yet ordinarily he makes use of second causes not only to work ad praesent iam as Biel the Schoolman and others say that is only together with the creature but there is say they no efficacie at all of them issuing into the effect but the truth is God doth make use of second causes otherwise so that there is some vertue and efficacy in them to work the thing that God intends Fourthly there is a concatenation of second causes not onely an use of them but every one in their order supplyes the other the heavens heare the earth and the earth hears the corne one after another If we could see the comely order of the creatures wee should see them all hang together in a golden chaine as it is in the joynts of the body one bone supplyeth another one place is hollow to take in another so one cause in nature supplyeth and cometh in to the other As in our salvation there is a golden chain which we have Rom. 8. So in the creatures there is a golden chain of comely order and mutuall supplyance Fiftly God is at the higher end of the chaine and nothing can be done by any link of the chaine of second causes but by Gods being at the uppermost link Jezreel must cry to the corn and wine and oyle and they must cry to the earth and the earth must cry to the heavens he must be the highest cause Sixtly It is most comely and a great blessing when the right order and chaine of second causes hold As it is in Nature so in any Society in a Common-wealth in a City when all keep their due subordination as when the Trades-man works in his way the Magistrate in his way the Minister in his way and every Officer in his place every one keeping his order But when it is otherwise when they are out of order it is a great misery upon a City or Kingdom As it was once among the Athenians Themistocles saith of his son a bolâ— youth This boy can do more then any man in all Greece Why For saith he the Athenians command the Grecians and I command the Athenians and my wife commands me and my son commands my wife here was the concatenation of that government God deliver all societies from such a concatenation that the beginning of any publick work I meane the lower link of the chain should be perhaps in a whoremaster he should command one and that one another and so one after another This is a fearfull judgment where soever it is 7. God is the giver of all plenty hee accounts it his glory to give raine Ier. 5. 24. God there wonders that men will not feare him because of that Neither saith he doe they say in their hearts Let us feare God that giveth raine As if hee should say It is a strange impudence in men what will they not say in their hearts Let us feare God seeing he gives us raine Thus God gloryeth in this great work when hee heareth the heavens and the heavens heare the earth the heavens will be as brasse over us and the earth as iron unlesse GOD heare them and send raine Therefore let God be acknowledged in that rain we have had of late the creatures wanted grasse and the grasse cryed to the heavens and the heavens cryed unto God and God hath heard the heavens and sent downe raine and so we see the earth hath been refreshed abundance of good hath come to us by those showers Give God the glory of this 8. All plenty is given for the sake of the Saints How God heares the heavens and the heavens hear the earth and the earth hears the corn and the wine and the oyle and they hear Jezreel It is for Jezreels sake that the earth heares the corne and the heavens hear the earth and God hears the heavens Were it not for the Saints the earth wauld soon come to a confusion They are the blessing of the earth Isa 18. 24. 9. If the creatures work so graciously for us how should wee then worke for God and one for another What shall the creatures cry one to another and heare one another for our good and shall God cry to us and wee not heare God The senseless corn cries to the earth O earth help me that I may help Iezreel and the earth cryes to the heavens O heavens send down your influences and the heavens say We will heare and the earth saith I will heare Shall the earth heare and the heavens heare for our good and shall not we hear when God cryes for help God cries to you many times to helpe in his cause and wilt not thou hear to work for him O vile creature how unreasonable are thy ways before the Lord Again how should we hear the cries of the poor When wee are in want the corn cries to the earth and the earth cries to the heavens and the heavens cry to God for us VVhen the poore I mean Gods poore whom Gods hand hath made poore cry will not you heare VVill you be more hard-hearted then the earth and the heavens are seeing they heare you doe you hear the cry of your poor brethren Further if God will hear the creatures when they cry for us how much more will he hear Jesus Christ when hee cries for us It is our happinesse in part that we have all the creatures cry to God for our good but the top of our happinesse is this that wee have Iesus Christ the Mediatour of the new Covenant making intercession at the right hand of God continually for us Lastly Gods mercies go through when they work for the Saints the corn beginneth to cry to the earth that stays not here but the earth goes on and cryes to the heavens the heavens go on and cry to God Gods mercies to his Saints never leave till the thing be done And I will sow her unto me in the earth VVhat great mercy is this for God to grant plenty if he destroy his people Our Country is plentifull but if God should consume us out of the land what good wouâ—d our plenty do us Therefore saith God I will sow her unto me in the earth Indeed she is now a poor contemptible people there are but few of them remaining upon the earth but I will make them a seede and a seed that the Lord hath blessed I will sow her Here the Lord alludeth to the name Iezreel which signifies the seed of the Lord the sowen of the Lord. It was used in the first Chapter in an opprobtious way and in the latter end of that Chapter in a way of mercy I speak of it there therefore I shall not need say much now only this God makes use of the word here to put her in mind of what shee deserved as if he should say though thou beest a Jezreel and deservest to be scattered yet I will be mercifull to thee out of free grace
Yea Thirdly Great shall be this day for it shall be as a day of resurrection from death to life so Dan. 12. 2. Many of them that sleepe in the dust shall awake c. It is not spoken of the great resurrection at the last day of judgement for First It is spoken but of some that shall arise Secondly The greatest glory that is here put upon the just is but to shine as the stars in the firmament but at the last day the Saints shall shine as the sunne in the firmament more and above the starres Yea Thirdly This that is here revealed to Daniel must be sealed up as a great secret till the appointed time come but for the Resurrection at the last day that is no great secret that they knew well enough it is not as a secret to be shut up and sealed from men till the time appointed come But this Resurrection here spoken of it is to be sealed up as a great secret that was not knowne in the world nor should be much knowne till the appointed time should come And then Lastly It was promised to Daniel in the 13. ver that he should stand up in his lot as a peculiar and speciall favour that God stould bestow upon him Now it is not such a peculiar and special favour for a Saint to stand up at the great day at the last day this was a favour to Daniel as an eminent Saint that he should stand up thus in his lot Therefore this Resurrection is the same with this great day of Jezreel wherein there shall be such a glorious work of God in calling Israel and Judah together the fulness of the Gentiles that it shall be as the Resurrection from death to life so the Apostle calls it likewise in that Rom. 11. 15. What shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead 4. Great shall be the day of Iezreel for this shall bring refreshing to all the Saints this is the time of the refreshing Act. 3. 19. There shall be such things then as will refresh and revive the spirits of all the Saints Yea 5. It shall be the day of restitution of all things Acts 3. 21. Vntill the times of rest it 〈◊〉 of all things come which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his Propâ—â— since the world began I know it is ordinary carryed by many another way concerning the last day but that it cannot be so it appears because that then there shall not be the restitution of all things but the annihilation of many things Further this speakes of a restitution of all things that was spoken of by the mouth of all the holy Prophets Now the holy Prophets spake but very little concerning the day of Judgment of another life to come we reade but little of it in the Prophets and therefore the Apostle in 2 Tim. 1. 10. saith that life and immortality was brought to light through the Gospel Not but that it was known somewhat before but it was very darkly known there was very little spoken of life and immortality in the Prophets But this speaks of a time that all the holy Prophets spake of as an argument that was the general theame of them all And indeed there is no argument whatsoever that is more general among the Prophets then this great argument of this great day of Jezreel Again 6. A great day for it shall be a new creation a new heaven and a new earth shall be made when this great day of Iezreel shall come Esay 66. 17. Behold I create new heavens and a new earth And in ver 18. if you observe it you shall see what this new heaven and this new earth is But be glad and rejoyce for ever in that which I create for behold I create Ierusalem are joycing and her people a joy Those are the new heavens the new earth that are to be created and this is meant of the Church plainly for the Text ver 21. speakes of building houses and inhabiting them and of planting vineyards and eating the fruit of them upon these new heavens this new earths creation And 2 Pet. 3. 13. Neverthelesse according to this promise we looke for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse Now where is this promise This is usually taken for the Kingdom of heaven hereafter But where is this promise We do not finde it any where but in that place I named before Esay 65. Now it is apparent that promise doth speak of an estate of the Church here in this world and there is spoken of a new earth as well as of a new heaven if it were onely spoken of new heavens it had bin another matter but it speaks of a new earth likewise therefore meant of an estate in this world a new creation of a new heaven and earth that is there shall be such glorious things done by God as shall manifest a creating power as if God did now make new heavens and a new earth 7. Great shal be the day of Iezreel for it shall be as another world when this day cometh Heb. 2. 5. 6. 7. 8. Vnto the Angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come whereof we speak But one in a certain place testified this certain place is in Psa 104. saying What is man that thou art mindful of him or the son of man that thou visitest him Thou hast made him little lower then the Angels thou crownedst him with glory and honour and didst set him over the works of thy hands thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet This is clearly interpreted of Christ as vers 9. and so on that all things must be subjected to hiâ—â— man What is man that thou shouldst regard him That is that thou 〈◊〉 advance the nature of man so far as to unite it even to thy Son and piâ—â— things in subjection under his feet This the Apostle interpreteth of Christ But saith he wee see not yet all things put under him that time is yet to come for saith he We speak of things that concerne the world to come Therefore mark my brethren there must be such a time wherein all things all creatures must be put under subjection to Christ and this is in the world to come Not in that world to come where the Saints shall raign gloriously in heaven it cannot be meant of that for the heavens must depart as a scroll and many things shall then rather be annihilated and the Kingdome must then be given up by Christ to God the Father so the Apostle saith 1 Cor 15. that is when the Saints shall reigne gloriously with Christ in heaven But here this place speaks of a time when all creatures must come under subjection to Christ and it is called the world to come why because of the great change there shall be of things it shall be as it were a new world As we call this world from Noahs
we were a most rude barbarous and savage people almost as lived upon the earth Brittons had their name frome hence in the old Brittaine language Birth signifies blew coloured because those that lived here instead of brave cloathes as you have they with woade besmeared their bodies with blew they were from thence called Brittains for tania was added as it is usuall in other Languages for the signification of such a Region or Countrey as Mauritania Lusitania Aquitania c. so that Brittania is as much as to say The Region of the blew coloured people so called because they were thus painted The best food that they were wâ—nt to eate Historians tell us was barkes of trees and rootes Hollinshed in his Chronickle sayes there were old men that he knew who told of times in England that if the good man in the house had a matterres or flock-bed or a sack of chaffe to rest his head on he thought himselfe as well lodged as the Lord of the Towne for ordinarily they lay upon straw pellets covered with canvace and a round log under their heads instead of a bolster they said pillows were fit onely for women in child-bed and in a good Farmers house it was rare to finde foure pieces of pewter and it was accounted a great matter that a Farmer could shew five shillings or a noble in silver together And Camden in his Britania tells of Ailesbury a Towne in Buckinghamshire that there was in it a Mannour of the Kings and the condition of holding certain lands there was that the possessor or holder of them should find straw for litter of the Kings bed when he came there And Latimer in a Sermon before King Edward tells of his father whom he sayes kept good hospitality for his poor neighbours and found a horse for the Kings service brought him up at learning and married his sisters with five pound or twenty nobles a piece for their portions This was the poore and meane condition of these times And Jerome contra Iovinianum and Diodorus Siculus tells us concerning the people in Ireland our neighbours that the best delicates they used to eate in former times were the flesh of young children and paps of women and the ships they used to have were sallowes wreathed together and bowes twisted and covered with the hides of beasts and the wives they had were common to all their brethren and parents As for their Religion they offered to the devâ—ll mans flesh they worshipped Apollo and Jupiter and Diana And Gildas one of the ancientest Historians that relates the conditions of these Brittish people hee sayes the Idols they had were such horrible devillish monstrous things that they did even overcome the Egyptian Idols in number and no people had so many Idol-gods and so monstrous as the Egyptians and yet these went beyond them So saith he Afterward no people in the world more rent torn with Civill wars then England hath been And in the times when Popery was here profeit and establisht Oh the bondage we were under then outward and spiritual bondage Our bodyes our soules our estates our consciences were in miserable thraldome It is the most sordid miserable slavery that it is possible for a rationall creature to be under not onely to be bound to practice but to be bound to beleeve for truth the dictates and determinations of men yea and that upon paine of eternall damnation to beleeve what they say as the Articles of Faith upon which Salvation or Damnation depends for Conscience to be under them so as I must not question or scruple any thing if any man that is a rationall creature should think there is any such distance between man and man he debaseth himself beneath a man and advanceth the other above a man Better it is to be in slavery to another to scrape kennels then to be in this slavery And to have the Scriptures kept from us the Epistle that God hath sent from heaven to us that which enlightens the world revealing the great counsels of God concerning eternal life this is worse bondâ— then to be châ—â—â—ed up in dark holes all the dayes of our lives to have no Ordinances but according to the lusts and humours of vile men how great a slavery is this The manifestation of the least suspition of the falsnes of the vilest errors dislike of the basest practices was enough to confiscate estate to imprison yea to take away life Was not this a low condition a base slavery that England was in could any beare it but such as were slaves to their own lusts But now what ornaments hath God put upon us No Nation under heaven more renowned then wee have beene our renown hath gone thorough the earth England O Angliquasi Angeli and Albion from our happinesse we see now by our selves that glorious excellencies have many times low beginnings A second observation hence is when we have any excellency and beauty upon us it is Gods mercy that is all our beauty I will strip you naked and set you as in the day wherein you were born If you have any excellency it is my mercy Gods mercie is a peoples beauty and glory We have nothing belonging to us but shame and confusion but misery if we have any ornaments it is mercy free mercy therefore in the 14. ver of that 16. Ezek. Thou wert perfect in beauty How through my comlinesse which I had put upon thee saith the Lord. Let God take away but his mercy we are quickly left naked and poor and miserable like the ragged walls in the Court when the King goeth away and all the rich hangings are taken down what a difference is there in their look from what was formerly the beauty of the walls were the hangings when the King was there So if wee have any thing that makes us beautifull they are the hangings that God hath put upon us his mercies are those hangings of gold and silver and needle-work and when they are gone we are poor and ragged and miserable Thirdly Lest I strip her naked c. God had said before that she was not his wife she was guilty of whoredoms yet it seemes shee was not yet stripped naked she was left with Gods ornaments upon her notwithstanding her whoredoms Hence the third Observation is Though sinners deserve great evils to be stripped of all comforts yet God in patience and clemencie continueth them a long time They may be under fearfull threatnings and yet retaine many comforts yea the truth is it is possible for a people to be cast off from God yet to continue for a while in outward prosperity The tree that is cut up by the roots yet may have the leaves green for a while Saul who was rejected of God 1 Sam 13. 14 yet after that if you reade the Story you shall finde it that God suffered Saul to prosper exceedingly in overcomming the Phylistims the Amalekites Fourthly The
have many sweet promises of the Gospel revealed unto them many blessed manifestations of Gods free grace and goodnesse in his Christ made known unto them but they slight and disregard them But when God shall bring them into the wildernesse when God shall cause them to be under the torment of a scorching conscience when conscience shall be burning and scalding then perhaps they may long Oh that I had one drop of water one promise out of the Word to comfort me Oh that I might have but never so little refreshing Oh that I might heare againe those things I have heretofore heard and neglected But then God may deny one drop of water to coole their scorching consciences and stay them with thirst slay their soules with thirst at that time And thus many poore creatures are slain with thirst that did so little regard those rivers of consolation that in the time of their prosperity they might have had Ver. 4. And I will not have mercy upon her children for they be the children of whoredoms I confesse at the first view looking upon this verse I thought I might quickly passe it over the rather because we had some such expressions in the former Chapter where God threatned that he would have no more mercy upon them But the Scripture is a vast depth and there are many excellent treasures in it there is alwayes aliquid revisentibus something for those that come to see again and looke again and this something will appeare to be much that we shall see out of these expressions further then before hath been observed And I will not have mercy This Particle And hath much in it it is a most terrible And. This conjunction many times in Scripture is as a pleonasme and doth not serve for much use but here in this place it is of great use and it is filled with terrour as full as it is possible for such a little particle to hold I know there may be many curiosities sometimes in observatious of particles of conjunctions but we shall not meddle with any curiosity but speake of that which is plain and the intention of the Holy Ghost here I say this And is a most dreadfull And marke the conjunction you had foure And 's before saith God I will strip her naked And set her as in the day wherein she was borne And make her as a wildernesse And set her as a dry Land And slay her with thirst Is not here enough Oh no there cometh a fifth And and that is more terrible then all the former foure And I will have uo more mercy upon her children This addeth terrour to all the rest Suppose that all the other foure had beene and if this had not come there had not beene such a grievous threatning If God had said I will strip her naked set her as in the day wherein she was borne and I will make her as a wildernesse and set her as a dry land and slay her with thirst yet if there might be mercy in all this their condition had not beene so miserable but saith God I will doe all these And I will have no more mercy upon them Oh this hath that terrour in it that it is impossible for the heart of a man that apprehends it to stand under it And for the opening of this I shall shew you how that all the former foure not only may stand with Gods mercy but they have stood with Gods mercy that God had heretofore shewed mercy to them when they were in such a low condition in which they were borne when they were in the wildernesse when they were in a dry Land yea when he did slay them he shewed mercy unto them But now he saith he will do thus and thus and shew no mercy unto them So that then though this And be conjunctive in Grammar yet here in Divnity it is a disjunctive and a most dreadfull disjunctive to part them and mercy a sunder yea and to part many of them and mercie eternally asunder To shew you therefore the soure former that though they were in such a condition heretofore yet God did shew them mercie now what a condition is that God will shew them no mercie As First In the day wherein they were borne that as you may remember I shewed you out of the 16. Ezek. what a low and pittifull condition the people of Israel were in they were cast out in the field they were in their blood and not washed and the like But mark in the 8. ver I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold the time was a time of love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakednesse yea I sware unto thee and entered into covenant with thee and thou becamest mine Here are the highest and the fullest expressions of Gods grace that could be First I looked upon her and then the time was a time of love and then I spread my skirt over thee and I entered into covenant with thee and thou becamist mine Here are all these expressions of mercy even at that time when they were cast out as forlorne in the open field and no eye pittâ—ed them but now they are threatned to be cast out into the open field againe and no eye to pittie them in heaven or in earth no nor the eye of God to pittie them now God threatneth to cast them off for ever so as he will see them in their blood but it shall be no more a time of love but a time of wrath and he will no more enter into covenant with them neither shall they be his 2. When God brought them into the wildernesse God there shewed them mercy for that you have a marvellousfull Text Deut. 32. 10. Hee found them in a desart land and in the wast howling wildernesse but mark he led them about he instructed them he kept them as the apple of his eye Though they were in a wast howling wildernesse yet they were as deare to God as the apple of his eye Yea further ver 11. As an eagie stirreeth up her nost fluttereth over her young spreadeth abroad her wings taketh them beareth them on her wings so the Lord alone did lead them It is the note of Paulus Fagius citing for it Rabbi Solomon upon this as the Eagle carries her young ones not as other birds for other birds it is observed carry their young ones in their claws the Eagle bears hers upon her wings and this is the reason that is observed because the Eagle is more tender of her young ones then other birds are why for other birds carrying their young ones in their claws if any shoot at them they hit the young ones and kill them first but may misse the old one but the Eagle carries hers upon her back upon her wings that whosoever shoots at her young ones they must shoot through her first So saith God I carried you in the wildernesse as the Eagle carries her
men from their sins God usually cometh with greater and sorer I see some of them will break through the hedge I will make a wall therefore that is I will come with stronger and greater afflictions and so keep them off Levit. 26. 18. If you will not for all this saith God turne unto mee I will punish you seven times more and I will breake the pride of your power you thinke there is a power in your hand and there is pride in your power for power raiseth the heart up to pride I will break it I will never leave till I have broke your hearts in spight of you and you shall find ein that Chapter four or five times mention of seven times more This is after the hedge then there cometh a wall And they shall not find their paths Hence God is able to strike men with blindness that they shall not see their way Though there be an evill way of mischief before them yet God knows how to strike them with blindness though there be nothing to hinder them in it God can strike men with blindness one way or other that they shall not bee able to see their way before them We have this this day exceedingly fulfilled in our eyes how doth God blind and befot our adversaries that they cannot see their way the truth of that Scripture Job 5. 13. is this day before our eyes He taketh the wise in their owne craft inesse and the counsel of the froward is carried head long How hath God taken wise men in their own craftinesse the counsell of froward men their spirits are froward because they are crost they are vexed their counsell is carried headlong God takes away their understanding and doth baffle them in their own counsels A notable Text we have in Psal 75. 6. The stout-hearted are spoiled they have slept their sleep and none of the men of might have found their hands They are cast into a slumber and know not what in the world to doe they know not how to make use of that power they have in their hands It followeth further in that Psalme At thy rebuke O God of Iacob both the charet and horse are cast into a dead sleep A strange expression that a Charet should be cast into a deepe sleepe the meaning is they can no more tell how to make use of them then if they all lay for dead or asleepe Let us not be afraid of the power of adversaries suppose they had power in their hand God can strike them with blindnesse they shall grope to find the door they shall be baffled in their own waies they shall not tell how to make use of their own power Isa 29. 14. Behold saith God I will proceed to doe a marvailous worke even a marvailous work and a wonder What is it The wisedome of their wise men shall perish the understanding of their prudent men shal be hid This is a wonderfull thing that God will doe yea and he will mingle a perverse spirit in the midst of them so you have it Isa 19. 11. Surely the Princes of Zoan are fooles the counsell of the wise counsellours of Phaâ—aoh is become bruitiâ— and verse 12. Where are they where are thy wise men And againe verse 13. The Princes of Zoan are become fooles the Princes of Noph are deceived and verse 14. The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit it in the midst therof they have caused Egypt to erre in his worke as a drunken man that staggereth in his vomit Here is the judgement of God upon Men when he list he can blind them in their way that they shall erre in their worke and they shall stagger in their own counsels and designes as a drunken man in his vorâ—it they shall not finde their paths they shall not know in the world what to doe VVell Thus God dealeth with wicked men But now let us consider this in reference to the Saints to Gods own people they shall not finde their paths then the Observation is It is a good blindnesse for men not to see the way of sinne It is promised here in a way of mercy that they shall not finde their paths this darkeness it is not the shadow of death but the way of life It is rich mercy I have read of one Maris a Bishop of Calcedon a blinde man to whom Julius the Apostate giving some opproptious words and calling him blinde foole because he had rebuked Julian for his Apostacy the good man answered thus I blesse God that I have not my sight to see such an ungracious face as thine So many may blesse God for their bodily blindnesse because it may be it hath prevented abundance of sinne that might have beene let in at the casements of their eyes But especially for blindnesse not to see the way of sinne if we may call that blindnesse It is a mercy that God doth not grant to all it is a singular mercy to the Saints For you shall finde there are abundance of people exceedingly quick-sighted in the way of sinne that can finde the path there and yet are exceedingly blinded in the way of God and cannot find the path there On the other side that Saints are blinded in the way of sinne but are quick-sighted in the wayes of God How many men are wise to do evill as the Scripture saith they are able to see into the depths of Satan they are profound to damn themselves they can finde out such objections against the 〈…〉 answer such things that are said against 〈…〉 devises contrivances how to get to their sinfull wayes but when they come to the wayes of God as blind as Moles they cannot see such necessity of such strictnesse they cannot understand men of great parts great Rabbies of great understanding otherwise they have no skill in the wayes of God I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth saith Christ that thou hast hid these things from the wise and learned and hast revealed them unto babes Whereas on the other side you shall find that the Saints are able when they come to Gods waies to see farre into the excellency and glory of them they have understanding there though they be but weake otherwise they can see into the great mysteries of God into the beauty of his wayes so that it dazeleth all the glory of the world in their eies they are not easily catched with temptations but can see into the subtilties of the devill that would draw them out of Gods waies but when they come to the wayes of sin there they want understanding and it is Gods mercy to them to doe so there they are but bunglers they do but grope as blinde men they are not their crafts masters they are not cunning artists in those waies but as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 1. 1â— Wee have not received the spirit af the world wee cannot shift for our selves as the men of the
the Lord himselfe that supplyeth all outward good to his people he doth not onely prize the soules of his people but hee takes care of their bodies too and outward estates Psalm 34. 20. He keepeth all his bones Yea he takes care of the very haire of their heads The bodies of the Saints are very precious in the eyes of God the most precious of all corporall things in the world The Sonne and Moone and Starres are not so precious as the bodyes of the Saints how much more precious are their soules VVe have an excellent note of Austin upon Psalm 63. 1. where the Text saith My soule thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee c. Upon this he hath this Note If the flesh hath any need of bread of wine of money or cattell seeke this of God for God giveth this too for marke Those who thirst for God must thirst for him every way not only their soules â—â—rst for him but their flesh must thirst for him for saith he did God make the soul and did the devills or any idols make the flesh No he that made both soule and flesh he feedeth them both therefore all Christians must say My soule longeth after thee and my flesh also If then we can trust God for our soules and our eternall estates that hee will provide for them we must trust him for our bodies also for our flesh for our temporall estates that he will provide for them also Secondly thus All that we have all our supply that we enjoy in this world it is the free gift of God They did not know that I gave them corne and wine c. All of us live upon the meere Almes of God the greatest man in the world is bound to goe to Gods gate and beg his bread every day though he were an Emperour over all the world hee must doe it to shew his dependance upon him that he lives wholly upon almes Men thinke it hard to live upon almes and because they have maintenance so much comming in by the yeare such an estate in land they thinke they are well provided for many yeers But what ever estate thou hast though by thy trading thou hast gotten so much by the yeare coming in yet God requireth this of thee to go to his gate beg thy bread of him every day so Christ teacheth Give us this day our dayly bread And certainly if we did but understand this our dependance upon God for all outward comforts in the world we could not but feare him and seeke to make peace with him and keepe peace with him and it would be a meanes that our hearts would be inlarged to give to others who need our almes and seeing every man and woman of us is an Almes-man and an Almes-woman Thirdly It is our duty that we owe to God to know and take notice of God as the author of all our good They know not that implyeth they ought to have knowne This is a speciall duty of that worship we owe to God it is the end of Gods communicating all good to us that he may have active glory from his rational creature as well as passive glory and there is no creature else in all the world that God hath made capable of knowing any thing of the first cause but only the rational creature therefore it is the excellency of such that they do not onely enjoy the good that they have but they are able to rise up to the highest and first cause of all their good There is a great deale of excellency in this It is observed of Doves that at every pick of corne they take in their bill they cast their eyes upward and in the Canticles you shall finde the eyes of the Church are called Doves eyes because they looke so much up to heaven upon every good they receive They have not dogs eies the men of the world have dogs eies dogs you know looke up to their Masters for a bone and when they have it they presently looke downe to the ground so the men of the world they will pray to God when they want but whâ—n they enjoy what they would have they look no more upward but all downward This taking notice of God to be the Author of all our good and to give him praise is all the rent we pay to God for what we enjoy therefore it is fit we should doe that and if we doe any thing for God be sure God takes notice of that to the uttermost yea though it be himselfe that enableth us to do it yea though it be but a little good mingled with a great deale of evill God takes notice of it and will reward it surely then we should take notice of the good that he giveth out to us This sweetneth our comforts to see that they all come from God and for that observe the difference betweene the expression of Jacobs blessing and Esaus blessing when Isaac came to blesse Jacob hee expresseth himselfe thus Gen. 27. 28. God give thee of the dew of heaven and of the fatnesse of the earth and plenty of corne and wine c. Now when he commeth to blesse Esau marke his expression then verse 39. Thy dwelling shall be the fatnesse of the earth and of the dew of heaven from above but hee never mentioneth God in that It is not Esaus blessing God give thee of the dew of heaven and of the fatnesse of the earth though it is true Isaac meant so but yet he doth not mention the name of God so in Esaus as in Iacobs blessing Certainly my brethren the seed of Jacob count their blessing to be a double a treble blessing that they can see God in it carnall hearts do not much regard God if they can have what they would have if they can have their flesh satisfied in what they desire from what hand it cometh that they doe not much care but a gracious heart a child of Jacob rejoyceth more in the hand from whence it commeth then in any good he can possibly enjoy Fourthly They did not know God doth a great deale of good in the world that is little taken notice of or laid to heart Many of Gods dispensations are invisible the Angels Ezek. 1. are described with their hands under their wings God doth great things somtime so invisibly as he cannot be seene And when he doth great things that we might see yet through onr neglect stupidity and drossinesse of our hearts we doe not see them The most observing eye that is in the world that takes the exactest notice of Gods mercy and hath the greatest skill to set forth the riches of Gods goodnesse to himselfe and others yet alas it is but very little that he takes notice of no not of that he might doe It is with the quickest sighted Christians as with a skilful Mathematician a skilfull Mathematician takes notice of and understands many parts of the world
I will sow thee there shall come a blessing upon thee and though thou beest scattered up and down in the earth yet in all places thou shalt be as seed from whence my Church shall spring Hence the notes are First that Gods people are the seed of the earth But of that before in the latter end of the first Chapter onely I will adde a note of Ribera about it The seed saith he lies under the clods and at length fructifies so should the Saints be content to lie under the clods and though they may seem in regard of their afflicted condition to be dead to be rotten yet they shall be glorious and fructifie afterward Before the time of the Churches glory times of great calamity and distresse come which this rotting of the seed before the fructifying sets out unto us Secondly every godly man should so live as either in life or death hee should be as a seed from whence many may spring he should be a meanes that many should be begotten to God It is reported of Cicilia in the history of the Church a poore Virgin that by her gracious behaviour in her mattyrdome she was the means of converting four hundred to Christ As in the Indies one corn bringeth forth divers hundreds so we should labour to convert as many as wee can that some that live after may continue to beare up the name of Christ and the profession of his truth Especially be carefull of your children leave them as seed to hold up the name of God in thy family when thou art dead and gone And further I will sow her to my selfe The Saints are sowen unto Christ they are seed for Christ therefore all their fruit must be given up unto Christ Christ must have all the fruit we bear who should have the fruit but he that soweth it Therefore Cant. 7. 13. All manner of pleasant fruits new old which I have laid up for thee O my beloved Are we able to bear any fruit Let us lay it up all for Jesus Christ for it is he that soweth us unto himselfe we must not sow to our selves not to the flesh for then wee shall reap corruption but all for Christ And I will shew mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy Divers things about Gods shewing mercy after rejection were spoken of in the first Chap. Only these notes for the present There are none so rejected as that they can conclude that they shall never have mercy those that have committed the sinne against the holy Ghost excepted though Israel had not obtained mercy though they were cast out yea cast out to the beasts to be devoured yea saith God I will shew mercy upon her 2. Children of wicked parents may at length obtain mercy from God Though Israel be cast off yet her children shall have mercy A comfort to us in regard of the Idolatry of our fore fathers yea a comfort in the regard of the children that are to come Our fore fathers have broken the Covenant why may not we obtaine mercy But suppose we should be the generation of Gods wrath and not obtaine mercy yet we may have hope that the posterity following shall have mercy Thirdly Mercy after it is thought to be past if then it come Oh it is sweet mercy indeed when she seemed to be utterly rejected then to have mercy shewed this is sweet Fourthly Mercy is the cause of all the good the Saints have One Scripture for it Psal 57. 3. Send from heaven saith David David was in the Cave in a poor condition hunted for his life persecuted by Saul I see little hope from earth saith he therefore O Lord send from heaven What shall God send Angels from heaven to deliver thee David No but mark what followeth God shal send forth his mercy his truth as if he should say Lord though I have no help in earth though I see no Angels from heaven to helpe me yet let me have thy mercy and truth and that is enough This satisfies a gracous heart if he may have Gods mercy and his truth that is Gods mercy revealed in a promise Lastly God hath a speciall day of mercy for his people for his Churches I will have mercy upon her that hath not obtained mercy Let us cry to God for the hastening of this day let us open the miseries of our own Kingdome and of Ireland Oh when shall this day come that thou wilt shew mercy to thy owne people which thou hast told us of Oh that that day may hasten Come Lord Jesus come quickly And I will say to them which were not my people This is that we had in the first Chapter onely with some differences there it is In the place where it was said yee are not my people And I shewed you when I opened that place both out of the Romanes and out of Peter how the Apostle makes use both of that in the first Chapter and this here in the second onely take a hint of the truths in it First God hath a special interest in his people they are his people they are called his peculiar people Tit. 2. 14. The word hath this emphasis in it God lookes upon all other things as accidents in comparison and his substance is his people they are his very portion as Deut. 33. 19. and Exod. 19. 5. they are his peculiar treasure above all people in the world and Esay 19. 25. Assyria the worke of my hands and Israel mine inheritance I have made all people but Israel is mine inheritance This is the happines of the Saints therefore they are not as other people are Num. 23. 9. This people shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned among the Nations this is a great ground of prayer Lord leave us not we are thy people called by thy name we have an interest in thee Againe This is an argument to walke so as God may not be dishonored by us for we are his people If those in a mans family walke disorderly it is a dishonour to the Master of the family it is no dishonour to him for a stranger or one who hath little reference to him to walke disorderly It is not so much dishonour to God for the wicked to walke disorderly as for the Saints in regard of their neerenesse to God And besides their light is as I told you three story high and if they sin they sin against a greater light then others doe their sin is greater then the sinne of the wicked in that regard Further I will say to them which were not my people thou art my people I will own them before all the world It is a great mercy for God to make it knowne to the world that his people are his people The world will not beleeve it they think they are a poor contemptible people but there shall come a day that I will make it knowne they are
neerly concerning us you see the scriptures were made for other times then for the times in which they were first revealed a most excellent place of Scripture you have for this Psal 21. 13. Be thou exalted O Lord in thine own strength so will we sing and praise thy power When God cometh in his own strength and not in the strength of the creature and by meanes then do the Saints sing and praise the power of God Dulcious ex ipso fonte wee use to say that which cometh imediately cometh exceeding sweetly Then the Saints may boast in God when God cometh immediately with his salvation so you have it Psal 44. 7. 8. Thou hast saved us from our enemies and hast put them to shame that hated us What followeth in God will we boast all the day long and praise thy name for ever So that the Saints of God then praise God nay they may lawfully give up themselves to boast when God works imediately When God works by means then they must take heed of ascribing to the means but when God cometh imediately then they may boast It is the blessednesse of Heaven that Gods mercy cometh imediately created mercies are the most perfect mercies Suppose God had bin with them by bow and by sword when Senacherib came against them could they have been saved as they were Gods hooke that he put in his nose and bridle that he put in his lipps for so God saith he would doe with him use him as a beast were better then their sword or bow Surely if ever any nation knew what it was to have imediate mercies come down from heaven England doth If ever Nation saw God exalting himselfe in his own power England hath we have lived and blessed be God we have lived to see the Lord exalting himselfe in his own power Oh let us cry out with the Psalmist and with that I shall end Be thou exalted O Lord in thy own strength amongst us so will we still and still and still sing and praise thy power The Fourth Lecture HOSEA 1. 8. c. 8. Now when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah shee coâ—ceived and bare a sonne 9. Then said God call his name Lyâ—ammi for you are not my people and I will not be your God 10. Yet the number of the children of Israel shal be as the sand of the sea which cannot be measured nor numbred c. THe last day was finished the signification of the name of the second childe of Hosea Lo-ruhamah We now come unto the weaning of it and the begetting of the third Lo-ammi When shee had weaned Loruhamah We doe not reade of the first child Jezreel that it was weaned but the second childe Loruhamah that was weaned before the third child Loammi was conceived What is the meaning of this There is much of Gods minde shewed unto us even in this very thing that we ordinarily let slip and passe over The reason is because this second childe Loruhamah was to signifie unto the people of Israel their carrying out of their own Countrey into captivity into Assyria It was to signifie to them that they should be weaned from the comforts and delights that there were in their owne Countrey they should be taken away from their milke and honey that they had there and be carryed into Assyria and be there fed with hard meate even with the water of affliction and the bread of affliction The first childe did but signifie their scattering especially in regard of their seditions amongst themselves But the second childe signified the carrying away all of them wholly into captivity from their own Land Therefore the second childe is weaned Cibis sustent abitur immundis So. Jerome hath it They should be carried amongst the Gentiles and be fed with unclean meat they should be deprived of prophesie and of the milke of the word and of the ordinances that they enjoyed So Vatablus Ordinances are as the breasts of consolation out of which the people of God suck soul-satisfying comforts So you have it Esay 66. 11. That you may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations that you may milke out and be delighted with the aboundance of her glory And Cant. 1. 4. We will remember thy loves more than wine The old latine hath it Wee will remember thy dugs above wine and so the words will beare These people should be deprived of those dugs and breasts out of which they had sucked much sweetnesse before even deprived of all comfort in God Gods people hang upon God and suck comfort from him even as the infant upon the mothers brest and sucks sweetnesse and comfort and nourishment from thence This expression then of weaning the childe implies these two things First That the enjoyment of the comforts of a sweet native soile specially where there are any ordinances together with it is a very great blessing of God and the being deprived of it is a great affliction yea to some it comes as a curse The very sucking of the ayr of a sweet native soile and especially such a comfortable soile as we have here in England is certainly a great blessing from the Lord. Those that have been deprived of it and banished away have been more sensible of it than any of you who alwayes have enjoyed it Many have laine sucking at the sweetnesse of this our English ayr and at the comforts that there have been in their accommodations so long till they have sucked in that which if Gods mercy had not prevented would have proved to have been poyson to them to have baned their soules But I speak not of all I make no question but there have beene many of Gods dear servants that have tarried in their native soile and kept the uprightnesse of their hearts and consciences as cleare as others that went away It is true the comforts of a native soile are sweet but except we may enjoy them with the breasts of these consolations or Ordinances of the Church they are notable to satisfie the soul yea except we may suck out such milke of these breasts as is sincere milke and not soiled nor sowred by the inventions of men better a great deale that we were weaned from all the sweetnesse and accommodation we have in our native soile by the mortifying of our affections to them then that God should weane us from them by sending of us into captivity or by giving the adversary power over us or by making the Land too hot for us But that for the first Again in that this childe was weaned and by the weaning was to signify their being carried away out of their own into a strange Countrey this expression implies thus much That it is an evil thing for a childe to be taken from the mothers brest too soone and sent away to be nursed by others The expression doth fully imply this for it is to tell us the evill condition of the people
otherwise our Governours had in their hands hearts to bring to passe As 2 Chron. 20. 33. it is cleere there Howbeit the high places were not taken away why For as yet the people had not prepared their hearts to seeke the God of their Fathers Why should they have pulled down the high places no but they should have beene in a preparation for the pulling of them downe Certainly this is the great cause why our high places are not pulled downe why Reformation hath gone on no better then it hath and why we have so much evil remaining amongst us because the people have not prepared their hearts they are not in a disposition to receive the mercie that our governours have hearts to bring unto us They have hearts to work for us but when we speake to them of what is fit to be done their answer is but is England in a fit disposition to receive such a thing as that is so that the truth is although you are ready to cry out of your Governours you say they have power in their hands why doe they not reforme things yet the guilt in great part devolves upon the people they are not in a fit dâ—sposition to receive such reformation therefore God threatneth the childâ—en the peoâ—le here Again further It may be it is from you that the Governours that are evil are so much incouraged and abetted in that which is evill though you doe it not yet you so much incourage them as the guilt redounds upon you Yea lastly If you do but obey them in any thing that is evill in doing of that the guilt devolveth upon you for you should not do it but rather obey God then man Many thinke to make this their plea they are commanded to doe thus and thus and Governours would have them doe it and it is Law and the like and they thinke upon this plea they may do any thing in the world This will not secure you God may come with judgement without mercie upon the children as well as upon the Mother And if Gods wrath should come in nationall judgements against England let the people know that they are like to smart most dreadfully for never was their a time in our dayes nor in our fore-fathers dayes that so much depended upon the people as at this day never were they called to that help as now they are called to at this day So that the people now may have reformation they may have blessings if it be not through their own default As Cant. 7. 1. The Church is there described in her beauty and it beginneth at her feete How beautifull are thy feete And Cant. 5. There Christ is described in his beauty and it beginneth at the head His head is as the most faire gold God sometimes makes use of the people to be great meanes and perhaps the beginning of means to bring beauty to the Church though they cannot perfect it Heretofore private persons could doe little Alas though they were under grievous oppressions they knew not now to help themselves Many men that had purses and strength and heads and hearts and all yet they knew not what to doe but to make their moane one to another and to heaven but now it is otherwise now you may do somewhat else besides making your moane one to another yea besides making your moaâ—e to heaven for you that have purses now you may see waies to employ them for the publique good for Religion for liberty you that have strength of body may know what to doe you that have head-pieces I mean parts you are called to help you may joyne together for God and the good of your Country you may do much more then heretofore could be done Wherefore now if you should desert the Cause of God and desert those that you have trusted you must expect the most dreadfull wrath of God and that without mercie even upon the people that ever was upon any nation since the beginning of the world for never any nation that we know of had more depending upon the people then there is at this day upon the people of England O consider of it and oh that all the people of the land did but know what God would have them to do in such a time as this Again I will not have mercy upon her children upon particular private persons in the society One note more upon that It is a dangeraus thing for men in any societie to do as the most doe If they be in a civill societie to give their votes and to do as the greater part doth if you be in a Church societie to do as the greater part doth without any examination of it this dangerous For though the greater part the communitie may doe that which is evil you shall not be excused by that for you to say why what could I help it whâ—n the most doth it God commeth upon private and particular men upon the children even every one of them And why For they are the children of whoredomes That is either passively or actively passively because they were begotten of whoredomes and brought up their education hath been in whoredome they have had it from their parents Or else they are the children of whoredomes actively they live in the same whoredomes their Mother did From hence First There is little hope of children brought up in wicked education who have wicked parents also If the dye have beene in the wooll it is hard to get out of the cloth If wickedness if evill principles have beene dropped into children there is little hope of them for good especially of those children that have been brought up in wayes of superstition and Idolatry their hearts being so soyled and defiled and hardned in superstitious and idolatrous wayes they seldome come to any good Therefore that which hath been mentioned is very good namely of wayes to take the children of Papists to bring them up in the education and knowledge of the truth Yet Secondly This shall not excuse children though they be the children of whoredomes It is no excuse for them to say they had it from their Parents and they did as their Parents have done and as they bade them and according as they brought them up No it excuseth not at all for the wrath of God commeth upon them that are the children of whoredomes Then what a mercie is it for us to be brought up in the truth to have Parents that doe professe the truth and for our education to bee in the way of truth It is a mercy that we do not consider of to give God the glory of it How dangerous is it to have superstitious Idolatrous Parents and to have such kind of education there is not one of ten thousand that altereth his religion If they have Turks or Jewes or Papists to their parents and such education it is not one of tenne thousand I say that altereth his religion
againe but grow exceeding wilfull in that wickedness You have a notable Text for that Jer. 44. 16. 17. the people say there The word that thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not heare but we well doe whatsoever commeth out of our own mouth to burn incense to the Queen of Heaven VVee will goe on in that way to burne Incense to the Queene of heaven talk as long as you will And so you have it Jerem. 20. 10. Goe saith God passe over the Isles of Chitrim and see and send unto Kedar and consider deligently and see of there be such athing Hath a nation changed their gods which yet are no gods Men are setled in the wayes of Idolatry and will never give over the worshipping of their gods but you have forsaken me therefore be astonished O ye heavens at this and be ye horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord. So Micah 4. 5. All people will walke every one in the name of his god Their hearts are set upon it they will doe it Spirituall whoredome doth mightily besot the heart I suppose you know the sext it is a very famous one Esay 44. 19. 20. None considereth in his heart neither is there knowledg nor understanding to say I have burnt part of iâ— in the fire yea also I have baked bread upon the coales thereof I have rosted flesh and eaten it and shall I make the residue thereof an abominaâ—â— shall I fall down to the stock of a tree He feedeth on ashes a seduced heart hath â—urned him aside that he cannot deliver his soul nor say Is there not a lie in my right hand And so Rev. 16. 11. where those that were given up to Antichrist though they were tormented they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores and they repented not of their deeds Thirdly wilfulnesse in any sinne but especially in these sinnes is a very great aggravation of it I will have no mercy upon them I will give them up why They have done shamefully and they have said I will goe after my lovers There are a great many who in their passion think it a brave spirit to say I will and I will and I will and I care not say what you can or whatsoever becommeth of it I will doe or I will have this and this Especially men in place and of estates are not able to endure the controlling of their will in any thing and therefore when their wills are but crost they burst out into outragious speeches and fall a blaspheeming and swearing and saying they will have their wills though it cost them their lives Thus we find it in the people of Israel 1 Sam. 8. 19 when Samuel from God came and told them in a long narration what hardship they should endure in having a King that was not them according to Gods minde they 〈◊〉 him all that he said and they doe not stand to answer any of Samuels arguments but presently they break out into this resolution Nay but we will have a King Those whom God leaveth to hardnesse of heart and intendeth ruine to he usually giveth them up to this wilfulnesse in their evill wayes The Scripture records Pharaoh for a famons example of one hardned and prepared for ruine He was of a most wilfull spirit Exod. 15. 9. you shall find his wilfulnesse expressed foure times there in that one verse I will pursue saith he and then again I will overtake and thirdly I will divide the spoile and then fourthly I will draw my sword and there are two other expressions that come to the same effect that are equivalent to the former even in the same verse My lust shall be satisfied my hand shall destroy them Put all these six expressions that you have in that one verse together and where have you such an expression of a wilfull creature as Pharaoh was and what became of him you all know Only one more example I find in Scripture paralleld to this and that is the King of Babylon Egypt and Babylon were two the most eminent for Idolatry and persecution of the Church that ever were in the world and these are the two most famous examples for wilfulnesse that ever were Esa 14. 13 14 you have in these two verses five times I will 1. I will ascend into heaven 2. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God 3. I will siâ— upon the mount 4. I will ascend above the heights 5. I will be like the most high And what became of him afterwards you all know yea the next woâ—ds tell you Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell c. These two little words I and Will doe a great deale of mischâ—efe in the world Luther I remember npon Psal 127. saith I am of that opinion saith he and verily perswaded Monarchies would longer time by farre endure if those that are high Monarchs and States would but omit this one Pronoun I this same Ego It is true in publique wayes they express themselves in the plurall number We but private resolutions are in the singular number I. This for that little word I. The second is Will I will that is a little word too But I may say of this little Will this little word as James saith concerning the Tongue It is indeed a little member in the body but it setteth the whole world on fire and it selfe is set on fire of hell So it is true that this same little Will it is but a little word but it setteth whole Kingdomes on fire it setteth whole Townes and Cities on fire and it is it selfe sâ—ton fire of hell Bernard hath an expression Take away Will once and there will be no hell O the mischiefe that it doth in the world I will only say these two things to those that keepe such ado with these two little words I Will. First That which thou dost so much pride thy selfe in and thinkest thy selfe such a man that canst say I will and I will know It may be as heavy a judgement of God upon thee as can befall thee in this world for God to give thee up to thy will There is nothing wherein God doth more let out his wrath upon the children of men here in this world then in this in giving them up to their will Therefore tremble at this when thou hast so many expressions I will and I will doe this I will give you a Scripture or two for it sutable to the businesse shevving the wilfulnesse of those that had their will in wayes of false worship perhaps some of you may be set upon this that you will have this and let men say what they can you will have this used The place is Ezek. 20. 39. Goe saith God serve yee every one his idols and hereafter also if you will not hearken unto me Goe saith hee you will not hearken to me you heare out of the word
in that place of Ezek. there be speaking of new Moons other Feasts yet it is to set out the condition and blessed estate of the times of the Gospel under those shadows types the Prophet speaking according to the Jewish language in that way This being granted let us compare the institution of the Feast of the new Moon In Num. 28. with what is laid in Ezek. 46. in Num. 28. they were to offer for a burnt offering two Bulloks one Ramme seven Lambs but in Ezek. 46. 6 In the daies of the new Moon there should be but one bullock six lambs God himself had said that in their new Moons they should offer two Bullocks seven Lambs yet when the Prophet would set out a more glorious condition of the church he saith they should not offer so much as they did before they should offer but one Bullock and six Lambs What are we taught from this We are taught by this two excellent lessons which are the reason of the difference First that there is such a blessed estate of the Gospel coming that shall not be subject to such changes as hath been heretofore but a more setled condition of peace and rest so that they shall not have such occasion to blesse God for his providence in the changes of times as before they had Their solemnity of the new Moon that is of doing that spirituall thing that was done in a ceremonious way that was to give God the glory for the change of times now in the times of the Gospel they shall not have so many Sacrifices to make it such a solemn business as it was then Why because the Church shall be in another condition of more rest safety and more constancy in their wayes not hurried up and down by mens humors and lusts and wills as before Secondly that the state of the Gospel shall not be so subject to danger neither as it was before there shall not be that occasion to blesse God for bringing of light presently after darkness for that is one end of the Feast of the new Moon that when they could not see the Moone a great while and it was darke as if that creature had been lost out of Heaven now they see it againe they were to blesse God for it But in the time of the Gospel that is comming there shall be no such darknesse this time is not yet come we yet had need to have our seven lambs and two bullocks for we have much darkness those places in Ezek aime at some speciall time more then other there is a glorious time of the state of the Church when there shall not be such occasion of blessing God for delivering us from darknesse as there hath beene The Ninth Lecture HOSEA 2. 11. I will cause all her mirth to cease her feast dayes her new moones and her sabbaths and all her solemne feasts OF the Jewish new moons the last day God threatens likewise to take away her Sabbaths Sabbaths Plutarch thought that the Sabbath of the Jews was from Sabbos a name of Bacchus that signifies to live jocundly and bravely and merrily Indeed the Sabbaths that many keep have such a derivation their Sabbaths are sabbaths of Bacchus to be merry and to eate and drinke and play is the end of all their Sabbaths But the word hath a better root God would have us upon the Sabbath rest from all other works that we may be free to converse with him therefore it is so much the more inexcusable if when we have nothing else to doe we shall deny to converse with God as he requireth of us If a friend should come to your house to converse with you and he should know you have no businesse to take you up yet you will scarce see him or spend a little time with him will hee not take it ill If indeed you could have such an excuse that your businesse is extraordinary though your time be lesse you spend with him it would not be so ill taken but when he knows you have nothing to do and yet you deny time to converse with him will not this be taken for a slighting him Thus you deale with God Had you indeed great occasions and businesses to doe upon that day though you did not so converse with God in holy duties it were another matter God might accept of mercy rather then sacrifice But when hee shall appoint you a day to rest wherein you have nothing to doe but to converse with him yet then to deny it this is a sleighting of the Majesty of God Now the Jews had diverse Sabbaths amongst others these were principall ones The Sabbaths of dayes and the Sabbaths of yeers The Sabbath of dayes every seventh day they had a Sabbath and it was kept unto the Lord. Now this Feast of theirs had so me what in it Memorative somewhat Significative and somewhat Figurative It was a Memorial a Signe and a Figure A Memoriall of two things 1. Of the works of Gods Creation After God had finished his works of Creation then he rested and sanctified the seventh day and Psalm 92. being appointed for the Sabbath the Argument of it is the celebrating the Memoriall of Gods great works 2. Of the deliverance out of Egypt in remembrance of the rest that God did give them from their bondage So you have it Deut 5. 15. Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched-out arme Therefore he commanded thee to keepe the Sabbath day Secondly it was Significative a Signe Exod 31. 17. It is a signe betweene me and the children of Israel for ever And verse 13. It is a signe betweeue me you that I an the Lord that doe sanctifie you God made it a signe that as this day was by his command to be sanctified set apart from other dayes so God had set apart this nation of the Jewes from other nations Thirdly It was Figurative it did figure out or typific the rest that did remaine for the people of God Heb. 4. There remaineth a rest to the people of God both here in the time of the Gospel and in heaven eternally Now we are to know there was some speciality in this day of rest in this sabbath of the Jews more then in any other sabbath As First in the Antiquity of it It was the most ancient of all the dayes set apart for an holy use being from the time of the Creation Secondly it was written with Gods owne finger in the Tables Thirdly God rained no Manna upon this day and that even before the Law was given in Mount Sinai for the honour of this day 4. The whole weeke doth take denomination from the Sabbath Luke 18. 12. I fast twice in the weeke twice a Sabbath so the words are in the Greek So Marke 16. 2. The first day of the
as if he should say thus O Lord thou hast indeed granted unto us a great mercy in delivering us out of Egypt but herein we prize thy mercie that it is in order to the bringing us to thy habitation and it will bring us at length to the mountain of thy holinesse it is not so much that were are delivered from bondage as that wee expect to bee brought to thy holy habitation Now saith the Lord you shall sing as you did then look what causes you had then to sing you shall have the same causes to sing again when I am reconciled to you The last thing for the explication is when this was fulfilled or to what time this is to be referred There are four times that this prophesie aims at and refers unto First It began in some degree to be fulfilled at their returne out of their captivity from Babylon though it is true few of the ten tribes returned yet it is clear in Scripture that many of them did then return and had the beginning of this mercy and there was joy and singing Isa 12. the whole chap. is a song blessing God for their return from the captivity Jehovah is my strength and my song he also is become my salvation c. 2. This prophecie aims at spiritual Israel so in Rom. 9. it is applied to the calling of Jew Gentile together when the Gospel was first preached Jewes and Gentiles being called home became the spiritual Israel of God then there was singing Rom. 15. 20. Again he saith rejoyce ye Gentiles with his people The third time that it refers unto is the delivery of Gods people from under the tiranny of Antichrist typified by the tiranay of the Egyptians for that the former place is very full Rev. 15. 2. there you shall observe Those that had gotten the victory over the beast and over his image and over his marke and over the number of his name stood upon a sea of glass mingled with fire having the harps of God in their hands and they sang the song of Moses the song of the Lamb saying Great marvellous are thy works Lord God almighty just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints c. In this song which I make no question but this Scripture hath reference unto there are divers things observable To take them up briefly by the way 1. That they that sung were those that had gotten victory over the beast over his image and over his mark that is a full victory not only abominating Antichrist himself but any image any character of him any thing whereby they might seem to allow of him to be owned by him 2. They stood upon a sea of glasse mingled with fire The sea of glasse I find interpreted Christian doctrine so called for the clearness of it though not so clear as afterward it should be for there is some darknes even in glass but clear in comparison of what it was before for 2 K. 25. 13. The sea was of brasse which is far thicker and darker But there was fire mingled with this sea of glass that is though they had a clearer doctrine then before yet there were many contentions in the Church through many different opinions and much division there was even amongst the godly It was a sadde condition indeed yet it is ordinary especially when Doctrines come to be first cleared to have great contentions grow in the Church among godly men It is no wonder though good men should be of different opinions yea and have some heat of spirit one against another when the light first breaks forth When men are in the dark they sit together and walk not at such a distance but when light comes it cannot be expected but there will be differences But yet mark the godly then they did not reject the doctrine because there was fire mingled with it because there was heate of contention but the Text saith they were there with their harps in their hands they were professing this doctrine and rejoycing that ever they lived to that time to have the Gospel so clearly revealed unto them And they sang the song of Moses and not only of Moses but the song of the Lamb too What was that First great and marvellous are thy works in that we see we are delivered from Antichristian bondage as the people of Israel were delivered from Egyptian bondage with a mighty hand of thine Oh it is a marvellous worke of God that wee are thus at liberty Therefore know this that whensoever the Church shall be delivered from Antichristian bondage it shall be a marvellous work of God therefore we may not be discouraged because wee meet with some difficulties by the way for wee shal never be delivered but so as it shal appear to be a wonder if we should be delivered without difficulties we should not see the marvellousness of the worke Further Iust and true are thy wayes God in that deliverance will shew the fulfilling of all his promises and he will fully satisfie the hearts of his people who have been a long time seeking him and suffering for him Whereas the adversaries because God did forbear a while in his patience and let them prosper thought there was no God in heaven that looked upon them they scorned at the fastings and prayers and faith of the Saints But though the hearts of the Saints were ready to faile yet at last they shall say Iust true are thy wayes Lord we now see all thy good word fulfilled all thy promises made good now we see it is not in vaine to seek thee it is not in vain to wait upon thee for just and true are thy wayes O thou King of Saints God will appear then to be a King of Saints He is indeed the King of the world now and the King of his Saints but he doth not appear so clearly the kingdome of Jesus Christ as King of Saints hath been much darkned in the world We have some what indeed of the Priestly and Propheticall office of Christ made known to us but very little of his kingly office but when God shall fully deliver his people then they shall magnifie Jesus Christ as the king of Saints in an especiall manner Lastly they shall say Who will not feare thee thou King of Nations As if they should say wee see now it is good to feare God wee see now God hath made a difference between him that feareth him and him that feareth him not The Angel that John saw Apoc. 14. 6 7. Flying in heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach cryes with a loud voyce Feare God and give glory to him The feare of God will be mighty upon the hearts of the Saints in those times This shall be the song of Moses that this Scripture aymeth at they shall thus sing as they did in the dayes of their youth when they came up out of the land of Egypt yea and the truth is their song
gone and I have cause to fear lest he should reject me but become of mee what wil yet I wil never have any other husband never any other comfort but God comfort no other peace but the peace of God and I am resolved that if I 〈◊〉 I wil perish crying for it if thou beest in this frame waiting for GOD GOD is waiting for thee in wayâ—â— of his mercy and at 〈…〉 bowels of GODS mercy will yerne towards that as the bowels of Joseph yerned towards his brethren so that he could hold no longer You know Joseph for a long time used his brethren hardly but his brethren yet behaved themseves humbly and submissively toward him and at length he could not refraine so it may be God useth thee some what hardly for a while yet do thou keep in an humble and submissive frame of spirit unto him do that which beseemeth a creature to do whatsoever God doth to thee it is fit God should exercise his absolute power over me and that I should do my duty to him do this and be sure thou art a soul that God will marry himself unto in the end Fourthly So farre as we are willing to be for God God is willing to be for us God requires that you should seek him with your whole heart Jer. 29. 13. Mark how God answereth I will rejoyce over them to doe them good yea I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soule Will you seeke God with your whole heart I will do you good saith God with my whole heart God is as willing to doe for you as you are to do for him if all the faculties of your souls work toward God all the attributes in God shall worke for your good If thy estate be wholly given up for God Gods riches shall be wholly for thee VVouldest thou know how Gods heart works toward thee do but lay thine hand upon thy own heart according to the beatings of thine heart towards God so are the workings of the heart of God toward thee thou mayest determine it thus thou canst not goe up to heaven to know it but go into thine owne heart and there thou mayest know As a man may know by the working of an engine within how the workings are abroad That is the reason that the Saints when they have had their hearts enlarged in prayer they have come to be resolved what God will do for them or for his Church as it is said of Luther when he was in prayer one time more then ordinarily earnest with God he comes down to his frinds and saith well it shall goe well with Germany all my dayes look ye to it afterward he knew what was done in heaven by what was done in his own heart We may know in a great measure what God meaneth to doe with his Churches according to the inward beatings of our own hearts Further See here the happy advantage of the Saints beyond the men of the world thus Be you for me saith God I will be for you The men of the world can say I am for the world the world is for me I am for my honour and my honor is for me I am for my whore and my whore is for me this is all their happines but now a Saint can say I am for God and God is for me Oh the goodness of God toward us that he is willing to be for us as we are for him for him alas what can we be for him we are poor worms vile creatures in our selves what can we do he hath no need of us we are bound to do all that we do It is all one as if a king should come to a poor beggar say thus poor man thou hast but little yet do what you can for me I will do what I can for you this were a mighty disproportion Alas what can the beggar do for the King If you will but use your staffe or what you have for me I will use my riches glory and all for your good saith the King to the beggar So saith God to a poore creature Be you for me and I will be for you stand for me and I will stand for you use any thing you have forme and I will use what I have for you Oh the blessed condition of the Saints who would not be for God Do not now say alas I am a poore vile and unworthy creature so were the Jews do not say I am gone a whoring from God and dealt falsely with him the Jews did so yet saith God whensoever you will be for me I will be for you It is now the great question amongst us who are you for I will put the question to you all who are you for Are your hearts wholly given up to God or are you for your lusts for the creature certainly the creature will deceive you ere long you will have no good from the creature that now you are so much for if you be not for God now hee will send you to the creature in the time of your distresse There is a time comming that every one of us shall see the need we have that God be for us let us be for God now that God may be for us then when we come to cry to him and say Oh Lord let thy mercy and goodnesse be for us he will say who were you for you were for your lusts now goe to your lusts you would have none of me before I will have none of you now Pro. 1. 26. 27. You would have none of my reproofe I also will laugh at your calamity and mock when your feare commeth Marke They would have none of Gods reproofe hee doth not say they would have none of my mercy they would have none of my grace therefore I will laugh at their destruction but they would have none of my reproofe why the reproofes of God are the bitterest the harshest things of all yet because they would have none of Gods reproofes he laughes at their destruction What shall become of them then who will have none of the riches of Gods grace offered to them in Christ The Second Lecture HOSEA 3. 4. 5. For the children of Israel shal abide many dayes without a King and without a Prince and without a sacrifice and without an image and without an Ephod and without a Teraphim Afterward shall the children of Israel returne and seek the Lord their God HEre is much privation six withouts 1. without a King 2. without a Prince 3. without a sacrifice 4. without an image 5. without an Ephod 6. without a Teraphim but the last verse makes all up They shall return and seeke the Lord their God and David their King These withouts shew the wofull confused estate that Israel was to be in for many dayes many years both in regard of their Civill and of their Church state The Civill State without a
hee would not take such an unlawfull course then but he searched to see whatsin was amongst the people that caused God to refuse to give him an answer so you have it in the case of Jonathan 1 Sam. 14. 33. when he took the honey he enquired of God and God answered not and Saul said draw neere and see wherein this sin hath beene this day But afterward he grew to a greate◠height of evill when he was in a strait and God answered him not presently he goeth to the witch but it was when he was near destruction The note from thence is VVicked men neare destruction as Saul was finding things in a confusion and God not shewing them what is to be done presently are in a rage against God then they frer and seeke after unlawfull means to help them The Lord forbid that this should b◠our condition Let not us say things are now in such a confusion that we know not how to find out the mind of God we consult with Ministers and they know not what to say they have cast out such a government and they know not what to bring in and therefore it were better we were as before If this should be our teasoning it is a signe we are like Saul nigh to destruction Let us be content to wayte they shall be many dayes without a King c. and then they shal return this shall be the fruite of being without a King and Prince Ephod and Sacrifice not vexing and raging but returning to God and repenting It things be worse we be brought into greater straits then ever we thought of let us not murmur but let us repent Every one is complaining but who is repenting If there were as much repenting as there is murmuring then we should soone know the minde of God Then they shall returne Here is the use of sanctified affliction it is to cause returning to God Jerome expresses the life of an impenitent sinner by a line stretched out he goes saith he from the center in a right line and so goes in infinitum from it but a penitent sinner is like a line bent and turning back to the center though by sin he goes from it yet by repentance he turnes to it again they are gone from me a great way saith God but I will give them a turne they shal bend back again and return to me They shall returne Repentance is set out by this vvord to note the folly of sinne In sin thou goest out of the way and the truth is though you thinke you choose a good way for your self yet you must either come back again or perish It is just like a man travelling in a rode and he sees a dirty lane before him which he is told is the way he must goe there but on the other side of the hedg he seeth a green and pleasant vvay and he gets over into that way and so perhaps rides on a mile or two at length he is compast about with ditches and rivers so that he must either return back or else lie there starve he returnes back with shame and if any one that before told him of the other way see him he tells him now of his folly I told you that the other was the way and that if you went over the hedge you must come back again So it is with sinners there are wayes of God that go directly to heaven but because those wayes are rugged and they meet with trouble and persecution in them they see by-ways that leade to hell that are more plaine smooth they get over they will transgresse for that is the word for sinne they are got over now they are merry sriske up and down for a while in this fine way but friend you must come backe again and if ever you mean to be saved you must goe in the way that you have refused Further they shal return and seeke the Lord their God Here is an encouragement for old sinners The Jews have been above 1600. years in this wofull condition for saking God but in their latter dayes they shall returne and seeke the Lord and God shall be mercifull to them Hast thou been forty fifty sixty years going from God there is hope for thy soul Oh returne return you old sinners But further 〈◊〉 shall return to Jehovah and seeke him Jer. 4. 1. If thou wilt returne O Israel saith the Lord return unto me They shal not return from one false way of worship to another but from the false way to the true they shall return to God It is that we had now need look unto We must not think it enough to cast one false way of government out of the Church and turn to another though not so ill yet not Gods if out of any politicke pretence we reject the way of God it will prove a sore evil unto us it is one thing not to be able to bring in the way of Christ and another to reject it They shall seek Jehovah not their Idols but God himself The word signifies conatu ac studio quaerere to seek with endeavouring with study rather then meerly to ask and enquire they shall be studious in asking after God They shall seek the Lord that is First They shall seeke his face and favour for the pardon of all their evill wayes they shall come and acknowledge their false wayes and their doings which have not been good and seek mercy for pardon Secondly They shall seek the Lord that is they shall seeke the true worship of the Lord. Calvin in a Sermon upon that place Seeke ye my face interprets it to be seeking the Ordinances of God the true worship of God so Psal 105. 4. Seeke the Lord his strength what is meant by the strength of God there It is the Arke for that Psalme was made at the bringing in of the Arke into the place that David had prepared as you may see by comparing that Psalme with the 1 Chron 16. the Arke of God is called the strength of God Psal 78. 61. He gave his strength into captivity Surely if the true worship of God be the strength of God it is our strength too a people are then strong when they entertaine the Arke of God the true worship of God and then indeed we seeke God aright when we seeke to know the way of his worship Lastly They shal seek the Lord that is they shall seeke to know his will in all their wayes and to do it It is not enough for them to be content to do just that which shall be put upon them but they shall seek to know what his minde his worship is Some yeeld thus far to God if any come to them and convince them that this is to be done then they will do it they dare not then but yeeld to it but when the heart is in a true repenting frame it is then in a seeking
through those Meatus terra that they speake of Thus they are deluded in their conceits But yet more generally In that place Whereas the place of my people was confined into a little and narrow roome hereafter it shall be inlarged and even among the Gentiles that shal be made spiritual Israel where I was not known among the Heathen even there shall I come to be known and I shall have a people there and not only people but sons the sons of the living God and that so apparently that it shall be said unto them Yee are the sonnes of the living God Thus Saint Peter seems to interpret this place in the 1 Pet. 2. 10. speaking of the Gentiles whom God would have a people among them saith the Apostle Which in times past were not a people but are now the people of God Generally Interpreters doe conclude that the Apostle had reference to this very place in Hosea And so we may build then upon this interpretation howsoever that it is the intention of the Spirit of God that God would call home the Gentiles to himself so they that were no people should become his people his sons It should be said in that place where before it was said that they knew him not that now they are his sons Yea the Heathen shal be brought in so as they shall be convinced of the vanity of their Idolatry We worshipped dead stocks our gods were dead stones stocks that we were vassals unto but now we see a people that is come in to the profession of this Christian Religion they worship the living God their God is the true God certainely here are the sons of the living God This is the scope of the holy Ghost For observation 1. It is a comfortable thing to consider that in those places where God hath not been known worshipped that afterward in those places God should be known worshipped That such nations such Countreys and Towns that have lived in darkness Idolatry should now have the knowledge of the true God that the true God should come to be worshipped amongst them this is a blessed thing England was once one of the most barbarons nations in the world and in that place where it was said you are not my people where there was nothing but a company of savage barbarous creatures that worshipped the Devill how in this place in England is it said even by the nations round about us surely they are the sonnes of the living God! And so many times in dark corners in the Countrey where they never had the knowledge of Jesus Christ but were nuzled up in Popery and in all kinde of supesticious vanity God is pleased to send some faithful Minister to carry the light of the knowledge of Christ unto them and efficaciously to work faith in their hearts and now oh what an alteration is there in that towne the like of a family It may be said of many a house and family in which nothing but blasphemy and atheisme and scorne of Religion and uncleannesse and all manner of wickednesse hath been now it is a family filled with the servants and sonnes of the living God As it is a grievous thing to think of a place wherein God hath been truely worshipped that afterward the Devil should come to be served there so it is a comfortable thing to think of other places wherein the Devil hath beene served that God is truly worshipped there Some stories report that the Turkes having possession of the Temple at Jerusalem there where was the Arke and the Cherubins and the Seraphims there now are Tygres and Beares and savage creatures But on the other side to consider that in places where there have been none but Tygres and Bears and savage creatures they should now be filled with Cherubins and Seraphims this is a comfortable thing Secondly It shall be said they are the sonnes of the living God It shall be said so God hath a time to convince the world of the excellency of his Saints They shall not onely be the sonnes of the living God but it shall come to passe that it shall be said they are the sonnes of the living God all about them shall see such a lustre of the glory of God shining upon them that they shall all say Verily whatsoever other people have said hertofore whatsoever the thoughts of men have beene these are not onely the servants but the sonnes of the living God We have an excellent prophefie of this in Zachar. 12. 5. The governours of Iudah shal say in their heart The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God Not onely the people shall be convinced of this but the Governours of Judah they shall say in their hearts our strength is in the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the Lord of Hosts their God Howsoever they were heretofore scandalized as seditious and factious and as enemies of the State yet now the Governours of Judah shall acknowledge that their strength is in them and in the Lord their God that this Lord of Hosts is their God That time will be a blessed time when the Governours of Judah shall come to be convinced of this when God shall so manifest the excellencies of his Saints as that both great and smal shall confesse them to be the sonnes of the living God It is promised to the Church of Philadelphia Revel 3. 9. that the Lord would make them that said they were Jews and were not said they were the Church and were not but were of the Synagogue of Satan to come and how before their feete and to know saith he that I have loved them There is a time that ungodly men shall be forced to know that God doth love his people And one thing amongst the rest that will much convince the men of the world of the excellency of the Saints will be the beauty of Gods ordinances that shall be set up amongst them that shall even dazel the eyes of the beholders For this you have an excellent promise Ezek. 37. 28. The heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctifie Israel How shall they know it when my sanctuary shall be in the middest of them for evermore then they shall know that I the Lord do sanctifie Israel when the beauty of my ordinances shall appeare in them then they shall know it And if God be not onely satisfied in doing good to his people but hee will have the world know it and be convinced of it Let the people of God then not be satisfied onely in having their hearts upon God but let the world know that they love God too You must do that that may make it appeare to all the world that you are the children of the living God Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good works may glorifie your Father which is in heaven It is one thing to do a thing that may
be seene and another thing to do a thing that it may be seen And yet Gods people may do both not do good onely that may be seen but if they keepe still the glory of God above in their eye as the highest ayme they may desire and be willing too that it may be seene to the praise of God But this I confesse requireth some strength of grace to do it and yet to keep the heart upright The excellency of grace doth consist not in casting off the outward comforts of the world but to know how to enjoy them and to over-rule them unto God so the strength of grace doth consist not in forbearing of such actions as are taken notice of by men or not to dare to ayme at the publishing of those things that have excellency in them but the strength of grace consists in this in having the heart enabled to do this and yet to keepe it under too and to keep God above in his right place Thirdly It shall be said they are sonnes c. It is a great blessing unto Gods children that they shall be accounted so before others Not onely that they shall be so but that they shall be accounted so Blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God This is a blessing not onely to be Gods children but to be called Gods children We must account it so and therefore we must walk so as may convince all with whom we do converse that we are the children of God and not thinke this sufficient well let me approve my heart to God and then what need I care what all the World thinks of me God doth promise it as a blessing to have his people called the children of God then this must not be slighted You shall find it often in the Gospel that Christ made a great businesse of this to make it manifest to the world that he was sent of God he would have them to know that his Father sent him and that hee came from him So the people of God should count it a blessing and walk so as they may obtaine such a blessing that the world may know that they are of God Further. In the place where it was said unto them Ye are not my people there it shall be said unto them Ye are the sonnes of the living God Marke It is not said thus that in the place where it was said they are not my people it shall be said to them they are my people No but further it shall be said they are sonnes and sonnes of the living God this goeth beyond being his people Hence then the observation is That The grace of God under the Gospell it is morefull and large and glorious then the grace of God under the Law For this is spoke of the estate of the Church under the Gospell They were Gods people indeed under the Law but the sonnes of the living God this is reserved for the times under the Gospel Sometime they under the Law are called by the name of sonnes but it appeareth by this Text that in comparison of that glorious son-ship that they shall have under the times of the Gospell that they in former times were rather servants then sonnes There is very little of our adoption in Christ revealed in the Old Testament No that was reserved for the Sonne of God to reveale for him that came out of the bosome of the Father and brought the treasures of his Fathers councel to the world the revelation of these things were reserved to the time of his comming both adoption and eternal life was very little made knowne in the time of the Law therefore Saint Paul saith that life and immortality were brought to light through the Gospel 2 Tim. 1. 10. 2. Sonnes Because in the time of the Gospell the spirits of the Saints are of son-like dispositions they are ingenuous not mercenarie In the time of the Law God carried on his people in offering rewards especially in outward things but in the time of the Gospell we have no such rewards in outwards but the Scripture speakes of afflictions most there is not spoken so much of afflictions in the time of the Law but much outward prosperity there was then but in the time of the Gospel more affliction because the dispositions of the hearts of people should not be so mercenary as they were before they should be an ingenuous a willing people in the day of Christs power 3. Sonnes Because of the son-like affection to be much for God their Father out of a naturall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they should have more then in the times of the Law I suppose some of you have heard of the story of Craesus his sonne though he was dumb all his dayes when he perceived a souldier striking his father his affection brake the barres of his speech and he cryed out to the Souldier to spare his rather This is the affection of a sonne and these affections doth God looke for from his children especially in the time of the Gospel that they should heare no wrong done to him but though they could never speake in their own cause yet their should be sure to speake in their Fathers cause 4. Sonnes Because they have not such a spirit of servility upon them as they had in the time of the Law Christ is come to redeem us that we might serve the Lord in holinesse and righteousnesse before him without feare all the dayes of our life to take away the spirit of feare Hence the Apostle saith We have not received the spirit of feare but of love and of a sound minde And Heb. 2. 15. Christ is come to redeem those who through feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage The spirit of a sonne is not be spirit of feare We have not received the spirit of bondage to feare again but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father It is unbeseeming the children of God especially in the time of the Gospel to be of such servile spirits as to feare every little danger to be distracted with fear and presently to be amazed Hath not God revealed himselfe to us as a Father to his children that we must not feare He would not have us feare himselfe not with a servile sear as men do and therefore surely not to fear men be they what they will be We are sons Again Not only sons for so we might find in Scripture where the people of God under the Law perhaps are sometimes called so but elder sons sons come to yeares It is true they were before us and so in that respect we are not elder bnt sons that are come to our inheritance that is it I mean that we are such sons Not children under tutorage not under School-masters and governours as they were in the time under the Law You know what comparison the Scripture makes of the difference betweene