfull therefore you that were not my people and have deserved to be for ever cast off from being my people you that had not obtained mercy shall obtaine mercy Say to your brethren Ammi and to your sisters Ruhamah that is O you that are godly speak one to another and telâ— one another for the quickning of one anothers hearts of this great favour of God of his free grace Oh say Ammi Ammi the people of God Ruhamah Gods mercy We were not his people but now Ammi again God hath promised to make us to be his people we were rejected from mercy but mercy is come again now Ruhamah O the mercy of God O that free grace of our God that wee that have beene so vile so provoked the eyes of his glory we that have so sinned against mercy it self yet mercy should thus follow us to make us his people and to save us from his wrath It is a good thing to speake of the loving kindnesse of our God Psal 92. 1. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and to be telling of the goodnesse of God in the morning and his faithfulnesse every night That Psalme is appointed for the Sabbath It is a work of the Sabbath to be speaking one to another of the goodnesse of God Especially in this case when a people were afraid that they should have been for ever rejected that now God should call them againe Ammi my people and say now againe that he will have mercy upon them Psal 145. 4. 5. One generation shall praiss thy name to another and shall declare thy mighty acts I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty and of thy wondrous works Mark what the wayes of God are toward his Church when he commeth in the wayes of mercy they are wondrous works of God they are the mighty acts of God they are such wherein the honor of God appears yea they are the honour of his Maâ—esty yea they are the glorious honour of his Majestyâ— There is Majesty honour of Majesty glorious honour of Majesty mighty works of God wonderfull works of God When these appeare these are to be declared indeed And for them to be able to say to one another Ammi and Ruhamah it was to declare the wonderfull works of God and the glorious honour of his Majesty Yea it followeth further in that Psalme verse 6. Men shal speake of the might of thy terrible acts and I will declaâ—e thy greatnesse And verse 7. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodnesse Eâ—uctaâ—uâ—t so Arias Mâ—ntanus renders it they shall not be able to keep it in but break â—orth in the memory of thy goodnesse Happy are those people that God gâ—ants such subjects of discourses unto that they may say one to another to their brethren and sisters Ammi and Ruhamah It was not long since that when we met with our brethren we could not have such a subject of discourse as this is but usually when Christians met together after their Salutations their first question was Oh! what shall we do what shall we doe what course shall we take All the Newes almost that was in the Kingdome and the subject of discourses specially among the Saints was this Such a Minister silenced in such a place such a one banished in another place such a one imprisoned in another place such a one High-Commissioned in another place such signes of the wrath of God upon us we are afraid that God is going if he be not quite gone already we are afraid that he will not onely reject us from being his people but reject us from being a people upon the facâ— of the earth But blessed be God he hath changed the subject of our dâ—scourses Now Gods wayes have begun to be towards us as if he intended to make us again to be his people Now we may when we meet together have plentifull subjects of discourses about Gods grace mercy to say Ammi Ruhamah O the Lord manifesteth goodnes to an unworthy Nation we have hope that yet he will owne us to be his people we have hope that yet he will shew mercy to us though never so unworthy Who would have thought ever to have seene and heard of such things as we have seene heard who would have thought ever to have seene the hearts of the adversaries so daunted their power so curbed their rage so quelled the wicked in their own workes so ensnared their hopes so disappointed who would ever have thought to have seene the Saints so rejoycing their liberties so inlarged their hearts and expectations so raised This is the free grace of God
day Therefore as we read of Jeremiah Chap. 37. 18. Let my supplication saith he to the King I pray thee be accept able before thee that thou cause me not to returne to the house of Jonathan the Scribe lest I dye there So let us present our supplications to the King of heaven that wee may not be sent back to that condition we were once in that God may not strip us and leave us naked Wee have many blessings Lord do not strip us doe not strip us of all the ornaments thou hast put upon us And would you not have God strip you of your ornaments be you willing to strip your selves of your ornaments Ezod 33. 5. God calleth upon the people there Put off your Ornaments from you that I may know what to doe unto you This is true and seasonable at this time in the literall sense you are called now to strip you of your Ornaments Strip from your fingers your gold-rings now when there is neede of them perhaps one gold-ring that you have upon your finger would serve to maintain a souldier a month or five weeks or more and yet you may have the benefit of it againe afterward Strip your Cup-boards from that pompous shew of plate that was wont to be upon them It is much if you should not be willing to have your fingers stripped naked when we are in danger to have the State stript naked of all our comforts and ornaments Is it such a great matter to have your cup-board naked of plate now what if a white cloath were upon it and all that glistering shew taken away were that such a great matter now when God is about to strip us naked and set us as in the day wherein wee were borue certainly all of you that shall keep your plate now for the pompous decking and adorning of your cup-boards you cannot but be ashamed of it in these times surely you must rather keep it up in your trunkes and hutches it cannot but be both a sin and a shame to see such glistering pomp and glory in such times as these are Strip your selves of your ornaments that God strip you not and not only outwardly but strip your selves of your ornaments by your humiliation for that is the meaning of that place in Exodus Oh come and humble your selves and come now with naked hearts before the Lord open your hearts before God bring them naked and sincere before him lest he strip you and the Kingdom naked Crie unto God for mercie O Lord thou knowest what a vile heart I have had a base time-serving heart yet Lord I desire to take away all those clokes now and to rend and bring this heart naked before thee though it be a filthy heart yet open it Lord thou knowest those vile things those innovasions those superstitions those horrible wickednesses that were in danger to be let into the Church and Comman-wealth yet they were things that could goe down very well with me I could make shifts to swallow them and I had distinctions to colour them but Lord it was my base heart that I could not trust thee but now here I open it naked before thoe O Lord for these Ordinances of thine in the purity and power of them that others spake so much of they have bin things unsavory to me I had no skill in such things Thou knowest I had a neutrelizing spirit I looked which way the wind blew how just were it for thee to give me upto be of a desperate malignant spirit Now Lord I come as a naked wretched creature before thee in the shame and guilt of my sin and here I acknowledge thou maiest justly strip me naked of all the comforts of my estate and leave me in the most miserable condition that ever poor creature was left in And now my heart is open before thee doe but shew me what I shall doe and if thou doest reserve any of my estate and comforts which I have forfeited in testimony of my humiliation for my former sinnes I bring it before thee and am willing to give it up for the publique good and to prevent that evill and mischiefe that I am sure my sinnes call for for my sins cry for wrath against the Land that thou shouldst strip it naked and if all had beene such base spirits as I have beene what would have become of the Land by this time In testimonie therefore of my humiliation for my sins here I bring in this of my estate though indeed if I had not been guilty of such sins yet out of common prudence and respect to my own security I might bring some part in but here is so much the more of my estate because my conscience tells me of my former guilt And Lord for the time to come I am resolved to doe the uttermost I can for Thee and thy Cause And those Worthies that carry their lives in their hands for me God forbid that I should have the least hand in betraying them in withdrawing my hand and assistance from them Lord here I give up my self to thee and my estate I surrender it to thee in an everlasting Covenant This is to come with a naked heart indeed before the Lord. Were it not better that we should be willing to strip our selves naked then that God should doe it by violenee that God should send Souldiers into our houses to strip us naked as they have dealt with our brethren in Ireland they took not away their estates onely but all their clothes and sent them in droves as naked as ever they were borne VVee know wee have deserved the like If you will not strip your selves of your super â—â—uities God may justly by them strip you naked as ever you were born and not onely bring you into the same condition you were in but into a far worse for so he threatneth in that 28. Deut. You shall not onely be carryed backe againe into Egypt but there you shall be sold for bondâ—men and no man shall buy you they should be in a worse condition the when they were first in Egypt So if there be any of you that are willing to sell your consciences in hope of preferment Oh the other side may get power and prevaile and so out of hope to be preferred to sell your consciences you may be disappointed not only be brought into as ill but into a far worse condition perhaps though you would have sold your selves yet no bodie will buy you if the Papists corne to have the power of your bodies and estates you may misse of that preferment that you thinke of So saith Ezra Chap. 9. 14. after he had spoken of Gods mercie in giving them liberty and remitting their captivitie Shall we saith he yet continue in sin break the commandements of the Lord would he not be angry with us till we were utterly destroyed And certainly if God do not awaken the hearts of people now if God do
he went after Ashâ—oreth the goddesse of the Zidâ—nians and after Mileom the abomination of the Amorites and built a high place for Châ—mosh the abomination of Moaâ— in the hill that is before Jerusalem just there he built it too as if it had been in defiance to the Temple of God and his true worship and that for Molech the abomination of the children of Ammâ—â— and thus he did saith the Text ver 8. for all his strange wives which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods This shamefulnesse he was grown unto And thus we see it in experience how faire are men in their wayes of superstition at first At first it is onely decency that is all they plead for well afterward it riseth from decency to significancy that is a little higher to put them in minde Thirdly from significancy it riseth to efficacy to stirre up the dull mind of man Fourthly from efficacy it riseth to necessity that now it must be done and the worship of God cannot be without it and there shall be no ordinance no administration at all without it Decency significancy efficacy and necessity thus it riseth to be shamefull at last So amongst the Papists in their traditions surely at first only they would come with this argument What will you not regard them as you would doe other bookes and other Histories they are the traditions of our fore-fathers but at length they came to this in the fourth Sexion of the Councell of Trent the Synod doth take honour the bookes of the old and new Testament and the traditions of the Fathers with equalâ— affection of piety and reverence as they doe them To this shamefulnesse they grew to at last And so for worshipping of Images why it is it for the decency of Churches to have them and they are but to put you in minde at the most but at length they came to this these are the very words the same honour is due to the Image and to the Exemplar Lastly from this amplification that she hath done shamefully VVhen men doe grow shamelesse impudent in evil there is little hope of them I will have no mercy upon them Why For they have done thus they are grown thus impudent It is a good thing to keepe the bridle of shame as long as we can upon our children and servants and any of our inferiours therefore take this one instruction with you be not too ready to rebuke and chastise your servants your children in reproachfull manner before others left you bring them to that that they shall see they have no honour to lose and then there is little hope of them Evermore keep such a hand over your children and servants as they may see they have some respect to lose that they may not be so ashamed by you as for them to thinke they cannot be worse they cannot be more disgraced there is no such way to bring them to grow desperate as that is It is very great wisedome in Governours to keepe the bridle of shame still and not to let those raines goe and this is the reason that your Bride-well or Goale-birds seldome or never come to good why because they have no bridle to keepe them in they have lost all their honour and they can lose no more and there is no rational creature but would have honour there is not the meanest servant you have but hath a kinde of respect to honour and that will doe more then blows except they be grown to be very beasts But how doth he prove that it is shamefull Thus For she hath said I will go after my lovers that give me my bread and my water my wooll and my flaze mine oyle and my drinke For she hath said Hence first Deliberate sins are most shamefull sinnes This is a proofe of her shamefulnesse because that which she hath done she hath done upon deliberation she said she would do thus and thus she considered before what she would doe and yet she would doe it Wickednesse committed de industria ex consilio of purpose resolved upon this is very shamefull Gal. 6. 1. It is said of Godly men that they may be overtaken with a fault If a man be overtaken with a fault It is one thing to be overtaken with a sinne and another thing to overtake a sinne a gracious heart may have sinne overtake it but it is a shamelesse heart that overtakes sinne Secondly She hath said I will goe Whoredome either bodily or spirituall is usually very wilfull as if she had said let all the Prophets say what they can let them talke out their hearts I will have my minde I will follow my lovers still Thus it is with bodily whoredome Those who are guilty of this usually grow extreame wilfull Prov. 2. 19. None that goe unto her return again neither take they hold of the paths of life It is a most dreadfull Scripture against all adulerers unclean ones There is none saith the Text make it out how you will there is none that goe unto her return a-again neither take they hold of the paths of life those are the words of the Holy Ghost I leave the words with you So Pro. 23. 27. A whore is a deepe ditch and astrange woman is a narrow pit they cannot easily get out nor will they easily get out they are so plunged in 2 Pet. 2. 14. Eyes full of adultery that cannot cease to sinne why cannot they cease to sinne it is not because they have a heart but no power but their wills is brought into that bondage and subjection that they cannot will otherwise therefore Ezek. 47. 11. wee finde that though the waters of the Sanctuary were very healing yet saith the Text the miry places and the maershes were not healed miry filthy uncleane hearts are very seldome healed by the waters of the Sanctuary I remember AElian reporteth that there was a whore that did boast that she could easily get scholars away from Socrates but Socrates could get no scholar from her none of her followers It is true that a whore is prevalent and when she hath once gotten them it is almost impossible to get them away from her Therefore that place Heb. 6. that speakes of that sinne that is impossible to have repent anoe Tertullian interprets it to be no other but the sinne of uncleannesse The Author of this Epistle saith hee knew no promise of second repentance to the adulterer and fornicator that is his expression shewing how ordinarily those that are guilty of that sinne and are given up to it grow wilfull in it And therefore in Ephes 4. 19 these two are put together being past feeling and having given themselves over to laciviousness and want onness wantons usually grow past feeling And for spirituall adultery that usually is very wilfull too for those that are left by God to that way of false worship to Superstition and Idolatry they seldome returne
not to cover it it causeth the fury of the Lord to come with vengeance So you know he saith in that place of Isa Chap. 3. 9. They declared their sin as Sodome and hid it not Woe unto her soul saith he woe unto them when they shall presume to declare their sin as Sodome And as I said before God will be as wilfull in punishing a sinner as a sinner is wilfull insinning so here God will be as professed in plauging as thou shalt be professed in sinning for thy heart That you shall see in that forenamed place of Ezek. they did not cover the blood well marke it saith the Text I have set her bloud upon the top of the rock that it should not be covered Woe therefore to the bloody City I will even make the pile for fire great c. I will be as profest in my plagues and punishments as you are profest in your sins My brethren if we will be profest in any thing let us be professed in that which is good let us do that as openly as we can 2 Cor. 9. 13. the text saith there that God is glorified for their professed subjection to the Gospel for their subjection of profession so the words are It is not enough for to subject to the Gospel but there must be a professed subjection to it therefore Rom. 10. 10. Confession with the mouth is there made as necessary to salvation as beleeving with the heart they are put together There may be times that confession may be called for as well as beleeving and as necessary to salvation I remember I have reade of one Gordius a martyr who when his friends came to him and would have him keepe his heart to himselfe only with his mouth to deny what in his heart he beleeved was true Oh no saith he it is fit for my mouth that was made for God should speake for God And Zwinglius is of the opinion that we may even as well worship the Altar of Jupiter or Venus as hide our faith and profession when we live uuder Antichrist such a speech he hath The way to honour Religion bring it into credit it is for those that are godly to professe what they doe I knew once one that was noble both in birth and grace and having to doe oftentimes with those of his ranke greatones that would be scorning at Religion under the name of putirrnisme he would usually take this course when he was to come into such company he would begin himselfe owne himselfe to be one of those that they called a Puritan and so he prevented them and by that meanes prevented much sin in them and much scorne of Religion by thus owning of it It is certain that the best way for the honoring of Religion it for every one to owne it though there be ignominous termes put upon it If ever we were called to profession of what we doe beleeve we are now called to it in these dayes Certainly God professeth for us God doth not onely respect us but he doth professedly he doth it openly in the eyes before the faces of our adversaries Let us not onely have God in our hearts but professe his name openly before the faces of our adversaries It is time now to do it It had beenewell if you had professed heretofore when Gods truth called for it It may be many of you may be found to be guilty in betraying the truth of God for professing no sooner then you did but however betray it not now for want of profession be willing now to professe of what party you are that as wee reade of Jonah Chapter 9. when he was in the storme and the marriners awaking he saith unto them I am an Hebrew that feare the God of heaven which made the sea and the dry land and so he goeth on in making an open profession of himselfe My brethren if we be not in a present storme yet the clouds grow black therefore awake you sluggards you that are secure awake out of your security and now professe what you are I am an Hebrew that feare God whatsoever they talke of such and such men under such ignominious terms and titles I am one of them and I am willing to appeare so Many times you will be like Nichodemus you will come to JESUS by night you are affraid to be seene You would give in money to the Parliment and help to forward that worke God hath in hand but onely you are affraid to be seene I know there may be possibly some occasion to keepe some men in from appearing but not many the cases are very rare Ordinarily certainly it is not enough to do it but to doe it professedly let it bee declared who you are and what side you take She said I will goe after my lovers If you say we live in wicked and evil times it is dangerous to appeare I may not onely keepe my heart right but I will doe as much as another but why should I appeare The worse the times are the more thou shouldest appeare Mark 8. 38 Whosoever shal be ashamed of me in this adulterous generation of him shal the Son of man be ashamed when he commeth in the glory of his Father with his holy Angels If the generation were holy it were nothing to appeare not to be ashamed or affraid but wee must not be either ashamed or affraid in the midst of an adulterous generation 2. Why should wickedness have this advantage that it dares appeare but godlinesse dares not 3. If all should reason as you doe what would become of the Cause why should others venture themselves more then you What is your flesh your estate your liberty more then theirs 4. You must appeare for examples sake to provoke others This is a duty as well as any 5. If the adversaries prevaile they will finde you out except you meane to give up your consciences to them and then you will escape no more then others to be sure you will not have so much peace as others who have most appeared Fifthly I will follow after my lovers Who are they Either first they who they were in association withall as the Egyptians and the Assyrians and so I finde some Interpreters carry it or thefâ— Idols and that is especially aymed at but the the other may beare an Observation and perhaps both may be included It is a dangerous thing very sinfull and vile for the people of God to joyne in affâ—â—ciation with Forraigners that are of a different Religion to think to have help from them The people of God Jer. 42. were set upon this to have their association with Egypt and they could not be brought from it and if you read that Story it will appear to be very vile and dangerous they seemed to yeeld unto God that they would doe what hee would have them and they would not goe into Egypt if he forbade it but in Chap. 43.
lewdnes the Greek word translated there lewdness doth elegantly set forth the disposition of a lewd man namely such a one as is easily drawn to any wicked way I will discover her lewdnesse in the sight of her lovers In the sight this is a great aggravation of their shame God will cast filth on them not before those that are strangers but those before whom they would be honoured It is a note of Calvin upon this that seemes to reach the meaning of the holy Ghost alluding to the way of whores who having great men for their lovers favourites with Princes at the Court they rest on their power and confide in their greatness they care not what their husbands can doe against them and so grow proud against their husbands because their lovers have great power There was a remarkable example of this here in England that you may remember it were but to â—ake in a filthy dunghill to mention it I will take away their confidence though their lovers be never so great the Assyrians and Aegyptians whosoever they be they shall have no power to help you but I will discover their lewdnesse before their face From hence take these observations First all wickednesse and especially Idolatry hath many covers for it except we looke very narrowly to those that are superstitious and idolatrous we shall not see the evill of that sin Some covers are subtilly woven but it may be said of them all as Isa 28. 20. The bed is shorter then that a man can stretch himselfe on it and the covering narrower then that he can wrap himselfe in it Secondly Prosperity in a sinfull way is a great cover though it be a very vile and sinfull way yet prosperity is a cover to it This glisters so in many mens eyes that the filth of sin is hid many a foule hand is under a faire perfumed glove an ill complexion may have a painted face and prosperity is no other to wicked men then a painted face to a foul woman As a painted face is no argument of a faire complexion so neither is prosperity of a good condition Crooked diseased bodies halfe rotten may have fine cloths Green leaves on a tree may hide the rifts the mossiness and blackness of the body which appears in winter Many men are abominable false in all their wayes cruell and bloody in their hearts against God and good men their spirits are invenomed and they have given up themselves to most horrible sins yet so long as they have power about them all is covered were all their prosperity taken from them and all their glory and greatness and nothing but their falshood and hatred of the wayes of God appeared what dreadfull creatures would they bee There is many a man that is taken with a strumpet when shee hath painted her selfe bravely like Iezebel but if he should see this whore whipped up down the streets and full of botches how odious would this strumpet be in his eyes take away her bravery and she is to him the Ioathsomest creature upon earth Thirdly Retaining some truths in the way of worship is a great cover to much falsenes When some of you are to pay a great sum you can shuffle in a brasse six pence or shilling or a light piece of gold so some though they retaine many errors yet because they keep some truths they think to cover much superstition False wares will be holpen off amongst good and a man that useth to lie will sometimes tell some truths to put off a lie A man that is a base selfe-secker will many times deny himselfe many times you shall have the proudest spirits that are to bee as crowching and subject to those that are their superiours as any and so by seeming humility cover a great deale of pride So the evill of ceremonies and false discipline passe without much contradiction you must not trouble your selves about these things and why have not we as wholsome soule-saving doctrine as in any Church in the world because of this the corruption of the other is covered much hypocrisie is covered under excellent gifts the gifts are gifts of Gods Spirit but they oftentimes cover much vileness Further observe Outward pompous devotion in Gods worship is a great colour of notorious Idolatry as gilded Crosses painted Churches pompous Ceremonies how hath it covered the most desperate hatred to the power of godlinesse that ever was I will discover thy lewdnesse God hath a time to discover wickednesse it shall appeare one day in its colours vile and abominable wickednesse shall not always goe uncovered God will not discover her infirmities neither should we wee should doe as God doth discover the lewdnesse of men but not their infirmities Love covers a multitude of faults if they be but infirmities And when you discover the lewdnesse of others take heed you do not discover your owne lewdnesse in the mean time Many when they go about to discover the lewdnesse of other men do it with such bitternesse of spirit and with rejoycing that they have got any advantage against those that are religious if they heare any reports against such whether true or false they care not they relate it confidently something will stick This is for men to discover their own lewdnesse when they cry out against the lewdnesse of others Those who are wise and understanding are able easily to see it but if wee would not have God discover our lewdnesse let us get such a cover as shall never be uncovered You may have many shifts to cover your sinnes that are not large enough but I wil tell you of a cover that is large enough to cover all What is that The righteousnesse of Jesus Christ Psal 32. 1. Blessed is he whose transgresison is forgiven whose sin is â—overed There is a cover that covers from the eyes of God and man for ever I will discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers I will take such a way to manifest her vile lewdness before her lovers that she shall neither prevail with them nor be upheld by them Whence observe When God discovers mens lewdness they shal do little hurt 2 Tim. 3. 6. But they shall proceed no farther for their folly shall bee made manifest to all men There are many who have secretly gained on the spirits of other men by faire pretences that they will doe nothing but thus and thus and they seek nothing but the publicke good and they desire the furtherance of the Gospel but when opertunity shall serve there shall be a ciscovering that their intentions goe another way then their words seemed to import and then they shall proceed no further for they shal be vile and contemptible in the eyes of those with whom they prevailed before Againe further I will doe it in the sight of their lovers When God sets himself against his enemies he will goe through his work in
of God and hence are put to it so much to make a connection betweene that that went before and this therefore but wee need not go so farre the right knowledg of the fulnesse and the riches of the grace of the Covenant will help us out of this difficulty and tell us how these two the greatnesse of mans sin and the riches of Gods grace may have a connection one to another and that by an Illative therefore I confesse the Hebrew word is sometimes conjunctio ordinis rather then causalis a conjunction that only sets out the order of a thing one thing following another rather then any way implying any cause but the reading here by way of inference I take to be according unto the scope of the Spirit of God and it gives us this excellent note Such is the grace of God unto those who are in Covenant with him as to take occasion from the greatnesse of their sinns to shew the greatnesse of his mercy from the vilenesse of their sins to declare the riches of his grace And the Scripture hath divers such kind of expressions as these as Gen. 8. 21. The Lord said in his heart I will not again curse the ground any more for mans sake VVhy For the immagination of mans heart is evill from his youth A strange reasoning I will not curse the ground for mans sake for the imagination of mans heart is evill from his youth One would have thought it should have been rather I will therefore curse the ground for mans sake because the imagination of mans heart is evill from his youth but the grace of God knowes how to make another manner of inference then we could have imagined So likewise Isa 57. 17 18. For the iniquity of his covetousnesse was I wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart I have seen his wayes saith God Now one would have thought that the next word should have been I will therefore plague him I wil destroy him I will curse him but mark the words that follow I will heale him I will 〈◊〉 him also and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners I will create the fruit of the lips peace to him This is a consequence at least if not an inference David understood this reasoning to be indeed the true reasoning of the Covenant of grace and therefore he pleadeth thus with God Psal 25. 11. Pardon my iniquity for it is great Lord my iniquity is great therefore pardon it Hearken you Saints hearken I say this is the great blessing of God unto you who are in Covenant with him whereas otherwise your sins should have made you objects of Gods hatred your sins now render you objects of his pitty and compassion this is the glorious fruit of the covenant of grace I would only the Saints heard me in this thing but why doe I say so I will recall my word let all sinners heare me let the vilest the worst sinners in the world heare of the riches of the grace of God in this his Covenant that if they belong to Gods election they may see the fulnesse the glory of Gods grace to be inamoured with it their hearts ravished with it that they may never be at rest till they get evidence to their soules that God indeed hath actually received them into this his Covenant If then God be pleased in the riches of free grace to make such an inference therefore let us take heed that wee make not a quite crosse inference from the greatnesse of our sins nor on the other side from Gods grace As thus You have followed your lovers you have forgot me therefore will I allure you An unbelieving heart would make this inference I have followed my lovers I have followed after vanity and folly and therefore God hath rejected mee therefore God will have no mercy upon me therefore I am undone therefore the gates of mercy are shut against me unbelieving heart do not sin against the grace of God he saith you have forgotten me therefore will I allure and speake comfortably to you doe not you say I have forgot the Lord and therefore the Lord will for ever reject me these discouraging determining despairing therefores are very grievous to the Spirit of God God would have us have all good thoughts of him It is a maine thing that God intendeth through the whole Scripture that his people should have good thoughts of him and that they should not think him a hard master It is an excellent expression of Luther saith he the whole Scripure doth principally aime at this thing that we should not doubt but that wee should hope that we should trust that we should believe that God is a merciful a bountifull a gracious and a patient God to his people It is an excellent expression that I have read of Master Bradford in one of his Epistles saith he O Lord sometimes me thinks I feel it so with me as if there were no difference between my heart and the wicked a blind mind as they a stout stubborn rebellions spirit a hard heart as they and so he goes on shall I therefore conclude thou art my Father nay I will rather reason otherwise saith he because I do believe thou art my Father I will come unto thee that thou mightest enlighten this blind minde of mine that thou mightest soften this hard heart of mine that thou mightest sanctifie this unclean spirit of mine I this is a good reasoning indeed and is worthy of one that professes the gospel of Jesus Christ Again as the inference of this unbelieving heart is grievous to Gods spirit so the inference of a prophane heart an unbelieving heart makes his therefore from the greatnesse of sin against Gods mercy and the prophane heart makes his therefore from the greatnesse of Gods mercy to the hardening of his heart in his sins what shall God make his therefore from our sin to his mercy and shall we make our therefore from his mercy back again to our sins where sin abounds grace abounds but where grace abounds sin must not abound because God is mercifull to us who are very sinfull let not us be very sinfull against him who is so mercifull God takes occasion from the greatnesse of our sins to shew the greatnesse of his mercy let not us take occasion from the greatnesse of his mercy to be emboldened in greatnesse of our sins Therefore behold Behold Here is a wonder to take up the thoughts of men and Angels to all eternity even that that we have in this inference behold notwithstanding all this yet you men and Angels behold the fulnesse the riches of Gods grace I will allure her what will not God cast us away notwithstanding the greatnesse of our sins let not us reject Gods ways notwithstanding the greatnesse of any sufferings we meet with in them there is a great deale of reason in
if you be in such a condition and such a condition but doe something presently set upon the work presently and so engage your hearts to God if once you be engaged by doing something the worke will goe on It is a great matter when we can engage the heart of a man to God in any businesse suppose a man promise to doe this or that yet if all this while he have done nothing he lookes not upon himselfe so really engaged as when something is done he therefore sooner flies off again but if together with his promise he be brought to do hee will not so readily flye off God doth so with you he together with his promise gives some real evidences of his love Againe After God speakes to the heart and then restores vineyards then they are blessings then they are sweet indeed for then God restores them as fruits of reconciliation with him Many a poor afflicted soul know what belongs to this comfortable note I thought my sinfulnesse forfeited all my comforts all mercies and God indeed tooke away this and the other comfort from me but it pleased God to come in graciously upon my heart and to speake to my heart and in some measure to breake it and to humble it before him so that I hope peace is made up and notwithstanding those great offences of mine he hath now restored mercies he took away a childe but he hath given another a beâ—â—eâ— he hath took away one mercy he hath given a better this I can though with holdness yet with humility say it is as a fruit of my reconciliation with my God O how sweetly may such a one enjoy that mercy from God! If after the meltings of thy heart after God he then comes in with mercies to thee thou mayest take them as tokens of love to thee now thy house is a comfortable blessing to thee thy yoake-fellow thy children about thee O how comfortable blessings are they yea the meat on thy table is sweet with a double sweetness when thou canst looke upon all as the fruit of Gods reconciliation with thee As the Christians Acts 2. 46. 47. when they once believed in Christ they did eate their bread with gladnesse singlenesse of heart praising God We may enjoy all our common mercies in another manner then other men can they will be blessings doubled yea a hundred fold encreased I will speake to her heart and then I will give her her vineyards Perhaps God hath given thee an estate in the world more then thy neighbors more then thy brother But hath God spoke to thy heart Are Gods blessings upon thee as a fruit of Gods speaking to thy heart in away of reconciliation with thee otherwise it is but a flat dry comfort to have an estate and not to feele God speaking to our hearts I will restore unto you your vineyards from thence From whence From the wildernesse There the Note is God can bring vineyards out of wildernesses Let us not be afraid onely let us make up our peace with God and then though we be in a wilderness God can from thence bring us vineyards Our brethren have found vineyards in the wilderness and many of Gods people in the midst of their straits have found abundance of mercy Further From the wildernesse they shall have more love mercy working more strongly for them now it seems then they had before They had vineyards before but they had none in the wildernesse Now God will dravv mercies out of those things that were unlikely he will bring forth good unto them out of things that seemed to goe quite contrary to them the Lord hath done so for us out of those things that seemed to goe quite contrary to us God hath brought much good to us as if hee had made vineyards to spring out of a wildernesse But the close of all is Those mercies that come to us out of great difficulties and seeme to be raised out of contraries are the sweet mercies indeed those we are to rejoyce in and therefore it followes and they shall sing Deut. 32. 13. God made them to suck honey out of the rock and oyle out of the flinty rock When did God doe so where did you ever reade that God did cause his people to suck honey out of the rock or oyle out of the flinty rock wee reade indeed that the rock was smote and the water did gusb out of it but when did we reade that ever oyle or honey came out of the rock there was never any such thing that we reade of but the meaning thereof is because they being in necessity God brought forth water yet being brought out of the rock by such a mighty hand of God it was oyle it was honey to them it was as good as if God had given them oyle and honey Why because it came out of so much difficulty So all the mercies that God gives to his people when he brings them out of difficulties and straits they are sweet and glorious mercies Let us be patient a while though we seeme to be in the wilderness and we see nothing to fetch out water from but onely rocks stones and difficulties yet God at length will bring mercies out of those difficulties and they will be honey mercies to us then we shall sing and praise the name of our God with joyfull hearts The Thirteenth Lecture HOSEA 2. 15. And the valley of Achor for a doore of hope c. THe words are an excellent expression of mercy to Israel For the opening of which these three things are to be enquired into 1. What this valley of Achor was 2. The reason of the name 3. Why this is said to be a doore of hope For the first Achor was a very pleasant delightfull fruitfull rich valley and lay neer Jericho The first place that Israel came into in the entrance upon and taking possession of the land of Canaan Esay 65. 10. And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lye down in for my people that have sought me First it is joyned with Sharon Can. 2. 1. I am the rose of Sharon that was a sweet pleasant place Secondly It is said to be a place for the herds to lye downe in a fat pasture that they shall even tumble in And thirdly It is promised as a blesâ—â—◠〈…〉 the Lord. The reason of the name Achor That hystory we have Iosh 7. sheweth Achan who 1 Chron. 3. 7. is called Achar having taken the accursed thing God left the Campe and Israel fell before the men of Ai which was the first battell that ever they fought for the possession of Canaan upon that their hearts were exceedingly troubled as if the whole worke had been at an end so fraile is mans nature so soone discouraged when it meets with opposition notwithstanding all the experiences of Gods mighty
his people be opened we must accept of the punishment of our iniquity and even beare this indignation of the Lord because wee have sinned against him 12. Yea the Lord hath strucke us with blindnesse at the doore we grope up and down and we cannot finde it as Gen 19. 11. Never were a people at a greater losse in a greater confusion then now we are every man runs his owne way wee know not what to doe nay the truth is we know not what we doe 13. Yea many because they have found some difficulties at the right door they have gone away from it and have sought back doors to help themselves by even base false shifting treacherous ways seeking to comply for their own private ends as if their skins must needs be saved whatsoever becomes of the publique 14. This is yet a further misery that we are groping up and downe at the doore and night is come upon us stormes tempests are rising dangers are approaching and yet God opens not to us 15. Above all our misery this is yet the greatest that even our hearts are shut up too there lyes a stone rowled at the doore of our hearts and such a stone as is beyond the power of an Angel to rowle away were it that after all our hearts were but open our condition yet had comfort in it Oh now what shall we doâ— 1. Let us resolve to waite at this doore â—â—aite upon God in those wayes of helpe that yet in mercy he affords unto us Certainly we are at the right doore let us say with Shecaniah Ezra 10. 2. We have sinned against the Lord yet there is hope in Israel concerning this thing Let us resolve whatsoever becomes of us not to goe from our fathers door if we perish we will perish at his gates 2. Let us worship the Lord at this our doore though we be not entred in yet let our hearts bow before the Lord in the acknowledgement of his greatnesse power dominion that he hath over us to doe with us what he pleaseth as Ezek. 46. 2. it is said The Prince shall worship at the threshold of the gate and the people of the land shall woâ—ship at the doore 3. Let us look in at the key-hole or at any crevise that wee can to see something of the riches of mercy that this door opens into Within on the other side oâ— the door we may see what liberty of conscience what enjoyment of Ordinances the blessing of Gods worship in his own way we may see the wayes of God and his Saints would be made honorable in this kingdome yea in a higher degree then any where upon the face of the earth yea we may see many sweet outward liberties the free enjoyment of our estates peace plenty prosperity in abundance all these and more then we can think of if this door were but once opened to us howsoever it is good 〈◊〉 looke in to quicken our hearts and set on our desires and endeavours the more strongly in the meane time Oh how happy were we if we had these mercies 4. Let us yet knock lowder and cry lowder at our Fathers doore But did not you tell us our Father seemed to be angry at our knocking Mark what we have in that very Scripture where the Church complains that God is angry with her prayer Psal 80. 4. How long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people Yet ver 7. Turne us againe O God of Hosts and cause thy face to shine And ver 14 Returne we beseech thee O God of Hâ—sts look down from heaven behold visit this vine ver 19. Turne us againe O Lord God of Hosts cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved 5. Let every one take away his sinnes that lye at this door let every one sweep his owne door Zech. 8. 15. 16. Again have I thought in these â—â—â—yes to doe well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Iudah feare not But yet mark what followes These are the things that ye shall doe Speake ye every man the truth to his neighbour execute the judgement of truth and peace in your gates Let none of you imagine evill in his heart against his neighbor Both private men and men in publick place must reforme How far are we from this Never more plottings more heart-burnings one against another those in publike place neglect the execution of judgement they would have their policies beyond Gods wisdome God puts these two together and commends one as a meanes to the other the execution of judgement and peace but they have a further reach they will not exe curâ—â—â—dgement for feare of a breach of peace It is just with God that we should never have peace till we can trust God for it in his own way 6. Let us seek to God againe and call to him for the right key Lord reveale the way of thy worship and thy government to us and we will yeeld our selves unto it 7. Stir we up our selves against all difficulties Things are not yet so bad but we may help our selves if we have hearts Our Father heares us he can command many Angels to come to help to rowle away the stone yea he hath opened divers doores to us already We are indeed come to the â—ron gate the Lord can make that at length flye open of its own accord as Acts 20. 10. The Church was praying and after the prâ—â—on dooâ—es were opened to Peter and he had passed the first and second gate he came unto the iron gate that led into the City and there he found as easie passage as any where else In the mount will the Lord be scene 8. Let us exercise Faith in the blood of Christ let us as it were besprinkle this our door with the blood of the Lambe yea looke we up to Christ as the true doore to let into all mercy let Faith act as well as Prayer 9. Let us now especially watch all opportunities of mercy and take heed we neglect no more as we have done many very foulely lest hereafter wee knock and cry Lord open to us and it proves too late 10. Let us open to God who knocks at our doores it wee would have him open to us God knocks at the doore of every one of our hearts open we to him fully set all wide open for him Openye gates stand open ye everlasting doores let the King of glory come in These who doe thus are the true generation of those that seek the Lord let England open for God yet stands at the doore and knockes and if we will yet open to him he will yet come in and suppe withus and we shall suppe with him It is true God rebukes and chastens severely so he did Laodicea at that time when he stood at her doore and knocked Apoc. 3. 19. 20. if any Church be or ever was like to that of Laodicea we have been luke-warm as that was a mixture of Gods
is the fruit of this This is set as the reason of the words immediately before Then shall the lame man leap as an Hart and the tongue of the dumb sing Because the Lord shall make the parched ground become a poole and the thirsty land springs of water this shall make the lame to leap as an Hart the tongue of the dumb to sing Though our tongues be dumb yet it should make us sing when we see God working good out of contraries when wee see things that of themselves tend to our ruin and would bring us to misery that are as the valley of Achor yet God working good out of them if wee have the hearts of men in us much more the hearts of Christians though we were dumb before this should make us sing Yea all this is brought in as an argument to strengthen the weak hands and the feeble knees and as a reason why those that have weake hearts should not feare because God workes good out of that which seemeth the greatest evill vers 4. Say to them that are of a fearefull heart be strong feare not and then followeth this in the 6. verse Are we in the valley of Achor a place of trouble and straits wee have cause to sing even in this valley of Achor for we have not yet been brought into any straits but God hath brought good out of them he hath turned the parched ground into a pool and the thirsty land into springs of water It is our great sin that when God calleth us to singing we are yet concluding of rejecting we are ready to think if we be brought into the valley of Achor we are presently cast off Oh no God calleth you to singing nothwithstanding you meet with difficulties Isa 49. 13. Sing O heavens saith the Text there he joyfull O earth breake forth into singing O mountaines for God hath comforted his people and will have mercy upon his afflicted But mark now the next words But Zion said the Lord hath forsaken me my God hath forgotten mee At that very time when the Lord was calling for singing even then they were concluding of rejecting Take we heed this be not our condition But take the words as then I told you as I conceived them to be the meaning of the spirit of God that this valley of Achor was some speciall mercy that God gave at first as a door of hope to further mercies he would give afterward and there they shall sing Then the observation is When the Lord is beginning with his Saints in the ways of mercy though they have not all that they would have yet it is a singing condition Though you be but yet brought into the valley of Achor and be but at the doore of hope and not entred into the door though you have not yet got the possession of all the mercy God intendeth for you yet God expects you should sing You must not stand grumbling whining complaining and murmuring at the door because you have not what you would have though God makes you wait at the door you must stand singing there It may be said of Gods mercy as of his word in Psal 119. 130. The entrance into thy word giveth light so the entrance of Gods works of mercy giveth light Psal 138. 5. Yea they shall sing in the wayes of the Lord for great is the glory of the Lord. In the ways of the Lord they shall sing though God be but in the wayes of his mercy and they have not what they would have yet they shall sing This is certainly one great reason why our doore of hope is not yet opened to us as we desire or at least that we have not that entrance that we would have at that door because we stand murmuring yea we stand quarrelling one with another at the doore whereas God expects that we should stand singing and praising his name there Though wee have not what wee desire yet let us blesse God that ever we lived to this day to see so much of God as we have done though we should never see more though the mercy we look for should be reserved for the generation that shall follow yet we have cause to blesse God while we live that we have seene and do see so much of God as we have done daily do Let us stand at our Fathers door singing and if we must sing at the foot of Zion what song shall we sing when we come to the height Ier. 31. 12. They shall come and sing in the height of Zion they shall flow to the bountifulnesse of the Lord. If there be any one with whom God is dealing in a way of mercy though you can see but a little light thorough the key-hole yet you should sing there There are many poor souls with vvhom God is beginning in very gracious ways yet because they have not their minds inlightned their hearts humbled as they desire power over corruptions abilities to performe duties as they expect they are presently ready to conclude against themselves surely the Lord will not have mercy we are rejected They think they have nothing because they have not what they vvould O unthankfull heart This is the very thing that keepeth thee under bondage because when the Lord is setting open a door of hope unto thee thou wilt not take notice of it but art presently murmuring and repining because thou hast not all that thou wouldest Wouldest thou enter in at this door and have God perfect the mercy he hath begun take notice of the beginnings and blesse God for what thou hast This would be an observation of marvey lous use to many a drooping soul if they would learne by this dayes coming hither to sing hereafter at the doore of hope Yet further They shall sing there as in the dayes of their youth It is the condition of Gods own people many times when first they enjoy liberty then to be in a singing condition but afterward to lose their joy At first indeed when Gods mercies were fresh to them in the dayes of their youth O how their hearts were taken how then they sung merrily and chearfully Moses and all the people but in processe of time it appeareth they had not kept up this singing this harmonious this melodious heart of theirs therefore God promiseth they should sing as in the dayes of their youth We finde it so in people when they first come to enjoy liberty out of bondage Church liberties Oh how they rejoyce in them how do they blesse God for them O how sweet are these mercies at their very hearts they rejoice that ever they lived to this time but within a while the flower of their youth is gone and they soone have the teats of their virginity bruised At first indeed O the sweetnesse but stay a while and you shall finde contention or scandoll arising amongst them or deadnesse of heart befalling them Oh the blessed
between Gods wrath and your former sins Further They shal not so much as be remembred by their name they shal not thinke of them The note from hence is all superstitious vanities though they may seem for the present never so glorious yet in time they will vanish and come to nothing God hath a time to make them so to vanish as they shall not so much as be thought off Col. 2. 22. it is said of the rudiments of the world that are according to the Doctrine of men they perish in the use in the present use that is they effect nothing that they seeme to be appointed for there is no good cometh of them for the present but in the very use they come to nothing but time shall be that God will cause them all to perish utterly and the very remembrance of them shall be taken away It is true for the present while mens hearts are set upon superstitious wayes O how glorious are they in their eyes but these glorious things will come to nothing whereas those Ordinances of God that seeme to be but meane things wherein the simplicity of the Gospel appeareth they shall appeare full of beauty though for the present they seeme to be darkened they shall be glorious in the eyes of the Saints to the end of the world Not long since what a stirre was there about the more then decent even superstitious adorning of Temples and building of Altars and brave Canopies what sumptuous things and fine knacks had they and all to set out a pompous superstitious way of worship this altogether prevailed as for the purity and simplicity of Gods wayes and worship how was it trampled under feet as an unworthy contemptible thing but these things that for a while seemed so glorious begin to vanish and wee hope ere long will come to nothing the very memory of them shall perish the purity of Gods worship and the simplicity of the Gospell in Gods Ordinances shall recover their beauty and glory when those braveries shall be no more 7. A true penitent cannot remember former sinnes without indignation for so is the meaning of the phrase they shall not remember Some of us may remember how we have beene intangled with wayes of false worship and how we have fullyed and wrung our consciences that way we said we would yeeld as far as we could but indeed we yeelded further then wee could for id possumus qnod jure possumus we have cause to remember it with shame and confusion of face Ye old men may remember the sins of your youth but how can you remember them and speake of them with joy and meryment that is an evil yea almost a desperate signe do you so remember the sinnes of your youth as to tell tales of the pranckes of your younger dayes with joy you are in a high degree left of God and given up to hardnesse you shall remember them with shame and indignation the sweet morsells of former sinnes coming up into remembrance should be bitter and sower unto you The last note is the taking off mens hearts from Idolatrous wayes is a speciall worke of God I will do it saith God I will take away the names of Baalim out of their mouthes Certainly the people in these times hung much upon their false ways of worship they had many arguments for their way no question but they had many distinctions to uphold it but there shall come a day saith the Lord when I will take away the names out of their mouths I will stop your mouthes I will take off your hearts from all those Objections and reasonings you have had to maintaine such ways as those were I will silence all then you shal see evidently convincingly to your shame that you have been gulled by such vaine false distinctions I will take off all those ingagements your hearts were bound in those being taken off I will soon take you off from all What a deale of stir hath God that we may speake with holy reverence to take mens hearts from wayes of false worship What a company of distinctions and objections have men their hearts clinging to them being very unwilling to be taken off now then their consciences are wrung yet they hold fast and then conscience hath another wring and then they another objection and another distinction and yet perhaps true grace lyes at the bottome after all this But God having a love unto them by some way or other takes off their hearts if he doth it not by settling truths upon the heart by his Spirit he will doe it by some notable works oâ— providence we finde it by experience so long as mens engagements hold that they cannot enjoy their estates liberties and comforts without yeelding to such wayes of superstition they will not be taken off from them they please themselves in this and perhaps they speake what they thinke that they doe nothing against the light of their consciences for why their ingagements keepe off the strength of truth that it comes not to a full conviction of conscience But when God shall by any worke of his providence take off their hearts from ingagements and then come and set before them the same truths that formerly he did they come to see now a convincing evidence in those truths they stand admiring that they saw it not before wonder what the matter was they read such bookes before that had the same arguments against their wayes and for the truth but they could not see the strength of them before now they see it apparently and they are ashamed of themselves every time they goe into the presence of God they are confounded in their owne thoughts to thinke that though truths were so clear before they did not see them now they see them with such cleareness as they thinke they could lay downe their lives for them whatsoever they suffer for time to come they can never yield to what they have yeilded to heretofore What is the matter God hath come in with power God hath taken off their hearts God attributeth this to himself I will take the names of Baalim out of their mouthes whatsoever they have to say for the keeping of such names and reliques of Idolatry yet I will come with power upon their hearts and take them out of their mouths Then indeed when God thus commeth the thing will be done And let us take heed we doe not stand out too long lest God come to take off our hearts by some dreadfull way of judgement or other It were better our mouths were stopped our objections silenced and so all the reliques and remainders of false worship were taken from us thorough the word and Spirit of God If that will not doe God will come in some other way and take the name of Baalim out of our mouths And if wee will keepe the memory of superstitious wayes God may extirpate the memory of them by such
wayes as may prove fearfull unto us and make our hearts to ake and our eares to tingle VVee have a notable passage for this Ezekiel 6. 6. In all your dwelling places saith God your Cities shall be laid waste and the high places shall be desolate marke that your Altars may be laid waste and made desolate and your Idols may be broken and cease and your Images may be cut down and your works may be abolished Observe the Text In all your dwelling places your Cities shall be laid waste to what end That your Altars may be laid waste So that God will lay waste their Cities for this very end that hee may lay waste their Altars if they will not lay waste their Altars if they will not abolish their superstitions that are amongst them God will abolish their Cities lay waste their Cities that he may lay waste their Altars God hath begun to put it into the heart of our governors the Parliament to abolish many superstitious pictures and crosses in divers places there is yet one great one remaining and we hope God upon the same grounds may put into their hearts the abolishing of that It would be a dreadfull thing unto you if God now calling upon us to cast out the remainders of all Idolatry superstition to lay waste all Idolatrous Pictures Images and Crosses if we should not come off but that God should lay waste your Cities to lay waste your Altars Crosses and reliques of Idolatry You see God threatneth this here as if God did not intend so much to lay waste their Cities hee would preserve them but because he could not that we may speake according to the manner of men abolish their Altars but by laying waste their Cities saith God rather then your Altars shall stand your Cities shall downe God hath wayes and most terrible wayes too to take away the memory of superstitious vanities Oh that vve had hearts to joyne with God before he cometh in such a dreadfull manner to abolish the memory of such things Were our Prelates in their power such a speech as this could not be borne when Master Vdal a godly Preacher in Queene Elizabeths dayes was charged with such an expression If it come in that is the true government of Christ as he meaneth by that means that will make all your hearts to ake blame your selves for these words especially was he then condemned to be hanged such was the rage and potency of the Prelates in those dayes What I have said may be against the spirits of such as cleave to superstitious vanities wee have no cause to feare the exasperating of these for surely they cannot be more exasperated then they are for the present and it were a foolish thing to exasperate and provoke God for feare of further exasperation in those who are for the present exasperated even to the utmost against us And if they were not but the exasperation would arise new what is the exasperation of vile men to the abiding of the wrath of God upon us VERSE 18. And in that day I will make a Covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowles of Heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and I will break the bow and the sword the batteli out of the earth and I will make them to lye downe safely In this verse God promiseth peace and security peace in regard of their deliverance from the beasts of the field and fowles of the heaven creeping things of the ground Peace from the hostility of their adversaries he will break the bow the sword the battell out of the earth And security they shall lye down safely I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field c. Some allegorize upon these words the beasts of the field they say are meant cruell wicked men the fowles of the ayre ambitious wicked men that are lofty in their thoughts counsels the creeping things of the ground subtill adversaries God here promises they say to deliver them from all these But I desire not to fall upon Allegories but when there is a necessity therefore take the words literally The beasts of the field fowles of the ayre and creeping things of the earth But how may God be said to make a covenant for his people with the beasts of the field and the fowles of heaven and the creeping things of the earth For to speake properly no creature is capable of a Covenant with God but onely the rationall The meaning is there shall be such an establishment of Gods worke upon the beasts and fowles and creeping things for the good of his Church as if God had bound them to doe them good by way of Covenant that way of God is called making of a Covenant with them I will shew it you in another Scripture Ier. 33. 20. If you can break my covenant of the day my covenant of the night that there should not be day and night in their season c. How doth God make a Covenant with the day and a Covenant with the night Thus there is an establishment of Gods decree upon the day and upon the night that it should be in such and such a way from the Creation unto the end of the world and that establishment is called Gods Covenant so Oceolampadius upon my Text I will order inviolably and unalterably there shall be an establishing decree upon these creatures that they shall doe you no hurt but good From hence the notes are these First Sin hath caused enmity between man and the creatures that is implyed here I will saith God make a Covenant upon your reconciliation with me and your reformation with the creatures now they shall be at peace with you I will doe it noting that by our sin there is grown enmity betweene us and Gods creatures VVe have lost by sin a great part of our dominion that God gave us over his creatures that was the result from that Image of God that man was created in Therefore when you see any creature to rebell against you bee put in minde your rebellion against God It is true God hath kept a little of mans dominion over the creature still to the end that the world and humane society may be preserved Sometimes you may see a little child driving before him a hundred Oxen or kine this way or that way as he pleaseth it sheweth that God hath preserved somewhat of mans dominion over the creatures But a great part is lost by our sin If we that are the servants of God rebell against him it is just with God that the creatures that were made to be our servants should rebell against us And you who are Superiors when any of your inferiours are stubborne against you your servants your children rebellious raise your hearts up to this meditation My servant is rebellious against me how have I been rebellious against
Gods mercy by their own they think thus if any had offended us so as we have offended God though we might say wee would be reconciled to him yet wee could not bring our hearts fully to come off to it something would remain in our hearts they therefore think so of God they suspect God that he doth not mean really in his expressions of love and mercy to them But take heed of this doe not judge of God by your selves though you have a base and cruell heart and cannot be reconciled to those that provoke you it is not therefore so with God There are these two evils in sin first in the nature of it there is a departing from God secondly it causeth jealousies and suspitions of God and so hinders the soul from coming unto God again Secondly God is very carefull to prevent all these suspitions in the hearts of his people God desires that you should have good thoughts of him and this is that we plead with you for and do often open the riches of Gods grace to this end that you may have good thoughts of God and to take off your jealousies and suspitions of him as if there were no reall intention in all the proffers of mercy he makes to you doe not thinke that all those riches of Gods grace are meer words they are certaine intentions of Gods heart towards you I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness And for your parts I will give you a heart you shall return to mee bona fide you shal do it in the plainnesse of your hearts There was a time indeed as Psal 78. 34 35 36. God complained of his people that they sought him and returned unto him neverthelesse they did flatter with their mouth and lyed unto him with their tongues there was no reality in their returning unto him they made great promises that whatsoever God should say unto them they would do it but there was no reality in it yea but saith God there shall come a time that you shall have righteous hearts and that which you promise to me you shall promise really there shall not be that falsenesse in your hearts those shews and overtures that were heretofore but you shall return to me with all your hearts in righteousness God hath made adoe at first with us to make us believe that he is in good earnest with us in his proffers oâ— mercy and much adoe there is before our hearts can be gotten to work towards God in good earnest Further note this is one reason why God doth betroth for ever because he doth it in the plainnesse of his heart and this is also a good reason why the Saints continue for ever because what they do to God is in the plainness of their hearts Those who return to God in an hypocriticall way will fall off but they that return in uprightenesse will hold constant with him Prov. 8. 18. it is said of Wisdome that with her are durable riches and righteousnesse they are put together where there is true righteousnesse in the heart there is durable riches But yet there is another thing in this betrothing in righteousnesse and that I thinke hath more in it then the former God will be so reconciled to his Church as yet he will manifest himself to be a righteous God In the works of the riches of his grace he will manifest the glory of his justice too I will doe it in righteousnesse though indeed the Lord intendeth to glorifie rich grace yet so as he will declare his righteousnesse to men and Angels that in this very work of his he shall be acknowledged by them unto all eternity to bee a righteous God GOD will make such a way for this his love and goodnesse as that hee will have satisfaction to his justice in it That place Rom. 3. 25 26. is remarkable for our purpose Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood How To declare his righteousness for the remission of sinnes Marke it it is not that he had set forth Christ to be a propitiation to declare his mercy in the forgivenesse of sins you will say What is there in the forgivenesse of sins but only the mercy of God Yes there is somewhat else there is righteousnesse too and the Lord doth declare his righteousnesse in the forgivenesse of sins and therefore it is that he hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation that hee might declare his righteousnesse If the Lord should have said but thus Well you are great and grievous sinners I will be content freely to forgive you all your sins this would have declared Gods mercy but not his righteousnesse but now when the Lord hath set forth Christ as a propitiation and forgiveth sins through the blood of his Son in this God declareth as much righteousnesse as grace This text Luther had a great deale of do to understand and he prayed much before he could get the right meaning of it yea it is repeated again To declare I say his righteousnesse that he might be just the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus not that he might be mercifull in justifying him that believeth in Jesus but that he might be just in justifying him that believeth in Jesus And this is the great mystery of the Gospel this is that which the Angels pry into the Saints and Angels shal admire blesse God to all eternity for the reconciling riches of mercy and infinite justice both in one This was that which set the infinite wisdome of God on worke from all eternity how to find a way to save sinners and to be infinitely righteous notwithstanding If all the Angels in heaven and all the men in the world had been put to it to find out a way to answer this question How shall sin be pardoned the sinner reconciled unto God and God glorifie his justice they could never have done it but God in his infinite wisdome hath found out a way to doe it This cost God dear it cost him the heart blood of his own Son and that was a sign that Gods heart was much in it and indeed we are not Christians untill in some measure we see and have our hearts taken with the glory of God in this mystery We must looke at righteousnesse in our reconciliation as well as to loving kindnesse and mercy When God is reconciled unto a sinner there is not only his mercy glorified but in that way that God hath found out to save a sinner hee hath the glory of his justice as much yea more then if the sinner were eternally damned in hell How is that you will say I make that good three ways First when God appointed a surety his Son and charged his debt upon him to satisfie his justice in that God would not spare this Sonne of his the least farthing token I mean not the least degree of punishment he would not remit any thing to
Neither must the Saints follow God or any way of truth meerly from the example of others but out of their owne judgements Perhaps you see such and such of whom you have a reverent esteeme and that justly doe thus and thus I confesse that is enough to put you upon examining to bethinke your selves surely there is something in it or else it is not like they would do it but that must not be the onely reason but if upon examination you finde it to be good then embrace it out of judgement never rest untill you come to that that the men of Samaria said to the woman Now we believe that this is the Messiah not because of thy sayings because you told us so but we have heard him our selves and we know that he is indeed the Saviour of the world At the first they came to Christ upon her relation but they did not beleeve in Christ but upon seeing and hearing Christ themselves You may come to examine the wayes the truthes of God upon the relation and example of others but you must not ingage your hearts in them untill you see the reality of them your selves Thirdly you must embrace Christ and his wayes out of judgement not out of sudden flashes of affection suddeu flashes goe out as soone as they come You have a notable example for this Luke 14. 15. Happy are they that may eate bread in the Kingdome of God O this is blessed doctrine indeed But by that which followes we may finde that they were such as presently went to their Farmes and to their Oxen and prized them before Christ refused to come to the supper Sudden flashes there were in thsoe that cryed Hosanna Hosanna but presently they cryed Crucifie him crucifie him Josh 24. 19. the people seemed to be moved with sudden affections they would serve the Lord yea that they would but they considered not what they said You cannot serve the Lord saith Joshua to them So Deut. 5. 27. All that the Lord our God hath said unto us that will we do but presently saith God Oh that there were such a heart in this people to doe it The truth is they know not what they say they have sudden affections but they will quickly vanish We must choose Christ out of judgment Againe Not choose him out of mistakes we must understand who hee is we must sit downe and cast with our selves afore-hand what we are like to suffer in his wayes Compare for this Cant. 5. 9. with the beginning of Chap. 6. What is theâ—â— loved say they more then another beloved Let us know what thy beloved is Then the Church falls a commending her beloved and in the beginning of Chap. 6. Whither is thy beloved gone whither is thy beloved turned a side that we may seeke him with thee that he may be our beloved too Nor out of by-ends but out of a right knowledge of the excellencies of Christ having our judgments overcome that way We must not choose any truth or wayes of God because the times favour that way we have now a company of Parliament converts who were formerly Prelaticall and ceremoniall they see how the times sway this is not out of judgment Every Christian should be a judicious Christian Those adorn Religion they are an honour to Christ As the more deliberation and judgement there is in sin the worse it is so the more deliberation the more judgment there is in godlinesse the better it is When a soule chooseth Christ and his ways upon this Oh I see a beauty in the Lord Jesus that I never see afore I see him to be the character and the ingraven form of the image of the Father in him dwels all treasures the very God-head dwells in him bodily he is the most precious among ten thousand the wayes of God are holy and righteous Here is the rule of eternall life here lyes the happinesse of the rationall creature these are the wayes that my soule closeth with and shall cleave to for ever whatsoever I suffer in them for I see the excellency the beauty the equity the glory of them the Lord is worthy of all honour from all his creatures This is a choise will hold The world thinks the Saints are giddy headed people why because they cannot see any reason for what they doe they cannot see bottome enough in reason of such forwardnesse and strictnesse and zeale as there is in them they think they do in calescere in re frigida that they are very hot about a very poore sorry cold businesse and therefore they count their ways folly that any man will do when he seeth another do a thing that he understands not the reason of hee will either suspect his owne judgment or otherwise think the man foolish now wicked men are too proud to suspect their own judgments to think their own reason folly therefore they count the wayes of God foolishnesse They looke upon Gods wayes at a distance therefore they thinke there is no reason for them It is reported of that notable Convert Marcus Galeasius that hee was converted by a sermon of Peter Martyrs coming to heare him he expressed the excellencies of Gods wayes and the mistakes of the world in this similitude the men of the world saith he mistake Gods wayes as if a man see a company of Musitians that were playing and dancing according to the most exactest rules of art if he see them at a distance he sees them skippiug and leaping up and down as a company of madde men and wonders what they mean but when he comes nearer and hears the melodious sound and observes how all their motions are directed according to rules of art then he begins to change his thoughts so the men of the world look upon the wayes of God and upon the Saints at a distance and 〈◊〉 thinke the motions of Gods people and their ways are madness but when they come nearer and observe the exactnesse of the rule they walk by and the wisedome of God that appears in them they change their judgments and begin then to thinke surely there is something in them more then they thought This similitude God blessed so as it was the means to convert that Noble man and made him leave all his possessions in Italie and come to Geneva where hee became such a pattern of self-deny all as scarce any age ever had the like God working by such a thing upon his heart When you come neer Gods ways and see them indeed you will see infinite reason in them and charge your selves oâ— infinite folly that you should have such low thoughts of them as you have had This is the reason why the Saints hold on in their ways This judgment is as the ballast of the ship many hurry on in a kind of profession of Religion and the truth is they know not what they do nor what they professe if there be any new opinion I mean not only in regard
entreated Jam. 3. 17. Peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated Thus in Christ he is easie to be intreated by his Church and the Church should easily be intreated and indeed is when the hearts of the Saints are right there is an ingenuity in them they are soone moved to any service Christ calleth for Lastly kindnesse is compassionate sensible of all sufferings so Christ and his Saints mutually Such loving kindnes as this should be in all maryage-communion where there is this loving kindness there is a sweet conjugall communion indeed and so far as any of this is wanting so farre the blessing of a maryage estate is wanting one reason amongst others why God makes so much use of this Allegory of marryage to expresse so great a mystery of godliness as the union betweene Christ and his Church is to teach those that are married to live so together as they may express all that excellency of communion that is between Christ and his Saints Now I put it to you who are in a marryed condition is there this loving-kindnes in you as may hold forth the loving kindnes that is between Christ and his Spouse so far as you want in your endeavours after this so far there is an evil when you goe home take this lesson with you labour to walke so in that way of loving kindnes one to another as that you may expresse how the loving kindness of Christ is unto your soules There are many frailties in the man in the wife but not so many frailties as there are in you in reference to Christ Christ beareth with more frailties in you then you can beare with in your wife Christ is not morose to you he is not a bitter husband to you I have read of Monicha Austins Mother who lived neare a Heathen and she had a very ill husband of a very crosse and perverse disposition this Heathen comes to her one time and asked her how cometh it to passe that you and your husband live so well together as you doe We know your husband is of a very crosse and perverse disposition yet we see nothing but there is a great deale of sweetness and love between you it is not so with us we cannot doe so for our lives Monicha gives her this answer It may be saith she when your husband is untoward perverse you are perverse again and you give crosse answers but Christian Religion teacheth me otherwise when my husband cometh home and is in passion Christian Religion teacheth me to be as loving and dutifull amiable to him as I can and so I have gained the heart of my husband It were a happy thing if all women would take this home with them and learne this of Monicha Austins Mother And so on the other side the man in reference to his wife this loving kindness is between Christ his Spouse let it appeare between man wise who professe their interest in Christ And this loving kindness of Christ Oh how should it draw our hearts unto him What more prevalent meanes to draw then loving kindnesse Marke that Scripture to shew the power of loving kidndnes 2 Chron. 10. 7. If thou be kinde unto this people they will be thy servants for ever say those ancient Counsellors of Rehoboam who gave him wise counsell If this be the way to draw the heart surely Christ must need have our hearts he is not a bloody husband but a kind husband to us let us then be his servants for ever It were a good lesson for all Governors to consider of that it is kindness that drawes the hearts of people they rule not over beasts but men therefore if they would rule over them with comfort and safety to themselves they should rule with kindness Hence Cant. 4. 10. it is said that the Charet of Solomon was paved with love for the daughters of Jerusalem it is an expression of Solomons gentleness toward the people of Jerusalem I have read of Alexander Severus when his Mother and his wife would put him upon harsh wayes objected to him his mildness yeildablenesse to his subjects saying you have made your power more contemptible by your kindnes yeelding so much to your people his answer was At securiorem but more secure and lasting Certainly it would be so if Magistrates had not the evill councell of young Gallants if they would follow the counsel of the ancient Counsellors to be kind to the people they would be their servants for ever their peace and safety would be more then now it is Christ expects loving kindnesse from you unto himselfe loloving kindnes likewise one unto another First Christ expects you should be full of loving kindnes unto him O blessed Redeemer what is that we should do that we should be kind to the The very phrase seems to be too low for Christ that Christ should look for our kindnesse Yes Christ lookes for our kindnesse and he prizeth it dearely nothing in the world is prized by Christ more then your kindness as a kinde husband prizeth nothing in the world more in his wife then kindness But how kind to Christ Thus you are kinde to him first when you cleave to him when he standeth in most need of you 2 Sam. 16. 17. saith 〈…〉 Hoshi is this thy kindnesse to thy friend that is what is thy friend in danger and hath now need of thee and doest thou now come from him Is this thy kindnes to thy friend thou shouldst now be with thy friend in time of his danger and need and that is kindnesse So I say there are some times wherein Christ standeth in more need of us then at other in suffering times in times wherein his cause hath many enemies and our help is called for if we should now forsake him in times of suffering may not Christ nay may not the holy Angels and Saints say Is this your kindnesse to your friend To come to Christ when you have need of him is not so much kindness but to come to him when he hath need of you this is kindnesse Secondly It is kindnes when we serve Christ in the midst of difficulties You have a notable place for this Jer. 2. 2. I remember the kindnesse of thy youth the love of thine espousals when thou wentest after me in the wildernesse To be willing to follow Christ in the wilderness that is kindness Christ doth not account it kindnes for us to serve him when we may prosper in his service when serving of Christ may stand with our own ends when we may keepe our shops our lands and possessions when there is no difficulty at all in his service what great kindnes is this but when for love to the Ordinances the truths of Christ you are willing to follow Christ even in the wildernes this is kindnes Christ will account it so however some men have thought that they have shewen great kindness unto Christ in that they
must not onely feare God but trust in his faithfulness Mat. 13. 58. Christ did no mighty works there because of their unbelief And Maâ—k 6 5. He could not doe no works because of their unbelief One says he did not and the other sayes he could not When we have a promise let us put on to get the goodnesse of God to work which is by believing For that I will give you as notable an example as any I know you have in the book of God of a believing heart catching hold upon a promise upon Gods faithfulnesse to work it out 1 Chron. 17. 23. and so on In the former part of the Chapter you shall finde God had promised David to establish his house to build him a sure house Well as soone as David had got the word mark how hee improves it how hee works upon Gods word As if he had said Seeing I have got his word I will hold to it he shall not goe from it saith he Therefore O Lord let the things thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established for ever and doe as thou hast said Thou hast spoken do as thou hast said Ver. 24. Let it even be established I expect it seeing thou hast been pleased in such a gracious way to promise me thus I will relye upon it let it be even established that thy name may be magnifyed for ever I will plead thy name in it if there be any thing to be pleaded more then other I will plead it before thee but is not this enough Vers 25. Thou O Lord God hast told thy servant that thou wilt build him an house therefore thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before thee He had said before that God had spoken it here he goes over it again as making much of Gods word thou hast told me and I pray for nothing but what thou hast told me Nay yet still David encroacheth more upon God Ver. 26. Now O Lord thou art God thou hast promised this goodnesse unto thy servant I have not to deal with a man that will be fickle and inconstant wavering and unfaithfull but thou art God and I will trust in thee as a God thou art God and thou hast promised this goodnesse it is thine owne goodnesse now therefore do it See how he followeth God upon his promise And mark what admirable effects followed upon this Chap. 18. ver 1. After this saith the Text he prospered when his enemies came against him he took a thousand charets and seven thousand horsemen and twenty thousand footmen from Hadarezer and when the Syrians came to help that Hadarezer he slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men After this mark the connexion of that Chapter and this after David had improved the promise hee might have what he would thus the loving kindnesse of God was laid up in a promise but wrought out by Davids faith This is our evill that we do not improve this faithfulnesse of God wee lose abundance by it It is an argument that wee have base spirits It is a great evill between man and wife when they cannot confide one in another but are jealous how can such live comfortably together So we are jealous of God we lose our comfort in him Jealousie comes oftentimes from much basenesse of spirit and selfe-guiltinesse because we are of such base hearts our selves that is the reason we are so jealous of God Where there is much love between man and wife there cannot be much jealousie and if there were intire love in the Spouse of Christ there would not be jealousie You have an excellent passage for that John 5. 40. You will not come unto me that you might have life you will not believe in me that is the meaning then ver 42. I know you have not the love of God in you Is there any thing in the world more tedious to a Husband then that the Wife should be jealous of him think of it the same tediousnesse it is unto the Spirit of Jesus Christ that thou shouldst be jealous of him and not confide in his faithfulnesse Surely if we did trust in Gods faithfulnesse wee would not think to compound with him so as we do but wee would improve his promise to the utter most As you that are Merchants and have much owing you all the while you confide in your debtors you will not compound with them for less then your debt if you should come to one that ows you money and say I pray Sir pay in my money and I shall be content to take ten or fifteen in the hundred the party would think himselfe disgâ—aced what do you distrust me Do you think I will break No I will pay you every penny he stands upon his credit The truth is we poor wretches because we have not Gods promises presently fulfilled we would compound with God that is if God would give us any little comfort for the present we would be satisfied rather then waite for that which is to come though it be infinitely more this is a great dishonour to God and an argument of our unfaithfulnesse It is an argument of little faith if thou canst be satisued should God give thee tenne thousand worlds for the present if God should say what will yon have would you have your enemies destroyed would you have your peace and your trading in the world your ease and quietnesse Is this all This is to compound with God for twelve pence in the pound as it were No saith a gracious heart Lord thou hast promised mercy I expect it to the full I wil not abate the least farthing of it God loveth we should stand with him for his promise unto the uttermost farthing No but I hope God give me Heaven at last yet I doubt hee will leave mee here in the world This is to compound with God another way there are some who perhaps will pay eighteene or fifteen shillings in the pound but it is a dishonour to God to abate one shilling in the pound therefore we must not onely believe in God for heaven but for earth and for safety and comfort and that in times of greatest trouble God is well pleased with such kind of holy impudence as we may say that is to follow him for the uttermost and to urge him upon his word again and again to pay what he is ingaged for Again had we faith in God we would set upon great things though we see but little meanes Many of you who have but little stockes yet if you have rich friends that have given you encouragement and that you know will be faithfull to you you will trade for great things with your little stock because you know you have those friends will stand by you So though we have but little strength if God call us we should be willing to set upon great things because God hath stock enough and he hath
mine And amongst other things by which God will make all the world to know that his people are his this is one in sâ—tting up the beauty of his Ordinances amongst them Ezek. 37. 27. My Tabernacle also shall be with them yea I will be their God and they shall be my people and the Heathen shall know that I the Lord doe sanctifie Israel when my Sanctuary shall be in the midst of them Thus they shall know saith God that they are my people and that I am their God when I have set my Sanctuary in the midst of them for ever Were it that the Ordinances of God might be set up in their purity amongst us in England were Reformation perfected and the Saints walked humbly peaceably as they should the whole world will be convinced that these are indeed the people of the Lord and that God is amongst them And they shall say thou art my God God must begin withus we cannot begin and say Lord thou art my God but God must begin with us first and say You are my people There are a great many who say God is their God but God never said they are his people Joh. 1. 12. it is said of those who beleeved in Christ that God gave them power to be the Sonnes of God the word signifies authority that they might with authority acknowledge themselves to be the sons of God and call God Father they had the broad Seale for it Will you call God Father where is your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your authority if God call you children if he say you are my people you may give the Ecchoto Gods mercy and say thou art our God Secondly When God speakes mercy to us we must answer according to it Doth God say you are my people we must answer Lord thou art our God This is a great fault amongst Christians God manifests himselfe to many a gracious heart in abundance of love and mercy they give an answer to God in a way of dispaiting and discouragement Gods ways toward thee speake thus and say thou art one of my people but thy heart works as if God were none of thy God Hath not God done much for thee thou thinkest it is all in hypocrifie that thou dost whereas the truth is it is the fruit of his love and kindnes to thee He speakes aloud in what he hath done for thee that thou art one of his people and yet thy heart thinks that he is thy enemy that he haâ—â—s thee and will cast thee off at last The wayes of God are full of mercy to thee and he hath set his stampe upon thee by his ways of love he tels thee that thou belongest unto him O unbeleeving soul answer Lord thou art my God! lay aside these discouraging sinking thoughts of thine O that thou wouldst goe away with such an answer in thy mouth Doe not answer Gods loving kindnesse and his gracious dealings towards thee with discouragement and sinking of heart this is dishonorable to him and tedious to his Spirit Thirdly God works an answerable disposition in the hearts of his people unto him This is thy duty but God will work it in time if thou belongest to him As thus doth God chuse us to be his people then the hearts of the Saints chuse him to be their God Doth God say you are my people the Saints say Lord thou art our God Doth God say I will dwell with them they answer Lord thou art our habitation Doth God say I delight in them they say Lord our delight is in thee Doth God say I will rest in them for ever the Church saith O my soule returne unto thy rest Here is a sweet answer a rebound of all Gods loving kindnes Lastly the Saints must professe God to be theirs It is not enough to beleeve with the heart but thou must confesse with the mouth professe it outwardly of this before Further This is the highest happinesse of the Saints that God is their God when they can say this they have enough If we could say this house is mine this street this Lordship this City this Kingdome this World is mine What is all this A Christian comes at length and saith this God that made all is mine As it is reported of the French Ambassador and the Spanish meeting together saith the Spanish Ambassadour my Master is King of Spaine my Master replyed the French is King of France my Master said the Spaniard againe is King of Naples and my Master said the French is King of France my Master is King of Portugal and my Master is King of France still he answered with that my Master is King of France as being enough to answer all the several Kingdomes of the Spaniard So one saith I have this house this land this stock this estate this trade yea but saith a Christian I have God God is mine Surely having him thou hast enough And if God be thy God he will be a God to thee 1 Chron. 17. 24. The Lord of hosts is God of Israel even a God to Israel So it must be with thee if thou beest a Saint of God be a Saint to God Are we a people of God then we must be a people to God Blessed are the people that are in such a case yea happy are the people whose God is the Lord. Thus we had opened the gracious manifestation of God to his Church in part fulfilled spiritually to spiritual Israel here but more sensibly to be made good at the great day of Jezreel that is when the Jews shall be called then the Spouse of Christ in a visible way shall be thus married unto him and the Lord will be their God Jerome saith upon the Text All these things that are here promised to the Church the Jewes expect it at the end of the world after the time of Antichrist And I make no question though in a spiritual sence this Scripture is made good for the present unto the Saints yet in a more visible and sensible way all this Scripture will be made good to the people of the Jews the Gentiles then joyning with them even literally the glory of the Church shall be visible and apparant More whereof in the next Chapter HOSEA CHAP. 3. The First Lecture CHAP. 3. VER 1. 2. 3. Then said the Lord unto me go yet love a woman beloved of her friend yet an adulteresse according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel who looke to other gods and love flaggons of wine So I bought her â—o me for fifteen pieces of silver and for an homer of barley and an halfe homer of barley And I said unto her thou shalt abide for me many dayes thou shalt not play the harlot and thou shalt not be for another man so will I also be for thee THe close of the former Chapter had much mercy in it and this Chapter containes the
expression of much love also to Israel but yet withall God tells them of that meane and low estate they are like to be in before that time comes for the fulfilling of all that good that God intends to them God purposes great mercy for them his heart is much set upon them but they must for a long time beare their iniquity they must be brought into a vile and desolate condition in their captivity even untill a second appearing of Christ But in all this time the heart of God would be toward them his intentions would be strong for good to that people above all the people upon the face of the earth though they might seeme to be utterly rejected of the Lord and that for many yeers yet hee would look toward them as a people that he intended yet to marry unto himself in time mercy should breake forth gloriously upon them and his name should be magnified in their returning unto him so as their hearts should melt toward his goodnesse they should not abuse it any more as formerly they had done but they should returne and seeke the Lord their God and David their King and feare the Lord and his goodnesse in the latter dayes This is the scope of the Chapter In which you have three things 1. Gods love continued unto an adulteresse Israel 2. The low and mean condition of this adulteresse for a long time 3. The returne of God in infinite mercy toward them at the latter day together with their returne unto him And the Lord said unto me goe yet love a woman beloved of her friend yet an adulter esse We have here a new injunction to the Prophet and that somewhat harder then his former In the first Chapter God commanded him to goe and take awife of whoredomes but here God commanded him to love an adulteresse which is somewhat more then to take her unto himself What that was of taking a wife of whoredomes hath been opened in the former Chapter and may spare some labour in this It is here a vision as it was there As if God should say unto Hosea Hosea it is just with me as it would be with thee if thou shouldst goe and have a wife an Adulteresse notwithstanding all the love she hath found yet still an Adulteresse thine heart should be upon her so as thou couldest not take thy heart from her but thou must needs love this Adulteresse still This people whom I have loved for whom I have done so much good yet they have gone a whoring from me they are an Adulteresse yet for all that my heart cannot be taken off from them but is still toward them yet I love them This is through the strength of the Covenant that Gods love is so permanent Others who are not in covenant with him God casts out for lesser sins for any sins but as for his people who are in Covenant with him no not their adulteries their idolatries takes not the heart of God wholly from them Surely then if thou canst appeale to God O Lord thou knowest all things knowest that there is nothing of thy mind revealed to me but my heart is ready to do it and if I faile in any thing thou knowest it is the greatest burden of my soul O that I knew more of thy minde and that I had power to doe more surely God will love thee you heare he loves his people though an adulteresse as before so now take this lesson thy sinnes cannot over come Gods goodnesse let Gods goodnesse overcome thy sinfulnesse An adulteresse beloved of her friend This is as some carry it Calvin Vatablus and many others beloved of her husband as if God should say had they any such excuse for their departings from me that I have been a bitter husband to them that I have used them hardly and rigidly then indeed they might have some plea but I have loved them dearly I have done much for them they were beloved of me I have carried my selfe to them in the most friendly way that possibly could be yet they are gone a whoring from me The wife that followes other lovers thinks if she have but this to say her husband is hard to her hee cares not for her he loves her not it excuses in part her adulteries and so the husband a company keeper an adulterer if he can say what will you have me to doe I never come home but my wife is alwayes bâ—awling and she loves other men he thinks this is plea enough for him But Israel could not have this excuse for her selfe for she was an Adulteresse yet beloved of the Lord. If we take the words thus the notes briefly would be these First The husband should be a friend to his wife There should be nothing but friendly carriage betweene man and wife Yea the love of the husband to the wife should farr surmount the love of any friend in the world but a friend at least to comfort her to cherrish her in time of sorrowes to beare the burthen of affliction with her and so the wife towards the husband Secondly A base heart will be base against all bonds of love beloved of her friend yet an adultoresse if you should ask who is he or where is he that is so base Lay thy hand upon thine owne heart and consider what the love of God hath been towards thee all the dayes of thy life and how thou hast carried thy selfe toward him what love thou hast had from God that might breake the heart of a devill yet when any temptation comes to draw thee from God thy base heart listens to it Thirdly It is a great aggravation of sin to sinne against much love We ought to doe our duties to those that we stand in relation unto though they doe not their duty to us if a wife hath a froward husband a bitter churlish rugged wicked ungodly husband yet she is bound to doe her duty to him she is bound to love him to obey him to be observant of him in what may give him all lawfull content So if servants have froward churlish cruel Masters or Mastresses yet they are bound to be obedient to them 1 Pet. 2. 18. Be subject to your masters not onely to those that rae good and gentle but to the froward It is no sufficient excuse for the wife to say My husband is froward and unquiet and therefore what shall I doe Nor for the servant to say My Master or Mistresse are unreasonable they are cruell what can I doe You must doe your duty to them though they doe not theirs to you But if you have a loving husband tender over you then love is required much more Love above all things should draw the heart the knowledge that it is duty may force obedience but it is love that draws the heart most kindly So if a servant have a godly Master and Mistresse who respects and tenders his good if
frame it is laborious and industrious to know the mind of God Whereas the heart of a sinner heretofore lay dead dull never stirred after God now it is in a stirting in an inquiring in a seeking way this is a signe of much good though thou hast not what thou seekest for yet be comforted in this that thou art in a seeking way Their hearts shal reâ—oyce that seeke the Lord. If thou beest seeking God in his ways though thou complainest I have beene seeking a long time but I know not the minde of God I cannot apprehend the love of God the pardon of my sins yea but the hearts of those shall rejoyce that seek the Lord if thou beest in a seeking way thou art in a saving way there is cause thou shouldst rejoyce in this that God hath brought thee into such a way They shall seeke the Lord and that not saintly but to purpose auxiously Jer. 50. 4. 5. They the children of Israel and the children of Judah when they shall be both together shall goe weeping and seeke the Lord their God and they shall aske the way to Zion with their faces thitherward Many of you come to aske questions but your hearts are not right your faces the strength of your spirits are not set to yeeld to the will of God when it is revealed to you And mark how it appeares that their faces are thitherward Come say they let us joyne our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten This is to seeke God it is not meerly to goe to a Minister and aske him a question but it is to goe with our faces with the strength of our spirits set to know the minde of God above any thing in the world and so to resolve to obey what shall be revealed to be Gods mind as to be willing to enter into a perpetual Covenant to binde our selves to yeeld to whatsoever God shal reveale When you come to a Sermon you must not come to get a little notional knowledge but come with your faces towards Christ and his truth before you come you should get alone if you be a true seeker and enter into Covenant with God that whatsoever God revealeth to be his minde you will yeeld to it obey it though you have heretofore gone against many truths revealed to be the minde of God but Lord no more now here I am ready and willing to enter into an everlasting covenant to be under the command of every truth Here is the right seeking of God They shall seeke the Lord their God their God this hath two references either to what is past or to what is to come To what is past their God that is the God who was once the God of the Jews the God of their forefathers the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob. And secondly their God that is that God that is yet ready and willing to be reconciled to them not withstanding all their sinnes Thus they shal seek the Lord their God These two references afford two excellent Observations First This prevailes much with the heart of an Apostate when he can but think what God was once unto him before he did Apostatize and what he was unto his godly parents and predecessors There was a time that I enjoyed God sweetly when I went to prayer I had blessed communion with him it is otherwise with me now I have apostatized Let this consideration catch hâ—ld upon thy heart and turn it this day Oh turne turn thou apostate soul God who was once thy God in a gracious manner is that God that thou hast vilely forsaken yea thy fathers God also Thou hast a godly father a godly grand-father remember what a blessed God he was unto them and return Secondly Their God that God that yet they may have hope to enjoy notvvithstanding all their departings from him Hence the note is this The apprehension oâ— a possibilty to obtaine mercie from the Lord is a strong means to draw the heart to returne to him when they look upon God as a God in covenant with them yet and there is nothing to the contrary but he may be their God Let this be an argument to catch hold upon the spirits of all sinners who are departed from God thou hast departed from God in a soule and vile manner but Men and Angels know nothing to the contrary but that he may be thy God for all this Let me speake to the vilest sinner that is in this place before the Lord this day thou hast indeed most desperately and wickedly sinned against God the Jews have done so Hast thou crucified Christ they have done so hast thou denied the truth and followed false waies they have done so Notwithstanding all thy wicked and evil waies seeing thou art yet alive I doe this day yet once more pronounce thee in the name of the great God that there is nothing to the contrary that either Angels or Men can possibly know but that God may be thy God and that this day God may enter into covenant with thee thou with him this night he may come in and sup with thee and thou with him there may be a blessed reconciliation between God and thee return return thou sinful soul The Third Lecture HOSEA 3. 5. And David their King and shall feare the Lord and his goodnesse in the latter dayes THat the Jews shall returne and believe in Christ is most ordinary and famous both in the words and hearts of those that are faithfull saies Augustine In this their returne and seeking God they shall seek David their King For the opening this there are these five things to be inquired into 1. Who this David was 2. Why David is rather named then any other 3. Why he is mentioned in this place 4. Why joyned with seeking Jehovah 5. Why this Epithet is added to David here David their King For the first David clearly is meant JESUS CHRIST Nothing is more manifest then that Christ is meant by the name of David sayes Augustine The Scripture is cleare in this it is usuall in the Gospel to call Christ by the name of David Compare Esay 55. 3. with Acts 13. 34. Esay 55. I will give you the sure mercies of David what are those Act. 13. that place in Isaiah is quoted and there the word is Sancta Davidis the holy things of David the holy Ghost there going according to the Translation of the Septuagint as it is usuall in the New Testament And that Psalm 16. 9. 10. where David seemes to speake in his owne person Thou wilt not leave my soul in grave nor suffer thy holy One to see corruption this is interpreted of Christ Act. 13. 36. 37. Act. 15. 16. In the Assembly the Church of Jerusalem together with messengers of the Church of Antioch James makes a speech to the Assembly tels them of a prophesie that God would raise the
Religion no God forbid yea she so promised that the story saith no man would or could misdoubt of the performance But afterward when she came to get the power in her hand the Suffolk men came to make supplication to her that she would be pleased to performe the promise she made them she answered them thus Forasmuch as you being but members desire to rule your head you shall one day well perceive that members must obey their head and not looke to beare rule over the same And not only so but to cause the more terrour a Gentleman one Master Dobs that lived about Windsor who did but in an humble request advertise her of her promise made to the Suffolke men he was three times set on the Pillory and others for the same cause were sent to prison We may see what hold hath been heretofore in the promises of those who had power to breake them you know what temptations they have to withdraw their hearts from what they have ingaged themselves unto But when this our Prince comes David our King we shall finde the sure mercies of David we shall finde nothing but faithfulnesse in all his dealings And they shall feare the Lord and his goodnesse in the latter dayes They shall feare the Lord. The words are they shall feare to the Lord pavebunt ad dominum The feare of God is much upon the heart of a sinner in his returne to God Such a sinner hath high and honourable thoughts of God They shall returne and feare the Lord. The slightnesse the vanity of his spirit the boldnesse of his heart it is taken off and the feare of God ruleth in it The Majesty the power the authority of the great God is strong upon him when he comes to worship him the feare of God makes him to worship God as a God and in all his conversation he walkes in the feare of God even all the day long you may see written upon his life the feare of the great God And this not a servile slavish feare but a holy reverenticall filâ—â—â— feare Jsaac had such a feare of God that God hath his dominion from Isaacâ— feare He is called the feare of Isaac This is a most precious feare others feare poverty feare imprisonment feare disgrace feare men but saith a true repenting heart I feare the Lord this feare is the well-spring of life to him it is the very treasure of his soul Esay 33. 6. I shall speake of the feare of God here onely as it concerns this place the intent of bringing it in here that is to shew that in the time when this glorious Church shall be when God shall call home his own people the Jewes and bring in the fulnesse of the Gentiles then shall the feare of God mightily prevayle upon the hearts of people more then ever and the greater Gods goodnesse shall be the more shall the feare of God be upon their hearts this we shall finde almost in all the Prophesies of the glorious condition of the Church which is very remarkable there is ever speaking of the feare of God that should be upon the hearts of people One would rather thinke there should be speaking of the joy that they should have that there should be nothing but mirth and triumph in those times but the Scripture speakes exceeding much of feare that shall be then and more then then at any other time Thus Revel 11. 18. a most famous Prophesie of Christs comming and taking the kingdomes of the earth and bringing his reward with him he shall come and give a reward to those that feare him And Revel 14. 7. I saw an Angel flee in the middest of heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth saying with a loud voyee feare God and give glory to him Marke an Angel when he comes to preach the verlasting Gospel how doth he preach it what now cast away fear and rejoyce in this everlasting Gospel No preaching this everlasting Gospel saith with a loud voyce feare God and give glory to him So Rev. 15. 3. 4. There is the song of the Saints when they are delivered from the power of Antichrist what is it be jocund and joviall No Great and marvailous are thy workes Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints who shall not feare thee O Lord and glorifie thy name for thou onely art holy for all Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy judgements are made manifest And again Rev 19. 5. And a voyce came out of the Throne saying Praise our God all ye his servants and yee that feare him both small and great But feare the Lord now in these times why so Upon these foure grounds First Feare the Lord now because of the glory of Christ their King they shall behold their King in that glory that shal cause fear Rev 19. 12. Christ is described with his eyes as flames of fire and on his head many Crownes cloathed with a vesture dipt in blood at wo-edged sword out of his month and on his vesture and on his thigh written King of Kings and Lord of Lords Thus they shall behold Christ and therefore they shall feare Secondly in those times the feare of God will much prevaile in the hearts of people because of the great workes of God that shal be then the heavens shall depart like a scrole and the elements melt with fervent heate This is meant of the time when there shal be new heavens a new earth which referreth to the Prophesie of Esay and it is apparantly and so generally Interpreters carry it meant of the estate of the Church then the heavens shall depart like a scrole Heb. 13. 26. quoted out of Hag. 2. 6. The Lord did shake the earth once but he hath promised saying Yet once more I shaâ— not the earth onely but also heaven There shall be wonderfull workes of God in the earth when those dayes come therefore there shall be much of the feare of God Thirdly Much of the feare of God then because of the holiness of the worship of God and of his Ordinances the purity of them shall cause fear Did we see the Ordinances in the true and native purity and holinesse of them it would strike much feare in us Some have but seene the execution of that one Ordinance of Excommunication in a solemn gracious way and it hath daunted their hearts it hath struke feare in a most proud profane stubborn wicked heart the beholding then of all the Ordinances and all duties of worship in their true native purity holiness and glory cannot but cause much feare Psal 68. 35. O God thou art terrible out of thy holy places God will be terrible out of his holy places and out of all his holy Ordinances Fourthly Much feare there will be at that day because of the holiness of the Saints there shall be so much holiness that shall
power going along with them so lately bringing them over Jordan so wonderfully and given them Jericho so miraculously yet now at the losse of 36. men their hearts begin even to faile Ioshua falls with his face upon the earth and Josephus in his hystory of the Jewish Antiquities sets down Ioshuahs prayer at large these are some expressions Beyond all expectation having received an overthrow being terrified by this accident and suspitious of thy promises to Moses we both abstaine from war and after so many enterprises we cannot hope for any successfull proceedings by thy mercy relieve our present sorrow and take from us the thought of despaire wherein we are too farre plunged Now God comes to him and askes him Why he lay upon his face and bad him get him up for Israel had sinned in the accursed thing upon search made Achan was found out whereupon Joshua tells him that he had troubled the Hoast of Israel and God would trouble him upon which they stoned him and from thence it was called the valley of Achor vers 26. that is Vaâ—â—is tribulation is the valley of trouble The third thing is the principall why this valley is called a doore of hope Herein two things First how it was a doore of hope to Israel then when they first came into Canaan Secondly how it is promised to be a doore of hope to repenting Israel in after-times For the first It was a doore of hope to them in two respects First because it was the first place wherein they tooke the possession of Canaan when they began to have outward means of substance to eate of the corne of the land all the while they were in the wilderness although God provided wonderfully for them by sending them Manna from Heaven yet because they had no way of substance by ordinary means they always feared lest they should want upon any strait they were brought into their hearts began to sinke Now in this valley God gives them outward means this raises hope in them that their danger was over and that they should do well enough This is our nature when ordinary means fayle our hearts fayle yea though in regard of Gods extraordinary workings we have never so many gracious encouragements and when God grants means againe then we hope Secondly God made their great trouble there a means of much good unto them for by that they were brought to purge their Campe they learned to feare the Lord and were prepared more then before for so great a mercy as the further possession of that good land The Septuagint instead of those words a doore of hope have these to open their understanding for there indeed they learned the dreadfulnesse of God who for one mans sin was so sorely displeased there they understood to purpose that the God that was amongst them was a holy God and that he would have them to be a holy people But how should this valley of Achor be a doone of hope to Israel in after times First the Jews think that Israel shall return into their own country againe yea and the same way they shall come again into Canaan by that valley which shall be a door of hope to them Secondly but rather by way of Analogy as God turned this valley of trouble to much good unto them so he would turn all the sore afflictions of Israel in after dayes to their great advantage grievous afflictions should make way for glorious mercies Thirdly But especially thus in this expression God followes the Allegory of marriage now it was the custome of the Jewes in their marriages that the Husband gave his Spouse according to his quality as a dowry some peece of ground rich as he was able and this he gave as a pledge of his love to her to assure her that whatsoever was his she should have the benefit of it so saith the Lord although you have gone a whoring from me and may justly expect that I should for ever reject you yet I will marry you to my selfe and I will fully perform all marriage rights for the expression of my love towards you to the uttermost you shall know that you are marryed to a Husband who is rich I will give you a rich and plentifull dovvry and this but as a token and pledg of further love mercy riches that you shall enjoy by me it shall be that valley of Achor that rich delightfull fruitfull valley By this he means he would bestow some speciall choise mercy upon them at his first taking them into his favour again and that should be a pledg of and making way to much more mercy that he intended for them a doore of hope to let in greater things as the first fruits of all those glorious things that he had treasured up for them From this valley of Achor as it concerned Israel before First Sometimes when God gives men their hearts desires when they think themselves happy as if all trouble were past then he comes in upon them with great and sore afflictions Secondly although God hath been humbling mens hearts with sore and long afflictions yet just before he bestows great mercies he afflicts againe to humble and break their hearts yet more Thirdly sin will make the pleasantest place in the world a place of trouble Fourthly the afflictions of the Saints do not only go before mercies but are doors of hope to let in to mercies means to further the way for mercies God commands light to shine not only after darknesse but out of darkness Josephs prison Davids persecution Daniels den made way for glorious mercy God had in store for them that which once The mistocles said to his children and friends the Saints may much more say to theirs I had beene undone if I had not been undone had it not been for such a grieyous affliction I had never come to the enjoyment of such a mercy Hence we must learn not only to be patient in tribulation but joyfull But the especiall thing intended in this expression is this When God is reconciled to his people then present mercies are doors of hope to let in future mercies the Saints may look upon all mercies received as in-lets to further mercies to be received Every mercy a door to another mercy and all mercies here put together are a door to eternall mercy When Rachel had a sonne she called his name Joseph Gen. 30. 24. saying The Lord shall add to me another sonn Every mercy the Saints have may well be called Ioseph it brings assurance of mercy to be added this is the high priviledge of the Saints every mercy that a wicked man hath he may look upon as his utmost as his all he may write a ne plus ultra upon it one misery one judgment upon a wicked man makes way toanother but not one mercy howsoever God in his bounty may lengthen out mercies to him