they would willingly be rid of you and think it would be better with the land when you are gone and they say Let the Lord be glorified they have pretences that they desire nothing but the peace of the Church and the glory of God they say even your brethren that cast you out they say Let the Lord be glorified but God shall appear for your glory and for their shame the Lord will honor you in that way of his Worship that you take up which is according to his Word though you suffer for the present much ignominie and contempt for it and though they may ruff it out for a while and seem to carry al before them having that which is countenanced more publickly but the Lord will appear at length to their shame the Lord will make them ashamed of their sacrifices Causes of shame There are four things that principally cause shame First Disrespect from those we desire honor from that is shame When one comes to any to a superior and expects respect from him and finds that he is cast out this is a great shame So they shall be ashamed of their sacrifices they make account that I should honor their sacrifices that they should have honor from me by reason of their sacrifices but I will cast shame upon them they shall have nothing but arguments of disrespect from me In 1 King 2.16 when Bathsheba came to Solomon to ask a Petition of him deny me not saith she the old Latine hath it Ne confundas faciem meam do not confound my face do not make me ashamed the Hebrew is Ne avertere faciem meam do not cause my face to be turned that is do not make me ashamed by giving me such disrespect when I expect such honor from thee When God doth cast off the sacrifices of men and shews disrespect unto them that causeth shame it doth confound or should confound their faces Secondly When a man takes a great deal of pains and it comes all to nothing that causeth shame and so all superstitious waies will bring shame at last In Colos 2. it is said of all superstitious ceremonies that they perish in the use of them there comes no good of them Idolaters take a great deal of paint in their waies of false worship but all will come to nothing when they shall stand in most need all their waies of superstition and Idolatry will leave them shiftless and succourless and helpless and so cast shame upon them Thirdly Disappointment of hope brings shame Psal 119.116 Let me not be ashamed of my hope saith David If I hope for good and be disappointed this will bring shame Divers Scriptures we have to shew this So when those that are superstitious and Idolatrous shall raise up their hearts with great expectation of good from God in their waies of false worship and shall be disappointed of all their hope in this God will cast shame upon them Fourthly When God discovers that to be worthless and vile which a man hath gloried most in that causeth shame So Idolaters that glorie in their Idolatrous waies the Lord in time will discover them to be base and vile and worthless things for indeed they are all but poor apish and beggarlie things and they ate fitter to please children than God God will discover this If it be objected Object Oh but they seem not to be such poor and weak things they seem to be more glorious and pompous a great deal than the waies of the true worshipers of God The true worship of God in it self seems to be a poor and mean thing The answer is Answ That the institution putteth a glory upon the waies of worship now they not having an institution upon them they are looked upon as apish and foolish and beggarlie things And then a word of promise and an engagement of Gods presence in his Ordinances puts an honor upon them which the waies of superstition have not Use Admonitions to the defiled with superstitious worship to take shame to themselves It is good for those who have been guilty in this kind of superstitious waies of worship even to prevent God by casting shame upon themselves for if they do not God will cast shame upon them he will make them to be ashamed That is our best way to come in and to prevent God and to lie down in our shame to take shame unto our own souls to lie down therein God knows how we have defiled our selves even all of us in waies of superstitious worship and the truth is God is casting shame upon all those waies at this day and doth cast shame upon them Happie are those that before these times did take shame to their own souls for all their defilements in the waies of false worship Howsoever before God doth yet further force it upon us it will be our wisdom to take shame to ourselves Ezek. 43.11 that text is a famous text for this purpose first in the tenth verse Shew them the bouse that they may be ashamed shew them the true way of my worship that they may be ashamed The truth is if we did but understand the beauty the excellency the true beauty of holiness in the waies of Gods Ordinances in the purity and simplicitie of the Gospel that were enough to make us ashamed if there were nothing else we would even be very vile in our own eyes to think that while our hearts have been taken up about such vain and vile waies of false worship that such glorious Ordinances of God that beauty of holiness that is in his Ordinances hath been neglected by us shew them the way of my house that they may be ashamed But further in the 11. vers If they be ashamed of all that they have done shew them the form of the house and the fashion thereof and the goings out thereof and the comings in thereof and all the forms thereof and all the Ordinances thereof and all the forms thereof again and all the Laws thereof and write it in their sight that they may keep the whol form thereâ—f and all the Ordinances thereof and do them First shew them my house Ezek. 33.10 11. opened Let them have some kind of knowledg of my waies and Ordinances in the general perhaps that will make them ashamed And at this day we know though there be but a little light let out unto us to shew us a little more of the waies of Gods worship than we saw before we do begin to be ashamed of what we have done Note But now if indeed we be throughly ashamed before God of all our false waies of worship of all our sacrifices then mark what a promise here is then saith the text if they be ashamed of what they have done then shew them the forms of the house and the fashion of the house c. Note Thus here is one word heaped upon another to shew that this is the mercy
shame when he doth apparantly deny them success and that when they have most outward advantages for success The Saints shame is turned into glory but the wickeds glory is turned into shame When the Saints suffer any shame for God they can glory the Apostles they account it their honor they rejoyce that they were worthy to suffer that they had the honor to suffer dishonor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the words in the propriety of them signifie they gloried that they bore about them the marks of the Lord Jesus Thus what the world accounts their shame is their glory Act. 5.41 and that which the world judgeth to be their glory is their shame But it is especially meant of the Priests for so the Prophet is speaking of them God will turn their glory into shame The Priests though they did reject the knowledg of God and their duty they never regarded to do that wherein the true glory of their office was That blessed knowledg of God that might have made them glorious indeed that was despised by them and the faithful administration of their office that was neglected by them Yet they would glory for all this they would bear it out as if they were THE men why they were countenanced at Court Obs they had good livings and they could lord it over their brethren and they gloried in that It is usual with wicked Priests if they can have but countenance from them that are in publick place and can have but estates and livings though they be never so negligent of their office and never so ignorant yet to glory How hath it been amongst us thus of late How have they carried their heads on high and accounted themselves the triumphant Church and all must be made to come under them The land was not able to bear the pride of Prelates and Prelatical men It is a speech of Cyprian Ambitio et superbia suaviter dormit in sinu Sacerdotum Cipr. de jejun c. Ambition and Pride doth sweetly sleep in the bosom of Priests And there are none indeed so much puffed up with vain pride as they are and as such as are most ignorant and do neglect that which is the true glory of their office God threatneth to turn their glory into shame that is the glory of their Priestly office for that I think especially to be the meaning of the words to cast shame and contempt upon the Priests And God doth take much delight in this to cast shame and contempt upon wicked Priests and Prophets therefore in Esa 9.15 God saith The Prophet that speaks lyes is the tail he speaks contemptibly of them And Malac. 2.9 There fore I will make them speaking of the Priests that had been partial in the Law and had not kept the waies of God base and contemptible before all the people And Rev. 3.16 I will spue them out of my mouth as loathsom And Mat. 5.13 When salt hath lost his favour it is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and to be troden under foot of men as a contemptible and vile thing Thus God casts shame upon wicked Priests So much for that seventh verse It follows Vers 8. They eat up the sin of my people and they set their heart on their iniquity THey eat up the sin of my people There is some difficulty in these words To eat up sin to eat up the sin of people what is that There is much in this to be learned The word here translated Sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Scripture hath three acceptions First It is used for that which is properly sin the transgression of Gods Law That I need not give you any Scripture for Secondly It is used for the punishment of sin He shall bear his sin his punishment of sin Christ was made sin And Thirdly It is used for the sacrifice that was offered for sin Levit. 10.17 why did you not eat the sin in the holy place so the words are to be read that is the sin offering The observation from hence by way of allusion at least that one hath is not to be neglected Audiant hoc sacerdotes c. Let Priests hear this They did not eat the sin-offering in the holy place Let those Priests that spend their time in playing in pleasures of the flesh in Taverns and make their houses to be very sinks of vice Let them hearken unto this They should eat the revenues they have by their Office in an holy place that is by way of Analogie and proportion their houses in which they spend the allowance they have for their office should be holy places for the offerings of the people were such as the Priests had in lciu of their office and they were to eat them in an holy place So Ministers now should eat their means they have coming in in holy places their houses should be Sanctuaries and not Taverns or stews or sinks of wickedness and sin But that by the way For the meaning here They eat up the sin of my people Where lies the Charg First here in that they did flatter them in their sin and so got advantage thereby Greg. Cur pecata poopuli comedere dicuntur nisi quia pecata deliquentium c. So Gregory hath it Why or how are they said to eat up the sin of people but because they do nourish the sins of those that are delinquents for their own advantage So all your Court-flatterers and others that flatter men in their sin for their own advantage they may be said to feed upon the sins of the people Secondly They eat the sins of the people in this regard Because they were negligent in their office and took all the profits the advantages that came in by their office but neglected their charge and so let people go on in their sin and cared not what became of them in that regard so that they might have their tythes and means coming in they cared not These Ministers may be said to live upon or to eat the sins of the people and to wear the sins of the people their very backs are covered and their tables spread with the sins of the people A Writer upon this place relates a story of one in Charles the fifths time a Prelate Ob hos cibes ego addicor gebenua poenis vos dapos that inviting his friends unto his house and preparing good cheer they did not eat of it What faith he wil you not eat of dainties that are bought at so dear a rate this meat which I have prepared for you and you wil not eat it is like to cost me the pains of hell He was convinced in his conscience of the neglect of his duty and so looked upon his very dyet that was on his table as the sins of his people and that which was like to cost him eternal misery But further to open it far more clearly They eat up the sins
satisfaction in They will get an estate perhaps get money and get riches this way and be brave in the world but I will curse that which they have got Take goods that are lawfully got yet there is a vanity in them a vanity in goods got by good means though we have them we cannot enjoy them except God give us to enjoy them God is the God of all consolation it is the mercy and goodness of God conveyed thorough creatures that can bring any comfort in the use of them If a man should think to fill his beâ—ly with wind it were a poor satisfaction but it were worse it he should open his mouth to fill his belly with air infected with the plague When thou thinkest to satisfie thy self with goods never so well got it is but opening thy mouth to the wind but when thou thinkest to satisfie thy self with goods unlawfully got it is opening thy mouth to draw in pestilential air there is no satisfaction there Ecceles 5.10 He that desires silver shall not be satisfied with it Howsoever men think with themselves if they had such an estate what brave lives should they live but when they have it they find it otherwise Those that hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be satisfied but they that hunger and thirst after any thing in the world they shall find it to be an empty thing unto them It is true there is a kind of satisfaction that God gives sometimes unto wicked men but it is a cursed satisfaction a fearful judgment of God Prov. 14.14 Wicked men shall be satisfied with their own waies that is they shall have enough of them as when a man will go on in his own waies and he suffers much for it we say what have you not enough of it enough of such a course so he shall be satisfied he shall have enough of his waies that is he shall find such plagues and miseries that follow them as he shall be satisfied he shall be filled with them It is spoken of an Apostate a backslider in heart one that will apostatise from God and think to provide for himself better in the waies of his Apostasie he shall be satisfied but it shall be with his own waies And they shall commit whoredome and shall not encrease If we understand this of bodily whoredom then the sense must carry it thus that God will cross them in that even in the way of their whoredom they shall commit whoredom and not encrease You will say what great judgment is that Whoremasters do not care for encreasing It is true now whoremasters do not desire encrease only to satisfie their lusts and in this thing they resemble evil and wicked Ministers as much as in any thing Whoremongers plausable Ministers alike as many Ministers desire only to please the fancies of their Auditors and never look after begetting any unto God they are like harlots or whoremasters in this they love to please the fancies of men and their own fancies too but to get children unto God that they look not after as whoremasters harlots when their lusts are satisfied they have their ends for to bring forth that they care not for This is now but in former times in the time when the Prophet did prophesie encreasing in a numerous of-spring was a special thing that all gloried in therefore they sought it any way not only by marrying many wives but by their concubineâ— and whores too But God threatens to send out a curse upon them that they shall not encrease And for this it is very observable for you may take it more general Gods curse upon a man in any thing he undertakes unlawfully he can never expect to prosper in it Obser that is the Note from it Whatsoever a man undertakes unlawfully he can never expect to prosper in it And that is very observable for this one particular concerning Solâ—â—â—oâ— you know he had seven hundred wives and three hundred coâ—cubines a thousand in all yet we reade but of one son that Solomon Solomon leâ—â— bâ—hind him and that son was but a foolish son neither Reâ—obâ—â—m whom the Scripture calls a child when he was above forty yeâ—rs old 2 Chron. 13 7. When Rehoboam was young and tender hearted he had a childish foolish heart though a rugged and churlish heart Solomon was not blessed with a numerous progeny notwithstanding he gave himself liberty to satisfie his flesh so much as he did But on the other side Isaac of al the fathers in the old Testament we reade of Isaac from whom came the promised seed that were to be as the stars of Heaven and as the sand of the sea shore for nuâ—ber yet he had but one wife he took not that course that many of the Patriarcheâ— did to marry many wives but contented himself with one wife and yet from him came the promised seed so many as the stars and the sand for number From which we may infer that it is the best way for us to keep to Gods Ordinances Use we shall prosper more in what we would have to keep to Gods waies than to go out into our own sinful waies They shall not encrease The words are read otherwise by some Hierom Hierom hath this Note upon it they have committed whoredom and have not ceast so he reades it his note upon it is this I think that which hath been delivered unto you is the main scope but I will only present what he notes upon it and it is of good use saith he they have committed fornication whoredom till they have spent all their strength yet they have not ceast their hearts are stil that way just as it is with many old whoremasters they have committed whoredome and spent their strength in their young time yet they cease not they have unclean hearts their lusts boil within them notwithstanding their strength is spent And if you reade the words so and then either take it for bodily or spiritual whoredom they have committed whoredom and have not ceast that is they still go on and on in the waies of Idolatry Observ Idolaters seldom come in and return Tarnovius he hath another expression in the reading of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non per rumpant eximent legibus aut paenis they shall not break forth for so the word in the Hebrew doth wel carry it that is they think to take liberty in their whoredom and idolatry they break forth from Gods Laws and punishments and think still to escape Laws and punishments to break forth from al bonds whatsoever no saith God they shall not break forth God will lay fetters upon them that they shall not break forth But I take the first to be the more special and so we shall leave that expression they shall commit whordom and shall not encrease Why Because they have left off to take heed to the Lord. There is a great deâ—l of
that hath but the Calves and hath not the right Ordinances of God among them whatsoever they do yet let not Judah offend that have the true Ordinances of God and the true Priests and Ministers of God among them Observ Oh those that enjoy Gods Ordinances in his own way and the Ministers of God in a right way of calling they should take heed of doing as other people do And then Thirdly Judah was not compell'd by her Governours to Reas 3 do so as Israel for Israel you know by Jeroboam and other of the Princes was compeld to do what they did and they might pretend that it was for their own safety to save their lives and to save their estates but there was no such necessity for Judah to do it for God many times sent godly and gracious Princes to Judah and there was not such waies there to compel them they were not so necessitated to that way of false worship as Israel was if we may call it any necessity to that which is evil Obser When people have liberty and are not forced but God doth give them liberty that they need not except they will be Idolaters yet for them to close with waies of Idolatry and superstition when they need not this is more sinful It is true heretofore there might have been some excuse we were forced to it it was as much as our estates were worth we must have been cast into prison and persecuted and that made us do that we did The Lord be merciful to us for that we rather than we would suffer would joyn in those superstitious waies that were amongst us But now thorough Gods mercy we are delivered from that bondage we are not so compel'd yet that now for all this our hearts should yet cleave to those old superstitious waies this makes our sin so much the greater Reas 4 Fourthly Let not Judah sin for what then should become of Gods worship For God had no other people upon the face of the earth but Judah and Israel to worship him well Israel is gone from him and will Judah go too what will become of the worship of God A mighty argument to those that make profession of godliness to keep them from the waies of false worship and wickedness in any kind Obser If you depart from God too as others do what honor will God have in the world what will become of the service of God in the world Is not God worthy of all honor and of all service from all his creatures It is pitie there should be any creature in the world that should not honor and serve the blessed and infinite God But we see most do not and there are but a few a handful of people that regard to worship God aright and shall this few this handful forsake God where then shall God have any honor in the world Shall Judah go away too then the Lord will have no Church no worship no service in the world Fiftly God had much mercy in store for Judah more than Reas 5 for Israel therefore let not Judah offend For Christ was to come from that Tribe of Judah and the Lord promised that he would shew mercy unto Judah when he had said he would reject Israel as indeed he did Though Judah was carried into captivity as well as Israel yet God was with Judah in their captivity and promised them a return from it but he never promised Israel a return in the like manner as Judah Therefore since God had the more mercy in store for Judah let not Judah offend From hence these Notes are to be observed First We must not do as others do especially in point of Obs 1 Gods worship we must not make the example of men not of any sort of men not of our brethren not of those that profess Religion not of those that prosper in the world we must not make them an exemplar or rule in any thing especially in the matters of Gods worship Indeed the consideration how others sin against God should be so far from being an argument to draw us unto sin as it ought to be the greatest argument to draw us from sin Thus every sin against God it is a striking at God simile It 's true if there be a common enemy come into a City or Town every one desires to have a blow at him and when men make this an argument for their sin because others do it they deal with God as those in a Town would deal with a common enemy that is thus why such and such and such go on in such wicked waies they strike at God therefore let me strike at God too when thou pleadest that argument and saiest because such and such do sin therefore I may sin thou doest in effect as much as say such and such strike at God let me have a blow at him too Is there any force in this argument For ever take heed of pleading the example of others in waies of wickedness and remember this one expression that thou doest in effect as if thou shouldst say others about me they strike at God and I must have my blow at him too as well as they In any sin we must take heed of example but above all in matters of worship Hence Deut. 12.30 Take heed to thy self that thou be not snared by following of the Nations after that they be destroyed from before thee and that thou enquire not after their gods saying How did these Nations serve their gods even so will I dâ— likewise Take heed saith God thou dost not so much as enquire how these people serve their gods and say I will do so likewise God would not have us use that argument Take heed therefore of pleading thus other people do so and so and other Nations why may not we do as other Nations do It is a very ill argument to plead example in matters of worship I mean that worship that here Judah is forewarned of that is worship that is by institution and above all things the examples of men are not to be followed in points of institution In any thing in the world there may be more plea for example than in instituted worship and the reason is this Note Because that other things have somewhat of them written in the Law of nature in mans heart all matters of morallity are in some degree or other written in mans heart by nature every man hath somewhat of the moral Law written in his heart but institutions they are such things as depend meerly upon Gods revealed will and are not written in the heart of man Therfore though we might have a plea to follow the example of others in point of morality yet there can be no just plea to follow the example of others in point of Institutions there we must be sure to keep to the rule of Gods Word to look above all things in points of Institution to what is written and
of God to people when they understand not only the way of Gods worship in the lump but they understand the form and the fashion and the Ordinances and the Laws the circumstances and all the several waies the exactness of the worship of God Note For we must not look upon any thing in the worship of God as worthy to be neglected but we must have respect to all the forms and fashions and Ordinances of Gods house God standeth much upon his worship in every punctilio and it is a great mercy of God to reveal to us every point of his worship It is true man stands much upon form and God standeth much upon form Many deny the power of godliness but keep the form of it they are much set upon their forms and God is much set upon his forms If you be set upon forme for worship look upon Gods worship he is much set upon forms in his woâ—ship And mark then when we are ashamed of what we have done then we shall understand the Laws of the house but first we must be ashamed and throughly humbled for our former superstitious sacrifices and then we shall come to understand the right way of Gods worship in his own Temple we must not expect it before Many people they cry out we are at a loss we know not what to do we have rejected indeed false worship and in some measure we see that that is vile but we know not what way to set up in Gods house what are the forms and fashions thereof and the hearts of people tremble to think what may come to be determined fearing lest things will not be found out fearing dissentions and disagreement Would you but know how you should come to understand the right way of Gods house in the worship and government of it Be ashamed of your sacrifices be ashamed of what you have done And above all men those that are betrusted to find out the Laws Ministers and forms fashions and Ordinances of Gods house above all men they are to be ashamed of what they have done to be ashamed first of their sacrifices And that should be your prayer that God would humble them for all their former superstitious sacrifices that so they may come to have revealed to them the form and fashion of Gods house and being revealed to them they may reveal it to you There is a necessity that those men that have been guilty of superstitious waies of worship that they should be ashamed first of that before they can come to understand the right way of the house of God Let them be men of never such excellent parts and abilities Note yet except they be first ashamed for what they have done and thoroughly humbled they cannot expect to understand the waies of Gods house in the forms and fashions and ordinances of it In Ezek. 44.10 11 12 13. there God threatneth those Priests that did depart from him when Israel dedarted that did depart from him to false worship that they should beare their iniquity that they should never come neare to him seeing they departed in the general departure and did not keep close to the true worship of God they must bear their iniquity they must not come near unto God only God would be content they should be imployed in some meaner out-services Applic. And therefore it may be that God will not use some men of choice parts in any great work of his to do him any great service that 's the meaning of the text that those that did depart from God when there was a general departure of the Nation when Israel did depart they would comply with them to save their skin and they would conform to those superstitious waies then did the Lord swear lift up his hand against them that though they shall be imploied in some meaner services yet they shal not come near him And I say it maâ— be feared that the Lord may do so against some of us How ever except there be extraordinary repentance taking shame unto themselves though they may be men of excellent parts the Lord may remember what they have done when Israel departed from God what their compliances were And though the Lord may make still use of them in some ordinary work yet he may lift up his hand against them that they shal never be imployed never blest in any choice work he hath to do God may justly leave them to such waies as that they shall cast themselves in a great measure out of the hearts of the Saints because he doth not delight to use them in any special service and so their shame shal stick upon them while they live and the more honor they seek the more shame will God certainly cast upon them Jer. 3.25 saith the Church there We lie down in our shame Oh there is cause that such men should lie down in their shame those that are of discerning spirits and observe the waies of men and the waies of God they cannot but see that those men should lie down in their shame for so long as yeilding to superstitious vanities and submission to false power was useful to them to save their estates their liberties and livings they would yeild and they would submit and then their judgments alter when times alter when other waies come to be countenanced publickly then they are of other judgments than they were before so long as they could not make use of another way they were not of that judgment now when they can make use of it and there is more countenancing of it how soon is their judgment altered yea and so altered as presently to grow even bitter against their brethren of another judgment Note Surely a great deal more cause there is that they and we all of us should take shame to our selves lie down in our shame a while and so carry things in all humility in all meekness in suspition of our selves and of our own judgments in love to our brethren remembring that we our selves were of another judgement and opinion not long since And therefore our hearts I say should be very low and gentle and very tender and meek even toward all with whom we have to do And further God hath a time to make al carnal men ashamed Obs 2 of their sacrifices We will a little raise up our meditations somewhat higher from this They shall be ashamed of their sacrifices All sacrifices not only superstiâ—â—ous and idolatrous but all other sacrifices that come short of the rule will at length cause shame As carnal men that tender up many services unto God and that lay such weight upon their services as to lay their claim to Heaven and interest in God upon their sacrifices God hath a time to make them ashamed of all these sacrifices Al now when God shal discover the vanity of their prayers if God should but shew to us al and to the whol company here each
for all high places and these Metenymically for all their superstition and Idolatry committed upon those high places and then the Expos 1 meaning is this Your Idolatry upon these high places hath been a net and a snare to the people Expos 2 But I think rather the sense to be Metaphorical thus These mountains were places very delightful and places where was much hunting and the Gentry of the kingdome took much delight in hunting in these mountains and there they were wont to spread their nets and set their snares for fowls and beasts Now saith God You have been a snare on Mispah and a net upon Tabor that is thus Mispah and Tabor are two mountains where there is much hunting for fowl and beasts and the truth is you watchmen and other people that joyn with you have been huntsmen that have laid snares for the souls of my people as they lay snares on Mispah and Tabor because they were eminent places for hunting therefore God chargeth them for laying snares for the souls of his people and hunting them and catching them in their waies of superstition and Idolatry The Gospel is called a Net in the Scripture and the Ministers of the Gospel are to spread it but the cords and twists of that net are precious they are the blessed truths of the Gospel the mysteries of the Gospel and happy are those that are caught in that net But the net of superstitious Priests and Governors it is made of other manner of stuff they have their ness too that they spread and catch the souls of the people in And the net that is here meant they had to catch the souls of the people for at the first Note Jeroboam and the rest of the Princes would not go on in a violent way to force people to a false religion but would seek by their cunning devices to catch the hearts of people in their love of false worship and they would spread their nets for people before they were aware and the threads and lines it was woven withal were these Method of Princes Priests to delude the people about the worship of God First The plea of Authority Doth not authority command you to do thus and thus Secondly The Priests the Authority of the Priestly Office Do not the Priests the holy fathers do thus and thus and have you more wit than they more wit than all the Statesmen and the Kings house and more wit than all your Teachers too Thirdly We worship God we do not alter our Religion we hope we worship Jehovah that you worship Fourthly The things required of you are not very much it is but a circumstance of place you worship at Jerusalem it is but worshiping at Dan and Bethel here before these two Images you shall not worship the Images but worship in this place Fiftly We intend nothing but that which is for your good all that we aim at is for your benefit for that was Jeroboams pretence It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem to go twice a year so great and tedious and dangerouâ— a journey no saith he I tender the good of my people more therefore let them worship here Sixtly Why should you be so curious and strict The most the ten Tribes do thus there is but only Judah and Benjamin that go another way the multitude go this way and why should you when only a poor handful go another way desire to do as they do Seventhly We have prospered a long time in this way Hath not Israel prospered as much as Judah hath not God been with us as much as with them Judah pretends he worships God in the right wâ—y we are sure God is with us Eightly They would raise reproaches upon the true worshipers of God as in the 7. Chapter of this Prophesie vers 3. Cap. 7.3 Opened They make the King glad with their wickedness and the Princes with their lyes That is this was their cunning devise to raise all the reproches that possibly they could against those that were true forward and zealous worshipers of God especially against the Prophets and Ministers and therefore in Amos you shall find and he prophesied at the same time that Amaziah said the Land could not bear his words they are a company of seditious men that the Country could not bear their words but they were even enough to set the people together by the ears yea what are these men that oppose the Kings Laws but such and such These were the snares that they set to catch the people to make them out of love with the true worship of God Thus they were a snare set upon Mispah and a nâ—t upon mount Tabor Applic. Thus it hath been with us how cunningly have men lâ—id their nets amongst us to catch souls Say they it is but yeelding thus far to this thing and the other thing and authority enjoins it if it were more it were no great matter and other learned and godly men they do thus and they think thus yea and why should you hinder your self of the good you may do It is but a matter of circumstance it is but for decency and order and there is much devotion this way we may gain Papists in yeilding as far as we can unto them there is none but a company of simple pleople against it this is ancient the Fathers of the Church have done thus yea many Martyrs that have shed their blood did thus Thus many have been caught as a bird in a snare with these lines and twigs thus cunningly twisted together how have they caught souls simile and so caught them that they could not tell how to get out but being once in they were ensnared more and more as a bird that is once caught in the net it beginneth to flutter a while but at length it is caught so much the faster so men when they yeilded to one thing they could not tell where to stay but at last they have been so deep in and so far ensnared that they could not tell what to do and the truth is at length they have even given up their consciences to those things as a bird that perhaps at first when the net is but stirred it is shie of it but being once got in it is ensnared all over so many men at first being of tender consciences have been shie of superstitious vanities but with cunning arguments and devices they have been caught and they thought they should never hear of them any more but being once caught so as that they have power over them they have come upon them with more violence than before and so have been made to yeild so far that at the last their consciences have wholly been given up to those things They have been vexed and troubled with their consciences at the first but at length they have been resolved to trouble themselves no more but to yeild to whatsoever shall be enjoyned Oh how
God in Scripture are often set out unto us by this similitude of water as in Isa 28.17 Nahum 1.8 look as their anger ran like water so my wrath shall run upon them until they are consumed That Gods wrath is very hot against wicked Governours such as break the bounds of Religion Laws and Covenants the Lord is much displeased against great ones when wicked Numb 25.4 the people of Israel committed a great evil in provoking God by their Idolatry joyning themselves to Baal-Peor and the Lord said Take the heads of Israel The people offended and it was by the encouragement of the Governors therefore their heads must off the people sin and the Governors must suffer because they reproved them not nor restrained them but countenanced them Hence we may note That we had need to pray much for Princes Fearful are the examples which historiaans report of concerning the judgments of God upon wicked Princes Leander in the discription of Italy reports of a cruel Tyrant who perswaded himself that he must give an account to no man none could call him to an account for what he did at last God gave him into the hands of the people who strip'd him naked bound him upon a planck and drew him through the streets in the sight of all the people then made a great fire by him and heated tongs red hot in the fire when they had done thus then proclaimation was made in the Market place that seeing he had wronged so many that he was never able to make satisfaction for the wrong he had done therefore all that had suffered by him should come and have a pull at his flesh with the red hot tongs Another fearful example we have of latter times concerning Charls the 9th about the massacre in France who at that time pretended great love and kindness to the Protestant party invited them to a great marriage feast and at that time by his Commission calls in those bloody miscreants who cruelly murdered the Protestant party there he broke bounds but see how God met with him in a most grievous disease through the violence of which there spurted out blood from him in several parts of his body so that he wallowed in his blood before he died God powred out His wrath upon them in blood who in their life time thirsted after blood Secondly The bounds of Religion and Laws as they keep in obedience Obs 2 so they keep out judgments Pure Religion and good Laws as they are bounds to keep us in duty so they keep judgments and wrath from us And we ought to look upon Laws in both these notions not only to keep us in order and duty but also to keep out wrath if we break our bounds we must look that wrath should break in upon us therefore we had need to do as men that live neer the Sea when the Sea breaks in upon them they presently leave all their other businesses and go about that Our bounds are broken and who is the occasion of it the Lord knows and wrath is broken in upon uâ— at our breaches therefore let us now as one man set about the making up of our breaches Obs 3 Thirdly God punisheth according to mens sins They break the bounds God breaks in with wrath upon them are they resolute in sinning God will be as resolute in his judgments upon them see that text Jer. 44.25 You have sworn and vowed to your superstitions and I have sworn to bring judgment upon you and it shall come to pass Therefore when judgments are upon us Use if we would have them removed we should diligently observe what sins we are guilty of which answereth to the judgment which is upon us for many times we may trace the cause of a judgment by the sin that we are guilty of and if we ever look to have troubles removed we must first remove sin the cause of them VER 11. Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment because he willingly walked after the commandement WRATH in the former verse was threatned against the Princes of Judah who removed the bound And here the Lord returns again to Ephraim in this 11. verse and the 12. verse to Judah and Ephraim both together they being both a provocation to God are plagued both together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word Oppressed in the original is Nashuk translated by Hierom Calumnia Ephraim suffered and was oppressed by false accusations and slanderings for there is an opposition in mens names and estates which the Seventy usually translate by Sycophantia The 70. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then we may render iâ— thuâ— Ephraim by Sychophants doth suffer a great deal of wrong When there are false reports raised against men they suffer wrong by it false reports are as a false Medium which represents things in another manner than they are As put a staff into the water simile and it shews to be crooked but take it out and 't is not so So the actions of men in the reports of others may seem crooked when in themselves are strait and good And thus was Ephraim broken in judgment though his cause was good yet 't was made bad if he were wronged he could have no releef for himself So that good causes by bad men are many times perverted but the Sainâ—s may support themselves with Pauls comfort who passed not much for mans judgment In this signification the Seventy Translators do often take the word but in this place they express it by another word thus * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 English translatioÌ„ Ephraim hath over-powered his adversaries and so hath trod down judgment they interpret it actively But the words are well rendred in your books in the passive participle and so they are to be read Ephraim is broken in judgment Concussus judicio concussio is a Law word signifying such a kind of breaking and oppression as threatneth the utter ruine and undoing of a man by Law As many rich men threaten poor men when they do them any wrong I 'le be even with you I 'l ow you a good turn Or as Magistrates that are corrupt and wicked when they cannot bring poor men to say or do what they would have them they will threaten to undo them or if ever it lie in their power they wil ow them a good turn of which carriage Samuel cleers himself 1 Sam. 12.3 Crimea coÌ„cussionis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whom have I defrauded or whom have I * oppressed the word is the same here That is used my power to threaten men to yeeld up their liberties their rights their enjoyments by any power which was in my hands This was the sin of the great Princes here of the ten Tribes Broken in judgment That is Expos Not in Gods judgment upon them but in the judgment of their own cause they were crushed in their estates liberties and laws and that not only by their own Magistrates
his Message to King Joash and was slain for it and saith the text Acts 7.52 Which of the Prophets have not your fathers murdered But now here is their encouragement against al the il usage the hardships which they meet withal in their work I look upon it saith God as I doing it I had a hand in it therfore certainly God will not let them go unrewarded 1 Sam. 22.23 David said to Abiathar Abide thou with me fear not for he that seeketh thy life seeketh my life but with me thou shalt be in safeguard David was the occasion of Abiathers fathers death Consololation to those Ministers the frieÌ„ds of those that are perished in the Cause of God and because of that what respect had David of him for this and shall not God much more So that have you a friend a brother or a father slain for the Cause of God or in it standing for Him shall not God take his part yea He will Ahimâ—lech was slain accidentally for the Cause of David yet he would deal wel with Abiathar but saith God thy friend was slain standing for Me and owning My Cause he shall lose nothing by it for I will deal well with thee and preserve thee alive for his sake I have slain them That is thus Their Ministry hath been Expos 3 so heavy that it hath even kild them I have followed them on so with work that I have even slain them so that this people cannot say they have not been warned or that they have had no Prophets among them or that their Prophets have been idle that they have had no work to do and certainly it is a good death for a Minister to die preaching Pareus makes much use of this Oportet Episcopum concionantem mori saith he How much more honorable to die in doing Gods work than by coÌ„mitting sinful acts of intemperance uncleanness c. they cannot spend their strength better than in Gods service O let that people who have such Ministers look to it that they bring forth fruit answerable in some proportion to the cost that is bestowed on them and if you take the sense thus then God seems to speak grievingly Oh what shall I do with this people what means hath been used what losses have I sustained by them I have spent many choice Servants among them the lives and strengths of such spirits have bin spent upon them of whom the world was not worthy Oh what shal I do unto such a people Surely such a people enjoying such a Ministry had need look to their profession May not this be said of many Congregations in London Congregations in London hath not God sent many choice spirits among you to do you good and have they effected the end for which they were sent among you If not wo to you God hath a special regard unto this when he shall spend the lives of his choicest and most precious servants and if he have not a considerable vallue and return in peoples fruitfulnes it wil mightily provoke and incense him against them God hath an high esteem of his Ministers lives and strengths they are vallued more than so to be spent and wasted upon unfruitful people who neither care for them nor their Ministry Expos 3 But to come more particularly and according to the genuine sense of the words This slaying refers it self to the people How the word slaies Now the Word slaies in these two respects In its deonouncing of judgement upon men for what the Word threatens it is said to do Jer. 18.7 8. At what instant I speak concerning a Nation or concerning a Kingdom to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy and when God promises mercy good he is said to give life and we should look upon them as performing of it In the operation and working of it it hath a mighty efficasie in it for the working impenitent sinners to ruin it is as a twoedged sword which doth execution every way Isa 11.3 It makes men of quick understanding in the fear of God and God is said to consume Antichrist by the breath of his nostrils and by the Word of his mouth 2 Thes 2. the Word is of such a force that sometimes if brings death in a litteral sense to some who withstand and oppose it Ezek. 11.2 Pelatiah gives wicked counsel in the City and the Prophet is commanded to prophesie against him and in the 13. verse we reade that when the Prophet prophesied Pelatiah died so many times God makes the Word so powerful in the mouths of his servants that it strikes men dead presently Gualter Gualter hath this Note from hence that the power of the Word appears in this that it awakens convinces and terrifies the consciences of men so that they go home and make away themselves and become self-murderers and the truth is it is nothing else but the word working powerfully to the ruin and destruction of men Or the words may be taken hyperbolically as men that Expos 4 are oppressed and in misery Oh ye kill me I am not able to endure it you wil be the death of me the Prophets came so close to them that they cryed out Oh they will kill us we are not able to suffer them Luther Luther saith that these words Thou hast slain them by the words of my mouth that is meant the Law by the Law thou hast slain them and by the word Prophets he saith is meant that part of Doctrine which is necessary to be preached to prevent the abuse of the Doctrine of the Gospel which otherwise men would be ready to pervert and he further adds that those men which deny the use of the Law were not fit so much as to be suffered I mention this of Luther the rather because those who deny the use of the Law urge him so strongly for the upholding of them in their way It follows Thy judgments are as the light That is passively thy threatnings Expos 1 upon them or the execution of those threatnings upon them shall break out as the light though they have slain my Prophets and think thereby to free themselves from those judgments which they threatned against them no saith God for all this I will make known my threatnings which they have denounced against them when the Prophet Jeremiah had delivered the message of God to the Princes and the Priests they laid hold on him and said he should surely die Jer. 26.8 Now see what the Prophet saith in the 14 and 15. verses As for me behold I am in your hands do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you but know ye for certain that if ye put me to death ye shall bring innocent blood upon your heads for of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you You think perhapâ— that when the Minister is gone his words are gone and there is an end of them no they shall lie upon you
the holy Ghost should say I require mercy and not sacrifice and the inward worship of God faith and knowledg rather than any natural worship The Notes from hence are these The duties of the first and second Table are to be joyned together Obs 1 Mercy and sacrifice knowledg of God and burnt offerings when in their place are acceptable therefore let us take heed of separating that which God hath joyned Obs 2 The knowledg of God is a most excellent thing This is that which sanctifies Gods Name and manifests him to be very glorious in the world Paul accounted all things but loss and dung in comparison of the excellencie of this knowledg of Christ Use Instruct your children and servants in this knowledg else how can God have his glory from them how few are there which glorifie God as God and the reason is because of the ignorance which is in their minds Eph. 4.18 Obs 3 Men may be very diligent in instituted worship and yet very ignorant none so acted in their instituted worship as these people yeâ— none so ignorant as they Use That you are forward in instituted worship it is your commendation but take heed this be not your sin to be ignorant of fundamental things It is the great design of the Devil to set up the man of sin to keep men in darkness and ignorance many who think themselves and would be thought to be opposers of Antichrist even in this by their questioning of fundamentals of Religion and disputings about their new Opinions they raise him up when as the truth is it is the way the Devil useth to darken the truth of Christ and Religion by casting a vail over it therefore you that are guilty of this distemper take heed though you have light in some things yet take heed that a vail be not drawn over those things which do more neerly concern you and are of greater consequence Obs 4 Soul-worship must be preferred before all other worship we must not give God a carrion service a carkeise without a soul strong are the expressions in Scripture which are used against such outside formal worship Isa 1.11 12 13. God professes of them that he regards them not he is full of them his soul loaths them they are iniquity and a trouble to him they are looked upon as a burden to him such as God will hide his eyes from and when they make many prayers he will not hear them in this one Scripture we have fourteen expressions against outside formal duties Isa 1.11 12 13. there are 14. expressions against formality besides those four which we find in Isa 66.3 Thus you have the mind of God in this short but full sentence Now God forbid that what hath been said out of this Scripture should be abused to liberty in a sinful way VER 7. For they like men have transgressed the Covenant HEre is an argument that mercy in the former verse is to be understood in a large sense Why Because it is the very substance of the Covenant they have been hard-hearted cruel and unmerciful and thereby they have transgressed the Covenant I am merciful in the Covenant and my grace is free and full to sinners there but they have transgressed the Covenant by being cruel and unmerciful for they like men have transgressed the Covenant Like men That is like Adam these men have sinned after Expos 1 the similitude of Adams transgression Rom. 15.14 speaks of those who had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression But these as they have old Adam in them so they have dealt with me as he did and as he for his sin was cast out of Paradise so these men have deserved to be cast out of Expos 2 the good Land But Vatablus Tremelius Vatablus Tremel and others reade the words thus They have broken my Covenant as a man they thought that I had been as their fellow creature as they made it their practice to break covenants with men so they thought to do with God so they have transgressed my Covenant This sense may be taken and so the note of Observation would be seasonable That the cause of breach of Covenant with God is Obser because we consider not that it is with God that we make our Covenants But the words are more usually read as in our books But Expos 3 they like men have transgressed my Covenant that is Not as I who like a God have kept Covenant but they like such men as themselves i. e. weak unconstant frail unfaithful creatures have transgressed Job 31.33 Object But may not this seem to be an excusing or diminution of their sin to say They like men implying the common frailty of humane nature have transgressed Answ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No 't is rather an aggravâ—tion of their sin Therfore the word here translated Men is used for man in his corrupt estate for weak men frail men not men at their strength but weakness and so distinct from that which signifies generous and strenuous men and so the comparison is not only between God and man but between the several degrees of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. Or thus They have transgressed my Covenant like men That is not like my people Saints that are of my Church they have not transgressed my Covenant so Their waies have been the waies of ordinary men and as such they have transgressed my Covenant The two last senses are principally meant here Covenant with God 3 fold 1. with Adam 2. with Abraham 3 with Israel My Covenant The Covenant of God we usually divide into two parts but the Scripture to me seems to hold forth a threefold Covenant the one of Works that which was made with Adam in Paradise The other Covenant is that which was made with Abraham the Covenant of Grace the tenor of which is this I will be thy God and the God of thy seed after thee Then there was a Covenant which was made with them upon mount Sinai Now the Covenant here cannot be meant imediatly of the Covenant of works nor of the Covenant of grace for this Covenant here implyed is one especially made with them and therfore must be understood of that at mount Sinai made many hundred years after the others yet it hath reference to that of Works and of Grace And were this knot rightly understood and untied the Antinomians and we might easily be reconciled for we grant that Believers are delivered from the Law in respect of the power of it as condemning from the riger of it but not from the duties of the Law for the things commanded in the Law were duties before the Law was given the Law was written in the hearts of the Saints from the beginning But the opening of this point would require a whol Exercise and I shall reserve this to some other time Now then the Covenant which they transgressed Expos was the Covenant at
the curse of that people whose ears should be deaf that they should not hear whose eyes should be blind that they should not see and be converted and I should heal them When I would haue healed Israel then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered and the wickedness of Samaria for they committed falshood and the thirf breaketh in and the troup of robbers spoileth without Furthermore In these words the Prophet showeth in what particulars their iniquity did appear they committed falshood they wrought a lye in regard of their falshood their false worship and then in regard of their oppression wronging one another but especially in falsifying their trust one to another and in their relations not performing the duties which their relations called for and bound them unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 officij diliti viâ—lati ex singulari audacia so the word in the original Shekar in the propriety of it signifies They commit falshood That is they commit such a sin as the breaking of that duty which the law of their relation cals for from them The Notes hence are Obs 1 It is the discription of a wicked man to commit falshood As the godly man is said to be for the truth and to do the truth so wicked men are against the truth and go contrary to the truth as the Devil is said not to abide in the truth even such are these who commit falshood and work a lye It is a forerunner of great mischief when men are false in their relations Obs 2 In Mic. 7.6 7. It was an ill time when all sorts of people were so unfaithful in their relations The thief breaks in to rob and spoil by violence Obs 3 From whence note There is much secret wickedness committed by those which have forsaken the true religion such as these are secret and cunning workers of mischief in Church and State Gal. 2.4 There are false brethren crept in secretly which afterwards sought to bring us into bondage 'T is a great evil in a Common-wealth to have secret oppressors but far worse to have publick spoiling We have had much of the first formerly and the Lord knows how much more of the second we may further tast of I verily beleeve there is none that ever thought the Enemy would have spoiled in such a manner as He hath done and that ever English men would have endured it and we are the first people that ever endured such oppressions that were not slaves before and what the counsels and thoughts of God are in this thing concerning us we cannot tell Violence and spoil before me continually is grief and wounds What then Be instructed O Jerusalem lest my soul depart from thee Jer. 6.7 8. The first part of this Scripture is ours at this day grief and wounds are continually before us but be thou instructed O England In what In this That dreadful breach which sin hath made between the King and Parliament be instructed in this Jer. 15.13 Thy substance and thy treasures will I give to the spoilers without price and that for all thy sins even in all thy borders So Isa 44.22.24 But this is a people robbed and spoiled they are all of them snared in holes they are for a prey and none delivers them for a spoil and none saith Restore Who gave Jacob for a spoil and Israel to the robbers Did not the Lord against whom we have sinned Who among you will give ear and hearken to this Men are wicked and tyrannical But who is he that hath given this our Land to the plunderers Is it not the Lord Therefore we should look beyond the troubles the hand that strikes to God who gave them their commission and delivered us up into their hands When God gives up a people to the robbers and spoilers in such a kind his wrath is said to come upon them as in the 25. verse Therefore he hath powred upon them the fury of his anger and the strength of battel VER 2. And they considered not in their hearts that I remembred all their wickednesse now their own doings have beset them about they are before my face THey considered not in their hearts In the original it is They say not to their hearts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This phrase in other Scriptures is used for saying in their hearts Jer. 5.24 Neither say they IN their hearts Let us fear God which giveth rain And in Eccles 1.16 Considering is communing with our own hearts I spoke or consulted with my heart From this phrase of speaking thus to our hearts we may observe 1 It is a good thing to be often speaking to our own hearts thus Oh my soul how is it with thee what case art thou in how stand things between God and thee what terms standest thou in for eternity canst thou look upon Gods face with comfort and not be afraid what guilt is there in thy conscience canst thou behold eternity and rejoyce in the thoughts of it Such meditations and questionings as these would be very profitable for the soul Many people can talk abroad in company of these things but where is the man that sets apart time to question with his soul about these Ps 4.4 Stand in awe and sin not commune with your own hearts upon your bed and be still There are in the soul many times boisterous distempers but then we should cause a silence and a calm in our hearts bid them be still there are great distemperâ— in that familie where the husband and the wife go two or three daies together and speak not one to another so there is no less distemper in that soul which can go two or three daies without questioning it self and examining its condition simile But what is it they should speak This That I remember their iniquities the old Latine carries it thus lest they should consider do not you think that God remembers the sins of your forefathers only that they were vile and wicked no but I also remember the sins that are present before me But according to the reading of the words in your books is most agreeable to the Original therefore Luther saith Luther that these words are a reproof of their security then which no evil being worse the Princes they feel not the judgment yet the principal actors in the wickedness the common people they suffer much and yet though they suffer yet attribute their sufferings to any thing rather than to their sins to be the causes of them the observations That God doth remember the wickedness of people though long since Obs 1 committed as we may see in Amalek God remembers this their wickedness many hundred yeers after 1 Sam. 15.2 I remember the prank which Amalek played to you when you came out of Egypt Amos 8.7 The Lord hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob surely I will never forget any of their works nay they are not only remembred but recorded the sin of Judah
will make as little of them as they do of Gods people The day of the Lord cometh that shall burn as an oven and all the proud and all that do wickedly shall be as stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up It follows Expos While they lie in wait Though they are as hot as an oven yet they do not run head-long imprudently but they have will to wait their opportunity And should nor this be our wisdom in the waies of God Use not to carry things imprudendtly Let not our desires be so eagerly set after any thing but that we can be willing to be without it or patiently to wait Gods time for it They are as hot as an oven and yet not cooled because they have not their desires presently fulfil'd So must we take heed of having our hearts cooled when we have opportunities to further any design we have on foot for God and his Cause though they had not opportunities to further their plots yet they waited stil and were not discouraged How many times do people when God sends but a little famine of the Word amongst them grow cold and lose all the heat which they had And their Baker sleepeth Expos 'T is as if men which have a common oven they put fuel into it and let it burn till they go and call their customers together and when this was done then they might go and sleep So the people were leavened These people by their Bakers were prepared they had heated their oven and now they thought they might go to sleep they might be quiet and did not our Bakers do thus they had heated their oven Engl. but blessed be God that disapointed them in their way when these bakers slept their oven heated notwithstanding Subtil adversaries when we think them to be most secure Obs their designs are still driving on Thus it was in Ireland and here amongst us Treaties in Engl. even in their greatest shews of peace in their Treaties the truth is if ever we wil have the fire quenched which now burns so violently we must take away the incendiaries and stirrers up of these unnatural wars Let us in good causes though opportunities may cease for work let not the fire go out let the oven be hot still at the first their oven did but begin to heat now it is all in a flame at the first they would use fair means with the people and perswade them with good words and answer their arguments but when their oven was hot that they had brought their designs to maturity and got power into their hands then 't is now no longer will ye worship at Dan and Bethel and 't is your best course but now Clup law now no more satisfying of consciences but to prison with them now such a prison for such the other strong goole for the rest this hath been the way and course of those which would set up any false way of worship when their morning is come and their oven hot then come the day is ours no more perswading now Wil they not come in force them to yeeld Their way was at the first to leaven the people to try how they stood affected but now enough of that seaze their estates and imprison their persons VER 7. They are all hot as an oven and have devoured their Judges all their Kings are fallen there is none among them that calleth unto me NOT only Jeroboam and his * for this Ieroboam under whom Hosea prophesied was the son of Ioash chap 1.1 not the first Ieroboam successors but also Princes and people at length grew hot in the pursuit of that great design of altering Religion in so much that no man might dare to show himself against them many of the people at the first made scruple of yeelding to their new way but having overcome their consciences now nothing troubles them they not only yeeld themselves but violently presse the consciences of others which refused but this similitude we met withal in the fourth verse of this Chapter which we opened then and therefore passe it over here It follows They have devoured their Judges Some of their Judges it is like could not but have some light in them to see that the altering of Religion could not but be against their Laws yet seeing both the Princes and the people were set violently upon it they also yeelded Hierom observes this This is the vile base and low spirits of men in honor and this honor depending upon the favour of Kings that rather than they will hazard their places and lose their gains will yeeld to any thing and for the pleasing the King wil tel him the Law is for him the bonds of the Kingdom do not forbid him Mica 3.11 They build up Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity the Heads thereof judge for reward and the Priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for money the Princes and the Prophets ask for a reward The Princes have a mind to such and such a thing of their subjects but to cover the vileness of the action and his injustice King craft he would ask the Judges whether it were not Law or no now the Judges for their own profit encouraged him and told him it was lawful he might do it How have our Judges immitated these Though men had some integrety at the first England yet the heat arising so high in the Princes and Nobles yea and in many of the High Court of Judicature that they could not endure it Thus we see how one time answers to another in wickedness The Princes designs go on with strength when they have got the Judges to side with them and to give sentence for them in their unjust designs Expos 2 Others carry it thus They having mischieved and ruined their Judges that did oppose them Mercer ex talmud therosolymit therefore Mercer that learned Interpretor for the furtherance of this sense brings a tradition of the Jews That the Princes and Rulers had so wrought about with the people that they should come to the King bring a humble petition to him in which they should desire intreat the King to give them leave to set up an Idol which they did and when they came the King put them off told them it was late in the evening now bid them come in the morning in the morning they came and bid him Arise and set them up an Iâ—ol No saith he your * Synedrin the Court Ecclesiastical and Civil according to the government of those times Synedrium will not give consent to it nor suffer it No say they we have taken a course with them we have kil d them which is the old way and course which persecutors take with those which might seem to oppose them in their plots Or thus They had devoured their Judges and their Princes Expos 3 by
goodness of God is not honored by us when the Lord for our good shall give us notice of our sins that so we may prevent judgment the desert of our sins and we notwithstanding shâ—l â—in it dishonors Gods goodness 2. The truth of God is not honored when we do not obey this is no other than a venturing whether the word be true or no whether Gods words are yea and nay Oh sinner dost thou know what thou dost thou temptest God saying Lord there are such and such threatnings against sin but I do not beleeve them Lord I 'le venture it I 'le put it to the tryall whether it be so or no. 3. As it aggravates the sin so the punishment the judgment cannot but be the greater thou canst expect but little pitty from the goodness of God which thou hast slighted when it warned thee of those judgments which are now upon thee His mercy to remove them cannot be expected God by His Ministers warned me in such a Sermon but I went on and would not reform and now there is matter for the worm of conscience to gnaw upon that thou maist say as Job What I feared is now come upon me and this is that which aggravates our misery Use Engl. At this time have not the Ministers of God for these twenty yeers especially in these latter seven yeers made this the subject of their preaching to warn us of judgments and now the judgments of God are come upon us God hath vindicated the word of His servants But these words though they may be thus understood yet I conceive they bear a further signification which is this I have declared among the Tribes what shall be without revolk without Expos 2 any change or alteration I have formerly repented and have been intreated but now I 'le repent no more They continue Gods unchangable purpose for the desolating of this people and being thus understood the Note from them will be this That there is a time when there shall be no help to be delivered from judgment though they should call cry mourn weep fast Obser and intreat yet the judgment should not be removed As 't is said of Esau He found no place for repentance Heb. 12.17 Heb. 12.17 There is a great mistake by many in the interpretation of that place from which text many gather that there may be many tears shed much sorrow found and yet no true repentance but the meaning of the words is this he found no place for his father Isaacs repentance though he cried and shed tears for the blessing yet his father repented not that he had bestowed it upon Jacob so that people may cry and humble their souls before God yet shall find in God no place of repentance nay if that the Saints of God should all joyn together and pray for such a people they should not prevail Ezek. 14.20 Though Noah Daniel and Job should pray for them they should not prevail Oh sinner take heed this be not thy condition thou hast godly parents and kindred it may be and they set themselves to seek God for thee but God will deny them their prayers shall not prevail for thee this may be the case of Nations and Kingdoms that there may be true repentance found and turning to God and yet no deliverance from outward affliction I deny not but that true repentance shall deliver a soul from eternal wrath from perishing in hell but this I affirm that there may be true repentance found and turning unto God and yet no deliverance from a temporal affliction And this I shall make good by two famous texts of Scripture The first is in Deut. 3.26 Moses had sinned and God saith he should not go into the land of Canaan which was a sore affliction to Moses upon this Moses he praid and 't is certain Moses had repented him of that sin yet see what he saith The Lord was wrath with me for your sake and would not hear me but let it suffice thee speak no more of this matter All his prayers and repentance could not deliver him from that outward affliction and bring him into Canaan The second text is in 2 Kings 23.25 in the former chapter we find the heart of the King melting when he heard the Law read and perceived the anger of the Lord against his people was provoked yet the Lord tels him that he should die in peace And in the 23. Chapter the King he sets upon reforming the people enters into a solemn Covenant with God causeth the people to joyn with him pulls down the groves destroies Idolatry and although it be said in the 25. verse that like unto him was there no King before him yet in the 26. verse God saith Notwithstanding all this he will remove Judah out of his sight So that sometimes God is so set upon his threats that they shall come to pass God will make them good whatever comes of it this I conceive to be the meaning of these words And so Mr. Calvin reades them God may be so resolved against a mans eternal estate that he will never shew such a man or such a people mercy more as we may see in those which were bid to the Gospel-supper therefore we had need to gather our selves together before the decree bring forth Zeph. 2.1 2. Oh let us in this Kingdom take heed yet through Gods mercy we are not left desolate but have many points of mercy even in this day of our rebuke but what God will do one cannot determine therefore it concerns us to prepare to meet our God lest the wrath of God meet us overcome and destroy us till there be no remedy though through mercy for the present we may say there is remedy yea rather let us tremble and be awakened because God sometimes comes against and is more quick with a people that are not so openly and notoriously vile as others are than he doth with the most profane So much for this ninth verse VER 10. The Princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound therefore I will powre out my wrath upon them like water BUT why is God so wrath with Israel ConexioÌ„ Have not the Princes of Judah provoked Him also Yea for God here speaks to them principally It seems the people were not so bad so sinful as they for in the next words he saith That Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment because he willingly walked after the commandement First Princes must answer to God for all their doings Though they are above all men in power and so are not so lyable to give an account to man as others are yet to God they must those actions which are least obnoctious to men are much to God The Princes of Judah are like to them that remove the bounds Obser 1 Are like That is not so much in a similitude as reality as 't is usual in Scripture to put the word like for the thâ—ng
it self As thus His glory was as the Son of God The Princes of Judah were those that removed the bound by the light of Nature and the Law of God it was a wicked thing to remove bounds you may see it forbidden by the Law of God Deut. 27.17 It was a custom among the Heathens and the Romans That Obser 2 if any man removed the bound the antient Land-mark if they were poor they were adjudged to slavery to dig in deep pits if rich men to be banished and lose a third part of their estates The Princes of Judah broke down the bounds in a Fourfold way 1. They took away mens estates that were none of their own God appoints men their bounds and estates therefore 't is not in the power of Princes to take them away at their pleasure It was not in the power of Ahab to take away Naboths Vinyard nay nor to force him to sell it though a King he thought it too much to take it by violence and Jezebel though a cruel woman yet would not take his Vinyeard without some coulor of Law Therefore Princes have no right to the Subjects estates and liberty for to take them away at their pleasures though such principles of late have been infused into them by some for which we at this day suffer so heavily In Isa 1.23 Their Princes are said to be rebellious and companions of theeves Now if all were their own they could not break bounds We would think that they of all men should not break bounds for what is it they may not have if they would I have read a story in Plutarch concerning Cyneas and Pyrrhus who was mightily set upon war with Italy Cyneas speaks thus unto him What shall we get if we overcome the Romans Saith Pyrrhus We shall subdue our great enemy and be made possessors of a brave Country Cyneas asked him what he would do then Saith Pyrrhus Then we will subdue Affrica Carthage and Sicila And what then Then saith Pyrrhus we wil feast drink and be merry Cyneas answered Why may you not do so now without sheding so much blood putting your self to so much trouble and endangering your person If Princes would keep within their bounds what hinders but that they may enjoy themselves and their comforts with peace and quiet without the sheding of so much blood 2. They break all bounds That is They break all Laws and Liberties they wil not be bound by Laws saying thus Laws were made for subjects and not for Princes And thus these Princes broke the bounds Hence we may see what corruption there is in the hearts of men naturally and this is furthered by evil Counsellors I have read of Cambyses who had a desire to marry his Sister but questioning whether he might do it or no he cals his judges together to give him their advice they told him there was a Law against it but say they Ye Princes of Persia may do what you will They were so far from diswading him from that wicked act that they gave him incouragement to it And hath not our time afforded such Counsellors to our Princes 2. They break the bonds of Religion Therefore Interpreters conceive that our Prophet Hosea prophesied in Ahaz his time when he provoked God so by Idolatry setting up the abomination of desolation And this is the great breach of bonds when people must provoke God God hath set bounds to His Word for His Worship and Service Now take heed that you go not beyond those bounds for any pretence of decency or comlinesse sutable to the state in which we live and such like God hath given great liberty in Civil things for men to use but none in hiâ— Worship and waies Oh what evil have Popish Princes done in this thing in removing these bounds and this is the main reason which makes Papists so to labour for the upholding and setting up an arbitrary government having thereby â—ull liberty to break all bounds in Religion Lastly They brake the bonds of their own Covenants and regarded them not These were the corruptions of these Princes they brake all sorts of bonds Civil Spiritual Covenanting bonds nothing will keep them in But hath God left no means to keep these in bounds Quest Princes as well as Subjects To this I answer Yea certainly Answ Those who at first gave power for families and persons to keep these never tollerated the great ones to break them The Law of Nature never gives power to destroy it self especially in a Kingdom where there are defensive offencive means to be used against any means that the greatest in power may raise against the Laws and Liberties of men for there is no man who is a subject to the Prince but is also to the State and the State may deal with his instruments that he imploys either defencively or offencively Trajan after he was made Emperor put a sword into his Officers hand to defend him while he defended the Laws but if he did fail in his duty gave the Officer leave to deale with him as a delinquent It will be worth our pains and cost if after all our troubles we can but get the Kingdom setled in its true rights and liberties though our workmen who are making up our breaches through some negligence or miscarriage suffer the wild beasts to break in yet let not us murmur and repine but be content and bless God that we have means for to help our selves few yeers since we thought our breaches to be so wide that none could help or deliver us now then that God hath raised up for us helpers contrary to our expectation bless God for them and be content let us stir up our selves and joyn with them for their assurance If the Sea should break in upon a Country would you sit stil or let any rest quiet by you that would not stir to make up the breach A Farmer is contented to suffer Cattel and see them to run up and down in his ground while his workmen are making up his hedges and fences for to keep them out So our workmen are making up the hedges let us be contented to suffer a while patiently The truth is those most complain of confusions and disturbances who have been most instrumental to make our breaches and distractions and thus the Princes of Judah were like them that break the bound and for thus doing the Lord threatens in the following words to powr out his wrath upon them like water They have past their bounds in sinning and my wrath shall pass its bounds upon them they kept no bounds in sinning and my wrath shall keep no bounds in punishing The Hebrews use to express anger by a word that signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 going beyond bounds noting thus much that ordinarily in our anger we are apt to go beyond bounds and besides the rule The sence then is I will powr my wrath upon them in great abundance like waters The judgments of