only against them and make it appear that that 's the work of their spirits meerly to oppose them and not under such a pretence to make other things that yet they cannot make appear to be false to make them appear to be odious and monstruous meerly by shufling them together among such horrible and damnable lyes That 's for false Doctrine And then secondly Thy encrease lyes and desolation that is lyes against the Prophets of God against the Saints and against the Waies of God And certainly there was never the like multiplying as there is at this day in this sense too men carry their multiplying glasses along with them up and down at first a lye it 's like a stone in the water you know a stone first cast in makes a little circle and then that another and that another and every one greater than another And so it is with many lyes at first they appear not so great but that makes another and that another and that another and so they grow greater and greater and that exceedingly there 's many waies of multiplying and encreasing lyes First by carrying about reports and so make one lye to become many And then a Second way is by misreporting of reports that is by putting reports into another dress according to what men themselves apprehend and that which is a truth when it comes to be examined nakedly yet they will being put into another dress and such and such things laid together in another way than they were at first they will seem to be very false This is a way of multiplying lyes Thirdly by adding to reports every man according to his spirit draws consequences and when he hath drawn them he makes them to be part of the report and so makes it to be the Original as if it were the Original whenas it is but the Comment and so lyes comes to be multiplied Fourthly by inventing new ones they come to encrease and multiply because such and such falshoods will not do the feat more shall then be added to them Fifthly they encrease and multiply by maintaining lyes by lyes as if men be engaged once in a business they must defend themselves If once they have misreported a thing there 's no help for it but now it must be defended one way or other somewhat must be done to defend it as 't is many times so in your servants a Servant hath done a thing amiss well this Servant seeks to cover it by a lye and when once he hath told one he must tell a great many more to defend that one and thus it is with men And truly my Brethren seeing that this Scripture doth so by providence come in our way let me speak thus much to you from it It is one of the strangest things that ever was in the world that there should be such strange reports of things that are matters of fact yea that one Godly man or company of men should say one thing and others that we think Godly men should say quite contrary and both in matters of fact I say 't is that which would make men stand amazed as much as ever any thing that fell out in any age to consider of it for there is no sin that is more against the ingenuity of a gracious heart than a deliberate lye to speak against a mans knowledg and against a mans conscience this sin is against the ingenuity of a gracious heart as much as any sin and yet even such as we think to be godly and gracious even reporting so quite cross what shall we say to this Austin hath such an expression of his to a friend that writ to him about the telling of an officious lye he answers him again No he must not tell a lye no not to save the whol world Now what a difference is there in the hearts of men in these daies Truly I do not know a greater temptation to Atheism at this day than this is for what will men think There 's such Religious men speak thus and others that we account as Religious as they speak quite contrary Is there any Religion in the world We see so much contradicting one against another surely one side must be false It 's that that I am verily perswaded is the cause of much Atheism amongst us and if God be not pleased to prevent one way or other it will open a wide door to Atheism in the Nation But therefore those that would fain get this stumbling block to be remov'd and do not rejoyce at it as some do some there are that rejoyces at these things there 's nothing more pleasing to them when they meet together whereas they should be matter for our humiliation we should mourn for them to see how God is dishonored this way and what abundance of hurt is like to come to souls by this means But now therefore a little to quiet our hearts so as we may not be endanger to turn Atheists by it let us consider from whence this comes that so many lyes should be encreased and multiplied For First Consider though one saith this thing is so and the other faith it 's quite contrary yea but it may be that both sides do report according to their own apprehensions of things and apprehending things in a different way having divers principles both of them may think they are in the Truth and yet one may contradict the other because they may speak according to their apprehensions on both sides for it is very much according to the principles of ones spirit in any thing especially if a business hath many things depending on it and there are many circumstances to be laid together then according to mens apprehensions and their principles â—hey will lay things together so as may best sute their principles and others will say things together so as may best sute their principles and so both of them may think they are in the Truth and contradict one another and yet neither of them speak against their consciences this possibly I say may even be among good men And then sometimes the reason of contradiction it is because men do not speak from their own knowledg but they are ready to speak from others and are so confident in others whomsoever men love when they see men to be of their side and way they are very confident in their rports and so speak it not from being Eye-witnesses themselves and so they may come to contradict one another and not go against their own consciences Reports are cross one to another and this is the evil indeed of giving credit to reports and of running away too suddenly with them But though it be an evil in men yet it comes not from this of speaking against their consciences And then a Third cause it may come from this That when men report they do not report all Reports are cross one to another
to their Masters much more then will the Masters themselves leap and rejoyce in the having their hearts desires fill'd They glorie in it And then Sixthly and that 's especially to be observed here That carnal hearts that get estates in sinful waies they seek to relieve their consciences that are full of guilt with the consideration of the outward comforts they do enjoy The Prophet charges them with their sin charges the guilt of their sin upon them But we are rich say they and we inherit substance Wicked men will seek to relieve their consciences their guiltie consciences in the rejoycing in their riches and in their estates and in what they have got in Isa 57. 10. you have a Scripture somewhat sutable to this Thou hast found the life of thine hand therefore thou wast not grieved It may be if a man goes on in an evil way and doth not prosper in it if God crosses him in it then he begins to bethink himself Is not this a finful way doth not God oppose me in it and then he begins to be griev'd But if he can find the life of his hand go on and he prosper and have what he desires then he will not be griev'd then his heart is hardened Wicked men will set their riches and estates against all their guiltiness and think it will countervail it I beseech you consider this Note There is no more full and sure sign of a man of the world of a worldlie man than this That he can think to relieve his conscience in the guilt of the least sin by the enjoyment of all the things of the world that he can set the good of the things of the world against the guilt of sin that he can put any thing in the world in the ballance to down weigh the least guilt of any sins here is a worldly heart here 's a man of the world a wretched heart thou doest bless thy self in a great estate thou g 〈…〉 test but hath there been no guilt at all that thou hast contracted by that estate which thou hast got Thou canst not say but some guiltiness hath been contracted yea but this contents thee there is so much gain comes by it Oh! thou art a wretched man that canst set the gain in the world to the least guilt that thou hast contracted Oh! it hath been an ill bargain riches got by guilt thou hast made I say an ill bargain for thy self thou knowest not God knowest not with whom thou hast to deal that canst set any gain by sin for to countervail the evil of that guilt that thou hast committed for the getting of that gain of thine And further Wicked men labor to satisfie their consciences with the prosperitie they are in and what they have got by their sin as they set it against their guilt so in the Seventh place They perswade themselves that God is not at least so much displeased with them as many would bear them in hand Surely if my condition were so dangerous as you would perswade me to I should not prosper so much in my way as I do I should not get riches so as I do upon this they begin to think that God is of their mind as in Psal 50. 21. Thou thoughtest I was like unto thy self we find it by experience that when men are under affliction when Gods hand is upon men then they begin to think that God doth not like of their waies but when they go on and prosper they are readie to think that God approves of their waies that they walk in There 's a notable storie concerning the Mother of Lumbard Gratian and Comestor The first the Master of the Sentences as they call them The Second the compiler of a great part of the Popes Law the Decretal Epistles the third the Author of the Scholastical Historie the best man and book of the three All famous men and all three of them were Bastards Now the Mother of them being a Whore when she came to make her confession to the Priest she could not acknowledg much evil in it and she profest she could not find her heart griev'd or troubled much about it when the Priest urged her penance and repentance for it because though it 's true that the thing was evil that she did yet that she did prosper so wel that they were three such eminent men of such great use as those were Thus it 's ordinarilie men think that it may lessen the-greatness of their sin if they get any thing by it if they prosper in their sinful way there is no such cause of trouble and grief for it The people they may laugh at me saith a covetous man but I applaud my self at home when I behold the money in the Chest so long as I see comings-in let men talk what they will I cannot beleeve that things are so bad as they report that God is so much against me but I hope God loves me These are the reasonings of a carnal heart and all because he prospers in his sin I remember it 's reported of Dionisius that when he had committed Sacriledg and had a good voyage after it saith he See what a good Navigation the Gods hath granted me you tell me of Sacriledg but I am sure I have had a good Voyage after it Oh! these are Heathenish reasonings and yet I fear they are not altogether rooted out of such as profess themselves Christians You that have good Voiages abroad observe it it may be if you meet with an ill Voiage then you begin to recollect your self What sin have I been guiltie of but now if you have a good Voiage though you have contracted much guiltiness upon your spirits while you were at Land yet prospering in your Voiage you never think of anie danger but all is well because you have a good Voiage Oh no a good Voiage is no sign that there is not guiltiness As sometimes I have told you that a painted face is no sign of a good complexion it may be it is the Curse of God upon thee that doth let thee so to prosper and if God had anie love unto thee he would not let thee to prosper so as he doth he would cross thee in thy waies that so thou mightest bethink thy self There 's another man perhaps that was as wicked as thou and yet the Lord had a love to him and he crost him in his waies so that he hath begun to bethink himself and not to be at rest till he gets the guilt of his sin done away but for thee Gods heart it seems is not yet towards thee he hath no love to thee and if he lets thee go on and still prosper in a sinful way this is from the fruit of Reprobation and certainlie there cannot be scarce a greater note of a Reprobate than for a man to prosper in a sinful way This is that we should all pray to
any wild Beasts whatsoever there is that in my wrath if you escape one wild beast another shall tear you and that 's the reason that the Bear is added to the Lyon and the Leopard because the Bear runs up a tree so much which the others do not and now he comes to all wild Beasts put them all together and my wrath is as fierce as them And this is one excellent meditation from hence That put all the dreadfulness of all creatures in the world together and all that it is in the wrath of God As put all the good things that are in all creatures together all this is in the Love and Mercy of God so put al things that any way may bring any torments or tortor to us and the quintessence of all this is in Gods wrath The wild Beasts shall tear them Lyra thinks that this Prophesie was fulfill'd when they were carried captive and in their journey many died and so they were cast into fields and devoured by wild Beasts and it 's likely it may be fulfill'd in part so as usually when Soldiers carry an Enemy captive Why if they be sick let them die and if they die throw them into a ditch there 's all they care for them and so it was with this people that the Lord though he knew them in the wilderness and his protection was over them yet now to forget them and lets them be carried into captivity and cast to wild beasts and so their carkasses was torn And some think that the expression of Gods wrath by these Beasts hath reference to the four Monarchies which God would make use of to be very terrible to his Saints In Dan. 7. you shall find the four Monarchies of the world the Babylonian the Persian the Grecian and Roman Monarchies set forth in the same manner as here the holy Ghost sets out the wrath of God against Israel for the truth is Those things that we have here in Hosea were to set forth Gods waies to his people in after-times not only when they were to be carried captive In Dan. 7. 3. there appeared four great Beasts the first li 〈…〉 Lyon by which was signified the Babylonish Empire the second like a Bear by that the Persian the third like a Leopard and that 's the Graecian for Alexander was as a Leopard exceeding swift all his exploits he did in twelve yeers he was but thirty three yeers old when he died And moreover they observe of the Leopard which hath the name from a Panther that it smels exceedingly the very body of it smels sweet above all Beasts and so it doth invite the Beasts to it and so it was said of Alexanders body that it had a sweet smell with it And then the fourth being the Roman Empire mark how that 's set out just as Gods sets out his wrath he doth not name any particular Beast but the wild Beast this is dreadful terrible and strong exceedingly and it had great iron teeth it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped the residue with the feet of it and it was diverse from al the beasts that was before it and it had ten horns you know now that that was divided into ten Kingdoms or ten sorts of Civil Governments at several times This is the Roman Empire the power of whom Antichrist was to have by both whom the Lord would exercise his people and be very terrible to his people especially those people of his that were Apostatizing people that would worship him according to their own waies God would be thus terrible to them where ever they lived under any of the former Empires they should have God either as a Lyon a Leopard a Bear or like this dreadful Creature at the last unto them Oh but you will say Why do you speak thus Or it may be people would speak thus to the Prophet Oh why do you speak of God in this terrible manner Is not our God a gracious God and a merciful God why then will you render God thus terrible Why saith the Prophet then comes in VER 9. O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help OH do not find fault with the dreadfulness of God that God appears thus dreadful to you and do not you blame the Ministers of God that they do render God in this dreadful manner before you though it 's true that God appears in a way ready to destroy you bu 〈…〉 the Lord yet is infinite holy and blessed and a God of mercy and goodness in himself O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self thou maiest thank thy self for all this 〈◊〉 many of you when you hear the terrors of God set before you perhaps your hearts rise against them and your spirits do exceedingly distast such things as those are and why do Ministers make God appear to be so terrible to people when as he is such a merciful and gracious God Oh! rather lay thine hand upon thine own heart and say God indeed is thus gracious and merciful but it 's through my wickedness that makes God appear so terrible the judgments of God are call'd strange things it 's because that God hath not such delight in the execution of wrath in appearing like a Lyon a Leopard and a Bear It 's that that pleases the heart of God to appear as a Father to do good to his people Oh! but thou hast destroyed thy self And this is a main point indeed that sinful people should charge themselves with all the evil that doth befall them they destroy themselves Oh! this it is that will be the aggravation of mens judgments another day that they are the cause of all the evils they suffer You may think to put it off to God and say Oh how dreadful is Gods Justice but God knows how to put off all upon your selves and the destruction of sinners will appear to be from themselves and God will cleer it up to all the World before Men and Angels and will cleer it up unto their Consciences The damn'd in Hell shall not be able to speak against Gods Justice at all but they shall be forced to charge themselves with all the evil that is upon them Oh! it was through this wretched and vile wicked heart of mine God was not wanting to me in any means of good but I had a rebellious heart and I have brought all this evil upon my self I have destroyed my self O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self Destroyed himself did not God in the words imme 〈…〉 〈◊〉 before say that he would meet him as a Bear that is bereaved of her Whelps and would rend the Caul of their hearts and would be as a Lyon to them and a Leopard and yet O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self Though God execute severe wrath and makes use of instruments of wrath against a people yet their destruction is to be attributed to themselves
AN EXPOSITION WITH Practical Observations CONTINUED Upon the Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Chapters of the PROPHESY OF HOSEA Being First delivered in several LECTURES at Michaels Cornhil LONDON By Jeremiah Burroughs Being the Seventh Book published by Thomas Goodwin William Greenhil Sydrach Simpson William Bridge John Yates Will. Adderly LONDON â—â—inted by Peter Cole at the sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil near the Royal Exchange 1651. To the READER GOD who alone is perfect in Himself hath reteined this Prerogative to Himself That His Work should be perfect as Moses speaks And as another Holy One hath it doth al his pleasure Paul though in what-ever he was to commit to writing in matters sacred had infalibility of assistance yet perfected not all be intended These things we will do if God permit said he to the Hebrews But we no where find extant any evidence that he accomplished what he there intended Namely A full Methodical Discourse upon those first Principles and Foundations of Religion which that speech had reference unto It is no wonder then that if such a kind of Imperfection accompanied the Works of so great a Master-builder if it attend those who build on this Foundation and are not priviledged as yet he was from building Hay and stubble This sort of Incompleatness hath befallen the Works of this worthy Author in respect to the finishing of this Prophesie which he intended and had performed wherein yet to the Church of God there shal be no loss there being no thoughts nor Notions suggested to any man which though for the present they die with him But the same Spirit that is the inspirer of all doth bring to light in some one or other servant of God in his own time What a Treasury of Thoughts seemed to be lost and to die with the Savior of the World which he had not could not then utter which yet the Spirit that fil'd him without measure distributed amongst the Apostles that came after him according to the measure of the gift of Christ in each There is no beam of Divine Light hath shone into any mans heart that shal finaly and for ever be put under a Bushel but in the end shall be set up to give light to the whol House The purpose of this Preface is To consign the Pasport thorough the World of these last Notes of the Author upon this Prophesie Namely The Eleventh Twelfth and Thirteenth Chapters and to assure the Reader That they are the best and most genuine that can be expected being collected out of those under his hand al along and the best Copies of those that took them from his mouth And to subjoyn this hearty prayr for a blessing from Heaven on these the rest of these our Brothers Labors that are published that his Works may follow him and he receive at latter day a full reward even according to the fruit of his doings Thomas Goodwyn William Greenhil Sydrach Simpson William Bridge John Yates Will. Adderly THE CONTENTS CHAP. XI VERS I. COhaerence Page 2 Observation 1 God stands much upon the cleering of himself to be a God of Love and Mercy Ibid. Obs 2 It is the Priviledg of the Saints to be beloved of God 4 Obs 3. It is a great aggravation of sin to sin against Love 5 Obs 4 It 's very useful to call to mind Gods old Love 6 Obs 5 All Gods old mercies remain engagements to duty and aggrations of sin 7 Obs 6 Let not our hearts sink though we are able to do but little for God 8 Obs 7 If God love us so soon our love to God ought not to be deferred 9 Obs 8 The Church is in the same relation to God as a Son is to a Father 11 Obs 9. Let wicked men take heed how they use the Saints for they are Gods Sons 12 Obs 10 The Saints are not only Sons in relation but in community ib. Obs 11. Gods Sons are not free from sore and grievous evils in this world 13 Obs 12 It 's a great mercie to be called out of Egypt 14 Obs 13. God hath an eye to Christ in all he doth 19 VER II. Exposition 22 Obs 1 It 's a mercie of God to have Gods Ministers calling us to obedience 23 Obs 2 When God hath called us out of affliction it 's a great addition of mercie to call us out of son unto duty ib. Obs 3 It 's a great aggravation of mens sins if they be called to duty after God hath called them out of misery and they do not obey it ib. Obs 4 For men not only to disobey Gods call but to turn away themselves from it and from those that speak to them in his name is very micked and a high degree of sinfulness 24 Obs 5 It is yet a higher wickedness to have our corruptions irritated by the Word and provoked ib. Obs 6 That Gods free grace is very great and very strong 25 Use Comfort against a stubborn heart 26 VER III. Exposition 27 Obs 1 When God calls his people out of afflictions yet they know no more how to guide themselves in their way than a little child doth 28 Vse for England 29 Obs 2 The way that God leades people in many times may be a way of much difficultie ib. Use We have cause to bless God that we are in his way 30 Obs 3 Though we meet with difficultys in our way yet God loves to teach his people how to go in their way and the more difficult their way is the more care hath God of them to teach them how to go ib. Use Be not discouraged at your difficulties but look up to God for guidance ib. Obs 4 Seeing God makes it a fruit of his love to teach them how to go when you see others slip and stumble in the way of profession of Religion Bless God then for his mercie towards you that he helps and teaches you in your way 33 Obs 5 Take heed you that have need of teaching that you be not wayward foolish wanton and unruly and that you do not wilfully run into rugged and slippery waies 34 Obs 6 Gods Ministers and all others should labor to follow God in this way of his that is To have a tender care of others ib. Obs 7 Gods Ministers must not be discouraged though they meet with those that are very froward 35 Obs 8 It is a great aggravation of sin when children requite not their parents for their education 36 Obs 9 God will not cast off his children though they get hurt 37 Use Be not discouraged when you have gone out of Gods way because the Lord will heal his people 38 Obs 10. God doth us much good we knew not of 39 Use Not to abuse our strength in the waies of sin and so manifest that you know not that God hath healed you 41 VER IV. Exposition 42 Obs 1 That the waies of God are very rational so that they may draw any man of understanding to love
Reports to the dishonour of Religion 210 Use 2. Search out the truth first before you report at all ib. Obs 3 When people are guilty of a sin the Prophets should beat upon it again and again 212 VER II. Exposition 213 Obs 1 God commends and contends with his Church at once ib. VER III. Exposition 1. 219 Obs 1. We are to acknowledg God's Election of our Forefathers to be an Act of free grace 222 Obs 2 Those which receive great blessings from Gods mercy to their Ancestors are to acknowledg the free grace of God ib. Exposiston 2 223 Exposition 3 ib. Exposition 4 226 Exposition 5 228 Exposition 6 231 Exposition 7 232 Obs 3 That when God strives against his Servants he gives them sirength 234 Obs 4 It 's a great honour to manifest much strength in prayer ib Obs 5 The way to prevail with men is to prevail with God 236 Obs 6 That the time for the Church to prevail in is then when she is most weak 239 VER IV. Obs 1 Prayer is the great prevailing Ordinance with God 246 Ingredients to Prayer 1 Faith in the Covenant of God 248 2 To be in Gods way 259 3 To plead a particular promise ib. 4 Sence of our own unworthiness ib. 5 Acknowledgment of mercies and truth in promises 260 6 Remembrance of former means ibid. 7 Deep sence of the thing desired ibid. 8 Strong arguments 261 Obs 2 God finds his people many times when they little think of him 262 Obs 3 The foundation of the Saints comfort is in the Covenant of God 264 Obs 4 Mercies promised should beleeved when there is much unlikelihood 265 Obs 5 The multiplying of the Church is a great blessing ibid. Obs 6 The Saints have need of renewing promises ibid. Obs 7 The blessing that comes to the world comes by promised seed ibid. Obs 8 It was in Gods heart to do good unto us Gentiles thousands of yeers since ibid. Obs 9 God is still working towards the fulfilling of promises 166 Obs 10 The mercie and faithfulness of God is constant for continuance ibid. Obs 11 The Saints have need of the confirmation of mercies ibid. Obs 12 It 's a great help to fiath to have God present himself to the soul as God Almighty 267 Obs 13 God delights to revive his people in their fears with sutable mercie ibid. Use To learn tender-heartedness towards them that are in fears and troubles ibid. VER V. Exposition 269 Obs 1 That though God be never so strong and terrible in himself yet faith hath strength to wrastle with him 284 Use Christians should raise up their spirits when they have to deal with God ibid. Obs 2 God is the same to us if we forsake him not as he was to our forefathers 289 Obs 3. There 's no need of Images to keep Gods remembrance 288 Obs 4 God manifests his glory that he may be remembred from age to age ib. Obs 5 The meditation of the Name JEHOVAH is a useful Memorial of God 289 VER VI. Obs 1. The consideration of our godly forefathers is a great argument to turn us to God ib. Obs 2 That God is the Lord of Hosts is another argument to turn us to him 290 Obs 3. Because God is Jehovah we must turn to him 291 Obs 4 The Excellencie of the Saints is an Argument to turn us to God 293 Obs 5. We depart from God in the midst of our services when we perform them not in Gods way ib. Obs 6. In our turning to God we must reform our special sins 295 Obs 7 We must reform as well in Duties of the Second Table as in matter of Worship 296 Obs 8 There must be righteousness among men where there is a turning to God 298 Obs 9 Those that are in Authority must manifest their turning to God by Execution of Judgment ib. Obs 10 The mixture of Mercie Judgment is very comely 299 Obs 11. A turning heart to God is a waiting heart 303 VER VII Exposition 310 Obs 1. Men by their sin may lose the honor of their progenitors ib. VER VIII Exposition 324 Obs 1 Wicked men will have somthing to say for themselves ib. Obs 2 Wicked men may prosper a while in their evil courses ib. Obs 3 Wicked men attribute all that they get unto themselves ib. Obs 4 Carnal hearts account riches the only substantial things 325 Obs 5 Wicked men glory in the estates they have gotten ib. Obs 6 Carnal hearts seek to relieve their consciences with outward comforts 326 Obs 7 Wicked men beleeve not that God is so angry with them as they are told he is 327 Obs 8 Evil things many times have good names 330 Obs 9 It 's hard to convince covetous men of their iniquitie ib. Obs 10 It 's hard to convince them that they do not love to be charged with their sin 331 Obs 11 Men may in words profess the thing that they are guilty of to be abominable ib. Obs 12 Wicked men care not so other men cannot accuse them 332 Obs 13 A carnal heart extenuates his sins 333 Obs 14 If wicked men can but scape the danger of Law it 's all they care for 334 VER IX Obs 1 The prosperity of men in a sinful way makes them forget what God hath done for them in former times 336 Obs 2 God takes notice of mens unthanfulness ib. Obs 3 Old mercies are great engagements to duty and the neglect of dutie a great aggravation of sin 337 Obs 4 God gives hopes of mercie to sinners upon their Repentance 339 Use To persons offended by others 341 Doct. 2 The consideration of what God 〈…〉 h done should help our 〈◊〉 in beleeving what he will do ib. Applied to England VER X. Obs 1 It 's God that speaks by his Prophets 344 Obs 2 It is a great mercie to a people for God to speak to them by his Prophets 345 Obs 3 God will take account what becomes of the labor and pains of his Prophets 347 Obs 4 'T is a great mercie for God to declare his mind again and again ibid. Use How may God upbraid us with this 348 Obs 5 The Lord takes account of the manner of mens preaching as well as of the things they preach 349 Obs 6 The revealing the Word by similitudes is very useful and profitable ibid. Obs 7 Slight not the Word when it comes by a simile 350 Obs 8 Rest not in the pleasantness of the simile ib. VER XI Obs 1 Whatsoever is presented in the Worship of God if not of Gods appointment is meer vanity 352 Obs 2 When Gods Judgments have been against any for sin all sinners guilty of the same sins have cause to feare 353 Obs 3 Such whose principles are neerer to God than others if they be superstitious God will surely be revenged of them 354 VER XII Scope 357 Obs 1 Such as take pride in their Ancestors should look back to the mean condition of their Ancestors 392 Obs 2 Dependance
when God loved him you may find in Ezek. 16. 4 5. c. And as for thy Nativity in the day that thou wast born thy navel was not cut neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee thou wast not salted at all nor swadled at all and then in the 5. verse None eye piâ—ed thee to do any of these unto thee to bave compassion upon thee but thou wast cast out in the open field to the loathing of thy person in the day that thou wast born then in the 6. verse And when I passed by tree and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Livâ— yet I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live Again and again and then in the 8. verse Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold thy time was the time of love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakedness yea I sware unto thee and entred into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine Well but wherein did God manifest that he did love Israel when he was a Child Mark the 8. verse When I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold thy time was the time of love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakedness yea I sware unto thee and entred into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord and thou becamest mine The Love of God to Israel i exprest in these three particulars First That God made a Covenant with him Oh 't is a great mercy of God and a fruit of great love that such an infinite God would be pleased to make a Covenant with his people to bring them into Covenant with him all man-kind was in Covenant with God at first but falling from that first Covenant there was but only a peculier people that God took into Covenant with himself and made it as a fruit of his great love to take a certain people into Covenant with himself more than others And secondly Thou becamest mine that is I had separated thee for my self and took thee for a peculier one to me and intended special mercy and goodness to thee Thou becamest mine so as that I should have a special propriety in thee and thou shouldest have a special propriety in me And then thirdly I confirmed all this by an Oath I sware this unto thee Was not here love for God to Covenant to take in to such propriety and to swear that we should be his Thus when Israel was a child I loved him that 's the meaning of this Scripture Now the Note of Observation is this First That it is the priviledg of the Church and of the Saints for God to love them God loves his people this is their priviledge he loves them with a special love In the 12. of Jer. 7. they are called the dearly beloved of Gods soul see how God loves his people God he delights in his Saints and there is nothing in the world that should sanctifie a gracious heart more than this That God loves him And as Gods love is extraordinary to them more than to other People so their love again should be reflected upon God in a more than ordinary way There 's nothing can be a recompence to Love but Love that 's certain Love is never satisfied but with Love And therefore seeing God professes love to his people he doth expect love from them therefore he will not be satisfied with any duties you perform whatsoever you do but it must be out of Love Love must have Love and know that you cannot prize Gods love more than God prizes yours there is nothing in Heaven and Earth that God prizes more than the love of his Saints and therefore if ever Gods love or Gods prizing of your love may gain love Oh you Saints love the Lord. That 's the first But Secondly It 's a great aggravation unto sin to sin against love For to that end God here shews that he loved them that he might aggravate their sin so much the more and cleer himself Many times you make in the daies of your humiliation and at other times many aggravations of your sin that your sin it is against knowledge this is great That your sin it is of an hainous nature that it doth a great deal of hurt that it brings you under dreadful threatnings that it provokes the wrath of an infinite God against you these are great things for the humbling of your hearts for sin But above all aggrevations for sin this is the great aggravation That your sin is against Love that though God hath shown much love to you yet you sin against a loving God and a gracious God God begins with this aggravation being his scope here to cleer himself and to charge his people of ungratefulness yet God loved them Oh! sins against love are great sins indeed But Thirdly I loved him when he was a child 〈◊〉 very 〈…〉 to mind Gods old love That 's the Third Note The love of God unto us when we were children yea the love of God unto our fore-fathers the love of God unto a people when they were at the first beginning the ancient love of God to a people 't is of very g 〈…〉 use it is of great use for al to consider of the love of God in former times to them nay brethren it would be of very great use for us to consider of ancient love of God to England And I will give you one remarkable Note of Gods antient love to this Nation that 's this That it was the first Nation that ever God set his heart upon for the chusing of the Gospel the first Nation in the world that by publick Authority did submit to the Gospel and certainly God remembers that love of England For we find it recorded it 's true we cannot expect Scripture for this because it was â—â—nce the time of any Scripture but so far as we may give any credit to Stories we find it of all Nations upon the face of the Earth the first that received the Gospel with the Countenance of Publick Authority And this is not a little matter Certainly the Lord remembers the kindness of our youth and the old love of England and the first love of England in receiving the Gospel Indeed God caused the Gospel to be preached to other places before it was to England I but there was no placâ— that by the countenance of Publick Authority 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it so soon as England did and therefore England may be said to be the very first fruits of the Gospel in that respect Oh! 't is good for us to consider of that and many good uses we may make of Gods old ancient love when we see any further expressions of Gods love it may encourage us upon the thoughts of his former love there was an old love and this God continues his old
Covenants to God and then sin again and God comes upon them again and they fall a crying out of their sin again Well they are raised and the hearing of the Word that never prevails with them but in their afflictions then they will repent and cry out Oh! cry out of their companie Oh! that we had spent our time in praying and in lamenting for our sin that we spent in such and such company Yea this is when Gods hand is upon you But what do you do upon the hearing of Gods Word that 's to be like a man to be drawn by the Word and not to be mov'd only by blows Oh! thou hast a beastial heart and brutish heart and charge your selves with that brutish heart I fear some of you have cause to say That in all the course or my life my heart hath never yeelded to God but just when blows hath been upon me I beseech you brethren deal with God like men God deals with you like men And that might have been another Note in windâ—â—g up all I drew them with the Cords of a man and with the bonds of Love The Lord deals with us sutable to our Nature Oh let us deal with God as far as we are able sutable to his nature Why doth God regard us as men let us regard him as God then let us glorifie God as a God when the Lord hath to deal with us he considers we are men when we have to deal with God let us consider he is God and as the Lord is pleased to condescend to us as men Oh! let us labor to ascend up to him as God With Bonds of Love The word here translated Bonds it is Thick Cords not only with Cords as you have it before but with Thick Cords so the word that is translated Bonds signifies for it comes of a word that signifies to Wreath and to thicken with wrea hing that as you see those that make Cords and Lines they take their Hemp and wreath one Wreath and then they take another and wreath that and so another and wind many Wreaths together and so make a strong Cord that 's the propriety of this word With the Bonds of Love That is with such Bonds as have many Wreaths in them have many things joyned together to make it to be a strong Cord a Cord as strong as a Cart rope for so I find the same word is used in Isa 5. 18. where it is said They draw iniquity with the Cords of vanity and sin as it were with a Cart rope The word that is trranslated there Cords it is the same that is in the former part of our verse The Cords of a man But now the other And sin as it were with a Cart rope that 's the same word that here you have in the text translated The Bonds of Love With a thick Rope of a Cart with a Rope that hath many Wreaths in it so that though the former word in your English CORDS seems to have as much as the latter BONDS yet according to the Hebrew this latter hath more in it and signifies such Cords as have many twisted and wreathed together As indeed we shall find when we come now to open the Bonds of Love that God did draw this people withal we shall find many Cords wreathed and twisted together to bind this people fast to God you have a sutable expression somewhat paralel to this in Jer. 31. 3. With loving kindness have I drawn thee saith God I have drawn them with the Bonds of Love that is thus I have used them in a loving way If love would have gained them if love would have overcome them if love would have bound them to me they have wanted no love saith God whereas they had deserved the bonus of iron to be upon them instead of those iron bonds that their sins deserved they have had the bonds of love If you ask me what were those Bonds of Love that God drew this people of Israel unto Himself by The first was this God did wonderfully separate this people from all the Nations in the world unto Himself to be a people unto himself and that out of love and this was a great fruit of love and a strong Wreath this was had there been nothing else That God should set his heart upon this people above all other people in the earth to be his people in Exod. 33. 16. Wherein saith Moses shall it be known that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight if thou goest not with us for thereby saith he shall ne be separated from all Nations of the Earth it is in your books only shall be separated but the Hebrew word signifies wonderfully separated we shall wonderfully be separated from all the Nations of the earth Indeed the Lord he did wonderfully separate the people from all the Nations of the earth and this was only out of love it was not from any excellencie he saw in this people In Deut. 7 6. The Lord did not chuse thee c. but in the 7. verse He did not set his love upon you nor chuse you because you were more in number than other people for you were the least of all people Observe my brethren by the way That the Lord doth not alwaies stand upon number upon the greatest this indeed is our argument that so many go in such a way and so few in another way and so surely God is most like to approve of that that the most go on in No God doth not alwaies stand upon number saith he I did not chuse you because you were most in number for I knew that you were the least therefore it was only love that made the Lord chuse this people at first and separate them from other Nations And then the second Bond of Love is I chose you and your seed also And this was a great mercie If I had but only set my heart upon your selves it had been somwhat but it was upon you and your seed so as to bring you and your seed into Covenant with me There 's two twists as I may so say in this Bond of Love that he should chuse them and their seed and bring them both into Covenant for thus you have it in Deut. 4. 37. Because he loved thy fathers therfore he chose their seed after them and in Ezek. 16. 8. there the text saith It was a time of love and I took you and entered into Covenant with you It was a time of Love and that made the Lord to enter into Covenant with this people God shewed it was a time of love indeed that he would take such a people as this was and enter into Covenant with them And then the third Twist I set my heart upon them to delight in them too I made them my portion my inheritance my Treasure the Deerly
their blood but to love them so as to be willing to let out his blood for their good if it might be The maxim that some have labored to infuse into Princes I had rather be feared than be loved it is a maxim only beseeming Tyranny and no way sutable to an ingenuous spirit but to a base and sordid spirit Certainly that man be he what he will that is acted by that principle is a man of a sordid and low spirit a man of a generous spirit and of an ingenuous spirit would rather be beloved than be feared Let every man seek to gain another by love If you strive otherwise to gain any but by love First You are not likely to prevail Secondly If you do prevail there will be so much trouble before you do prevail that it will not be worth the having when you do prevail Thirdly When you have your will upon them they do the thing that you would have them they dare not do otherwise I but they hate you though What good is this for a man to have his will upon another if in the mean time he hates him Then Fourthly If you do not prevail by love They will do no more than just needs must and this is the reason indeed why Hypocrites do so little for God God hath never gained their hearts by Love but only by fear and therefore they will do no more for God than they must of necessity whereas as I said before love never propounds bounds And then Fiftly If you do not get them by Love they watch for all opportunities to fling off Now what a poor gain is this to gain one with a deal of trouble and for him to do what I would have him and yet to hate me and to do no more than needs must and then to wath for all opportunities to appear against me Where fore my Brethren for the close of this Note let us follow after Love and provoke one another to Love you will find sweetness in your own Love and sweetness that you get by Love in the very exercise of Love you will find sweetness and then the Love that you get by others you will find that sweet and you will find it so much the sweeter because you get it by Love And then further another Note is this Seeing Love hath such bonds in it Let us make use of the Love of God to bind our hearts to him You have heard that Love hath bonds And then you have heard that we should do as God doth And then Thirdly Is this Gods way Oh! let us make use of all the Love that ever God hath shewen unto us for to gain our hearts unto himself And this would be a large Theam to speak of if we should lanch into it if I should come to open unto you what the Love of God hath been to you how much Love God hath shewn to the Nation and to our selves for the gaining of our hearts Oh the many twists of this Cord 't is a strong Cord indeed to bind us to God In Deut. 11. 13. If thou shalt diligently love the Lord thy God there 's that that he requires of them after what he hath done for them If thou wilt but diligently love the Lord thy God That 's that that God seeks by al his love to work our hearts to Love Not to speak now of the Love of God to you as you are Creatures nor as you are Men But a little to speak of the Love of God to you as you are Saints I shall shew you very briefly what strong Cords of Love God hath cast upon you to gain your hearts to himself to love him As first Gods Love to you if you be Saints it is eternal Love before ever you were born the bowels of God yerned towards you as I may so speak with holy reverence God was twisting these bonds of love from all eternity that he might gain your hearts God was thinking that in such a time there shall be such and such men and women that shall live upon the earth I 'le make preparation by such bonds now as shall unite and fasten them close to my self when ever it comes to be revealed to them It was love from eternity Oh! the Transactions that were between the Father and the Son from all eternity for to manifest love to your souls the great Counsels I say that were transacted between the Father and the Son before the world was were about these Bonds of Love to you Secondly It 's choise Love when he left many thousands he set his heart upon you Mal. 1. 2. Was not Esau Jacob's brother saith God Yet I loved Jacob. So wert not thou of such a Familie and yet thou seest how God hath cast off a great part of that Familie and yet hath he loved thee Wert not thou such a ones brother such a ones sister that remained wicked and ungodly and it may be died so and yet God hath loved thee he hath past by so many great ones in the world and so many of thy kindred and rather pitcht his Love upon thee It 's choise Love and therefore this might gain thee to himself Thirdly It is free Love the Love of God is free so you have it in Hos 14. 4. I will love them freely and in Deut. 7. 7. The Lord did not set his love upon you nor chuse you because you were more in number than any people for you were the fewest of all people God there would manifest his love to his people to gain their hearts to him saith he The Lord did not set his love upon you because you were more Why then did God set his love upon us in the 8. verse but because he loved thee It 's a strange arguing The Lord did not set his love upon you because you were more but the Lord did set his love upon you because he loved you he could go no higher There can be no other reason why the Lord should love you but because he did love you We use to say it 's a womans reason to say I will do such a thing because I wil do it Now if any of you would have a reason why God loved you why thus He loved me because he loved me The Lord did not set his love upon you for this reason but he did set his love upon you because he loved you So it is a free love Oh! let the freeness of it be another Ingredient so as to bind your hearts unto him Fourthly God hath so loved you as he gave his Son for you So God loved us Sometimes it hath been in the thoughts of men whether there might not he more worlds than this world Certainly God in his infinit power he might make a thousand worlds more glorious than this such worlds as the meanest Creature in those worlds might be as high in excellencie above the
cruelty to reign over them how sad and dreadful condition are those in This is that the Lord threatens here and why Because they refused to return I beseech you observe this saith he They shall not return to Egypt but the King of Assyria shall reign over them because they refused to return From whence the Observation is this If we will not do Gods will God will cross us of our own They would have their will they would return but they shall not saith God for they will not return to me therefore they shall not return whither they will themselves God can cross us in our own wills at every turn Foolish men who will presume to cross God in his will when God hath them at such infinite advantages to cross them every way in every thing If you cross God in that he delights in you may expect God will cross you in that you most delight in Oh! when you are crost in your minds in any thing that you have set your thoughts and heart most upon reflect upon your own hearts and think thus Have not I crost God in his mind in that which God hath set his heart and mind upon It 's a good way my Brethren to take a holy revenge upon our selves if we cannot get our hearts to work for God as they ought not to suffer them to work for our selves as they would Again For they would not return saith God God is not so much displeased at our sins as at our not returning He doth not say that the Assyrian should rule over them because they had sinned but because they refused to return It is too much that thou hast sinned but as soon as ever thou hast sinned it concerns thee to think of returning God expects presently as soon as ever the sin is taken notice of that thou shouldest begin to return it is dangerous to continue in sin in the least this aggravates thy sin dreadfully and endangers thy sealing up to wrath everlasting And then Thirdly He refuses to return after all means used after all mercies tendered after all callings after thee yet to stand out this is yet worse Not to return is evil but to refuse to return notwithstanding means used mercies tendered Oh this is fearful indeed Oh! lay this to heart thou convicted sinner what offers of mercie hath God made to thee what calling unto mercie hast thou heard outward calls inward calls of the the Spirit of God Oh! how hath God called after thee Return return thou Shulamite Return return return thou wretched wilful sinner Oh come in and return what means of all sorts hast thou had to cause thy heart to return to God and yet standest out think of that Scripture in Job 9. 4. Who hath hardened himself against him and hath prospered What doest thou think to harden thy self against God and yet think to prosper Who hath hardened himself against him and hath prospered and mark what follows Which removeth the Mountains and they know not which overturneth them in his anger which shaketh the Earth out of her place and the Pillars thereof tremble And yet cannot thy heart be overturned nor tremble In this that thou refusest to return thy sin is aggravated above the sin of the Devils themselves for we do not know that ever the Devils refused to return for they were never offered mercie God did never offer the Devils mercie God never sent to preach to them either by his Ministers or Spirit and to call them to return and you shall have mercie here 's a price paid here 's a salvation for you your sins may be pardoned the Devil had never such an offer Who knows what the Devil might do if such an offer were made to him But now these offers are made to thee and thou refusest to return Oh! return therefore O thou sinful soul who art wandering from God in the waies of death and destruction give in thine answer as we reade in Jer. 3. 22. where the Lord there calls his back-sliding children Return ye back-sliding children and I will heal your back slidings Mark the answer that they give to God Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Oh! that there might be such an answer given this day from some back-sliding soul that is turned from God! Oh poor soul whither art thou gone God calls this day to thy soul Return return and professes that he is willing to heal thy backslidings Oh! give in this answer Oh Lord behold we come for thou art the Lord our God Oh! that some soul might return and might refuse no longer to return Why wilt not thou return God is content to return to thee thou art turned from God and God in the waies of his Administrations is turned away from thee but mark the Promise in Jer. 8. 4 5. Thus saith the Lord Shall they fall and not arise shall he turn away and not return by then is this people of Jerusalem sliden back by a perpetual back-sliding they hold fast deceit they refuse to return Shall he turn away Some interpret this of God The Lord is not so turned back but he is ready to return Oh! why shouldâ—â— thou backslide with a perpetual back-sliding And then the last Note is They refuse to return The word that is translated they refused may signifie they scorned What talk to him of returning tell him of his sin against God the greatness of his sin and the greatness of the danger and the threatnings of God against his sin he despises all these things these are poor things to scare children withal Tell him of the mercies of God in pardoning his sin he slights all this humiliation now for sin this breaking off of sinful courses they deride the motions of them they scorn to return Scornful spirits when they are called upon in the bowels of mercy to return from their evil waies they do not only deny returning but they scorn and slight what is said to them Wel know there are some who admire at Gods mercies calling of them to return who admire at mercy tendred to them and prize it more than all things in the world they turn unto the Lord with all their souls nothing in all the world can stop them they bless God that ever their ears heard the call of God calling them to return and they would not for ten thousand thousand worlds but they had heard Gods call and felt the Spirit of God working their hearts to him to return howsoever thou dost scorn and contemn it Thus much for the 5th Verse It follows VER 6. And the Sword shall abide on his Cities c. THey relied upon their Cities and therefore refused to return but saith the Lord here The Sword shall abide on his Cities The old Latin hath it The Sword hath begun and Hierom in his Translation takes it so If we should take it
for all the godly partie flying from the rage of the Sword great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in this City preserved by the Lord Except it had been preserved by the Lord the Watch-men certainly had watch'd in vain It follows And shall cousume his branches and devour them The Branches that is The Towns and Villages about the City for the Cities in a Kingdom are like the Root or the Bodie of a Tree and the Villages or the Towns are as the Branches of the Tree and here 's threatned both Citie and Branches And this Citie hath been as a great Body of a Tree that hath sent out juice and sap and succor to all the Towns and Villages in the Kingdom When the Sword is upon the Citie there is little hope that the Villages shall escape Isa 14. 31. Howl O gaie Cry O City thou whol Palestina art dissolved When the City cries then whol Palestina is dissolved no mervail then though there hath been such plotting in this City by making divisions besides other treacherous and villanous waies to spoil this City to bring the Sword upon it What laboring hath there been to betray us one plot upon another assoon as one is broke presently another and all against this Citie Oh! what a pleasant sight would it have been to our Adversaries to have seen this City in confusion wallowing in its own blood But the more there is depending upon this Citie the more careful should all that love peace and the welfare of the Kingdom labor for the good of this Citie everie one should labor for the peace of it that it may be a Citie compacted with unitie within its self that all that are godly and faithful may joyn in one that every one may bear the infirmities of his Brother that there may be no grating upon one anothers Spirits no exasperation no stirrings up violence one against another especially against those that are gracious and peaceable The more plotting and falsness and treacherie there is against this Citie the more should we be faithful and labor for the good of it yea and the more should we encrease our prayers for it You have a notable Scripture in Psal 55. 9. I have seen violence and strife in the City day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof mischief also and sorrow are in midst of it What then in the 17. verse Evening and morning and at noon will I pray and cry aloud and he shall hear my voice What saith the Psalmist I have seen violence and strife in the Citie yea and deceit and guile do not depart from their streets What shall I do then Evening and morning and at noon will I pray We complain of contentions and divisions and strifes in the Citie and that there are so many plots and treacheries against the Citie Oh! let not us only talk of these things but encrease our prayers in the frequencie and fervency of them Oh! let there be no family but let there be praying to God in the family Evening and Morning at least and if you prayed twice a day before then thrice a day now because of the strife in the City and the treachery and deceipt that is here and the Lord wil hear our voice and he concludes the Psalm thus Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their daies but I will trust in the Lord. Let them be never so bloody minded and desire to imbrue the City in blood yet saith the text The bloudy and deceiptful man shall not live out half his daies but I will trust in the Lord. Because of their own Counsels The Evil Folly and Danger of mens own Counsels we have spoken to in the 10th Chapter 6th Verse They shall be ashamed of their own Counsels Now only a word of that in reference unto the abiding of the Sword upon them The Sword hath abode upon us divers years the wisest amongst us did not think the Sword would have continued so long as it hath don And yet who can tel when there will be an end of these things Among other evils certainly this evil of our own Counsels is a great evil that hath made the Sword to abide upon us Every man follows his own Counsel one man for his friend and another for his friend Mens own Counsels both in Parliament in City in the Army in the Country throughout the Kingdom hath been a great cause of the abiding of the Sword so long a time upon us Their own Counsels The old Latin hath it Shall eat up or destroy their heads those men that had heads amongst them that seem'd to be the wisest the chief Heads that were the wisest and most full of Counsel they were the cause of the continuance of this evil upon them So Montanus hath it Their Counsellors And so Vatablus Because of those that put them upon those Counsels were the cause of the abiding of the Sword in Ezek. 11. 2. Jaazaniah and Pelatiah These are men that give evil Counsels in the City God hath an eye upon them upon such as give evil Counsel in the City as the men that are causes of the evil that is upon the City There is nothing more useful in troublesom times than Counsel if set aright and nothing more dangerous in troublesom times than Counsel if it be wrong The Lord deliver us both Parliament Army City and Kingdom from their own Counsels This wil ever be men will ever follow their own Counsels till they be taken off from their own designs their own ends till they can trust God with his work and be willing to be swallowed up in the Publick Squint-eyed and selvish Counsel will destroy us if God be not infinitly merciful unto us yea and it may be there are some that have good aims for God and yet in their Counsels they may be led aside by carnal principles As for instance only in this own thing That there is no such way for the furtherance of the Kingdom of Christ but by the corespondancy of it with the Kingdoms of the world Certainly this Counsel is very dangerous in such times as these are this principle upon which many that have good intentions do go they desire the furtherance of the Kingdom of Christ they can â—ppeal to God of the sincerity of their hearts and their â—earts are sincere in their desires of the furtherance of the â—ingdom of Christ and they think this principle is a very good one That the best way to further it is to do that that may stand with peace in a way of corespondanâ—y w th the Kingdoms of the world it wil be the best way 〈◊〉 set it up and if they did not think that were the best â—ay to set up the Kingdom of Christ they would not do i 〈…〉 But certainly they are mistaken in their Counsels hâ—e For as the Kingdom of Christ is not
had there it 's impossible but flesh and blood would suggest many thoughts to Abraham to keep his heart in suspence But what took Abrahams heart off from suspence to resolve fully what to do in such a case the text saith The God of Glory appeared to him it was not only God but the God of Glory My Brethren when God is calling you off from all Creature comforts from all things that may quiet your hearts in the world and you have strong temptations to keep you in the waies of sin let but the God of Glory appear to you and this will take up your hearts this will bring your hearts to a full resolution Oh! blessed blessed are those souls though they have continued long in suspence yet at length the God of Glory appears to them in the midst of their doubts and temptations and hangings off And if there be such a force in this then learn to present before thy soul that is in such a suspence the Glorie of the great God look up to this great God 't is the infinite high God that I am called to Oh! thou suspending thou wavering soul look up to this most high and answer this call of God unto himself answer it thus Oh Lord Thou art an Infinite Blessed Glorious Being the Supream Being of all I am a poor vile worm that lie under thy feet it 's mercie that thou wilt vouchsafe to look towards me thou mightest have let me gone on in base waies and perished to all eternity without giving me any call to thy self but now that thou shouldest give me a call to thy self the high and glorious blessed Lord this is mercy Lord I come and with fear and trembling fall down before thee saying Lord what wilt thou have me to do Those who have been wavering and afterwards setled they have found that this hath been the thing that hath setled them some dreadful authoritie of the high God that hath come to their hearts in some truth beyond what formerly he hath done and this hath fully taken off their souls to him And then Fifthly The true Worship of God is an elevating thing Then are they called to the most high when they are called to the true Worship of God for it raises the soul to the most high Mens inventions are low things are base and unworthy things Oh consider whether thou findest this in the Worship of God doest thou find thy soul raised up to the most high in his Worship thou doest never worship God aright except thou findest in some measure thy soul raised up to the most high in his Worship let no man look upon the Worship of God as a low mean thing know when thou art to come to worship God thou hast now to deal with the high God whom Angels worship and adore 't is that God who is far above all Creatures in Heaven and Earth thus thou art to look upon the Worship of God Oh! how far are most men from this when they are worshiping of God! very few there are that lift up their hearts to the most high even in the duties of Worship And so it follows in the words None at all would exalt him Why If God be the most high God how can he be exalted I answer He is so high as he cannot be more high than Himself God cannot be more excellent than he is in Himself God cannot make Himself better than He is nor more glorious in Himself than He is Therefore no creature can make him more than he is all that all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth can do for God can ad nothing to him In Nehem. 9. 5. He is exalted saith the text above all blessing and praise Yet then God accounts Himself to be exalted First When he is known and acknowledged for the High Supream First being of all things when we fear Him as a God when we humble our selves before him as before a God when we are sensible of the infinite distance there is between him and us when we are willing to lay down what we are or have or can do for the furtherance of his praise when his Will is made the Rule of all our waies and especially of his Worship when we make him the last end of all when 't is the great care of our souls and work of our lives to do what possibly we can that he might be magnified lifted up in the world and when we account the least sin a greater evil than can be recompenced by all the good that Heaven and Earth can afford unto us and now God accounts Himself exalted by us And this is the Work that all of us have to do to give up our selves to the exalting of the Name of this blessed God He is worthy so worthy of honor from us creatures that though ten thousand millions of Men and Angels should perish eternally for the furtherance of the least degree of his honor he is worthy of it all so high is this God and therefore know it to be our work to endeavor in our places to exalt him and blessed is that man or woman that when they are to die are able to say Oh Lord thou hast been high in my heart thy Wisdom I have adored and submitted mine unto it thy Will I have honored and yeelded mine likewise to it and it hath been the great care of my soul that I might do somthing in my place to lift up thy Name according as I have been able I say thou maiest go out of the world in peace as having done in some measure that thou camest into the world for Oh! you whom God hath exalted let it be your care to exalt this God and especially the Saints of the Lord know God hath exalted you on high and expects that you should lift up his Name he hath lifted up you out of the depth of miserie from the nethermost Hell he hath joyned you to his Son he hath made you one with his Son He hath loved you with the same love wherewith he loveth his Son he hath made you Heirs Co-heirs with his own Son he hath given his Angels to be ministring Spirits to you he hath made it his great design to honor himself in your eternal good the greatest work that God hath to do in the world it is the honoring himself in your Glory he hath prepared a Crown of glory for you Oh then do you joyn together to exalt the Name of this God who hath lifted up you who were such poor vile worms let the high praises of this God be in your hearts and mouths for ever in Psal 108. 4. Thy mercy is great above the Heavens and thy truth reacheth unto the Clouds mark what follows in the 5. verse Be thou exalted O God above the Heavens and thy Glory above all the Earth Oh Lord we see thy mercy is exalted above the Heavens and thy truth
to the Clouds then Lord be thou exalted above the Heavens that is in our hearts and in our lives Oh! that God may be exalted in an answerable way above the Heavens in what we do for Him as He hath been exalted above the Heavens in what he hath done for us let 's all exalt Gods Name he will be exalted in spight of your hearts My brethren God hath exalted Himself of late in our eyes in a glorious manner in Psal 21. 13. Be thou exalted O Lord in thine own strength Oh the Lord hath exalted Himself in His own strength but mark what follows So will we sing and praise thy Power Oh! let us sing and praise the power of God who hath exalted Himself in his own strength and for the good of his own people so of late But none would exalt him saith the text God hath little honor in the world men seek to exalt themselves but none to exalt God every man follows his own way his own lusts but the blessed and glorious God is exalted by few or none Men will appear to lift up Antichrist to exalt him the Kings of the Earth they will give their power to the Beast but none will exalt the Lord. Oh! let this grieve the hearts of the Saints to see that the blessed God so blessed in their eyes should be exalted by so few And consider every one of you how little he hath been exalted by you in all your waies And why should you vex and fret that you have not honor and respect when as the blessed God who is so infinitely worthy of honor and glory yet none almost respects Him Well let this be the Meditation from it The less glory I see God have from the children of men the more let me labor to honor him None would exalt him So the words are read in your Books and I think that is the most proper sense Yet I find Luther hath another reading and so others and that might likewise stand with the Original for if you observe the words him is not there But it may be saith Luther there is none that lifts up himself he and others turns it thus That 's thus Men are in a sleepy sullen mood that when God calls them they will not stir up themselves to listen to Gods Call and so Luther makes use of this similitude As a stuborn servant or child when the master cals him he will not stir and lift up himself to his call There 's none will lift up themselves drossie base drousie spirits that are sleepy and sink down to base low things they will not lift up themselves when they are called to the most high God It 's a great evil to give way to a dead dull and sullen heart not to lift up our selves when God calls When you come to the Ministry of the Word you come with hearts dead and sinking down with discouragements Now when God cals you should stir and lift up your hearts to close with those Truths of God that do concern you and it 's a great evil in many when they hear excellent Truths that might do them good yet they do not lift up their hearts to close with those Truths And now we come to the Eighth Verse which is a Verse very full and if in any you will give me liberty a little to enlarge in that Verse VER 8. How shall I give thee up Ephraim how shall I deliver thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together HEre according to Luther ends the Eleventh Chapter and the Twelfth begins at the next Verse For the words themselves we have not a more full expression of pathetical Affections of Mercy and Compassion in God in all the Book of 〈◊〉 than here How shall I give thee up I beseech you observe God was in the midst of his threatnings of Judgment charging of them with their sin saith he The Sword shall abide upon their Cities and consume their branches because of their own Counsels And when they were called to the most high God yet none would exalt him How not one would com in What would follow One would think Now let wrath pursue them let the curse of the Almighty overtake them one would wonder that it did not but mark a greater wonder that after the charging of them for this wickedness and in the midst of Gods threatnings of the most dreadful judgments to consume them by the Sword How shall I give thee up Ephraim c The Lord here takes upon Him as it were the person of a loving Father towards a stubborn and rebellious child the child hath gone away from the Father and hath continued in slout waies It may be the Father sends after it it will not come it will not return but goes on stubornly the Father hath many workings in his heart to cast it off he shall never be a peny the better for me let him beg his bread from door to door he is unnatural to me yea but when he is in the midst of these resolutions and hath these sad thoughts towards the child yet there comes a turning of his bowels on a sudden Oh! but how shall I give it up how shall I disinherit it how shall I do it It is my child though stuborn why may it not return why may not yet God work good upon it It 's very evil but how shall I give it up I know not how in the world to bring my heart to it Thus the Lord breaks out here Here we have in your books four How 's How shall I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Israel How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim I confess in the Hebrew there are but two but yet for the sense of it the Interpreters put in the other and they have the sense of four How How How How shall I do it there are four Interogations here and four Answers Four Pathetical Interogations that God asks as it were Himself First How shall I give thee up Ephraim Secondly How shall I deliver thee Israel Thirdly How shall I make thee as Admah Fourthly How shall I sâ—t thee as Zeboim God is here Interogating Himself in these four Interogatories that come from his own bowels And here are four Answers to these As thus First Mine heart is turned within me Secondly My repentings are kindled together Thirdly I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger Fourthly I will not return to destroy Ephraim These are the Four Answers and the Last Answer hath Two Arguments First I am God and not Man Secondly The holy One in the midst of thee Now what the force of the Arguments are we shall see when we come to them But first to give you the brief opening of the words in a way of paraphrase and
Then Secondly Let us gather as many arguments as we can to cause repentance and lay them together and never leave working them upon our hearts till we find them kindled Surely there 's all the reason for it in the world Doth the Lord gather all together that may be for our good and lay them upon his heart and there keep them to his heart till they kindle and work powerful workings upon his heart for good to us then when we would repent for there 's reason that we should repent as well as expect that God should for us we should be gathering all arguments that possibly can be and never leave till we find them kindled and warm at our hearts Oh! many of you at some times you have one argument that sticks at your hearts and at another time there 's another at such a time there was some one truth darted in and it took your hearts and you would say as those that went to Emaus Did not we find our hearts burn within us so you found Truths coming in at such a Sermon and at another and another yea but now could you get but all those arguments that ever God did dart into you to waies of repentance could you but get them together and work them upon your hearts and never leave till they be kindled and be crying to God as Elisha did till he got fire to come from Heaven to consume the Sacrifice Oh Lord my heart hath a deal of waterie stuff in it that will not kindle till the fire of the holy Ghost come to kindle these arguments and make them to burn Oh! if it were with us as David in Psal 39. 31. saith he While I was musing my heart was hot within me and the fire burned so we should go into our closets and be gathering all things together that we can to work upon our hearts and continue mufing till we find the fire burning within us Nay our hearts heat so as to break forth with our tongues and even to say from our souls Well the Lord is God it is he that is worthy for ever to be feared and honored and serv'd I have lived like a base and sinful wretched creature without a God in the world but it 's the Lord that is God that is worthy to be honored from my Bodie and Soul and Estate and Name and Liberty and Life and whatsoever I am or can do now if it would break forth in such a resolution how excellent would it be Oh! let us be humbled I beseech you for the coldness of our hearts that nothing can kindle there What a damp is there upon our spirits that when any argument is laid it goes out presently We have Truths laid upon us when we come to the Word but our dampie hearts quenches them all they do not kindle many are wittie enough to gather arguments for sin and lay them upon their hearts and so to kindle wickedness in their hearts as in Psal 41. 6. you have a notable Scripture there of wicked men that came to David They gathered iniquity in their hearts all things that might sute with their wicked hearts and for the furtherance of their ungodly waies they gathered them together for the encouraging and strengthening of them in their evil waies But it should be the care of the Saints to gather all things that might further repentance in them That 's the reason why wicked men are so hot in that that 's evil They gather arguments together and hence it is that wicked men when they have been in wicked company they come from it so hot in their resolutions to sin Why because they have gathered a great deal together for the heating of their hearts in their sin and so should the Saints when they are together in a holy communion and fellowship they should be gathering one from another every one come and afford something to lay as it were to kindle the fire But how laying their light ends together and not their dead ends together And then the Third Note is this Our mercies to others should not be cold but burning Let us be merciful as our Heavenly Father is merciful That is Not only wishing good to others but let there be kindled mercies in our bowels that we may not be able to keep them in I suppose many of you especially of estates have had many thoughts that you would do this and this for such good uses and you see some reason why it should be so yea but now have these arguments burnt in your hearts so as to cause you to break forth into resolutions Well though I have had thoughts and inclinations to make use of my estate thus and thus yet I have been kept off but now they are kindled in my heart and I am resolved upon it Thus it was with God and let it be so with you And thus much for the Eighth Verse The Ninth follows VER 9. I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger I will not execute the burning of mine anger so the words are IT 's true your sins and arguments against you did lie at my heart and did even burn it but I will not execute that I will execute the kindling of my mercy but not the kindling of mine anger Mark the several phrases Bowels was kindled in way of mercy and Wrath was kindled there was burning Wrath and burning Mercy but that which prevails It is the burning Mercy that prevails I will not execute the burning of mine anger why For I have kindlings of mercy in my bowels But how was this true Was not Israel carried into captivity and continued there many yeers and never yet returned again as some think and when they were carried into captivity for three yeers together there was a siege at the City and yet God saith here He will not execute the sierceness of his anger For the Answer That which before was said will give sufficient answer to it How shall I make thee as Admah and Zeboim that is though God did suffer them to be carried away captive and their enemies prevail'd against them yet he did not make them as Admah and Zeboim though There was not the fierceness of Gods anger the Burning of the anger of God out against them And the Lord had even in their carrying into Captivity yet he had respect to his Elect Ones and hath to this very day an intention to do them good afterwards And so we shall find in the next verse that there is a promise of the returning from their Captivity and therefore though they were for a long time to continue in Captivity yet still God did not execute the fierceness of his anger Sin indeed stirs up anger and fierce anger in God The Septuagint translate the words thus I will not do according to the anger of my wrath that is in extremity I will not do thus with you
there were mighty stirrings in Gods heart pleadings of Justice and pleadings of Mercy but Gods mercy overcomes gets the day as it were Mercie triumphs over Justice The Observations When we have stirrings between Mercy and Wrath the stirrings of Mercy should rather prevail the bent of our hearts should rather be in them When we have workings this way and that way which is the most benign side the arguments had need be very much the stronger for wrath than for Mercie If the arguments have any equality or neer any equalitie in them certainly the arguments for mercie should prevail they do so with Gods heart Oh! be you like God in this And then Secondly When there are stirrings with God and temptations to draw to sin the stirrings for God likewise should prevail Have not you found it thus many times in your selves you have had stirrings in your hearts to such and such duties and at the same time there hath been temptations coming to such and such sins now I put it to your Consciences as in the Name of God Cannot you tell divers times how the temptations to sin hath got the day you have been rather carried from God to your base sinful lusts and your Conscience hath been overcom Conscience hath pul'd and drawings of the Spirit have been very powerful but yet temptations have been more powerful and you have gone that way Oh! be ashamed of this that it should ever be said That at such a time there were stirrings with Conscience and Temptations Temptations and Conscience stirring together yet that Temptation should overcome Conscience Thirdly Gods mercies do not free his People from all fruits of displeasure But I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger And my brethren this is not meant meerly of the times of the Law for this anger of God upon them is to this very day But yet it is not fierceness of anger like that of Adamah and Zeboim There are no question among them the elect Ones of God at this day God wil not have this called the fierceness of anger So 't is displeasure 't is captivity long captivity They are a reproach and a by-word to the world and yet not fierceness of anger Our discontented hearts are ready to call every little affliction fierceness of anger Oh! how fierce is God if we suffer any little And indeed did we but know what anger our sins deserve we would learn not to call every affliction that is upon us no nor our greatest afflictions fierceness of anger Fourthly We should acknowledge mercy though we suffer hard things If yet we be not utterly not everlastingly cast off acknowledge Mercy it is Mercy my Repentings kindled I will not execute fierceness of anger Why Because they were not as Admah and Zeboim Learn we all this This day whatsoever afflictions are upon me though it may be you are ready to say Such afflictions are upon me as upon none we are ready to think our afflictions to be the greatest of all yea but bless God that thou hast not fire from heaven to consume thee and thy family for this might have been thy portion this fierceness of Anger I will not return to destroy Ephraim God here compares himself to a Captain that comes with his Soldiers unto a Town I suppose many of you in this place may easily come to understand the meaning of this word by what they have seen and felt themselves Soldiers come to a Town and there they pillage it and away they go and so the poor people think Soldiers have been here and I hope we shall do well enough now and think all 's over It may be within a month or two after the same Soldiers come again and utterly ruin the place and strip them of all But now saith God I will not return to destroy Ephraim that is Though I lay my hand upon them and afflict them and take away many comforts from them yet when I have done that there I 'le leave I will not come back again with a purpose utterly to ruin them This I might do I might return upon them with one evil upon another but I will not do so From whence note There is no cause that sinners should be secure when some evil is upon them to think this is all now they know the worst No God may justly return upon them again and again If thou turnest not to God under thy affliction God may justly return upon thee to ruin thee Indeed if thy afflictions were such as hath caused thy heart to return to God thou maiest then hope that God wil not return upon thee but if so be thou behav'st thy self frowardly under thy afflictions I say thou maiest justly expect that God should return upon thee But Secondly God is very gracious to his people when evil is upon them he will not ad and ad till he utterly destroy them but he will forbear that he might have some subject for his Mercie he will not contend for ever For I am God saith he and not man Here 's an argument that is very full I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger for I am God and not a man Before God took upon him the person of a man in those yernings of his bowels that is When he would express his mercie mark there God would come in the most familier way to make us know the meaning of his mercy but when he comes to speak of Anger there he would have us know that he is not like to a man in way of Anger in the way of Mercie saith he if there be the most merciful man upon earth know that I am like him but when I come to anger I am not like man in the way of anger God is verie desirous that we understand fully his heart in the waies of his mercy but when he speaks of the execution of his wrath I will not do that why For I am a God and not a Man And mark the strength of this expression the difference between God and Man in the point of the execution of wrath you will find it very useful to you First for the opening of it and then for the several Observations to be drawn from it As first Man is of a weak spirit not able to rule his anger Man if he be but a little heat with anger it 's turn'd into rage and there 's no rule at all but I am not man saith God I am God I am no man 't is not with me thus I am not of a weak spirit I am able to rule my anger in Nahum 1. 6. the Lords anger there is said to be furious but I find the word in the Original The Lord of anger so Montanus turns it a God that 's able to rule his anger and expresses it in the midst of the expression of his greatest wrath I am God and not Man Man the word is not Adam but
Lord long-suffering and of great mercy forgiving iniquity and transgression c why now Lord manifest thy glory now Lord shew thy self to be a glorious God in doing what mark in the 19. verse Pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people That 's the glory that God should shew forth and manifest his power in it one would rather think that the power of God should rather be manifest in the destruction of sinners no the power of God is manifest in Mercie as well as in miserie and destruction And we find that those that come up neerest to God they are the most loving and gracious merciful hearts yet if they do but come neer to God so as possibly natural men may to have but any magnanimitie that 's a little neerer to God than a base sordid spirit the magnanimousness of of any mans spirit appears in his love and forbearance and meekness and gentleness for so we know the Heathens could say The greater any one is the more placable is his anger a generous mind not easily mov'd and so he compares the Lyon and Bears and Wolves 〈…〉 the Lyon is a magnanimous Creature therefore saith the Heathen it 's enough for to fall down before a magnanimous Lyon but for Wolves and Bears they insult over those that falls down before them So those that have the most magnanimous spirits have the most patient spirits and forgiving spirits and pardoning spirits This is as cross a Note unto a carnal heart almost as any thing I mean to one that gives way to the lusts of his passion for he thinks himself only magnanimous when he can vent his anger and were it not for the thought that he thinks he should be a fool he would forbear his anger it is not thy honor but it makes thee base in the eyes of thy servants children and wife when thou comest into thy house like a mad fool it makes them look upon thee and despise thee when they see thee thus drunken in thy passion Secondly Such are the provocations of God caused by sin that if God were like to you sinners could not be forborn as if God should say The truth is your sins were such as were not I a God it were impossible that I could bear for so it is though we think not of it the evil of sin is so great that if all the patience that were in all the men that ever was since the world began were put into one man if he knew the great evil that there is in sin he would destroy the world he would not bear if his heart were but holy as here God saith himself Thirdly It 's a good way to exercise saith in Gods mercy to look upon God as a God beyond us beyond any creature for so this is therefore exprelled to the end that the people of God might exercise faith in beholding God as a God that 's the way to help thee in thy faith wouldest thou exercise faith upon God look upon him as a God 〈…〉 do not conceive him to be as a man It 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 upon him somtimes as a compassion at man is a litle help 〈◊〉 that will not do it I suppose it would help a little some that are here suppose this Thou hadest to deal with the most merciful man that ever liv'd upon the face of the earth wouldest not thou hope then that thou mightest be sav'd if he had the dispose of thy eternal estate suppose there were a Judg that had the most relenting heart that ever was in the world and all relentings that ever were in all mens hearts were in him if this Judg had the dispose of thy eternal estate would it not help thee to know thou hast to deal with one that is infinitely above that Judg That Judg were a cruel Tyrant and Tyger in comparison of this God God is God and not man he is infinitely above man in the waies of his mercy We many times with looking upon God as our selves it makes us bold in sin first and afterwards it makes us despair in sin as thus in Psal 50. 21. Thou thoughtest I was like to thy self saith God there that is because I was patient and long-suffering towards thee thou thoughtest I was like unto a man and a man though he be a little offended you think you may please him again and so you thought I was like to your selves therefore you go on in your sins So the Devil first makes us look upon God like our selves and so we think that God hath no greater hatred to sin than we have but then turn the other side when we have once committed the sin when the Devil would tempt to despair then he makes us look to God like to our selves that 's thus I find that I could not forgive such an one if he had wronged me in such a manner and therefore they look upon God like a man nay like a corrupt man Oh! what a dishonor is this to God that because thou thy self hast a froward perverse cruel heart that thou canst not forgive therefore thou lookest upon God as if it were as hard for him to forgive as for thee My Brethren the looking upon God as a God it would help against many discouraging thoughts in poor sinners as first thus My sins are very great Men will forgive little offences but God is a God and not man and therefore great mercies are little in comparison to him A second discouraging thought is I have sinned against many offers of mercy but God is God and not a man and Gods mercy is such as brings in men that have refused the offers of Mercy And then Thirdly None is so sinful as I but God is a God and not a man and therefore he is above thee in the waies of his mercie God hath more mercy yet than ever he did manifest to any one creature in the world and though I be the vilest of all sinners yet let me look upon God as a God and not a man Fourthly I am unworthy saith the sinner of any mercy from God Indeed if you had to deal with a man it might hinder but God is a God and not a man therefore 't is not unworthiness that hinders mercy in God it is that mercy pleases him Yea But I am like to be of no use to God It 's true if you were to deal with a man he might not be pleased but God stands in no need of you or any of his creatures for he is a God and not man thou doest not honor God as a God if thou doest not cast thy soul upon his mercy as the mercy of a God If I put this unto thee I hope the glory of it will be so great as will keep it from being abused What doest thou think thy condition is grievous but doest thou think that such mercy would not serve the turn as
this is that now I am naming that thou shouldest have such mercie as an infinite God should therefore manifest to that end that he might shew to Men and Angels to all eternitie what the power of his infinite Mercy can do would not this mercie serve thy turn such a mercie as this is I 'le name it again abuse it at your peril Suppose thy condition so low yet would not this serve thy turn such mercy as an infinit God should shew to that end that he might appear to men and Angels to all eternity what he is able to do in the infinitness of his mercy Would not this serve thee and help thee and heal thee Now this is tendred to thee in the Gospel even this mercy is tendred to thee in Christ to be an object of thy faith and the very presenting of this is a work of the Ministry of the Gospel that it might draw acts of faith for it hath a power to draw forth faith yea to beget faith the very presenting such a thing as this is hath a quickness in it It 's true if you look upon God only as a merciful man this is no such glory as the shining of it upon the soul will ad life As now the shining of the Moon or a hundred Torches wil never beget life in a Garden but the shining of the Sun wil do it so the apprehending of the mercy of God any other way but as a God as a God in Christ will never beget life in the soul but look upon him in the infinitness of his mercy whose thoughts of mercy are beyond ours as high as the Heavens are above the Earth this is the way to beget faith And therefore those that cannot beleeve they take very il courses for themselves only to have their thoughts upon such things as may discourage them and they think that this is as pleasing to God but certainly the way to beget or raise faith in thy heart is to look upon God as a God in the waies of his mercy Yea but you will say The truth is this that you speak of that God is a God and not a man is rather a discouragement to my heart 't is a God that I have sinned against and not a man as one way it may encourage me so another way it may discourage me Against thee against thee only have I sinned saith David Psal 51. And indeed this is the most piercing thought in a true penitent heart My sin is against God I have lived so long a time without a God in the course of my life and I have struck at God himself in my sinful waies Oh wretch that I have been I have been guilty of the darkening of the glory of the great God in the world Now I 'le answer thee this in a word And is this that which doth aggravate thy sin in thy heart does this work upon thy heart most that thou canst appeal to God that of all the considerations of sin that ever thou hadest in thy life there is nothing grieves thee so much as that it is against God Because God is so glorious so infinitely worthy of honor from all his creatures be of good comfort and take encouragement from this point and mark what I am saying and with that I shall close all If the confideration of the glory of God above a man doth thus aggravate thy sin to thy humiliation then it will aggravate the mercy of God to thy consolation as well If thou workest this thought upon thy heart Oh my sin is against a God and not a man and therefore my heart is humbled then the Lord would have thee to make use of the consideration of his glory as a God for thy comfort God is a God and not a man in the way of mercy The Holy one in the midst of thee God glories much in his Holiness and that in the midest of his people Gods Holiness is He is here said to be the Holy One. 1. To shew that the anger He would let out should be such as should have no mixture of evil But what considerations might be to order and guide it should not be wanting Mens angers are very unclean there is much smoke and fil thy stuff together in their fire But here in Exod. 15. 11. God is said to be Glorious in Holiness Gods vials of wrath are golden Revel 15. 7. Let us labor to be holy in our anger This is a rare thing if there be any corruption in mans heart it usualappears in his anger 2. Because of his gracious carriage toward them in regard of his Covenant to make that good to them he would remember his faithfulness to Abraham Obs 1. God delights to shew the glory of his Holiness in mercy and in pardoning of sin rather than in revenging for sin Obs 2. Gods faithfulness is a special part of the glory of his Holiness Use 1. Hence see how Holiness will help our faith Use 2. Let us manifest our holiness in our faithfulness I am holy to make them holy to sanctifie them to my self In the midst of thee Casting the beams of his Glory on every fide of him But how in the midst when they so vile and cast off from being his people a sink of Idolatry and wickedness In respect of some of his Elect Saints Obs God continues among a people for his Saints his Elects sake The Saints should consider of God a holy God in the midst of them and accordingly behave themselves Levit. 26. 12. I will walk among you and I will be your God But 2 Cor. 16. 16. I will dwell among them and walk in them Obs Men of Place and Government should be in the midst of those that are under them carrying themselves holily though they should be froward pettish sinful yet they should carry themselves according to rule in all holiness gravity wisdom moderation c. Rivit Tarnovius with some others thinks that here is Enallage Numeri a change of the number Sanctus for Sancti Holy for Holy Ones or Saints and so hath reference to the destruction of Sodom because there were no righteons here are Obs The Saints are of great use in the places where they live They are the cause of mitigation of Judgments I will not enter into the City Luther thus God would signifie himself to be merciful to scattered Israeh among the Gentiles Vt tamen non redeant ad Politiam Mosaicam but so that they should not return to the Mosaical Law But rather it is to be taken in reference to the manner of Gods proceedings in the destruction of Sodom after he had done conferring with Abraham he entred into the City and destroyed it by fire and brimstone Obs God many times stands at the gates of a City ready to enter in and destroy it but humiliation in prayer and reformation keeps him out God
been wrastling a great while and I can get nothing from God but that it 's likely here I must die and perish yea and that God should leave me thus as he doth that God should appear a greater enemy to me than my Brother Esau and lame me Oh! now might not this be a sign that God intends to destroy me yea God would be gone too when I am in such a strait as this is Oh! this makes him weep As a poor child when it is in straits and is crying to the mother the mother beats it and strikes it yea the mother will be gone and leave it in those straits Can you blame the child though it cry So it was here Jacob was in straits and was seeking God and God beats him and makes him cry and would be gon Oh! this doth press tears out of the eyes of Jacob Oh! what will become of me now As if Jacob should have said Were it that I should perish alone it were not so much but my Wives perish and how can mine eyes be able to see their destruction yea it may be they will be ravished before mine eyes by these rude Soldiers These kind of workings in Jacob's spirit you cannot but conceive that it must draw tears he wept before the Angel considering this his sore distressed condition And on the other side there were thoughts would make him weep too The thoughts of his Misery and the reasoning of his Faith when he considered I but surely I am in the way of God though I be in a great deal of danger I have the Promise of God I have his Covenant with me I have to deal with the Holy Blessed and Gracious God in all my waies Who knows but that my extremity may be Gods opportunity The heart of my brother it is certainly in the hand of God and all Creatures are in Gods hands too Now the actings of Faith would make one to weep aswel as of Fear and Trouble and it were well if we could weep on both sides Sometimes you roul in your thoughts all the aggravations of your afflictions and they make you weep Now can you roul in your thoughts the aggravations of Gods Goodness and Mercy and can that make you weep The end why God brought Jacob into this condition to fal a weeping before the Angel it was That he might humble him and break his heart before he gives him deliverance for it was one of the greatest honors as we intimated before that God did for Jacob that ever he did to man therfore God would bring him very low before he would raise him so high and make him fall a weeping aswel as praying before he should have the Mercy Oh! this is Gods way He will bring men very low to humble them before they shall have mercy therefore when mens hearts are high and lofty stout and hard they are not in a way of Mercy from God but when mens hearts begin to break thaw and melt and are tender then they are in a way of mercy as here So we find it often in Scripture that God intending mercy first breaks the heart and melts it by mourning and sorrowing as Josiah you know that was his condition his heart melted when he heard the Law and God sends presently a Promise of Mercy to him and in Ieremiah there the Lord promises his People That he will bring them with weeping and with supplications that shall be the way One Note or two more It becomes the most generous and magnanimous spirit to have his heart breaking and to express his heart breaking with tears before God It is an excellent thing to see a man of a brave spirit strong and ful of courage in any service of God and yet when he comes to have to deal with God to have a melting tender and soft spirit in his dealings with God If you should see now a great Captain or General that were brave and magnanimous when he was abroad in the field about any difficult work but when he comes before God in Prayer there he can weep like a child there he can mourn and lament and his heart break assoon as a child this is an excellent spirit now spirits that can turn according to what God cals them to this way or that way can be stout and hardy in a work that requires stoutness and can be soft tender and yeelding in such a work that requires such things Thus was our father Jacob Oh! to have tender hearted Captains and Generals to have couragious spirits yet broken hearted spirits to mix the work of Grace thus it is most excellent and it becomes the most bravest spirit in the world not only to fall down to prayer but to weep before the Lord some men think it 's too low a thing to fall a weeping in prayer as if it were a womanish and a childish thing Oh! it 's an argument that thy heart is carnal and base to think that it 's for want of understanding I say this is evil and it comes from much corruption in the heart for to think it either beneath a brave spirit or beneath a prudent spirit I 'le give you one example that weeping is not beneath a brave spirit this is enough and also that of David no man did shed more tears in the presence of God than David that brave Captain but to put both together I 'le set before you the example of Jesus Christ in Heb. 5. 7. the text saith That in the daies of his flesh he offered up prayers and supplications how with strong cries and tears even Jesus Christ the Son of God God blessed for ever he that was equal with the Father the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah he that had all strength and power and had all the treasures of wisdom hid in him and the fulness of the God head dwelt bodily in him and yet when he had to deal with the Father he offers up prayers with strong cries and tears Doth it become the Captain of our salvation in his seeking of God to weep know then it is not unbecoming any man or woman Are you of the seed of Jacob then when you would prevail with God labor to work your hearts even so as you may express your affections outwardly labor to do it in prayer it will help to break thy heart As a broken heart will cause outward expressions so outward expressions will be a further cause to break the heart And work thy heart by all arguments thou canst to come to that tenderness and softness that thou mayest be like the Captain of thy Salvation when thou art crying to God to cry even with tears before him and when thy heart is so broken with tears then exercise thy faith upon the prayer of Jesus Christ Now it is through the Spirit of Jesus Christ that my heart doth thus break but I do not rest upon these God forbid that I should rest upon my enlargements
I will never leave thee nor forsake thee that the Apostle to the Hebrews applies to the Christians at that time that he spake to us he spake it to thee and me if we be BELEEVERS that that God spake to the distressed and afflicted ones in Psal 102. He will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer that he spake to us for in ver 18. This shall be written for the Generations to come And that which God spake to Jacob at these two several times in Bethel it 's written for the Generations to come it 's written for us Well then what was it What was the special thing that God spake to Jacob when he found him at Bethel and what was that to us I 'le shew you many things There are nine or ten notable things to be observed by us which God spake unto us The first thing that he spake to Jacob that concerns us as well as himself was this That the foundation of the comfort of the Saints it is in the Covenant of God That he spake to us there Gen. 28. 13. when he appeared to Jacob what said he to him I am the God of Abraham thy Father and the God of Isaac Jacob was flying for his life then and this was to comfort him in his danger I am the God of Abraham thy Father the God of Isaac then he spake this to us that the foundation of the comforts of the Saints in the times of their distresses it is the Covenant of Grace that God hath made with them and their fathers before them The second thing was this That the seed of Jacob are the inheritors of the Land of Canaan for so he told him The Land wherein thou liest I 'le give to thee and to thy seed Now this concerns us that the seed of Jacob shall inherit the Land of Canaan That was typified by it There are some that have a thought that yet there shall be an inheritance of the Land of Canaan by the faithful seed of Jacob but however this certainly he spake to us that all the seed of Jacob are the Inheritors of the Land of Canaan one way or other take it in the Litteral or in the Typical Sense The Third thing was God would have faith raised to beleeve in mercies promised even when there is a great deal of unlikelihood of the fulfilling of it that 's the Third thing he he spake of to us there he tells Jacob there at that time when he was a poor lone man with his staff and no provision but a stone for his pillow then he tells him of making good his promise it was as unlikely a time as could be a poor lone man that Jacob was went over with his staff at that time and that he should have such a Promise fulfill'd and his seed to be so great and to inherit the hand of Canaan how unlikely was this But God would have him to exercise his faith upon the Promise at this time when there was such a great unlikelihood of it The Fourth thing is this That the multiplying of the Church is a great blessing for saith he thy seed shall be thus and thus as the sand of the Sea shore I 'le encrease my Church abundantly from thy loyns Fifthly Promises defer'd though they are to be looked upon as certain as ever they were Yet the Saints of God have need of renewing of Promises even those that have most faith God renews the same Promise to him that was made before God had promised to Abraham to make his seed great but the truth is that the Promise though it be as certain as before yet it had been a long time and there was little come of it And then the Sixth thing was this That the blessing which comes to the world it is by the Promised seed He tels him that in his seed all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed the great blessing of the world is by the Promised seed by Jesus Christ And then the Seventh thing was That we Gentils were in Gods heart to do good unto us for thousands of years since Though at that time we were as Dogs yet it was in Gods heart to bless us Oh! this is a comfortable speech to us it concerns us Gentils in a more special manner than it did them that Hosea did prophesie to at this time And then the Flighth thing is That the Presence of God and his Protection is the only Encouragement of the Saints in their waies For in Vers 15. saith God Behold I am with thee and I will keep thee in all places whither thou goest this he spake to us this the Saints should make high account of And then the Ninth thing is That though Promises be not yet fulfilled yet God is still working towards their fulfilling for so he tels him I will not leave thee until I have don all that I have promised to thee though you cannot see how my Administrations towards you do any way work for the fulfilling of my Promise yet know I will not leave you until I have fulfilled my Promises And then the last thing is this which God spake to us there he tels us of the constancy of his Mercy and faithfulness that however things may go with us here for a while yet the mery of God continues the line of Gods mercy is not cut asunder but his faithfulness is carried along till all the good that he hath promised or that Faith can beleeve shal be granted to us for so he tels Iacob there I will not leave thee till I have done that which I have spoke to thee of All this he spake with us That 's the first time of Gods meeting with Iacob in Bethel Now the Second time that he met with Iacob in Bethel it is in Gen. 35. 10. and there see what God spake with us there God changes his Name to Israel there God confirms his Promise and Covenant to him again as before God there remembers his prevailing with him and his wrastling with him and in that God tells us he remembers our servent prayers after they are gone yet his heart is upon them there he confirm'd his name Israel and confirm'd his Promise That 's that he spake with us there too That the Saints have need of the confirmation of mercies especially the Covenant But then further Gods presenteng himself to the soul as God Almighty that 's a great help to faith I am God Almighty saith he there thou hast had experience of my Almighty power in turning the heart of thy Brother and now thou art in a great danger Because thou art few in number thou art afraid of the people of the Land but I am God Almighty There 's little power in Thee but there 's great power in Me. The Consideration of Gods Almighty power is that that should help the Saints in the midest
he did to Jacob if you forsake him not Oh! wretches that you should forsake this God whom you might have to be the Lord of Hosts and Jehovah to you Oh! Let 's learn this That when we reade in Scripture or hear from our forefathers how God hath appeared heretofore for his Saints for our Forefathers let us make this use of it God is the same God still and we may come to have as much good from this God as ever any had since the world began there 's no shortning of his Power there 's no darkning of his Glory but whatsoever Power hath wrought whatsoever Glory of God hath appeared in former times we may come to have it appear to us now it 's a mighty argument for people to keep close to God and be faithful with him even because of this Fourthly There 's no need of Images to keep Gods remembrance the glorious Titles of God and his Attributes and the Manifestation of Himself in his Works is the best Memorial of God that 's our way the way of man to make to himself Memorials God hath made himself a Memorial When you reade in the Word this glorious Title of God Jehovah it 's a better Memorial of God than all the Images in the world are and we may better Sanctifie Gods Name and have our hearts better wrought upon by such Titles of God than by all kind of Images whatsoever The Fifth Note When God manifests himself in his Glory it 's not only for the present that men now might see his Glory but it is that he may be remembred from Generation to Generation from one to another from one time of our life to another and so from one Age to another so here the Lord of Hosts Jehovah is his memorial as if he should say the Lord manifests himself Jehovah thus and thus and he would be remembred in other Ages to be so what God doth to his people in one Age he doth not expect only to have his Name sanctified for that present but he would have it laid up from Age to Age and would be honored in all Generations from those great manifestations of himself in some one Age. My Brethren Oh! that we had hearts to do this Oh! that we could make this God his Memorial that we could lay up what God hath manifested of himself in this Age for the benefit of another Age I hope God wil one way or other provide means for the recording of the famous things that God hath done in this Age that it may be a Memorial to the posterity afterwards for certainly our Age cannot give God the glory that is due unto his Name for what he hath done we had need labor to continue it to posterity that the Ages to come may remember what God hath done to give glory to him it is his Memorial And then the last Note is this When we would have a holy Memorial of God the meditation of the Name JEHOVAH is very useful for us You that say you cannot meditate your meditations are barren Would you help your selves in meditation to have a holy Memorial of God think much of the Name Jehovah remember what hath been hinted to you from that Name and what is contained in it And thus much for the Fifth Verse VER 6. Therefore turn thou to thy God keep Mercy and Judgment and wait on thy God continually THerefore Here comes the Use now all the other seem'd to be the Doctrine and this is the Use therefore turn unto thy God so that this Therefore it hath reference unto all that the Prophet had said concerning Jacob and to these Titles of God as if he should say thus 1. You had such a gracious Father that did thus prevail with God to whom God did so appear therefore turn to God 2. It is the Lord of Hosts therefore turn to him 3. Iehovah is his Memorial therefore turn to him For the First The reference it hath to their father Jacob affords us this Note That the consideration of our gracious Predecessors of our Forefathers that were godly to whom God appear'd in Mercy is a great argument to turn us to God Oh! you that are Children that have had Parents that were wrastlers with God Are you wicked now Consider what Parents you had and turn you therefore unto God In. 2 Tim. 1. 3. I thank God saith St Paul whom I serve with a pure conscience from my forefathers Oh! 't is a great comfort unto a man or woman if they can be able to say thus I thank God whom I serve with a pure conscience from my Forefathers my Forefathers served God my Grandfather or Grandmother or Father or Mother they were godly and I thank God even from them that I serve God God is my God and my Fathers God Exod. 15. 2. The Second is this That the consideration of God to be the LORD of Hosts is a mighty motive to cause us to turn to God Wilt thou go on in waies of enmity against the Lord of Hosts the Lord of Hosts who hath Angels and all Creatures to fight for him Wilt thou a poor worm stand out against this God thou that goest on in a way of wickedness know thou fightest against the great LORD of Hosts What were it for a drunken fellow to come and think to oppose but such an Army as we have that goes out of the City at this time but for a poor wretched worm to think to stand against the Infinit GOD the Lord of Hosts Oh! 't is infinit boldness and presumption and desperate madness in that man therefore turn to the Lord All the while thou art going on in waies of wickedness thou art fighting against the Lord of Hosts And on the other side If thou hadst but an heart to turn unto the Lord Oh how joyful would this Title be to thee that that God which is thy God is the Lord of Hosts is the Lord of all the Hosts in the World We are not afraid now to see Soldiers and hear the beating of Drums and shooting of Guns when we know that all are our Friends but if we should have heard the beating of Drums and neigbing of Horses and shooting of Guns of our Enemies that would have struck fear So one that hath turned to God need not fear any Army any Creatures Why for all is commanded by God their Father and Oh! the joy peace and security that a heart may have that is turned to God I 'le give you one notable Scripture in Act. 27. 23. saith Paul There stood by me this night the Angel of God whose I am and whom I serve saying Fear not Paul Mark There stood before me the Angel of God Did not that terrifie him The Angel that is but one of the Members of the Hosts of God any one Angel hath a great deal of terror in him sometimes for there is much of the glory
turn to God than others There are more arguments to perswade thy heart than others Turn Thou to God And this is a great mercy of God towards any man or woman when as God shall dare powerfully those special considerations and arguments that concern their souls to turn to God a man or woman comes to hear the Word and hears the nature of Repentance the motives to Repentance but that generally concerns all and this doth not much stir the heart but at another time it pleaseth God to hint something out of the Word that concerns them in particular and this gives a mighty turn to their hearts more than all the other As if a man be asleep though there be a great noise perhaps this doth not awaken him but let one come and call him by his name Thomas or Richard or John and speak particularly to him and that will awaken him when a greater noise will not do it so though there be general arguments of turning to God it doth not so much prevail with people as when God speaks to men and women by name and saies Turn thou to God There are these special arguments why thou shouldest turn to God rather than others Many times you will say If ever any were bound to God then I am then turn thou to God because thou art more engaged than others Turn thou to THY God That is Though you have departed from him yet he hath not wholly cast you off so but he may yet be thy God From whence the Note is That the sight of any Relation to God or hope of Mercy from him is a special means to draw the heart to turn to him Yet he may be thy God God hath not left thee O thou wretehed sinful soul who knows but that he may be thy God and thy God to all eternity Thou mightest have been past such an Argument of hearing any possibility of God's being thy God and therefore turn to God turn to thy God And keep Mercy and Judgment Want of Mercy in the Fourth Chapter of this Prophesie was charged upon this People That there was no Mercy in the Land and so in diverse other places want of Justice Now Turn to thy God and keep Mercy and Judgment The Note from the Connexion is this That in our turnings to God we must look to our special sins and reform them It 's not enough for men and women to turn to God and leave some gross sins But is there any sin more special than another that you have lived in before your turning unto God Reform in that sin above all A man or woman can never have any sure argument that their Repentance is true though they have left many sins if they have not left their special sins there 's som special sin that thou hast liv'd in what saiest thou to that Then Secondly It is nothing for people to reform in Gods Worship except they reform also in the duties of the Second Table that 's wonderful The duties of the Second Table Mercy and Judgmeut Turn to thy God and keep Mercy and Judgment Many men and women that seem to be forward in duties of Instituted Worship which is very good we are to honor God God is jealous in that business but now together with that if we be not conscionable in the duties of the Second Table of Mercy and Judgment too it 's nothing all will vanish and come to nothing except thou livest righteously and mercifully with men also as well as worship God do not think to put off thy conscience with the duties of Worship except thou doest keep Mercy and Judgment that 's more General And then Particularly Keep Mercy and then Keep Judgment be merciful unto thy Brethren A heart turning to God if it be a true turning it must needs be very merciful to men God expects that from all that do turn to him that upon thy turning to God thy bowels should yern towards thy Brethren and turn to them in Love and in Mercy and Meekness and Gentleness and Forgiveness for when thou turnest to God is it not the mercy of God that draws thy heart If it be not that thy turning is not right never any turned to God rightly but their hearts were taken with Gods mercy And can thy heart be taken with Gods mercy and thou not merciful to thy Brethren Many Professors of Religion think little of this but I find the Scripture makes as much of this as of any thing but faith its self faith in the Covenant of Grace These Three thingâ—â—he Scripture holds forth and urges very much upon men Faith Mercy and Vnity the two latter are thought to be little and of no moment with men but certainly the Lord Christ doth lay much upon mercy towards men that all that are his Members should be of merciful dispositions and of uniting dispositions one towards another Oh! 't is Mercy that the Scripture makes Religion to consist in Jam. 1. 27. Pure Religion and undefiled is To visit the Fatherless and Widdows and in Jam. 2. 13. Mercy rejoyceth over Judgment it is that which will help men and women in the time of straits and in times of danger that they have been merciful towards their brethren for that I take to be the meaning of that text Mercy rejoyceth over Judgment not that Gods mercy is more than his Judgment and that though a sinner hath deserved Judgment yet Gods Mercy will prevail and triumph over it but I take the meaning of that text to be Mercy in man and not Mercy in God that 's thus That when man hath had a merciful heart towards others towards his brethren that then if he should live to meet with affliction live to a time of Judgment times of common calamity common dangers that mercy that he hath exercised towards his brethren in the time of his prosperity will cause his soul to triumph in the midest of all dangers In the time of affliction mercy rejoyces over Judgment let Judgment come let afflictions come in the world let there be never such hard times abroad in the world yet I have a testimony to my conscience the Lord hath given me a merciful heart towards my Brethren that are in misery and I that am but a poor creature that have but a drop of mercy to that God that hath an infinite Ocean of Mercy will not that God be merciful to me much more Keep Mercy therefore you that turn to God be of merciful dispositions towards your brethren Oh! this is wanting among many that are Professors of Religion they are of cruel and harsh dispositions ridged sowr and severe dispositions towards others care not what becomes of others Oh! be merciful to your brethren You that are turn'd to God shew it in this That you keep MERCY The next is JVDGMENT Where there is a turning to God there must be righteousness
scraps to be had at last then he would not wait so long but if he did hope there was some great thing to be gotten then he would wait Beggers if they come to some mean house they knock at the door and stay a little and if they give them nothing away they will go but if they come to great Houses or Coaches they will wait though it be long and run a great way after them So that which we wait for it is worth thousands of worlds we wait for the pardon of Sin and wait for the assurance of Gods Love we wait for the shedding abroad of the holy Ghost in our hearts we wait for rich Treasure and know that there is enough to be had in God your waiting will pay for all Know also 'T is a great part of Gods Worship to wait upon him 't is not the Worship of God only to Pray and hear the Word and receive Sacraments but when you are waiting you are worshiping of God Further God is all this while preparing mercy for you Suppose you come to have a Scrivener write somthing for you Well the thing is not yet done yea but he is writing as fast as he can know O thou soul who art turning to God all the while thou art waiting God is working God is setting all his Attributes on work for thy good while thou art waiting and therefore wait on thy God And know God is infinitly wise and he knows when 't is best for us to have the mercy he knows the times and seasons wait upon God for the Lord is a God of Judgment Alas we are hasty we cannot judg when the time is fittest but God is a God of Judgment and therefore wait upon him should we have a mercy just when we would our mercy would undo us and therefore let us wait Oh my Brethren we have as much encouragement here in this Land to wait upon God as ever any people had we would fain have had the Wars ended and we began to murmur and repine because it was not done Oh! but we will not wait therefore we will not turn and those that turn to God least will wait least upon him and those that turn to God most will wait most upon him Do not you see that God hath wrought abundance of good for us by deferring what we would have had we had no opposition at the beginning of the Parliament and suppose the King and Parliament had agreed and said You shall have your desires What would we have desir'd we would have desir'd some few things as taking away Ship-mony Tonnage and Poundage Monopolies c. and to have a Triennial Parliament and the like Now what abundance hath God wrought by deferring what we would have had Oh it is good for people to wait upon God Oh let us look back to our murmurings and repinings all this while It 's true we have suffered something yea but hath not God wrought good out of our sufferings and suppose there should be fears of new storms arising Oh let us not say we will wait no longer Oh I take heed of foolish resolutions of your own God is wisest leave God to do his own work keep the way of God and go on in your duty and then let God work his own ends either by War or Peace any way as he pleases wait upon God and mark Wait upon God Continually Wait It 's fit for us to wait Yea but we have waited a long time Well but yet know that you are at the right door Suppose a man be knocking at a door and he hath knockt a great while and no body comes he begins to think it 's not the the right door but some body tells him that it is the right door and then he staies so we may assure our heares thus much we are at the right door certainly and let us not think to go away and we shall find somebody within God wil appear at length What shal we lose all for want of waiting a little while longer Thus it is with many wretched Apostats that have taken a great deal of pains in seeking after God a great while and for want of waiting a little longer they have lost all Oh! let there be this resolution in your hearts If I die and perish yet I 'le die and perish waiting upon God Certainly that soul that hath this resolution will never come to dispair yea there 's no such way for the hastening of Mercy as for a soul to lie flat at the feet of God let God do what he will with me if I perish I 'le perish waiting upon him though he kills me I 'le trust in him and stay upon him You have waited how long I pray Oh! you have been waiting and seeking of God it may be this half year or twelve months What 's that I pray O thou wretched soul thou hast deserved eternal flames and wilt thou grudg at God for waiting a few years If God would keep thee waiting all thy daies and at the last manifest Himself unto thee thou hadst cause to bless God for ever and therfore do not grudge though thou hast been waiting a while and it may be though Thy time is come yet Gods time is not come the time that you call long God doth not call it so One day with God is as a thousand years it 's no time with God and therefore do not complain of the length of thy time And your betters have waited longer Reade but the 88. Psalm and there you will find your better waited all his time The Lord was pleased to work Grace upon him when he was yong his heart was turned to God then and you may find in the text that from his youth up the terrors of God was upon him Wait upon God continually And you cannot better your self Whither wilt thou go poor soul Now you are seeking God you have not what you would have Whither will you go Can you mend your self any way if you cannot then wait upon God continually It may be before God began to turn thy heart thou thoughtst Mercy was easie to be obtain'd thou thought'st then it was nothing to beleeve thou wondrest that people spake so much of the hardness of beleeving thou thought'st it easie Wel the Lord is now working upon thy heart and the Lord would humble thee for those slight thoughts thou hadst of Faith the Lord will have thee to know That beleeving in his Grace it requires a mighty work of God even the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead Be humbled for thy slight thoughts about the work of Faith and know that this it may be is the thing that God intends in keeping thee so low so long That thou maiest come to see that Faith requires the mighty Power of God to work it that so thou maiest give glory to God when
ever thy heart shall be raised by the work of Faith to beleeve in him and to be enabled to triumph in him and say Lo this is our God we have waited on him and this is the God of my salvation And therefore you that are turning to God wait upon him continually But besides The Use of Exhortation he hath a Use of Reprehension and that 's in the 7. and 8. Verses Notwith standing all this as if the Prophet should say Oh! your hearts are set upon your Covetousness upon the pelf of this world these vanities that are here below You are not saith he as your Father Jacob I exhort you thus to turn unto the Lord and to keep Merey and Judgment but it 's otherwise with you VER 7. He is a Merchant the ballances of deceipt are in his hand he loveth to oppress THis Scripture though it seems to be somwhat a harsh one and hard to reade yet it may be a good providence of God that did bring it to hand at such a time as this is That 's the scope of the Prophet We may exhort long enough saith he yet so long as their hearts are covetous and set upon their way of getting gain they will never regard what I say they will not turn to God they will not hear of turning to God but will turn a deaf ear rather This indeed is the guize of men that have great dealings in the world and their hearts are set upon their riches let there be the most glorious Truths set before them that ever were yet they are as nothing to them we reade in Luke 16. of Christ himself preaching before a company of men and some of them being very covetous mark what the Text saith vers 14. The Pharisees also who were covetous heard all these things and they derided him they blew their noses at him so the word signifies they scorn'd him Christ he spake of Excellent and Divine Misteries and there were some of his Auditors that had dealings in the world and great estates and they scorn'd at whatsoever he spake Tel us of such things as these are tell us of waies of gain how we may come to enrich our selves This seem'd to be the disposition of some of the Auditors of Hosea at this time therefore saith he He is a Merchant The word that is here translated a Merchant it signifieth a Cananite and may be translated if you would translate it according to the very letter of the word He is a Cananite for the same word that signifies a Cananite signifies a Merchant in the Hebrew tongue You have the like in other places of Scripture Job 41. 6. Shall they part him among the Merchants among the Cananites so is the word in the Hebrew and in Prov. 31. 24. She delivereth Girdles to the Merchants the word is to the Cananites Now the reason why that a Merchant and a Cananite hath the same name in Scripture it is because the Country of Canaan was much given to Merchandize and indeed much to deceipt As the Mathematicions were cal'd Caldeans from the Country because the Country was so full of Mathematicions so Arabia Robbers and Theeves were call'd by the name of Arabians because that it was so full of them and so because Canaan had so many Merchants therefore it hath the denomination A Cananite and a Merchant But here the holy Ghost calls them not Israelites mark God he doth not say you are an Israelite but a Cananite and that is by way of upbraiding of them because they had degenerated so much from Israel that was spoken of before so he would not call them Israelite but calls them Cananite Observe that Men by their sin may lose the honor of their Progenitors And further Though it 's true that the calling of a Merchant is not only Lawful but a very honorable imployment yet the abuse of it may make it very contemptible if it be abused and corrup ed it may grow to be very contemptible for so here the holy Ghost doth cast such a word upon them to shew how through their corruption they had made a calling that was honorable to become contemptible and they had brought contempt upon their own persons for though Merchants that are subtil may in the pride of their hearts rejoyce in their subtilty and cunning and think that they can circumvent others by their deceipt and get money that way in going beyond them they may glory in this as if it were a great excellency in them but the holy Ghost casts contempt upon those he is a Merchant a Cananite and the ballances of deceipt are in his hand The ballances of Deceipt are in his hand The Lord abhor'd their ballances of deceipt yea and professed that they are an abomination to him if you reade Levit. 19. 35 36. Ye shall do no unrighteousness in Judgment in Metyard in Weight or in Measure Just Ballances just Weights a just Ephah and a just Hin shall ye have I am the Lord I am Jehovah This lies upon it if you will acknowledg me to be the Lord to be Jehovah be just in your dealing have no unjust ballances let there be no injustice in your trading And in Deut. 25. 13. and so on to the 16. Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights a great and a smal thou shalt not have in thy house divers measures a great and a smal But thou shalt have a perfect and a just weight a perfect and a just measure shalt thou have c. For all that do such things and all that do unrighteously mark are an abomination to the Lord thy God There 's much laid upon it you think you may take liberty in such things no saith the text all that do such things they are an abomination to the Lord thy God 't is not only a thing that God forbids but a thing that God abominates to be deceiptful in trading Doest thou profess any interest in God hast thou any hope that God should be merciful to thy soul to do thee any good doest thou think that God is thy God know this is an abomination then to thy God to that God that thou professest to have any interest in nay in Prov. 11. 1. there 's likewise a Scripture to the same purpose A false ballance is an abomination to the Lord but a just weight is his delight God takes pleasure in that Now saith the Prophet here The ballances of Deceipt are in his hand as if he should say let him have riches any way he doth not mind turning to God but he regards the ballances of deceit We are to understand this for all kind of deceit in trading though only ballances are here mentioned yet here 's a synechdoche one special thing is mentioned in a business to set out all of that nature not only Deceitful Ballances but Measures and Tale and Lights and Mixtures when they shall
blood upon him When God comes to bring the guilt of sin and the punishment of sin on a mans own head and there leaves it upon him that 's sad indeed We reade in 2 Sam. 12. 13. there it is said when Nathan came and rebuk'd David for his sin David confest his sin and saith Nathan to him The Lord hath put away thy sin the word is translated by some thus The Lord hath made thy sin to pass away Oh that 's a happiness indeed when it may be said of God he doth make the sin and the guilt to pass away from the sinner that 's a happiness But on the other side when God shall leave the sin upon the sinner leave the guilt of the sin upon him as if God should say here 's the guilt of sin upon the head of such a man and let it abide and lie he shall leave his blood upon him as in Ezek. 22. 20. the Lord saith He will bring them into the fire and leave them there the Lord many times brings his Saints into the fire of afflictions Oh but he will not leave them there but when he brings the wicked into the fire he leaves them there And his reproach shall his Lord return unto him His reproach That 's thus They do what lies in them to bring a reproach upon me the living God as if there were not an Alsufficiency in me but I 'le make the reproach to turn upon their own heads yea they reproach my Saints too but I 'le make this to return upon their own heads Oh take heed of doing any thing to bring a reproach upon God You will say Can the Creature bring a reproach upon God I might shew you divers waies I 'le instance but in this one thing Apostatizing from God when professors of Religion that have been very forward and seem'd to rejoyce in the waies of God and to relie upon God and they shall forsake God to follow after their vain lusts I say these do bring a reproach upon God himself in Heb. 10. 29. they did despite to the Spirit of Grace they wrong and bring a reproach upon the Spirit of Grace And then Heb. 6. 6. They put the Son of God to an open shame saith the text they make him a reproach before all As when you cart people up and down the City you hold them out as a scorn so they put the Son of God to open shame they do as it were hold forth the Son of God to open shame so what thou professest There is more good to be had in a Whore than in Jesus Christ and God and the blessed Spirit that 's the language of a Whoremaster Well you that are Apostates and think to bring a reproach upon Religion and upon the Saints and they all suffer for you from whence is it that the people of God are reproach'd but because of Apostates Well do you bring a reproach upon God upon his Name upon Profession upon his Saints the Lord hath waies to turn the reproach upon your selves and usually such men as these before they die God doth put to open shame he leaves them to such vile courses as they come to be a shame a by-word a scorn and cast out as dung and filth not only to the Churches but from such as have any kind of civility or morality at all Oh! take heed of bringing a reproach upon God and so by bringing reproaches upon his Saints Oh! let the Saints go on in a constant way of holiness and faithfulness God will wipe away their reproach the Lord will return the reproach upon the heads of such as seek to reproach them And when there comes a reproach upon the wicked it shall be another manner of reproach than upon the Saints it 's call'd a perpetual reproach the reproach of the Saints is not a perpetual reproach but when it 's upon the ungodly it shall be a perpetual reproach and in Jer. 41. 18. those two things are joyned together a Curse and a Reproach Nehem. 4. 4. Hear O God for we are despised and turn their reproach upon their own heads saith Nehemiah Sanballat and Tobiah did reproach the Servants of God that did seek in the uprightness of their hearts to honor God but Lord return their reproach upon themselves saith Nehemiah And truly this is the best way when the Servants of God are reproached though they may by lawful means seek to vindicate their names yet their chief way is to pray Lord turn the reproach upon the heads or bosoms of our adversaries And then the last Note is this And his reproach shall His LORD return unto him His Lord What is God the Lord of this people his Lord shall turn it yes saith he 't is as if the Prophet should say thus you reject God and will not be in subjection to him you will not own him to be your Lord but he will be your Lord in spite of your heart God will be God and he will be Lord let wicked men do what they can and what they will he will be their Lord Christ hath purchased to be Lord over the world and he will be Lord over all over all Apostates Hypocrits wicked men let them do what they can against Jesus Christ Jesus Christ will be Lord over them in spite of their hearts Oh it s a blessed thing to give up our selves willingly to the subjection of Jesus Christ If we say we will not have thiâ— man to rule over us Christ will say but I will rule over you the Lord hath sworn by Himself and the word hath proceeded out of his mouth in righteousness that every knee shall bow unto him and every tongue confess his Name be still saith God and know that I am the Lord So I say to the most troublesome and tumultuous spirit that would cast off the yoke of God Oh! be still thou wretched thou proud spirit and know that God is the Lord he will prevail against you God made Julian to know this that when a dart was struck into him he cast his heart blood into the Air with an O than Galilean thou hast overcome me And so all wicked men shall be forced to say one day Well though I would cast off the Commands of God behind my back and break his Cords yet the Lord hath overcome me and though I perish to all eternity yet God will be God blessed for ever and Lord of the whol Earth And thus through Gods mercy we have gon through this Twelfth Chapter CHAP. XIII VER 1. When Ephraim spake trembling he exalted himself in Israel but when he offended in Baal he died THis Chapter is partly Legal and partly Evangelical Legal charging this people with their fin of Idolatry and of Ingratitude shewing them Gods wrath partly already inflicted and further threatned them to the 14. Verse and again in the
that inferiors should give to their Superiors to shew reverence when they speak Oh let us give this to God Psal 103. 20. Bless the Lord ye his Angels that excel in strength and do his Commandements hearkening to the voice of his Word The Angels they excel in strength the most excellent Creatures and what do they slight and disregard the Word of God Oh no they hearken to the voice of His Word they give a reverent respect to the voice of Gods Word and it infinitly beseems us when God speaks to give respect to him that 's the first Secondly Those who are in place of power over others they account it their honor not only that those under them regard what they say but that they should tremble at what they say It is a great delight that man hath to lift up himself above others and to be imperious above others we might give divers examples of men that have had great power in their hands and when any thing hath displeased them they would speak so as to make others to shake and tremble Nay not only men in great place will do it but you shall find this disposition in men that are very mean and of a very low rank yet if they have any under them they will be imperious over them as now in Families how many when they do but speak to their Wives though she be colateral and not directly under him yet how imperiously do they speak speak so as to make the house shake almost when they speak and so Servants and Children and this they account their Glory My Brethren though this be often through much distemper and pride and vanity in men to delight to make all that are under them to tremble when they speak yet this is an honor due to God and God expects it from us for the Lord is infinitely above us and we are all of us under the feet of God and at his dispose both for our present and eternal estate And it is â—it for us therefore to give regard and some reverence to God when he speaks to have an heart to tremble at his Word that 's that God looks for In Isa 66. 2. The Lord that is on high yet he looks to him that is of a poor and contrite spirit and trembleth at his Word the Word that God speaks is that that hath the dreadful Authority of God in it It is that that binds Conscience it 's that Word that if thou obeyest not will bind thee over to eternal death It becomes the greatest Monarchs in the world to have shaking and trembling hearts when God speaks Oh! who art thou that canst stand against the Voice of God when he speaks Oh bold and hard heart I say that canst stand out against Gods Voice In Psal 29. 4. The Voice of the Lord is powerful the Voice of the Lord is full of Majesty And in Hab. 3. 16 When I heard my belly trembled and my lips quivered at the Voice and I trembled in my self again This is the honor that is due to God Oh it is a comely thing to see a Congregation sit even trembling under the Word of God manifesting their hearts to be affected with the Authority and Majestie of what it is that God speaks for there 's much Majesty in the Voice of God Oh! 't is full of Majestie Again When he spake there was trembling This the Prophet mentions as a means to aggravate his sin and misery afterwards As if the Prophet should say There was a time that God did subdue the hearts of people under Ephraim so that Ephraim had a great deal of Authority over those that were under him When Ephraim spake there was trembling From whence the Note is this which Pareus hath upon the place saith he The subjection of the hearts of men unto those in Authority it is a work of God God is to have the glory of it It is from God that the hearts of multitudes shall be brought under some few so as to fear them and to receive what they speak with trembling it is from God In Josh 4. 14. On that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel and they feared him as they feared Moses Joshua before Moses dyed was but a servant to Moses and we do not reade that he was so magnified among the People they did not fear him so much No the fear was then upon Moses because Moses was in place of Authority but when Moses was taken away and Joshua was to succeed him in Authority then the Lord magnified him the Lord put a lustre upon him and the Lord caused the People to fear him as they had feared Moses It is a work of God to cause People to fear Magistrates So in Dan. 5. 19. For the Majestie be gave him that God gave the King all People and Nations and Languages trembled and feared before him It 's God that puts majestie upon Governors to make those that are under to fear It 's a very observable Scripture we have in Psal 77. 14. there it 's spoken of God that he did wonders and marvellous things What are those wonders and marvellous things If you reade you shall find among others Thou leadest thy People like a flock of Sheep by the hand of Moses and Aaron that 's reckoned among the wonders and marvellous things that God doth That he did lead his People like a flock of Sheep by the hand of Moses and Aaron that so great a multitude should be led like a flock of Sheep by the hands of two it is a wonderful work of God God is to have the glory of it it is for the maintaining of Government and Order in the World that God doth so subdue the hearts of many under few Then Fourthly When Ephraim spake trembling Though Ephraim the yonger yet when he got Authority in his hand how imperious was he And observe The meaner the beginings of men are the more imperious often-times they are when they come in place of Power none more imperious and insulting over men than such as have meaner beginings this was the yonger Brother and had power by a special providence of God not according to the ordinary common course and very often we find it that men of mean qualitie and that were inferior to others if any providences raises them above others they grow more imperious than others And then a Fifth is this which is a principal thing to be observed here a Note from the change of the condition of Ephraim when Ephraim spake trembling but after he sinned he died That men which heretofore have been of very high repute and of reverend respect so as they had much power to prevail with people that they had to do with yet by their sin they fall off from their dignity Sin will bring mens honors down though there was a time that every one reverenced him had high esteem
that have to deal in any kind of alteration in matter of Government had need be very wise in their carriage in it in respect of the people for much depends upon them When there was any alteration in Government there was trembling then mighty fears and troubles in the hearts of the people Secondly Men of Spirit they will break through difficulties if once they be resolved upon a business And when God doth intend to have a work acomplisht he will raise up men of Spirit to go through with it notwithstanding any difficulties there is in it He exalted Himself Though the Peoples spirits were very much troubled and a great deal of shaking there was throughout the Land yet he lifts up Himself he had some encouragement from the Prophet and otherwise so that he would go through When God I say hath an intent to bring a business about for this was that he might fulfil what was threatned to Solomon for his former sin And then Thirdly If men when they have been helped to go on through difficulties yet if they shal afterwards rest in their parts rest in their strength so as to forsake God and sin against him it 's just with God to leave them that they shall vanish and come to nothing He did exalt himself and prevailed in what he spake notwithstanding the trembling of the People for having got himself warm in the nest and strong in his Kingdom then he lifts up himself in another manner and forsakes God and trusts in his own strength And now he dies now God casts him off Men had need take heed though they be carried thorow many and great difficulties and by a Spirit more than ordinary they had need take heed I say that afterwards they do not walk in their own strength but walk humbly before God If they forsake God they wil die and perish That 's the First thing that Jeroboam spake Secondly When he spake when he first mentioned the business in the Alteration of Religion this it 's like caused more trembling than the other What is that Jeroboam spake That now they were not to go up to worship at Jerusalem God did not stand upon such things No they might save that long journy and so there was a Calf set up at Dan and Betbel and they must go and worship there This was a mighty alteration in the matters of Religion And surely when this was mentioned first to the People there could not but be great trembling the spirits of the godly to be sure they would tremble at such a motion they would look upon it as a most dreadful Curse of God upon the Kingdom that there should be such a change in the matters of Religion from the Truth to that which is False and even others too there was a general trembling for men have some kind of conscience of Religion and of worshiping God this was so flat against the Word that where there was but any Conscience of God they could not but have som fear they could not tel what might come of it and therefore there could not but be a very great concussion of spirit in the People of the Land to tremble at such a strange kind of thing as this was at first it was so But yet afterwards they had dead spirits that he might do with them what he would and so joyned with Jeroboam and joyned with Abab and sinned more and more From this speaking and trembling you have these Notes First That the Alteration in Religion is a very difficult business it cannot be expected but the hearts of People will stir much upon the Alteration of Religion though it be from worse to better yet the hearts of People wil stir very much at first When the Reformation was first from Popery here what a stir was there they were presently ready to take up Arms in Cornwel What adâ— was there for the Book of Common Prayer so that the King was fain to write to them That it was no other than the sum of what they had before only translated into English with some Amendments And certainly the casting out of Prelacie hath caused a great deal of trembling a great ado there is How hard it is to get but any rotten tooth out of a mans head it costs a great deal of pain and trouble Though the Warrs were undertaken for the maintainance of our Liberties as we are Subjects and Men and for the Civil-Right we have to our Religion also but yet we see that the very thoughts of any kind of change in matters of Religion whatsoever it be it causes the hearts of men to be up and shake and to be unsetled it 's a matter of great moment the change in matters of Religion and therefore requires much Prayer where it is changed though from the worse to the better If it cause trembling when it 's changed from the better to the worse it wil likewise cause trembling where it is changed from the worse to the better and therfore it requires that al the Godly should joyn al their strength together against those that would oppose their strength against it The Second is this That men of resolute spirits will go on even in the matters of Religion though it be from the better to the worse yet you shall have some men whose spirits are resolute that they will go on Oh! but you will say The People will not bear nor endure it Yea but they will venture to go on with their way and design though it be from the better to the worse but now if the change be from the worse to the better than it 's a special gift of God to give men hearts to go on notwithstanding difficulties And then in the Third place He exalted himself though there were trembling That is He did prevail in this his way in this change of Religion Jeroboam did not carry things by open violence presently it was a great while first but he carried things on by fair shews one thing after another and so he prevailed with the People This is the way to get a design and not by open violence at present And then Fourthly Then he died when he sinned in Baal Though God may suffer men to make some alteration in Religion though it be to the worse and let them prosper yet if they will grow from one degree to another in forsaking God then God comes upon them with his wrath then they die if they know not where to hold then God will not continue patient towards such a people any longer And then the Fifth thing is this That a Family or People from whence God hath withdrawn his protection and blessing is a dead carcass Then He is dead that I take to be the meaning of that in Mat. 24. 28. For wheresoever the carcass is there will the Eagles be gathered together though it 's true it 's spoken about
death was out against them even now they do it Thus did Ahab in 1 Kings 16. 30. And Ahab did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that we 〈…〉 fore him he added evil From whence observe this That when destruction is neerest then evil men are wickedest Now their sin ripens apacâ— when the scum grows highest then it 's neerest the fire and so the neerer it is to the fire the higher it will grow It 's a great sign of the neerness of mens times that they are not long when they grow notoriously wicked See a man that hath been forward in that which is good heretofore he may have failings and yet the Lord may pity him but now let this man grow to be very wicked not only to abate of his profession but grow to be very wicked expect the ruin of that man suddenly it will not be long And then Secondly It is a great aggravation of mens wickedness to sin after Gods threats and in the times of Judgment when they are under Gods hand Oh! when God appears against us we should presently submit at the least holding up of his finger but this is the pride of men not to stoop even when the hand of God is against them and the rather because they would justifie their sin if they should stoop and yeeld upon the hand of God coming out against them this would debase them but they rather will stand out the more that they might justifie their sin that they are not thus and thus as men would take them to be And then a Third Note is this That when men have lost their credits honor and esteem through the just Judgment of God then they grow more base and vile in their sinful waies than ever Ephraim had a great deal of esteem and honor but he lost it through Gods just Judgment and now he and the people together sin more and more We find this usual that mens esteem and credit though they have very base hearts within all the while yet it will keep them in a very fair way but now you shall have many men that though they liv'd very fair so long as they had esteem and credit yet if their credit be but crack'd and their este 〈…〉 e but gone they will prove very sordid in their waies As 't is in a Garden you know if a man have but a few weeds grows up in it he will have them pull'd up but if it be over-grown with weed then he doth not much care for it but lets it run more and more so it is in mens hearts indeed though there be something amiss in them and their names kept up they will reform but if once they have fallen so as their honor credit and esteem is gone then they go on more and more and fall still more and more to further and further wickedness or as 't is with a man when he hath a new Garment Oh he is afraid at first of every little spot and much more afraid of a rent but if afterwards the garment be come to be sullied much or be dirtied a little he is careless of it then then he never stands brushing of it so as before It is thus for all the world with men in respect of their hearts and in respect of their lives and therefore it is good for men to look to it betimes when their names begin but a little to be lost when they may see the just hand of God beginning to come then to reform for if they let themselves go upon liberty they will grow vile and abominable They sin more and more And then a Fourth Note is this That there is no stop in Apostasie let men Apostatize once from God and there is no stop then they cannot tell whither to go then if once they be rowling down a man may not think thus I will but roul thus far and there I 'le stop no if you be once rouling you will roul and roul down to the bottom and you know not whither you may roul or fall If a man should leap into the water and say I will but sink thus far to the middle and no further this were but folly you will sink more and more so it is with Apostates I verily beleeve those that did make slight at first they did not think that they should go so far Oh! God forbid that they should do such things as were so vile and abominable yea but when once they are rouling when once they are sinking they 〈◊〉 and sink more and more till they roul into the bottom 〈…〉 pit of Hell they sink more and more till they sink into the very bottomless gulf into such things as they would abhor before There 's a Curse upon the wicked in Psal 35. That God would set them in slippery places and that the Angel of God should persecute them when men will go out of the waies of God into the slippery paths of their own it 's just with God that an evil spirit should drive them on in those waies It is in going from the waies of God just as you shall find it in your traveling in Champion Countries there 's a High-way goes to such a Town and there 's another way that lies close by it and you it may be are got out of the right way and so go on and think it will bring you to the place where you are traveling but it winds you out of your right way and so you go further and further out of the right Road perhaps some miles before you are aware of it And so it is in Apostacie it may be at first when they are got out of the way of God they think it not so much but then these evil waies wind them out by degrees so that they grow further and further They sin more and more I wil give you the steps of an Apostâ—t going more and more from God First When one doth apostatise and sin against God if it be any sin against knowledge though never so little For sin of meer infirmity I cannot call Apostasie but if it be ever so little against knowledge this breaks the bond of obedience when I wil venture to do that which I know is against God this bond of obedience being broken no marvel though you fall and sin more and more Secondly Every act of sin hath such a nature in it as to encrease the habits Corruption doth grow by acting As it is with Grace every act of Grace doth extend Grace in the heart of a man the way to grow in Grace is to act Grace much so that when you are acting of your Grace you do not only that that is your duty but you are growing in Grace for when you are acting of Corruption you are not only doing that that is evil but you are encreasing it and therefore every sin that causes us to decline from God makes
5. They loathing Manna had fiery Serpents sent Vers 22. Sion King of the Amorites coms out against them and fights Vers 33. Og King of Bason fights against them Chap. 22. Then Balac sends to curse them Numb 25. The People committed whoredom with the Daughters of Moab upon which a plague and went to the sacrifice of their gods at Baal-Peor upon which all the Heads of the People which joyned to Baal-Peor were hung up before the Lord. Numb 31. They war with Midian slay their five Kings destroy their Cities Women Children Flocks Thirty two thousand Women that had not known Man they take captive And in this war they had not lost one man Vers 29. Now 1. From their sin that God knew and yet destroyed them not for it Observe mans wickedness and Gods goodness 2. From the provision God made for them Observe First It 's a great mercy for God to know a man in time of distress This is Gods way Men know in prosperity But let us make God our friend he wil be a friend otherwise than men will be Let not us be dejected in times of trouble that 's the time for God to know thee be willing to follow God in any estate Gods knowing of us in distress is a mighty engagement Let us look back to the times when we were in trouble Let us know Gods Cause when it suffers and know our Brethren when they suffer Gods knowledg is operative and working It does us good Our knowledg of God should be so too To sin against our knowledg of God is evil but to sin against Gods knowing of us is worse VER 6. According to their Pasture so were they filled they were filled and their heart was exalted therefore have they forgotten me YOU have formerly heard the gracious providence of God towards his people while they were in the wilderness I knew them in the wilderness in the Land of great drought God glories much and mentions often the care over and goodness to his people in the wilderness when they had got out of the wilderness into the Land of Canaan where there were much Pastures they thought themselves to be well now they could live of themselves they could provide for themselves and so they liv'd to themselves and in a little time destroyed themselves the truth is they were in a worse condition then than when they were in the wilderness for saith he According to your Pastures so you were filled and then you forgot me and therefore I 'le be as a Lyon to you and as a Leopard and a Bear We do not hear such terrible things against them when they were in the wilderness I knew them in the wilderness but now it 's otherwise From the connexion note first It 's better to want the comforts of the creature and to have Gods care and protection than to have abundance of the creature and to live of our selves We do not love a depending life but it 's safest many have more of Gods presence with them and protection over them when they are in the wilderness when they are in adversity than they have when they come into prosperity when they come to enjoy abundance of the creatures God knows them when they are in afflictions and they knew God but when they come into prosperity God doth neither know them so much nor they know God so much Examin I beseech you when you were low any of you say had you not more of Gods presence with you then than you have now did not God know you more then did not you know God more then had not you more sweet communion in those times than now you have Oh! God made you know him by gracious visitations of his Spirit and there were gracious workings of your spirit towards him Are not you grown flat dead and drossie and carnal now more than before do not you seek greedily after the world to fill your selves and do not you begin to be exalted in your own hearts do not you begin to be puft up have you none of your friends so If you know but any of your friends that when they were lower than now they are knew God better than now they do and God knew them and there was more sweet converse between God and them than now there is put them in mind of this text I knew them in the wilderness in the Land of great drought but now according to their Pastures they are filled and their hearts are exalted and they have forgotten me God deliver them from the remaining part of the text I 'le be a Lyon and a Leopard and Bear to them to tear them You seldom find in Scripture any of Gods Saints worse for afflictions give me any one example for my part I know not one in all the Book of God that came worse out of an affliction than when they went in But I can tell you of many even of Gods dear people that came worse out of prosperity than when they came in therefore it 's observable in 2 Chron. 17. 3. it 's spoken in commendation of Jeboshaphat it 's said that Jeboshaphat walked in the first waies of David his Father David his Father at first was in an afflicted estate afterwards in a more prosperous estate he was hunted like a Partridg at first but when he came to prosperity his waies were not so good therefore the holy Ghost doth put a commendation upon his first waies rather than upon his after waies I fear it may be said so of some that their first waies when they were low were a great deal better than their after waies This for the connexion According to their Pastures so were they filled According to the fatness and riches of the Land when they came into it they were filled they fell upon whatsoever sensual content they could enjoy to the uttermost according to what means they had for to satisfie the flesh According to their Pastures They would improve all the means and opportunities they had for to give content to the flesh so that they were filled Thus you see men that love to live in the satisfaction of the flesh up to the height of their means according to all means that they have to satisfie the flesh this way or the other way they will be sure to have satisfaction if it be to be had therefore you shall see men that have estates they please the flesh to the uttermost they can think of if they go abroad and see any thing that may give content to the flesh they resolve to have it if they can when they come home According to all the means that they have so they will have the flesh satisfied Oh! how happy were men if they were so wise for their souls if according to the means of grace we sought to fill our souls Oh how doth the Lord lead us in green Pastures and yet what
empty souls have we According to their Pastures so were they filled But can we say that according to our green Pastures that God leads us in so are we filled Oh! we live in green Pastures and yet are empty Here we see that men regard their bodies regard the sensual pleasures of the flesh abundantly more than spiritual as if there were a greater good in sensual delights than there is in all spiritual comforts According to their Pastures they were filled they were filled twice we have filled filled A little will serve the turn in Spiritual things for men but they will fill and fill up again themselves in sensual things It notes the greediness of their spirits in falling upon those Contentments they had to the flesh When they came into a fertile Land they were filled they were filled such is the nature of men that are carnal to fall with greediness upon contentments to the flesh and to think on nothing but filling themselves filling filling in Psal 78. 29. you may see what their disposition was even before they came into ther fat Pastures when God but in the wilderness granted them flesh so they did eat saith the text and were well filled so it is in your books but it is They were filled very much they were filled exceedingly Valde they were filled that 's the propriety of the Hebrew phrase there Oh! they filled themselves to the uttermost they could And you may see a discription of the greediness of mens hearts to carnal contentments when they have any opportunity to enjoy them in Prov. 23. 5. Wilt thou see thine eyes upon that which is not you have it thus in your books Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not speaking of riches Now it is according to the Hebrew Will ye make your eyes to fly upon that which is not A carnal heart when he sees any way of enjoyment of carnal contentments he makes his eyes to fly upon them to fly upon them with eagerness there was a mighty greediness According to their Pastures they were filled They thought of nothing but filling themselves whereas there should have been the mixture of other thoughts when God brought them into their fat pastures there should have been such thoughts as these mixed with the enjoyment of the comsorts that God gave them It 's true that we may enjoy what God gives us comforts yet but we must not only seek to fill our selves but we are to labor to mix these kind of thoughts with the good things that we do enjoy As thus now Here I come to enjoy abundance of good in the creature Whence have I all this is it not from God They did not think of this so be it that they may fill themselves like the Swine under the Acorn Tree seeks to fill the belly but never looks from whence the Acorns come so carnal hearts they fill themselves but never look from whence they come whereas a gracious heart may take the comforts of the creature that God affords but while it's receiving of them it looks up to God the Principal of all Secondly What do I think God aims at God gives me abundance of the creature but what is Gods end is it only to satisfie my flesh hath God no further end than this Thirdly I come now to fit my self with these contentments but what opportunities have I by these to do good more than before Surely these are not given me meerly to pamper the flesh these are given me as large opportunities of service for God Fourthly Now I come to enjoy abundance What 's the rule that God hath set in the Word for the ordering of my heart in what I do enjoy Again I come to have much now in the world more than before but O my unworthiness how unworthy am â—of these comforts I have unworthy of the least bit of bread and yet my Table is furnished and I am filled Oh! but carnal hearts they fall upon their dishes and powr down their full cups and never think of their unworthines how unworthy they are of the least drop of water Sixthly God gives me abundance of the Creature but what is it that makes the difference between me and others others there are that are empty enough their bellies are empty their houses empty their cupboards empty but I am filled Why should God deal thus with me rather than with others Again I come to enjoy abundance here in the Creature But is there not danger is there not a snare in what I do enjoy have not I a naughty vile heart How if these should prove to be temptations to me to draw my heart from God were I not better be without them It 's made in the Epistle of Jude 12. vers an argument of one that is carnal and wicked that he doth feast without fear he fals upon what is before him and fils himself but without fear whereas we should never enjoy fulness in the world but we should mix fear with it these thoughts should make us fear the snare that there may be in abundance Further I have abundance but what uncertainty is there in all these things I have it now but how quickly may it be gone these things taken from me or I from them Again I have much and therefore I have a great accompt to give to God of these Pastures that now I have this Fulnesse that now I enjoy will make my accompt to be so much the greater I have much Oh but considering how little service I do for God may not I fear that this I have it is to be my portion I have much but have I not much engagements with what I do enjoy that fulness that I have doth it not more fully engage me unto God than others Carnal hearts are void of these thoughts in the enjoyment of their fulness they care not sobeit they can but fil themselves how they get what they have or use it Oh my brethren our hearts should be filled with these thoughts in our fulness But it is with most as we reade in Isa 56. 12. Come ye say they I will fetch Wine and we will fill our selves with strong Drink and to morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant there 's all that they care And especially those fall most greedily upon carnal contentments that have been kept short a long time So it was here I knew thee in the wilderness But according to their Pastures they were filled they were filled they minded nothing but filling themselves now they gormundize now they fill themselves As it 's usual with them that have lived very sparingly and meanly before if they come to a ful dyet they fill themselves greedily more than others so as to distemper themselves and occasion Plagues and grievous diseases by filling themselves greedily when they come to fuller dyet than formerly they did enjoy when a man
hath fasted to starving almost he had need be very careful what he doth when he comes to a full Table Physitians will not suffer men that have fasted long to eat much It 's that which brings many diseases in Souldiers and others because sometimes they want much and sometimes they have abundance and so they spoil themselves As we read of Saul's men that they fell upon the Cattel so as they did eat the blood they were so greedy of it Oh let us take heed of this this should be a seasonable Lesson to those that have known what emptiness hath meant in these times and now they are going into their Countries again and to enjoy their Possessions Oh let them take heed how they fal upon the comforts of the Creature greedily Oh they should rather prepare themselves before hand and season their hearts with those thoughts that may keep them from the danger that there is in fatness and when they come to their Houses and Lands and begin to stock them again they should think Oh! what were those sins of mine when I was here before in my house and enjoyed fulness how little honor had God by my fulness before Oh! let me now remember all my murmurings and repinings when God took away my estate and let me seek to make peace with God even for them In the time of my distress I cried to God then and I was afraid that I should never come to enjoy my estate again and hath God given it to me again Oh let me improve it better for his Service than ever I have done Such kind of thoughts men should have when they come to their estates again and not to fall upon them and only seek to make up all again and think of nothing else There 's a great deal of danger here God hath waies to make men cast out their sweet morsels when they regard nothing but the filling of themselves It follows And their hearts were exalted This their fulness puft them up Pride is an ordinary disease that follows fulness Saith an Ancient It 's hard to be in honor without swelling Pride is the disease of prosperity in Psal 73. 3. I saw the prosperity of the wicked and so on he describes their prosperity and in the 6. vers Therefore pride compasses them about as a chain violence covereth them as a garment and hence that caveat of the Apostle 1 Tim. 6. 17. Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded Charge them saith the Apostle for it 's usual for men that are rich that are full to be high minded Charge them First Because that these things in the world they are great things in their eyes yea they are the only good things to a carnal heart they are his happiness and therefore he blesses himself in them and that puffs him up Secondly When they enjoy fulness in the world then their lusts are satisfied then they have fewell for their lusts and their lusts grows mighty high Thirdly They can live of themselves and depend upon none and this it is that puffs them up in Psal 10. 5. speaking of proud men in prosperity They puff at their Enemies they care for no body in the world they can live of themselves others depend upon them and they depend upon none and this puffs them up Fourthly They conceive some excellency in themselves why they have more than others as if it were because they had more excellency in themselves and were more worthy than others and they are not every body but are culd out among others as the prime and chief as if there were more worth in them this puffs them up Fifthly They see all others desire what they have they see a great distance between them and others and those that are under them do highly esteem of them They call the proud happy they have many flatterers They were fill'd and their hearts were exalted not only above men but above God Psal 73. 9. They set their mouths against Heaven and their tongue walketh through the Earth speaking of wicked men in prosperity They wil speak against every one when they are high themselves scorning at the waies of God and at his Saints When is the time wherein wicked men that are of scornful spirits do scorn and speak most roughly against the people of God and the waies of God but when they are fill'd when they are at Taverns and have fill'd themselves with Wine and good Cheer then they scorn and blaspheme and set their mouths against Heaven and their tongues walk throughout the City and Country against Parliament and all their tongues are free at that time it is when they are filled Hence that Scripture in Psal 35. 16. With hypocritical mockers in feasts they gnashed upon me with their teeth in the time of their feasts when they were filled then they were mockers and then they gnashed upon me Oh abundance of evil is done by scorning and contemning at Feasts and in that respect their Wine that then they fill themselves withal may be called by the name of that in Deut. 32. 33. Their Wine is the poyson of Dragons and the cruel venem of Asps for as it fills their bodies with heat so then their spirits are fill'd with rage and mallice and especially those who were heretofore low if They come to be fill'd Their hearts are most exalted Oh! the sad examples we have of this at this day many that were not long since we know in a low and mean condition and they have gotten places they have got estates and power in their hands Oh how are their hearts exalted Would you ever have thought to have liv'd to the time to have seen such a change in their spirits as at this day how do they discover their pride now they are got up First in their estrangement towards those that they were familiar with heretofore they go aloof off from you they are fill'd and now their hearts are exalted And then Secondly their carriage is very high and lofty you must wait now if you would but speak to them Thirdly now they need no advice or counsel they were wont to communicate themselves to you and to be willing to hearken to advice and counsel yea but they are fill'd now and their hearts are exalted as if the exaltation of their estates put more wit into their heads Fourthly Now they are harsh to those that are under them they speak harshly and ruggedly and care not for any under them when they lived formerly among their neighbors then they would complain of harshness and ridgidness of others but since they are filled they are as harsh as any and so before when they were low they cryed out of oppression but when they come once to be in place themselves and be filled then they go the same waies that others go hence that in Psal 73. 8. Concerning
so much of the presence of God with them Oh we see that that which hath been is still to this verie day Of whom thou saidst Give us a King and Princes Where did they say so they said so in 1 Sam. 8. 5. there say they to Samuel Come give us a King that may reign over us indeed the word Princes I do not 〈…〉 here but here the holy Ghost ads Princes and give us Princes too but that must of necessity be supposed for if there be a King a King must have his Court and Nobles about him and must be as a fountain of honor and must confer honor and have great men about him so that though Princes be not named there yet the holy Ghost supplies them as a thing that must of necessity be understood Come let us be Governed by a King and great ones that are about him But you wil ask me What 's the reason that nothing would satisfie them but a King and Nobles There are these Seven REASONS that may be given for it nothing would satisfie them but a King onlie First Consider their extream earnestness about it if you reade 1 Sam. 8. you will find that they were almost mad upon it a King they must have and would have Oh! it was very grievous to Samuel's spirit he told them their great sin and the Lord said They have rejected me and not thee Samuel told them what God said and God bad Samuel go and tell them what a King they should have that he would oppress them extreamly they shall have Arbitrary Government come in to the full he will take away your servants and children and do with them what he pleases you will be brought to be slaves to him any Parasite at Court may easily get your estates you shall be accounted an offender for a word and Fin'd what they please you shall be in most miserable bondage if you have him But now you shall find afterwards after Samuel had told them all this Nay say they but let us have a King for all this they answered him nothing If any one should come and reason Why do you desire a King so much what shall you get by it do not you think that he will have your Estates and all you have at his dispose and your Liberties no man now could denie this they did not denie the 〈◊〉 word that Samuel said but they will hold their conclusion Nay but we must have a King say they What 's the matter that should make them thus First Somewhat even for novelty sake they had other kind of Government before but now they would have somewhat more Mens spirits are very much given to change though they can give no account in the world for the thing But Secondly There might be some distrust in them in their former Judges because they were men of meaner rank as I told you they might think that they should not be able to help them Oh say they Let us have a King that shall go before us in our Wars Though they had never so much experience of the Judges yet they thought there would be more good if they had great ones and they were afraid that these men of a lower meaner rank would fail them at last And then a Third reason is That they might be like other Nations because they loved pomp What say they Shall we see our neighbor Nations to be governed by those that have great pomp and glory and shall we be governed by men that were but Trades-men a while ago No they would be like other Nations Fourthly It is like they had some oppressions upon them even from the former Judges though most of them were good yet certainly there cannot be a Government of Men but there wil be some cause at one time or other for some to complain Take the best Government that can be in the world yet seeing it is a Government of men by men there will be some cause or other to complain at some time or other Now this is the peevishness of mens hearts that if there be but any condition wherein they suffer they do nothing but complain of their suffering and therefore would fain have a new way and never think of the inconveniences and sufferings that would come in by that new way Oh! they would be rid of these that now they were under and would have a King these men angred them these men laid some taxes upon them that they were not pleas'd withal now so be it they might be rid of them they car'd not what they bring upon themselves and therefore they would have a King not minding what sufferings they should bring upon themselves in another kind And then Fifthly A King they would have out of a spirit of opposition against that way that God had set God was in a way of governing of them and their hearts was against that way of God a meer spirit of opposition though they would give no reason why they might not be as well that way as another but it was Gods way And there is an opposition in the heart of man to any thing that hath God in it the more any thing hath of God in it and the more God rules in a way the more opposite are the hearts of evil men And then a Sixth Reason is this They had some hopes that they should have some more liberty for their lusts Now having such a way of Government as they had there was more inspection over them and they could not so easily corrupt them but now in the Government of one man over them if they can but make a friend to him they may do what they list they might brave it over all their other neighbors if they would be but willing to be a slave to him they might make all their neighbors slaves to them they had a great deal more hopes of libertie for their lusts it 's like this way than the other And then lastlie Many of them had hopes to get preferment this way let us have a King and Princes and we shall get preferments in the Court and Places this way and therefore this is the best way we will not be satisfied with any other way but this we live in a mean low condition without this but we shall get preferments this way therefore give us a King But now that 's observable Though they thought they had agreed deal of Reason for themselves yet after they had once smarted and they found indeed that there was that oppression upon them after they had a King and these Princes more than ever they were under in their lives now was a time that Hosea could speak freely to them and say in the Name of God Where is your King and those men that you were so earnest for what good have you got For it is observable though they were never so eager upon having a King yet if you
wrath and to prepare them for slaughter Sixthly Learn from hence To be content to wait and to be denied of your desires Oh! this is a point of verie great use to teach us patience when God denies us be patient and content when God denies you your desires for you do not know what God may aim at in it Seventhly Learn from hence Not to rest in what you enjoy but to seek to know the principle from whence it comes And this I take to be as special a difference between a Carnal heart and a Gracious heart as any I know A Carnal heart thinks this If I have the thing I care not for any more but a Gracious heart looks at the principle from whence it comes he loves to look at the root and principle of all A Gardener that oweth the Flowers regards the root more than the flower a great deal but a stranger is moâ—e pleased with the Flower than with the Root So Carnal hearts look only at Flowers but gracious hearts look at the Root I have such and such a thing but have I an evidence of Gods love Look how high the head of the Fountain is so high the Water will go and no higher Water will ascend as high as the place was from whence it did descend And so everie mercie we have wil carry us as high as from whence it came If from common general bounty it carries us to God but it came in a general way but if it comes in a special love in Christ it carries us to God in Christ Eighthly Learn hence To seek those gifts that God never grants to any but in love There are some things that are of such a noble and excellent nature as God doth never grant to any but in love they are precious things indeed And this one Consideration doth shew the difference between Spiritual blessings and Temporal blessings as much as any one thing I know Temporal blessings though they are in themselves good and have manie sweet accomodations with them yet they are of such a low nature as many times they come to men and come out of Gods wrath they may stand with wrath yea they may flow from wrath But come to Spiritual blessings the Graces of Gods Spirit come to those Spiritual blessings wherewith we are blest in Jesus Christ and these are of such a nature as they can never com but from love and out of love From this point you see That a little Grace is more worth than the enjoyment of all the world God may give a man the Empire of all the world and he may do it in wrath and tend to the furtherance of wrath but now if you have but the least drachm of Grace if you have but any spiritual knowledge of God in Christ This is eternal life to know thee and thy Son whom thou hast sent into the world If thou hast any Faith Oh! this is Precious Faith If thou hast any knowledg Oh it 's the Divine Nature it comes from the infinite Ocean of eternal love and will carry thee to the infinite Ocian of love Oh! prize Grace and seek after Grace You whose hearts have been so eager and desirous after outward things turn now the stream of your desires Oh I have been eager after such and such things if I have them yet I may have the wrath of God with them and what good will they do me then Oh! but I hear that there are such and such things to be had that I can never have them but in love they are the priviledges that come to the Saints in Jesus Christ Ninthly Oh bless God you that know and find that what you have it is in love You are to bless God for what you have but in that he hath given you your desires and given them out of love too here God blesses his blessings and your blessings should be double trible seven an hundred fold Oh that the Lord hath delivered me from such an affliction and I find it is in love as Hezekiah could say when he was delivered from his sickness In love to my soul hast thou delivered me from the pit of corruption So I make no question but there 's many of the people of God even many of you that are before him this day that are able to say Well upon these arguments that I have heard this day upon this point thus opened I can say to the glory of God Out of love to my soul hath he delivered me out of such an affliction from such a sickness out of love to my soul hath he granted me such a mercy I had been praying and crying to him for such and such mercies and out of love to my soul hath he granted them to me Oh! you may go away with comfort in what you have if it be but a very little that God hath given you Oh the Lord hath given you a good portion your lot is fallen into a good ground you have a goodlie inheritance Certainlie you have a childs portion and go away and be satisfied in it And now my Brethren though this part for the practical part of it is the chief I confess I have not yet come upon that that is held forth in the verie words and that is about giving of Governors in his wrath I only have spoken to the Point hitherto as it concerns the giving of our desires whatsoever it be But now for the particulars as the specification of their desires That God had given them a King in his wrath That I confess is a point that I think there may be much of the mind of God known in it and a point that will require some time in opening it And it will be hard to speak of such a point as this is without very great deliberation and to have full scope when at any time I speak of it and therefore I do not intend at this time to meddle with this point of Gods giving Kings in wrath I shall rather defer it to the next day Only one Note further and that 's this A hint of a meditation upon Gods giving our desires in his wrath when men by the violence and strength of their spirits do get their desires from God though in wrath it hath hinted to me this Meditation which may be of very great use to you Many men they do get from their consciences those things they have a mind to have as they get from God that they have a mind to have many men are very violent in their desires and would fain have God grant them such and such things at length though it be a thing that is very displeasing to God saith God let them have it Just so it is in regard of conscience for conscience is Gods Vice-gerent in the soul of man Now there are many men that are verie desirons of such things as their consciences at first are very
Thirdly It 's a great aggravation of mens sins if they be called to duty after God hath called them out of misery and they do not obey it After thou comest out of an affliction whether bodily or spiritual God expects thou shouldest as diligently hearken to his call that calls thee to duty as thou doest take hold of his mercy when he held it to thee to deliver thee out of thine affliction charge thy soul thus Oh wrenched heart that I have I called to God and God hath heard my call and now God hath delivered me and calls me to a duty and shall I stop mine ears against Gods call Oh how just were it for God to leave me in misery when I turn my back to him when he cals me to a duty Fourthly For men not only to disobey Gods call but to turn away themselves from it and from those that speak to them in his Name this is very wicked a high degree of sinfulness before God In Jer. 2. 27. They have turned their back unto me but not their face and so in Jer. 32. 33. They turn their backs that 's more than not to obey Our backs that is to refuse to obey to resolve not to obey in Jer. 18. 17. God threatens them that in the day of their calamity he would shew them his back too as when a Traytor is petitioning to his Prince so long as the Prince is but willing to parly with him and reade his Petition there is hope but if the Prince turns his back and will not look upon his Petition there 's no hope then So there is hope of people that we may bring them to obedience so long as they will hearken to the Word but if once they turn their backs then there 's little hope so when God turns his back upon sinners there 's little hope then Remember you that turn your back upon calls to obedience Oh! remember that Scripture in Jer. 18. 17. that God threatens in the day of your calamity he will turn his back to you Now this wickedness men do not grow to on a sudden at first they are loth to be convinced that such a thing is a truth but at length when the evidence of truth comes cleer they in a desperate way turn their backs upon it and resolve not to hearken to it a famous instance you have of this in Jer. At first they said that Jeremiah did not speak the Word of the Lord but afterward As for the Word of the Lord that thou hast spoken we will not hear Fifhly It is yet a higher wickedness to have our corruptions irritated by the Word and provoked As they call'd so they went away When mens hearts grow as Lime that the showers of the Word shall inflame them this is a sad condition indeed when the more cleer evidence they have of the Word the more desperate wicked they grow We find it so in some places when the word comes with the greatest power this is all the effect it hath upon the hearts of men to make them the more desperate wicked You wonder sometimes that where the Word is preached with power men should grow more wicked wonder not at it for where the Word doth not convert sinners it doth harden them Sixtly From the extream perverseness and stubornness of the Jews we may learn this Lesson That Gods free Grace is very great and very strong the Lord was merciful to his people that were thus stuborn and stout but the more they were call'd to obedience the more wicked they grew and yet Gods mercy continued towards them for a long time together and indeed in that God should set his heart and love upon such a people as this it is one of the greatest helps against despair almost as any we know Do but look into the Book of God and reade of the people of the Jews what wretched froward perverse stuborn stout-hearted people they were and yet that God of all the people of the earth should chuse them to be his peculier people Oh! the free Grace of God! there 's nothing that God hath in his design more than to honor free Grace I confess I had thought to have spent some time in shewing to you the extream stubornness of the people of the Jews and all to this end to magnifie the free grace of God towards such an unworthy people you find that God doth so himself when he speaks of his Mercy to that people he doth give them this notice That he would have them to know that what he did for them was not for their own righteousness in Deut. 9. 6. Vnderstand therefore that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this good I and to possess it for thy righteousness for thou art a stiff-necked people As if God should say I might magnifie free Grace whereas I might have chosen some other people that might have been more yeeldable to my hand I chose you that it might appear that all that I did was out of free Grace In Psal 78. 8. Be not stuborn as your forefathers were they are called stout-hearted stiff necked strong they seem to be of strong spirits but it is strong against the truth and though stubornness hath a kind of Glory in it yet the truth is there is nothing but weakness in it in Ezek. 16. 30. How weak is thy heart saith the Lord seeing thou doest all these things the work of an imperious whorish woman They are said to be strong-hearted stiff hearted but saith the holy Ghost how weak is thy heart and you shall find in Scripture that they are called stiff necked and Iron-â—inewed and that they walked contrary to God and that they are perverse and crooked and that they had hardened their hearts and made them like an Adamant and saith Stephen You have alwaies resisted the holy Ghost and impudent children and rebellious children It is very observable if you read those Scriptures presently after they came out of the Land of Egypt within three daies after God had shown them such a miraculous work they fell to murmuring nay they did not stay so long for it is said in Psal 106. They provoked the Lord at the Sea even at the red Sea And in Exod. 16. 2. 28. and in chap. 17. ver 2. the people did chide with Moses again so reade the story of Exodus Numbers Deuteronomy Judges and the Kings and you shall find them continually rebelling a people with an Iron sinew against God and yet for all that the Lord makes choice of this people and loves them Oh! free Grace the free Grace of God When your children are stuborn and stout against you consider of this you think it a grievous affliction to you Oh! but there is none in the world that are so crossed with stuborn children as God himself is And though you
should find your hearts to be very stuborn yet for all that do not have your hearts sink with despair for Gods Grace is free to overcome even stubornness as it did here You have a most remarkable place for that for the overcoming of stubornness in Exod. 34. 9. Let my Lord I pray thee go amongst us for it is a stiff-necked people This was no argument of despair that God should not go among them for it is a stiff-necked people But Moses makes such an argument with God Lord they are a stiff-necked people yet I pray thee let my Lord go amongst us and pardon our iniquity and our sin and take us for thine heritage Where by the way we may note how the Chaldae paraphrase renders this viz. Let the Majesty of the Lord go with us the Majesty or Divine Presence the Hebrews call it Shecinah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they usually distinguish this from God the father and say there is no coming before the blessed high King without Shecinah So our Savior more plainly John 14. 16. But to return God holds forth by this example that he would have none sink with despair but be brought in by his free Grace notwithstanding their stuborn hearts that they have had against him Now as for the latter part of this second verse of their sacrificing to Baalim and burning incense to graven Images I shall not need to speak to that as having spoken of that heretofore VER 3. I taught Ephraim also to go taking them by their Arms But they knew not that I healed them HEre we have the third degree of Gods goodness towards Ephraim the fruit of his love he call'd them out of Egypt and he call'd upon them by his Prophets and he taught them to go God here compares himself to a Nurse or to a tender Mother or loving Father that carries along the child and guides the hand of it and the feet of it and as they are leading the children if there be any rugged foul way the Nurse or the Parent takes them up in their Arms such was my dealings towards Ephraim said God In Psal 77. 20. God there is said to lead them by the hand of Moses and Aaron like a flock of Sheep But here he is said to lead them like a Nurse or a Parent and this expression seems to have reference unto that we have in Deut. 1. 31. In the Wilderness the Lord thy God did bear thee as a man doth bear his son in all the way that ye went Look as a man leads his son by his hand and when he comes to hard way doth bear him up and take him in his arms so did the Lord thy God deal towards thee as a man to his son for so he call'd Ephraim in the former verse his Son he loved him when he was a child so he is compared to to a child and God to the parent that teaches him how to go God taught them how to go in their way out of Egypt all along in the Wilderness until they came to Canaan When they came first out of Egypt they knew not which way to go no more than a child and if God had left them when they were brought out of Egypt certainly they had perished in their way the way was very full of difficulty in which they were to go and God did seem to leade them about but the Scripture saith He led them in the right way in Psal 107. 7. though they were fourty years in the Wilderness whereas they might have gone through within a few daies yet still they were led in the right way God taught them to go From whence there are these Notes of Observation First When God calls his people out of afflictions yet they know no more how to go to guide themselves in their way than a little child doth We think if we be delivered from such and such an evil we are well but when God doth grant deliverance if he should leave us there we should quickly spoil our selves we should quickly turn the mercies that we have into misery if we be left but a while It is the pride of mens hearts that makes them venturous of them selves hence they get many a knock and bruise Oh! many stumble in their way and split themselves and perish because they will be going themselves and not depend upon Gods hand We find by experience now God hath brought us out of Egypt here in great measure we are called out of Egypt and we hope that God intends a Canaan to us yet what children are we we do not know how to step a step in our way Oh! how often have we been at a stand in our way since God hath been pleased to call us out of Egypt we have been at a maze not knowing which way to take this way or that way Oh! how often have we fallen in our way and gone astray If ever people had need to have God to teach them how to go then have we at this day our path is an untroden path and there are many stumbling blocks in our way we often stumble and fall in them Poor children have not more need to have the hand of the Parent or Nurse when they go upon the Ice in slippery waies then we have need of the hand of God upon us to leade us in our way and to guide us That 's the first Note Secondly The way that God leads people in many times may be a way of much difficulty he said he taught Ephraim to go and led him in the way If we enquire what that way is it was the way through the wilderness yea before they came into the wilderness before they came at the Sea in Exod. 14. 9. The Egyptians pursued after them all the Horses and Chariots of Pharaoh and his Horsemen and his Army and overtook them encamping by the Sea befides Pi-hahiroth before Baal-zephon Pharaoh and all his host pursued them they were in a very straight way The Sea was before them Pharaoh and all his Army was behind them and they were encamping by the Sea before Pi-hahiroth at the mouth of those Mountains that the Mountains did compass them round about and they were before Baal-zephon that is the god of watching the Egyptians God that they made accompt was the God that did watch those that went out of their Country without any leave they came before that God that was the God for their watching those that went out of their their Country and to keep them from going out and between the Mountains and the Sea before them and a great Army behind them and yet God taught them to go what a way doth God teach them to go in And then when they go further they must go through the Sea or no other way God taught them to go through the Sea and when they have gone through the Sea Is all the evil over No