future and it was so for the future For the present they did not see it for the future they should not see it Q. But how came it thus to be hid A. Hereof a double ground or Reason may be assigned 1. Their owne willfullnesse 2. The grouÌ„d thereof double God's righteous judgment Through the former it was that they did not see and through the latter it was they should not see what belonged to their peace Upon these two I shall insist severally 1. This was hid from their eies 1. Their own wilfulness through their own wilfulnesse They would not see what belonged to their peace their temporal and eternal happinesse Notwithstanding that it had been clearly revealed and held forth unto them yet they shut their eies against the Light This is that which our Saviour chargeth upon this people the people of the Jews in that known place Joh. 3.19 Light is come into the world but men loved darknesse rather then light So was it with the generalitie of that Nation Christ who was the light of the world he was come into the world and in particular come unto them declaring and making known to them what belonged to their peace But they loved darknesse the darknesse of sin and ignorance preferring it before the heavenly light of Divine Truth which shone forth unto them Such was their obstinacie that they even closed their eies and would not see So our Saviour himself sets it forth Mat. 13.14 where citing the prophecie of the Prophet Isaiah he sheweth how it was verified in that people of the Jews in his time In them saith he is fulfilled the prophesie of the prophet Isaias which saith Behold hearing yee shall hear and shall not understand and seeing yee shall see and shall not perceive though they daily heard the Word saw the Works of Christ with their bodily ears eies yet they did not believe him or in him How so The reason followeth in the next verse For this peoples heart is waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing and their eies they have closed lest they should at any time see with their eies and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts c. Such was the wilful obstinacie of that people that they even stopped their ears against the Word of Christ and closed their eies against his Works they would not see what belonged to their peace and in this way it came to be hid from their eies And this our Saviour here taketh up as a just matter of Lamentation to him and Exprobration to them bewailing them for it and upbraiding them with it And so it is Obs Wilful ignorance asad and sinfull thing Wilful ignorance is a matter of just Lamentation and Exprobration to a people So our Saviour here taketh notice of it in Jerusalem But now these things are hid from thine eye Hoc non dicitur ad levandam Hierosolymae culpam saith Calvin upon it our Saviour doth not speake this any wayes to excuse or exâ—enuate Jerusalem's fault but to aggravate and highten it Such is wilfull and affected ignorance True indeed as for simple ignorance where men are ignorant through the want of the meanes of knowledge that excuseth a tantô in part The servant which not knowing his Masters will did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes saith our Saviour in the Parable Luke 12.48 In as much as he should have known it and might have known it had he enquired after it which he ought to have done therefore his ignorance doth not wholly excuse him yet being an extenuation of his fault it is so also of his punishment Simple ignorance of the minde and wil of God as concerning what we do or beleive is no just plea for any no just excuse in as much as they are by duty bound to know it might know more of it then they do were they not wanting in the inquiry after it But wilful affected ignorance when men refuse to know close their eyes against the light stop their eares against instruction shutting it out of their souls this is an high aggravation of the sin and punishment of those that are guilty of it R. And well may it so be looked upon in as much as it is not a meer neglect R. Being a contempt against God but carrieth a contempt with it Now we know wiâ—h what an eye Contempts are looked upon in the Courts of men upon earth When men refusâ— to take notice of their Orders and decrees this is highly taken as being an affrâ—nt to the Court and the offendors are severeâ—y proâ—eeded against And so is it in the Court of heaven when men shall refuse to take notice of the minde and will of God clearly intimated unto them this being a contempt an affront to heaven God cannot but take it highly at the hands of those that are guilty of it and make them know that he doth so So much we have fully expressed in thoâ—e words of Wisdome Prov 1.24 Because I have called and ye have refused c. ye have set at nought all my counsell and would none of my repâ—oof I will laugh at your calamity c. And again vers 29 For that they hated knowledge c. Therefore shall they eat the fruit of their own ways c. Of such dangerous and desparate consequence is it to shut out any beam of divine light out of the soul To close the eyes against Gospel-light a-high contempt to stop the ear against any word of God Specially when men shall close their eyes against Gospel-light stop their ears against the word of life the word of grace and salvation This was Jerusalems case here She did not she would not know the things belonging to her eternal peace notwithstanding he who was the Prâ—nce and Lord of peace the great Peace-maker the Son of God himself came to preach peace unto them to shew them what it was that was of so great concernment to them yet they would not hearken to him And by reason hereof these things were now hid from their eyes And upon this account the Lord Jesus as a tender hearted Saviour here so passionatly weepeth over them And surely of all things that can happen unto man upon earth there is no one thing more deplorable then this when men are thus wilfully blinde obstinately ignorant And to make some Application of this Branch Is not this the case of too many among our selves at this day Applica Too many among our selves guilty hereof Alass how many such poor ignorant souls are every where to be found Men and women willingly and wilfully ignorant of what concerneth their eternall peace They cannot say it is for want of light that the are blind that they do not see No the light of the Gospel hath for a long time shone forth unto them They have been born and brought up in Gospel-times and places where they have
go into the High-waies and Hedges and By-lanes and to bid new guests as the Evangelists have it Mat. 22.9 Luke 14.21.23 The meaning of the Parable seems to be obvious This Marriage is the marriage betwixt Christ and his Church The first invited guests were the Jews to whom God sends his servants one after another first the Prophets then John the Baptist with the Apostles and Disciples of CHRIST who perâ—waded them to come and receive Jesus Christ and to have Communion with him but they refusing the Apostles with their Successors are afterwards sent to the Gentiles Which accordingly sometimes after our Saviours Ascension came to passe For however at the first according to their Masters direction they applied themselves onely to the Jewes yet afterwards finding them unworthie and being rejected by them they shook off the dust of their feet against them turning to the Gentiles So Paul and Barnabas expresly tell them Act. 13.46 When they heard the Jewes contradicting them and blaspheming their doctrine Then they waxed bold saith the Text and said It was necessarie that the Word of God should first have been spoken unto you but seeing you put it from you and judge your selves unworthie of eternal life lo wee turn to the Gentiles for so hath the Lord commanded us Thus when men do abuse the light of the Gospel Christ often removeth the Candâ—estick as hee threatens the Church of Ephesus Revel 2.5 taketh away that light taketh away his Ministers and Ordinances and so leaveth them in the darke by which meanes the things belonging to their peace are hid from their eies and that through the want of means 2. 2. With-holding the Spirit But Secondly sometimes the means are injoyed but the Spirit is withheld not accompanying not going along with the meanes Even as the Church complaineth Psal 44.9 that God did not go forth with her Armies Her Armies went forth but God did not go forth with them as formerly to direct assist blesse and prosper them to make them victorious Thus God sometimes sends forth his Ministers but hee doth not go forth with them hee doth not accompany his Ordinances with his Spirit This is that which the Prophet Isaiah complaineth of hee lift up his voice like a trumpet hee spared not to his dutie But who hath believed our report to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed Isaiah 53.1 His Ministerie was for the most part ineffectual few there were that were wrought upon by it Hee had as elswhere hee bemoans it Isaah 49.4 even laboured in vain and spent his strength for nought Now whence was this Why God did not concurr with him by the efficacious work of his Spirit hee did not put forth his power reveal his Arme hence was it that his indeavours became so ineffectual to the greatest part And thus God is pleased sometimes to enervate his Ordinances by withdrawing his presence from them Even as it was in Ezekiels Vision hee saw the Glorie of the God of Israel going up from the Cherub to the threshold of the house Ezekiel 9. Verse 3. The Cherub stood still in his place but the glorie was departed God had withdrawn his presence from it Thus Ordinances may bee continued and yet the Spirit withdrawn whereby they become ineffectual So as though the light shine forth unto men yet wanting that Spirit of Illumination which should open their eies and let that light into their hearts they still remain to the dark So fared it with the Scribes and Pharisees though the mysterie of Salvation was as clearly held forth unto them as unto others yet whilest others saw it it was hid from them How so Why this was God's work to put a differencee betwixt the one and the other So much our Saviour taketh notice of and acknowledgeth Matth. 11.25 I thank thee Father Lord of heaven and earth or I confesse unto thee or acknowledge before thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because or that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes The same Word was preached by the same persons unto both but it had not the same effect in both To the simpler sort of persons men and women of weak apprehensions altogether unlearned and ignorant very children in understanding the mysteries of eternall Salvation were clearly revealed by the Ministerie of Christ and his Apostles but not so to the wise and prudent great and learned Clerks men wise in their own and others opinions as the Scribes and Pharisees were To them were these things hid Now whence was this Why God did not co-operate with the Word as to them hee did not work upon their mindes by his Spirit by which means the Word became ineffectual unto them 3. Blinding the eye and hardning the heart Again in the Third place God concurreth in hâ—ding these things from the eies of men not onely in Negative or Privative but also after a sort in a Positive way Not onely by not opening their eies and hearts but by blinding and hardning them So it was with this people the people of the Jewes as our Saviour also taketh notice of it giving this as a reason why they did not believe John 12.39 40. Therefore they could not believe saith hee because Isaias said again He hath blinded their eies and hardned their hearts that they should not see with their eies and understand with their hearts and bee converted and I should heal them Thus dealt God with that people justly punishing their wilful obstinacie by giving them up unto a reprobate sence to a spiritual blindnesse and obduracie In as much as they had first blinded themselves closing their own eies against the light Their eies they have closed so Saint Matthew hath it Matth. 13 5. As also the Apostle Act. 28.27 therefore God in his just judgment blindeth them They blinded themselves first they would not see therefore God in his justice blindeth them that they should not see So giving them up to spiritual blindnesse which as that Apostle tells us still resteth upon that people untill this day I would not brethren that yee should bee ignorant that blindnesse in part is happened to Israel untill the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in Rom. 11.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blindnesse or Hardnesse for the word signifieth both is happened in part unto the greatest part the generalitie of that Nation insomuch that they do not nay till the time appointed be come they shall not see the things which belong to their peace This is the reason which the same Apostle giveth why those of that Nation did not see what was so clearly held forth unto them in the preaching of the Gospel 2 Cor. 3.14 Their mindes were blinded there was a veil upon their hearts as the next ver hath it God hath given them up in his just judgment for their contempt of the means of grace to a fearful exceration and obduration blinding their eies and hardning their
13.1.17.3 Thirdly Dreadful apostacy Dreadful apostacy and backsliding among many who being like stars fallen from heaven fallen from their Principles into dangerous destructive desperate damnable errours and heresies have not onely forsaken but also persecute that truth and that way which themselves before made profession of and walked in Fourthly And in the last place The hindrances of settlement and reformation The hindrance of settlement and reformation in the Church This the people of God in this Nation have desired looked longed for earnestly wrestling with God and man for the obtaining of it And they conceived to have had some return of their prayers in a hopeful beginning of it But now how are all those hopes dashed Reformation being turned to Deformation the wals of Jerusalem being broken down and no Nehemiah as yet undertaking the rebuilding of them And are not these just grounds of mourning A sufficient cause why they who wish well to Jerusalem to the Church of God in this Nation should with their Saviour here weep over it Such is the present state thereof Thirdly What like to be Beyond which if it be lawful for us to look what can we see or expect unlesse God in mercy step into us by vvay of a gracious prevention but even Jerusalems fate utter ruine and destruction were there no other but the first of these those many and sad Divisions which are on foot daily increasing among us what do they presage If we know it not let our Saviour tell it us Mark 3.24 If a Kingdom be divided against it self that Kingdome cannot stand And the naturalist will tell us no lesse Cor divisum mors est If the heart be divided the body cannot live Now then having thus approached to and looked upon this Nation what remains but that our eyes should move our hearts to pity and compassionate it to mourn over it Little else it is that private persons can do And this let them do Preces Lachrymae Prayers and tears are the Churches weapons which every one both may and ought to make use of And this let us as at other times so this day do All of us powring forth our souls before the Lord in an humble confession of our own sins and the sins of the Nation which have justly deserved what ever we either feel or fear begging it from him that he would graciously return unto us undertaking the Cure of this Sin-sick nation healing our breaches sanctifying and removing the judgements which lie upon us diverting those which further threaten us yet shewing us his salvation in carrying on that great and blessed work of Reformation in despite of all opposition from those accursed Balaamits whether Romes emissaries or others who seek and endeavour to frustrate it setting up the kingdome of his dear Son among us in a right way so making us yet a people to praise his name Thus have I done with the two first of these particulars The third is yet behind which my eye is principally upon which we have in the verse following VERSE XLII Saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace A Most Affectionate and Pathetical Exclamation Part 3. The cause of Christs weeping Pathetica est ratio ideoque abrupta Calvin ad loc Passionate expressions often abrupt and therefore abrupt and defective Such oftimes are the speeches of men in Passion Specially in the passion of grief and sorrow wherein oftimes Vox faucibus haeret the tongue cleaveth to the roof of the mouth not able to expresse and utter what is in the breast Sorrow is a compression of the heart whereas joy doth dilate and open it grief doth compresse congeal and straighten it so as that which is within cannot readily get forth Hence is it that the expressions hereof are abrupt and broken And such is our Saviours here in the text His heart being full of grief and sorrow for the sin and misery of this people he expresseth himself in such an abrupt and broken way If thou hadst c. so leaving it with an Aposiopesis a Reticentia keeping in what should have made the sentence entire and full This defect is variously supplied The defect here how supplied by Expositors By some thus If thou hadst known c. Known so well as I thou wouldst have wept as well as I. By others thus If thou hadst known c. thou would not have done as thou hast done thou wouldst not have gone on to die and perish in thy sins By others thus If thou hadst known c. thou wouldst have hearkened to my counsel thou wouldst have been more studious of thy peace By Beza and Piscator with whom I choose to go along thus If thou hadst known c. Quam foelix esses beata How happie and blessed then mightst thou have been But this he leaveth out beaking off bruptly which he doth to intimate the greatnesse of his affection to shevv hovv earnestly he both vvished their good and bevvailed their misery If thou or O if thou as the former Translation hath it hadst known 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser Christs affection to an unworthy people the Iews Behold here then the affection of a tender hearted Saviour towards an obstinate and unworthy people The people of the Jews a rebellious people A people that had deserved as ill at the hands of Jesus Christ as ever people did or could have done They had abused his messengers his Ministers They had killed his Prophets and stoned those whom he sent unto them as he chargeth it upon them Matth. 22.37 And they intended to do no lesse to himself They had already rejected him and all the offers of grace and mercy which he had made unto them So unvvorthy of all grace favour vvere they Yet see hovv he pitieth and compassionateth them hovv earnestly he wisheth their welfare hovv passionately he bevvails their misery Oh if thou c. Like affection shall vve find the Lord elsewhere expressing to this people breaking forth sometimes into such affectionate exclamations professing his earnest desire of their happinesse and welfare So he doth Deut. 5.29 O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep my Commandements alwaies that it might go well with them and with their children for ever And again Deut. 32.29 O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end How should one chase a thousand c. elsewhere we find him bewailing their obstinacy and misery as Psal 81.13 O that my people had hearkened unto me and Israel had walked in my statutes I should soon have subdued their enemies c. And the like Isai 48.18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my Commandments then had thy peace been as the river c. Thus doth the Lord as it were bewail the obstinacy and lament the misery of that people wishing
injoyed the meanes of grace and salvation in a plentiful manner So as in this respect they may be called Children of the light and Children of the day And yet for all that they walk in darkness the things which belong unto their eternall peace are hid from their eyes They do not see because they will not see They have no desire to be acquainted with the mysteâ—ie of salvation and so continue strangers to it A most deplorable state and condition So let it be looked upon by others by those whose eyes God hath opened to see what they do not A thing to be lamented by others Whil st they see these things hid from them which God hath revealed to themselves let them blessing God for this his free grace which hath caused them thus to differ in imitation of their blessed Saviours pittie and compassionate this their wilful obstinacie and blindnesse This we may find the Lord somtimes sadly bemoaning in this his people the people of the Jewes Jer. 4.22 my people is foollish they have not known me they are sortish children and they have no understanding And the like wee may hear the Prophet doing in the Chapter following Jer. 5. where complaining of the incorrigiblenesse of that people the generality of them under the Judgment of God how notwithstanding God hath strucken them yet they were not sensible they had made their face harder then a Rock as he speaks ver 3. he then bemoaneth and pittieth this their condition in the next verse Therefore I sayd surely these are poor they are foolish c. of all follie none like this when men do as it were sanis insanire they are wittingly mad or foolâ—sh They will not see what belongeth to their peace O pitie we them that are in this condition And O that they might be perswaded to pitie themselves Much more by themselves to mourn over this their desperate obstinacie This they shall do sooner or later it may be when it is too late So they may hear some of their Companions doing as viz. that impure Aduâ—terer whom the Wiseman speaks of Prov. 5. Who having given his honour unto others and his years to the cruel as the 9 ver hath it having spent both his reputation and estate and strength upon Harlots who seeking nothing but themselvs care not how they make a prey of others oft-times with their honesty putting off also all kind of humanitie then he cometh to mourn at the last when his flesh and bodie are consumed as it followeth ver 11. finding nature decaied and spent and his bodie it may be seized upon by some foul and loathsome disease some of which it may seem were wont to attend this sin in those times as well as in these feeling his hones full of the sin of his youth as Zophar speaks Job 20.11 now he cometh rugire in novissimis as the Original hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rugiit proprie Leonum Bux torf At his last seeing how he hath by his lewd and dissolute courses brought himself to an untimely and infamous end now he roareth roareth as a Lion as the word there properly signifieth Seeing himself ready to go to hell now his soul is filled with more horror then ever his bodie was with pleasure And mark what followeth ver 12. And say How have I hated Instruction and my heart despised reproof And have not obeied the voice of my teachers nor inclined mine ears to them that instructed me Lo here the true original of all his miserie which though before he would not yet now when it is too late he is brought to acknowledge even his not hearkning to Instruction O take heed that it may never be so with any of you that you be not at your latter ends brought to mourn upon any such account Instruction and reproof not to be slighted Which that you may not do not any longer what he did hate instruction despise reproof Do not stop your ears against the truth of God held forth unto you in the Ministerie of his Word discovering unto you the sinfulnesse of those waies and courses wherein you have walked and shewing you how you ought to walk so as you may please God do not shut the counsel which the word giveth you out of your hearts Do not any longer say unto God Depart from us This do all obstinate sinners who living under the means of grace do yet go on in their sins So Job describeth some of them Job 21.13 14. They spend their daies in wealth living in joâ—litie and mirth pleasure happily injoying an interrupted course of prosperitiâ— not being acquainted with those crosses and afflictions which befall others Therefore they say unto God depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy Law This do too many even among our selves though with their tongues they dare not yet with their hearts and in their lives they speak as much plainly mâ—nifesting to the world by their words and actions what the thoughts of their hearts are viz. That they do not dâ—sire to have any acquaintance with God or his Word to know his minde and will that they may do it And thus are the things which belong unto their everlasting peace hid from their eies O most sad and deplorable condition The desperate contion of obstinate sinners what hope can there be of such an one Upon this account our Saviour here looketh upon Jerusalems estate as most forlorn and desperate She neither had nor would see what belonged to her peace So as through her wilful ignorance this was hid from her eies And therefore let her now make account of what followeth The daies shall come upon thee when thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee c. And even such is the condition of all wilful and obstinate sinners who shut out the light of Gods truth out of their hearts will not give way to the admonitions directions convictions of the Word and Spirit so as to be wrought upon by them to be changed and reformed in their hearts and lives let them make account that the like daies shall come upon them daies of blacknesse and darknesse daies of judgment and vengeance it may be temporal which they have just cause to fear continually hanging over their heads however eternal And O that now the terrour of the Lord might fall and take hold upon every one of you An alarum to such whose condition this is that being awakened you may be also perswaded to open your eies to set open the doors and windows of your souls to let in the Sun of righteousnesse to let in that heavenly light which shineth forth unto you that so the things which belong unto your peace your eternal peace and happinesse they may be no longer hid from your eies which if they still be through your obstinacie and wilfulnesse for other cause you can assign none then take heed lest that God whose
God who doth by his Providence order and limit them for their begining duration ending And surely so it is in things supernatural he who hath thus bounded and limited all other things upon earth hath not left his own gracious dispensations sine die at an uncertaintie but hee hath also set down with himself a day a time for them beyond which they shall not extend so as if that be expired there is no more room for mercie The truth of this we may see in those Rebellious murmurers amongst the Israelites A long time God striveth with them Fortie years long was I grieved with this generation as the Psalmist hath it Psal 95.10 All that time they tempted God and proved him and saw his works as the Apostle goeth on Heb. 3.9 So long experience they had of the gracious presence of God in the midst amongst them manifesting his power and mercie in delivering protecting of them and providing for them yet they tempted and proved him not believing what he had said unto them nor yet so considering what he had done for them as to trust in him and rest upon his Providence Thus did they err in their hearts not knowing the waies of their God as it there followeth ver 10. Now herewith the Lord was as well he might be grieved offendâ— d provoked yet bearing with them but so hee would not ever do Having born it fo tie years then he will bear it no longer So I sware in my wrath they shall not enter into my rest ver 11. They should never come into the earthly Canaan the land which he had promised unto Abraham as a resting place for his Posteritie Which sentence was accordingly executed upon those murmurers whose carkases fell in the wildernesse as it followeth ver 17. None of them who came out of Egypt from twentie years old and upward entering into Canaan save onely Caleb and Joshua as you have it foretold Numb 14. 29 30. So was it with them as to the Earthly Canaan and so shall it be with all obstinate and obdurate sinners as to the Heavenly Canaan that eternal rest whereof the earthly Canaan was a Type However God may strive with them for a time and it may be a long time yet there is a time when he will st ive no more but will passe a peremptorie sentence upon them that they shall never enter into his rest so shutting the door of mercie against them Which he doth The door of mercy sometimes shut in this life and that as I said often in this life We know how it was with Esau that profane Esau so stigmatized and branded by the Apostle Heb. 12.16 for his so far undervaluing of that high privilege of his primogeniture his Birthright to which was annexed the Covenant as to sell it for a morsel of meat or a mess ef Pottage when afterwards he came to make suit for it he was rejected So you have it in the verse following ver 17. For yee know saith the Apostle how that afterwards when he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected for he found no place for repentance though he sought it carefully with tears Thus however before he sleightly esteemed that privilege yet being better advised upon second thoughts he seeketh it that earnestly but all in vain For he found no place for repentance viz. in his Father Isaac who had conferred that blessing upon his other Son Jacob he could not with all his tears move him to repent of what he had done so as to recall his grant and confer the blessing upon him Herein was he a Type of profane obstinate sinners who sleight and despise the grace of God when it is offered and tendered unto them Afterwards it may be when God cometh to open their eies to awaken their consciences and to convince them of what they have done and to discover to them the miserie of that state wherein they are then they seek and crie for mercie and yet go without it the Decree then as it were falling in travel and begining to bring forth as the Prophet speaketh Zeph. 2.2 the door of mercie is shut against them R. The contempt of grace hereby vindicated R. Which God doth as I sayd in his most just and righteous judgment thereby vindicating the contempt of his grace and mercy which is an attribute that God is tender of and will not indure to have trampled upon So as where that will not take place Justice shall Hence is it that God shuts the door of mercie against those that have rejected it when it was offered to them refusing to hear them who have refused to hear him So wisdom sets it forth in that Text which I willingly repeat Prov. 1.24 Because I have called and ye have refused c. Therefore I will also laugh at your Calamitie I will mock when your fear cometh When your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction cometh as a whirlewinde c. Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer thy shall seek me early but shall not find me ver 28.29 A just retaliation and requital that whilest men shall let Jesus Christ stand at the doores of their hartes and knock as he tells the Church of Laodâ—cea that he did Rev. 3.20 and yet not let him in that he should shut the door against them so as though they knock yet they shall finde no audience no enterance Obj. 1. Obj. 1. The promise of opening to them the knock cleâ—red But is not this directly contrary to the promise which our Saviour maketh Mat. 7.7 8 Where incouraging hâ—â— Disciples to Pray he bids them Aske and it shall be given you seek and you shall finde knock and it shall be opened unto you For every one that asketh receiveth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened A. 1. Answ 1. This promise made to believers For Answer to this Take we notice 1 Who they are to whom our Saviour here speaketh viz. to his Disciples such as had received him and believed on him Now such indeed have the promise of audience and acceptance at all times Being favorites of heaven they have alwaies free enterance to the Throne of grace so as they may come thither at all times with confidence and boldness as the Appostle exhorts â—hem to do Heb. 4. last This being a privilege purchased for them by the blood of Christ as the same Apostle sheweth Heb. 10.19 But not so others Not so rebellious and obstinate sinners What have they to do to take the name of God into their mouthes by invocating of him seeing they are such as hate to be reformed What have they to do to presse upon the throne of grace who are despisers of it and enemies to it Answ 2. God must be sought in due time A. But Secondly this Promise must be looked upon not as Absolute but as Conditional admitting of many restrictions and limitations Among other of time
remarkable in this Nation at this day I think never more in any And what may we conceive these to portend Surely sad Omens they are giving us too just cause to fear lest God should be about to depart to take away his Kingdom his Gospel from us which meeteeh not only with such sleightings but such affronts and oppositions as it doth 5 Judgments not profited by 5. To which let me yet subjoyn that which bodes as ill as any of the former our not profiting by Judgments but rather being made worse by them This is that which the Lord complaines of against Israel Isai 1.5 why should ye be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more Gods judgments had a contrary effect upon them to what they were intended He corrected them for their amendment thereby to bring them home to himself but they took occasion thereby to go further away from him so as his Corrections were in vain to them as elswhere he complains Jer. 2.30 In vaine have I smitten your children they received no correction viz. so as to be bettered by it but rather waxed worse worse And would to God that this did not lie as too just a charge against this sad Land and Nation wherein we live That God hath stricken us I suppose there are few but are in some kinde or other sensible But what effect have these Rods these Judgments had upon us Are we better by them Are we thereby reclaimed reformed brought home to God Are we made the more humble the more careful the more watchful the more fruitful O that these effects were to be found amongst us But is it not clean contrary Are we not grown more proud a sin I think never so visible in this Nation as at this day more remiss more loose more barren and unfruitful then ever And if so what just cause have we to fear lest the Lord in his most righteous judgment do unto us as there he threatens unto Israel give us over striving no longer with us but leaving us to our selves letting us alone as elswhere he threatens unto Ephraim Hos 4.17 to go on in our sinful provocations until there be no remedy These are some of those grounds upon which we may build our too just fears To which I might yet have added some other But I forbear any further charge Coming rather to enquire Q. What shall we now do for the Land of our Nativity What to be done for this Nation A. 1. Do what our Saviour here doth for Jerusalem Mourn over it weep over it 1 Mourn over it with compassionate and affectionate tears laying to heart the sad state and condition thereof This doth he knowing how it was with that City that the things belonging to her peace were now hid from her And this do we over England fearing lest it should be so with it 2. But tears alone will not help When Joshuah was fallen upon his face 2 Take away the Action by feeling a National Reformation mourning for the discomfiture which had happened unto Israel Josh 7.10 the Lord takes him up with these words Get thee up wherefore lyest thou upon thy face Intimating unto him that it was not his humbling and afflicting himself without somewhat else that would heal that breach which Israels sinne their violating and transgressing the Covenant of their God had made upon them as it followeth in the next verse There must be some other course taken for the reconciling of them unto God and making their peace with him And what was that Why the people must be sanctified and the Accursed thing must be taken from among them as the 13. verse hath it And O that England might take the like course It is not all our falling upon our faces before the Lord all our daies of publick Humiliation though that be a sacrifice acceptable unto God that will serve to appease his wrath and to procure his favour that alone will not do it unlesse also the people be sanctified and the Accursed thing removed from among us This then let every of us in our several places indeavour Beginning first with our selves Every one searching and trying our own waies that we may find out the Action in our own hearts and lives our own personal sinns Which having found out now take them away putting away the evill of our doings from before the eyes of our God by serious and unfeined repentance and reformation renewing our Covenant with our God cleaving unto him with full purpose of heart Then indeavour we the like for others every of us in our places as I said Magistrates in their places Ministers in theirs Masters of families in theirs private Christians in theirs contributing what we may to wards a reall and Rational Reformation that so the Accursed thing even all kind of wrath provoking abominations may be taken away from the midst of us and that we may be a people sanctified dedicated and consecrated unto the Lord. So doing now knew we for our Comfort God not willing to cast off a people in Covenant that we have to deal with a God gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse ready to repent of what ever evill he intendeth against a people Especially his own people not willing to reject and cast off a people that are in Covenant with him So much he expressed to this people the people of the Jewes before the Captivity by making so many removes before his final departure from them so the Prophet Ezekiel saw it in his Visions in which the glory of the Lord removed not lesse then five several times before it took its leave First from the Cherub to the threshold of the house the Temple Ezek. 9.3 2. It removed higher standing over the door cap. 10.4 3. From the threshold it returned and stood over the Cherubins which were mounted up from the Earth as ready to take their flight v. 18 19. 4. From thence to the midst of the City and 5ly From thence to the Mountain on the East side of the City the Mount of Olives Cap. 11. v. 23. Now what did these frequent removes import Surely a great unwillingnesse in God to depart from that people And so it is so long as there is any remedy God is not willing to forsake a people whom once he hath taken into Covenant with himself So much we may hear him passionately declaring concerning Israel Hos 11.7 8. My people saith he are bent to backsliding from me So was Israel yet mark what followes How shall I give thee up O Ephraim how shall I deliver thee O Israel How shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim Myne heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together So loath is God as it were to cast off a people whom once he hath struck a Covenant with if there be any hope of teturning unto him and demeaning themselves as becommeth his people And
the figtree withered away Thus though God may for time spare some and seem to repent of what he hath threatened concerning them yet as he will not ever do so to any so neither will he doe so to all He that spaâ—ed Israel at that time yet afterwards sware in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest And he who spared Aaron at Moses request when he was angrie with him to have destroyed him as you have it Deut. 9.20 would not spare Korah and his Companie of whom you reade Numb 16. Upon their Rebellion against Moses and Aaron there was a suddain and dreadful execution done upon them The ground clave a sunder that was under them And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up c. So as They went alive into the pit v. 31.32.33 And so for those others who at the same time usurped the Priests Office taking upon them to offer Incense presently There came out a fire from the Lord and consumed them v. 35 As it was also with the Sonnes of Aaron Nadab and Abihu they daring to offer strange fire before the Lord presently there went out a strange fire from the Lord and confounded them Lev. 10.1.2 Thus however God belong suffering towards some yet not so to all And however he doth as it were repent over some yet not over all Cain Esau and Saul could finde no place for such repentance And what knowest thou who takest up this plea but that this may be thy case thy lot whereupon mans repentance God will alwaies repent Obj. why but hath not God ingaged himselfe to doe the like to all that shall repent and turne to him This is that which Ieremie assures the Princes and all the people of Israel Ier. 26.13 Amend your waies and your doings and obey the voice of the Lord your God and the Lord will repent him of the evill which he hath pronounced against you And what he promised them he likewise assureth unto others all others in the like case Cap. 18.7 8 Where the promise is indefinite At what instant I shal speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdome to pluck up and to pull down and destroy it If that Nation against whome I have pronounced turn from their evill I will repent of the evill which I thought to do unto them If they repent of the evill of sin he will repent of the evil of punishment And if it be thus with a Nation why not with particular persons Repentance not in mans power A To this I answere as before True it is so vpon mans repentance God will also repent But how knowst thou as before I sayd whether ever God will give thee that grace or space to repent How knowest thou but that in his just judgment he either already hath or suddainly may give thee up to that impenitent heart that shall not that cannot repent Not repent truely and sincerely Possibly in an hypocriticall or Legall way thou maist So did Cain so did Esau so did Saul so did Iudas being sensible of what they had brought upon themselves they bewailed their condition yet were far from true repentance Theire countenance was changed as it is said of Cain Gen. 4.5 his countenance fell but not their hearts And so may it be with thee True Repentance Repentance unto life and salvation is Gods gift which he bestoweth freely upon whome he will and when he will And being so he may justly deny it which hold it from those who have sleighted and dispised his grace when it was offered and held forth to them To all such this doctrine upon this account speakes abundance of terrour Vse 2 Take heed of receiving the grace of God in vaine by hardning the heart against it Which let it serve in the next place as a Needle to draw in a thread after it making way for and now letting in a word of Advise and Counsell and that to all that are here this day before the Lord. Take you heede that you doe not receive the grace of god in vaine This is Paules Obtestation to his Corinthians 2. Cor. 6.1 Wee then as workers together with God beseech you also that you receive not the grace of God in vaine And let it now be mine to you all and every of you who heare me this day I as a poore Minister of Christ working together with him as his unworthy Instrument exhort and beseech you that you receive not the grace of God in vain this Gospel grace the offer of grace mercy held forth uÌ„to you in the Ministerie of the word see that you do not receive it in vaine by onely giving it the hearing and so letting it dye and perish in the eare not having any such affect in and upon you as is intended by it viz. to bring you home unto God and Jesus Christ to receive and embrace him as your Saviour and Lord to beleive on him to submit unto him This is the end of all our preaching thus to some this good seede as the doctrine of truth is called Math. 13.24 the seede of the word for the begetting of faith and obedience in the hearts of those that hear us Now see you to it that this seede doe not fall like that in the Parable which fell by the high way side Math. 13.4 where the ground being hardned by the feete of the Passengers the seede cannot enter but lyeth above ground and so is sowen in vaine being spilt and lost Take heede that the word be not so spilt upon any of you that your hearts be not hardened against it that you should not receive it into them This is that which the Apostle presseth upon his Hebrewes Heb. 3.7.8 wherefore as the Holy-ghost saith To day if ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts And let me press the same upon you To day if you will heare the voice of the Sonne of man the voice of Jesus Christ so heare it as that you may live doe not harden your hearts doe not oppose doe not resist the call of God by shutting the word out of your hearts This did the Israelites in the wildernesse When God spake unto them by his servant Moses they hardened their hearts not regarding what was sayd to them But what was the issue Hereby they exceedingly provoked God against them This was a day of Provocation as the Apostle there calleth it Harden not your hearts as in the Provocation c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sâ—ch was that day of Temptation in the wilderness the time wherein the Israelites tempted their God by not hearkning to his voice it was a day of Exacerbation and Exasperation So it was not onely to Moses betwixt whome and the people there was a sharpe contention as we find it Exod. 17.2 But also unto God who by that their not harkning to his voice was exceedingly greived as it there followeth Heb. 3.10 yea so provoked and exasperated that he sware