a side out of the way of righteousnesse the Lord is readie to whip him into it againe by the scourge of afflictions and that not for want but in the abundance of his loue because hee should haue no incouragement to goe on in sinne which would bring him to destruction And this Dauid himselfe well knew and therefore saith that before hee was afflicted hee went astray but being afflicted hee kept Gods word Psal 119. 67. And therefore hee saith that it was good for him that hee had beene afflicted seeing hereby hee had Psal 119. 67. and 94. 12. learned Gods statutes verse 71. And Psalme 94. 12. Hee pronounceth them blessed whom God doth chastise and teach in his Law So the Lord telleth Dauid that if his sonne Salomon sinned hee would chasten him with the rod of men but his mercy should not depart from him 2 Sam. 7. 14. giuing vs to vnderstand that hee will not let his children escape 2. Sam. 7. 14. in their sinnes without correction and yet neuerthelesse remaineth mercifull vnto them Finally howsoeuer the gentiles were suffered to goe on in their idolatrie and to flowrish in their sinnes yet as soone as his owne people Israell did leaue his pure worship and follow Idols hee did seuerely punish them as appeareth Exod. 32. and in the History of the Iudges and Kings Exod. 32. Lastly this appeareth by cleare euidence of reason for The former doctrine prooued by reasons as impunitie is a manifest signe that God giueth men ouer to goe on in their sinnes to their destruction because he denyeth them the meanes whereby they might come to the sight of their sinne and vnto true sorrow for it so it is a good signe that God loueth vs as his Children when hee vseth vs like his Children that is correcteth vs for our faults and affordeth vnto vs the meanes whereby wee may bee reclaymed Wee are so blinded with carnall securitie and selfe loue that wee cannot see our transgressions and iniquities and afflictions are that sharpe but yet soueraigne water which helpeth to the recouery of our sight when as therefore the Lord denyeth to afflict vs liuing in sinne what doth he else but leaueth vs to our own naturall blindnesse to goe on in our sins till we fall into the pit of destruction They are those precious salues which serue to draw out the core of our corruptions and those wholesome though vnpleasant potions whereby wee are purged from our sinnes when as therefore the Lord afflicteth vs hee intendeth to cure and purge vs but when he with-holdeth these meanes his purpose is to let vs fester and rot in our sin and to let vs abound in these grose humours which will bring the sicknesse and death of the soule vnto vs they are those purging fires which purifie vs from the drosse of our corruptions and therefore when the Lord casteth vs into them his purpose is to make vs pure gold fit for his treasurie of eternall happinesse but when he letteth vs alone in the drosse of our sinnes his meaning is to let vs rust and canker and to cast vs away as refuse siluer The vse hereof serueth to confute the vaine bragges of The Papists confuted who glory in the outward pomp of their church the Papists who boast of the glory pompe riches and the flourishing estate of their Church vsing it as an argument of Gods loue towards them and of the truenesse of their Church and Religion that they are blessed with great prosperitie and on the other side objecting the crosse and manifold persecutions which the professours of the Gospell are subject vnto as a reproach to their Religion But seeing so many sinnes are not onely committed but also tollerated yea defended and countenanced in that Church their immunitie from afflictions and punishments can bee no signe of Gods Loue but rather that in his heauie displeasure hee hath giuen them ouer as a desperate cure and because by no meanes they vvill bee reclaymed from their Superstitions Idolatryes Adulteries and other enormious crimes that therefore they are giuen vp to a reprobate sense and to their owne filthy lusts that so committing sinne with greedinesse they may treasure vp against themselues wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God And the like vse also may secure Worldlings make of this Doctrine who blesse themselues in their sinnes because they are not crossed in their euill courses seeing nothing ought to bee a greater terrour vnto them then this that the Lord leaueth them to themselues and with-holdeth from them this wholesome meanes of their amendement Lastly it serueth for the comfort of Gods Children when as they are sharply afflicted for their sinnes seeing this is no signe of Gods hatred and of their rejection but rather of his Loue and Fatherly care ouer them which causeth him to lay vpon them these chastisements that hereby they may bee reclaymed from their sinnes and not suffered to runne on in their euill courses to their destruction The second doctrine which wee here learne is that if If we dishonor God he will dishonour vs. wee doe neglect our dutie to GOD hee will make those who owe vs dutie to neglect this dutie when we most expect it and if wee dishonour him by our sinnes hee will cause vs to bee dishonoured and disgraced not onely by our enimies and strangers but also by our nearest and most familiar friends So because the people of Israell who professed themselues the spouse and children of God did by forsaking the Lord their husband and father and adhaeâ—ing vnto Idols grieuously dishonour his holy name the Lord layeth vpon them a proportionable punishment that their wiues and daughters should neglect to them all loue conjugall duties and filiall obedience whereby they should not onely inwardly bee vexed and grieued in their minds but also outwardly in their names be exposed to infamie and reproach The like example wee haue else where in the booke of God when Noah neglected the duty of temperance and sobriety towards God his wicked sonne C ham neglected the dutie of reuerence towards him When Elie was so indulgent towards his sonnes that hee would rather displease God by suffering them to dishonour his name then hee would displease his sonnes by giuing them due correction whereby they might haue beene reclaymed from their sinnes they neglected all dutie to their father contemned his holy admonitions and so brought shame and reproach vpon the whole familie For the Lord caused in one day not onely the glory to depart from Israell when the Arke was taken which chiefly redounded to the dishonour of Elie who then was the Iudge of Israell but also tooke away his sonnes which were to be the glory of his house and togeather with them the office of the Priesthood and so made him inglorious both in the Common-wealth Church and in his owne priuate familie The like may be sayd of Dauid who
whoredome departing from the Lord. The Hebrew text hath it From after the Lord that is forsaking the Lord and leauing to follow after him in the paths of true holinesse and righteousnesse and cleauing vnto their idols following them in the by-paths of superstition and idolatry The sense therefore of these wordes is this Goe and propound vnto the people of Israel this parable and thereby conuince them of their grosse idolatry for howsoeuer they may flatter themselues through selfe-loue yet the trueth is they are no better then common harlots for after that I haue vouchsafed them this dignity to espouse them to my selfe and they haue plighted vnto me their faith and vowed their obedience they both forgetfull of my mercie and of their owne dutie haue commonly impudently and continually committed spirituall whoredome with stockes stones and diuels forsaking me their Lord and husband and refusing to follow me in the waies of my commandements and prostituting their bodies and soules to commit spirituall fornication with their idols according to their owne inuentions and their burning and vnbridled lusts and appetites Where first we may obserue that the Lord intending to The vse of parables to conuince the sinner of his sins conuince this people of their sinnes doth before he plainely sets downe their sins propound it vnto them by way of parable to the end that they who were blinded with selfe-loue and partiall Iudges in their owne cases might better see their sinnes in the person of others and without partialitie condemne them when they appeared like strangers which they would suffer to passe without any hard censure if they discerned them to be of their familiar acquaintance And thus Nathan dealt with Dauid 2. Sam. 12. And our Sauiour Christ with the Scribes and Pharisies Matth. 21. 33. 2. Sam. 12. Matth. 21. 33. And here in this place the Lord maketh the people to condemne themselues and their sinnes in the person and practise of an adulterous harlot and so inticeth them as it were to wound and kill their beloued friend whilest it is masked and disguised in the habit of an enemy Out of which we may further gather how farre wee are naturally in loue with our sinnes so that we cannot be moued Our naturall and corrupt loue to sinne to hate condemne and mortifie them so long as they beare our owne names but rather are ready to mince excuse and defend them vntill we view them in the person of others and see them enrolled vnder their names Secondly wee may note our too too great loue of our selues and too too small loue towards our neighbours That selfe-loue makes vs exceeding partiall which maketh vs easily to discerne and heauily and seuerely to censure other mens faults whereas we are readie to excuse or defend the same or greater in our selues and therefore â—â—â— Lord when he would haue vs to see and condemne our sinnes doth not offer them to our censure as they are in our owne selues whom we loue too much but in the person of others whom for the most part we loue not so much as we should as appeareth in the former examples and in this place wherein the Lord is faine to deale with vs as tender mothers deale with their wanton and wayward children whom when they would as willingly amend as vnwillingly displease them they vse to chide and beate the standers by and sometime shadowes and pictures for those faults which their children haue committed to the end that so they may see and learne to dislike their faults in others which they would not so easily discerne nor so vnpartially condemne in themselues Thirdly we may obserue what exordium or beginning The thundring exordium of the Prophet of speech the Prophet here vseth namely hee doth not vse faire words and sweete inticing allurements to make them attentiue hee doth not first sweeten his seuere and bitter reprehensions and legall threatnings with any commendation of their persons or mitigation of their faults but by propounding vnto them this parable whereby he laboureth to make them vnpartiall Iudges of their owne sinfull and miserable estate he accuseth them to be no better then an adulterous generation of adulterous parents adulterous children and that by their often adulteries they had made the land as it were a common stewes and therefore that the Lord would no longer beare with their spirituall whoredomes but would withdraw his loue and diuorce them from him So that now our Prophet commeth not as an Ambassadour sent from God with conditions of peace and with gracious promises to allure them to obedience but as a sonne of thunder and like an Herauld sent from the Lord to denounce open warres against the people for their grosse idolatry and outragious rebellion hee beginneth his speech vnto them The reason why the Lord causeth his Prophet thus thunderingly to beginne his prophecie was because the Why the Prophet dealeth so roughly with the people people had a long time euen since the beginning of Ieroboams raigne continued in their sinnes especially their grosse idolatry notwithstanding that the Lord had sent diuers of his Prophets to reproue them for their sinnes of which their consciences were conuinced by Gods law and to draw them to repentance sometimes by propounding vnto them Gods sweete promises of gratious benefits if they would turne vnto them and sometimes by threatning punishments against those who went forward in their sinnes All which notwithstanding the people continued vncorrigible and grew worse and worse and therefore the Lord causeth the Prophet to deale with them in this hot and rough manner because they had a long time lien frosen in the dregs of their sinnes And this course haue other of Gods faithfull ambassadours vsed when they had to deale with such obstinate and incurable sinners As Iohn the Baptist with the Saduces and Pharises Matth. 3. 7. Peter with Ananias and Sapphira Act. Matth. 3. 7. Act. 5. 8. 13. 10. Matth. 21. 23. Gods Ministers must sit their speech to their auditory 5. and with Simon Magus Act. 8. Paul with Elymas Act. 13. 10. And our Sauiour Christ himselfe with the Priests and Pharises Matth. 21. 23. Out of which examples Gods Ministers may learne in the deliuerie of Gods word spirituall discretion in fitting their speech according to the condition of their auditorie and not to deale with ignorant and vntaught men after the same manner that they deale with wilfull and obstinate sinners but as Physitions put a difference in their patients applying to ordinarie sicknesses ordinarie remedies and to desperate diseases desperate physicke and as Chirurgions to small cuts applie healing plaisters and for the curing of deepe festered wounds vse eating corrosiues and the sharpe lancher So the Physition and Surgion of the soule for the curing of some desperate disease or healing of some festered sore which sinne hath made in mens consciences must vse bitter potions a rough hand and desperate
Lord said vnto Verse 1 me goe yet and loue a woman beloued of her husband and was an harlot according to the loue of the Lord towards the children of Israell yet they looked to other Gods loued the wine bottles In which words the loue of God is typically propounded The exposition and afterwards plainely expounded it is typically shadowed vnder another vision not much vnlike vnto the former Chap. 1. 2. wherein the Lord commaundeth the Prophet to loue an adulterous and vngratefull harlot not that indeed he would haue him to set his affection vpon such an one seeing it was a thing vnlawfull and dishonest for the Prophet of God to loue an Adultresse being another mans wife but that hee hauing receiued this commaundement by vision might propound it as a Parable vnto the people that hereby they who were dull of conceit might see both the loue and mercy of God and their owne wickednesse and vnworthynesse represented as in a cleare glasse or plaine picture As though he should say go yet againe vnto the Israelites and propound this parable vnto them that the Lord is like vnto a husband who continueth to loue his wife though she neglecting his loue and forgetting his benefits haue forsaken him committed whoredome with her louers and giuen ouer her selfe vnto all voluptuous pleasures But let vs come to the words more particularly And the Lord said vnto mee that is after I had deliuered the former Prophecie the Lord againe spake vnto me by vision saying goe yet againe that is content not thy selfe to haue spoken once of my mercy loue and gracious benefites and of the wickednesse and vnworthinesse of this people but againe repeate and reiterate these things vnto them that so eyther they may be moued at the second hearing or that their obstinacie and hardnesse of heart may be manifested and they left without excuse And loue a woman beloued of her husband and was an harlot that is by propounding vnto them this Parable shew them that I am a gracious Husband in that notwithstanding their manifold whoredomes I continue to loue them and withall conuince them of their grose wickednesse and vnthankfulnesse in that all my loue and gracious benefits will not restraine them from committing Idolatrie and spirituall adultery with false Gods In which Parable vnder the husband wee are to vnderstand God himselfe who loued his people from all eternitie and continued constant in his loue euen after the people had broken their mariage faith plighted vnto him in mount Sinai and committed spirituall whoredome with false Gods By the wife wee are to vnderstand the people of Israell and not the people of Iuda as some haue imagined for first in this first verse here mention is made of the children of Israell and secondly it is not true of the Iewes that they should be without Magistrates and gouernement for the Scepter might not depart from Iuda till the Messias came Gen. 49. 10 Gen. 49. 10. But is was verified in the ten tribes who had no Magistrates of their owne in the time of their captiuitie Yea but the ten Tribes were diuorced from God excluded out of the couenant and for euer debarred of mercy how then could it be said of them that God loued them as his spouse and that they should being conuerted seeke the Lord I answere that we are not to vnderstand these words generally of the whole people of Israell but of those onely amongest them which belonged to Gods election for of these alone it could truely be said that God loued them and that being conuerted they should seeke the lord And vnderstanding it of them we may easily answere the former obiections for though they were excluded out of the couenant of works yet this hindreth them not from being admitted into the couenant of grace though they were debarred of mercy in respect of their deliuerance out of a temporall captiuitie yet they obtained mercy in regard of their spirituall freedom out of the captiuitie of sinne and Sathan though they were for euer exiled out of the earthly Canaan yet being reconciled vnto God in Christ they might neuerthelesse become Citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem Lastly by the Prophet who is commaunded by God to loue this Adultresse beloued of her husband wee are to vnderstand Iesus Christ who loued these elect Israelites which were exculded out of the couenant of works and marryed them vnto himselfe by making with them the new couenant of grace and this appeareth in that hee willeth him to loue her with such loue as the Lord loued her namely with a constant most infinite and eternall loue which properly can be ascribed to no other sauing to our Sauiour Iesus Christ alone And this is the meaning of this parable The exposition followeth According to the loue of the Lord towards the children of Israell yet or when as they looked to other Gods and loued the wine bottles In which words the Lords loue is amplyfied by the wickednesse and vnworthinesse of the people and the peoples sinne aggrauated by the loue and goodnesse of God towards them The Lords loue is hereby commended in that he did not onely loue this people whilest they loued him kept their coniugall faith and serued him according to his word but euen when they dispised him forsooke him violated their faith and committed spirituall whoredome with false Gods the which he could neuer haue done had not his loue beene infinite most constant and eternall Secondly their sinne and wickednesse is exceedingly aggrauated in that they were so vngratefull and obstinate in their Idolatry that neyther Gods loue nor all his manifold benefits which he had multiplyed vpon them as pledges of his endlesse loue could moue them to loue him againe nor containe them in their fidelitie nor restraine them from committing spirituall fornication with false Gods If a wife doe not loue her husband who loatheth her and behaueth himselfe towards her cruelly and inhumanely though this doth not altogether take away her fault yet it doth much extenuate and excuse it but if she loue not such a husband as entirely loueth her nor will be restrained by his great kindnes and manifold benefits from breaking her faith and following her louers her fault is so haynous that it admitteth of no excuse but such a louing husband was the Lord to this Church of Israell and such a rebellious and vnfaithfull wife was she to him and therefore her wickednesse was so much the more grieuous and intollerable But let vs come to the particular branches of their sin the first whereof is expressed in these words Yet they looked to other Gods by which phrase with the Hebrewes is vsually signified loue and desire hope and trust reposed in that thing which they are said to looke after Wheras therefore they are said to looke after other Gods the meaning is that they set their hearts and affections vpon them and hoped and trusted in them and in these respects
had their eyes and mindes alwayes fixed vpon them Secondly he saith that they loued the wine bottles whereby wee may eyther generally vnderstand that besides their sinne of Idolatry they were also addicted to all manner of vnlawfull pleasures and luxurious excesse as surfetting and drunkennesse lasciuiousnesse and wantonnesse for with the corruption of Religion is vsually ioyned corruption of manners Pietie and Honesty being such twins as both liue and die together And if we take the words in this sence then we are to vnderstand them Synecdochecally dunkennesse being put for voluptuousnesse and all corruption of manners of which he maketh speciall choyse that he may persist in the former Allegory seeing Adultery Drunkennes are commonly ioyned together and are mutuall causes one of another Or els we may take them more specially and properly for that drunkennesse and those voluptuous delights which they vsed in their Idolatrous feasts for with their Idolatry they vsually ioyned feasting and reuelling as may appeare Exod. Exod. 32. 6. 32. 6. Iudg. 9. 27. vnto which custome the Prophet Amos alludeth Iudg. 9. 27. Chap. 2. 8. They drinck the wine of the condemned in Amos. 2. 8. the house of their God The which custome lasted vnto the Apostles time as appeareth 1. Cor. 10. 21. and this as I take 1. Cor. 10. 21. it is the more naturall and proper sence of this place namely that the people of Israell did not onely commit Idolatry but also by their drinking feasting and reuelling shewed the exceeding great delight which they tooke in their sinne And this is the meaning of these words The doctrines Our pronenesse to fall into desperation or presumption which arise out of them are diuers First we may obserue out of the generall scope of this Chapter our exceeding pronenesse to run into two extreams secure presumption abiect desperation in respect of our diuers estate and condition when we are in prosperity we are deafe to all reprehension admonion threatnings we flatteringly perswade our selues that this Sunne of Gods fauour will euer shine vpon vs notwithstanding that our sinnes continually ascend and as a thick cloud interpose themselues betweene vs the beams of Gods loue and when we heare Gods curses we blesse our selues in our hearts saying I shall haue peace although I walk Deut. 29. 19. according to the stubbernenesse of mine owne heart adding drunkennesse vnto thirst as it is Deut. 29 19. Yea when the Lord beginneth to punish we are ready in the securitie of our hearts to promise vnto our selues immunitie and to say with those wicked men Esay 28. 15. We haue made a couenant with Esay 28. 15. death and with hell we are at agreement though ascourge run ouer and passe through it shall not come at vs c. And on the other side when God withdraweth from vs his gracious countenance and taking away our prosperitie in stead thereof layeth vpon vs affliction and aduersitie then we are as ready to fall into the contrary extreame concluding that God hath vtterly reiected vs and cast vs off for euer foolishly imagining that when our Sunne of comfort is once set and the night of sorrow and aduersitie hath ouershadowed vs that it will neuer arise againe and replenish our hearts with ioy and consolation An example hereof we haue in the Israelites in this place and in Dauid Psal 30. 6. 8. The consideration whereof should moue all Gods Ministers according to the practise of the Prophet in this place wisely to intermixe comminations with consolations iudgement with mercy threatnings with promises and the Law with the Gospell that they may keep men in an euen course and in the golden meane neither presumptuously going forward in sin in regard of Gods mercies and benefits nor desperately sincking vnder the waight of sinne and punishment when they are ouertaken of Gods iudgements Secondly whereas the Lord commandeth the Prophet That Gods ministers must often inculcate their instructions and admonitions yet againe to put the people in minde of his mercyes and their owne sinnes and vnworthinesse hence we obserue that it is not sufficient for Gods Ministers once alone to stand vpon these points but considering how forgetfull men are of Gods benefits and how obdurate and obstinate in their wicked courses they must repeate beate vpon these things againe and againe neuer thinking any duety sufficiently taught which is not also sufficiently learned Neyther must they seeke to please the itching eares of phantasticall hearers who are impatient in hearing the same things twise deliuered nor seeke to delight such surfetted and cloyed appetites as cannot indure oftner then once to tast of the same food no nor yet take pleasure though varietie of food be offered vnto them if it be brought in the same dish desiring onely varietie and to heare continually new matter out of a new Text but they must like good Surgeons apply the same salues to the same sores till they be perfectly cured they must speake againe and againe of the same mercyes of God till they bee remembred teach the same doctrines till they be learned exhort to the same dueties till they be practised and reproue the same sinnes till they be amended And like good house-holders as they are to auoid the glutting of the family by the continuall vse of the same meate so also they must oftner then once set before them that spirituall food which they know is good and wholesome and think it no disgrace and disparagement to their plenty and hospitalitie if they feed twise of the same dish Thirdly we may obserue that the Lord propoundeth his The vse of Parables mercyes and the peoples sinnes by way of Parable that so he might in a liuely manner and as it were with reall words represent these things to their vnderstanding as it were in a plaine picture that so he might hereby more effectually approue his owne vndeserued goodnesse and conuince them of their vnworthines and this forme as it is alwayes delightfull so is it sometimes most profitable as when Gods Ministers are to deale with Magistrates or with obstinate and impudent sinners who wil not know nor condemne sinne vnlesse it be in another mans person See Chap. 1. Ver. 2. Fourthly wee may obserue that the Lord intending to The assurance of gods loue our chiefe comfort in afflictions arme his children with such patience as might inable them to beare those grieuous afflictions which he purposed to lay vpon them doth in the first place assure them of his loue notwithstanding he seuerely corrected them for their sinnes yea that he therefore did chastice them because he loued them and would not suffer them to goe on in their sinnes to their destruction whence we learne that to attain patience in afflictions and aduersitie the best way is earnestly to labour that we may discerne with the eye of faith the beames of gods loue and fauour through the cloud of our
spend the whole time in reuelling masking dicing carding surfetting and drunkennesse and least they should not runne fast inough into all manner of disorders doe they not allow of their Lords of mis-rule who haue for the time a large Patent to lead them into all licentiousnesse and these are their religious exercises for their solemne feasts That I may say nothing of the permission of their stewes their sanctuaries for malefactours their wincking at blasphemie prophanation of the Sabboth Adultry as though they were but veniall sinnes by all which their wicked courses they greatly increase their number seeing hereby all adioyne themselues vnto them who would be voluptuous and licentious by law and priuiledge of Religion And so much concerning the testification of Gods loue The Analysis of the rest of the Chapter towards the adultresse harlot the people of Israell Now followeth the approbation thereof first by his inflicting on her fatherly chastisements that thereby shee might be restrayned from running on in her sinnes and prouoked to turne vnto God by true repentance verse 2 3 4. Secondly by sanctifying this her affliction for her conuersion vers 5. The afflictions which he intended to correct her with are typically represented and shadowed in the Prophets vision vers 2 3. And after this vision is in part expounded vers 4. Concerning the former he sheweth first the end wherefore hee afflicted her that is that thereby he might buy her and so possesse and keepe her for his owne vse in these words So I bought her to me and secondly hee setteth downe the affliction it selfe where first he sheweth with what kinde of affliction he meant to chastise her namely with captiuitie signified in this phrase of buying her and secondly he expresseth the qualitie of this captiuitie to wit that it should be exceeding grieuous and that both in respect of the greatnesse of their miseries which they should suffer in their captiuitie and also in respect of their long continuance Their miseries consisted partly in the euils which they suffered and partly in the depriuation of such benefits as they had formerly inioyed namely their politicall and ecclesiasticall gouernment vers 3 4. The euils which she suffered were base contempt signified by her price of 15. peeces of siluer wherewith shee was bought and pinching pouertie and want signified by the Homer and a halfe of Barley BVt let vs come to the words themselues Verse 2. So I Verse 2 bought her to mee for fifteene peeces of siluer and for an Homer of Barley an halfe Homer of Barley In which words is contayned both the peoples punishment and the loue of The exposition God who inflicted it the punishment is that they should become captiues in a strange countrie and this is signified by this phrase of buying for no free people but onely captiues slaues and seruants were bought for money So that the meaning of this part of the vision is this as the Prophet buyeth an adultrous wife as though she were a captiue so the children of Israell shall be led into captiuitie and bought and sould for money Yea but the Prophet was commanded to loue this adultresse and heere no mention is made of his loue but onely that he bought her that is brought her into the base estate of a slauish captiue how then doth this signifie the loue of God seeing it seemeth rather an effect of hatred I answere if we respect Gods end which was the profit conuersion and saluation of the Israelits this was a singular note of gods loue For when they abused their libertie to all licentiousnesse God caused them to liue in captiuitie but to this end that by this miserie he might reclaime regaine them vnto himself So that the Lords seueritie was exceeding profitable and necessarie to reforme this adultresse and to make her keepe her marriage faith inuiolable for the time to come when as she felt the smart of her vncleannesse If a husband laying aside his right of superioritie and rule doe basely cocker and flatter his adultrous Wife and suffer her at pleasure to raunge abroad and company with her louers his fondnesse will harten her in her wicked courses and cause her the more to scorne and contemne him the Lord therefore like a wise husband dealeth otherwise here with this adultresse that is he retayneth his authoritie he handleth her roughly and restrayneth her of her libertie but yet inwardly he loueth her for he doth all this to coole the heat of her lust and to make her chast and faithfull that so being reclaymed hee may receiue her into his wonted fauour The Next point to be considered is the basenesse of their estate in their captiuitie signified by the price here giuen for the Adultresse to wit fifteene peeces of siluer What was the precise quantitie of this summe it is vncertaine neyther is it materiall to the vnderstanding of the Prophets purpose onely this we are to know that the Prophet maketh mention of a certaine price giuen that he might in more liuely manner set forth this vision as a thing done hereby more feelingly affect his hearers secondly that this Adultresse was bought at a very low rate seeing there is such a slender price payed for her as fifteene siluer peeces For there was three sorts of siluer coyne in vse amongst the Israelites the Shekell of the Sanctuarie which was about two shillings foure pence in value and this had on the one side Aarons rod and on the other the pot of Manna the common or halfe Shekell amounting to foureteene perice and the Gerah or Obolus which was about the value of our three halfe-pence Now we are not to vnderstand these words of the Shekell of the Sanctuary which was onely the price of holy things and therefore not of an adultresse and if wee vnderstand them of the common Shekell then the whole price amounted but to the summe of seauenteene shillings and sixe pence which was giuen for this Adultresse whereby the base estate and contemptible condition of this harlot is shewed in that she is valewed at lesse then a slaue or captiue For if an Oxe gored a seruant the owner was bound to giue to the maister thirtie Shekels in recompence as appeateth Exod. 21. 32. and here this Adultresse is prized but at Exod. 12. 32. halfe so much whereby is signified that the people of Israell should be contemned and exceeding basely esteemed of in their captiuitie And this agreeth with the complaint of the faithful Psal 44. 12. Thou sellest thy people without gaine and Psa 44. 12. 13 doest not increase their price 13. Thou makest vs a reproch to our neighbours a iest and laughing stock to them that are round about vs c. And this is the first part of the price the other is expressed in these words And for an Homer of Barley and halfe Ezech. 45. 11. an Homer of Barley The Homer or Chomer contained ten Ephaes as
nor cast yee your pearles before swine lest they treade them vnder their feet and turning againe all to rent you And secondly because there is much more danger that they will make vs worse then hope that we shall make them better For sooner will these incurable leapers taint vs with their leprosie of sinne then we shall cleanse them by our best approued medicines and being so deepely infected with the plague of wickednes that the markes and tokens of death and destruction appeare vpon them there is no shew of hope that we should restore them to their spirituall health but there is great cause of feare lest they infect vs with their contagion It is true indeed that though their pestilent vices were apt to taint vs yet if we were not as apt to be tainted there were no such great danger but here it is far otherwise for as their poisonous contagion is fit to infect vs so in respect of the grosse and corrupt humours of sinne which remaine euen in all those who are regenerate we are as apt to receiue the infection and therefore we haue small reason to thrust our selues into their companie when it euidentlie appeareth that their diseases are desperate and past our cure Againe if we haunt the companie of wicked men and entertaine The euils that redound to those who frequent euill companie neere familiaritie and friendship with them either we must be silent when we see their faults or else admonish and reproue them if we smother them in silence and can be content to heare and see God dishonored then do we shew our want of the loue of God and zeale of his glorie haue a manifest argument against our owne soules that wee are none of his children for what sonne hauing any naturall affection in him can heare his father slandered and abused and hold his peace yea and we shew our hatred also against the partie what shew of loue soeuer we pretend if we neglect seasonable admonitions and reproofes and become accessaries to his sins as the Lord plainly implieth Leuit. 19. 17. Leuit. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy hart but thou shalt plainly rebuke thy neighbour and suffer him not to sinne On the other side if we reproue desperate sinners we shall not onely cast these holy things vnto dogs and pearles before swine who will treade them vnder their vncleane feete but we shal our selues bee endangered lest like furious bandogs they turne againe and all to rent vs either by rayling speeches and vnciuill taunts or by open violence and desperate furie If we like of their wicked courses wee are not much better then they if they be irkesome and grieuous vnto vs why do we by haunting their companie seeke our owne sorrow The vse of this doctrine serueth to teach vs that vnder no colour of excuse we frequent the company of such who are so far spent in the sicknesse of sinne that there is no probable hope of their recouerie for seeing they are strong in euill we weake in good they wholly corrupt we but in part regenerate they striuing with all the powers of their heart mind and soule to draw vs vnto their sinnes and we faintly opposing either to perswade them from their wickednesse or to stand in our owne vprightnesse in a word seeing wee labour against the streame in our course of righteousnesse and they haue both winde and tide in their course of sinne let not vs grapple with thē foolishly imagining that we can force them vpward seeing vpon so much aduantage as they haue against vs they are much more likely not only to hinder our progresse in godlinesse but to carrie vs with them downe the streame of vice and wickednesse ANd thus much concerning their sinnes of idolatrie against the first table In respect of the second they sinned two waies First against themselues by intemperance Secondly gainst their neighbours And these sinnes were either common to all the people to wit their whoredomes and vncleannesse or peculiar to their Magistrates namely their bribing and extortion Al which are comprised in these words Vers 18. Their drunkennesse stincketh they haue committed Vers 18 whoredome their Rulers loue to say with shame Bring ye Or thus Their drinke putrifieth and stincketh or as others reade Their drinke is refractarious rebellious they continually commit whoredome their Princes loue to say with shame Bring yee Which words are not in number so many as are The exposition the interpretations diuers which are by diuers Expositors giuen of them but I will propound only those which seeme most probable and insist in that which best agreeth with the drift of the Prophet and circumstances of the place Some expound these words allegorically vnderstāding by drinke or drunkennesse that they were made spiritually drunken with their vnbridled loue of superstition and being thus besotted they committed spirituall whoredome that is idolatrie without shame But as I take it allegories in expounding the Scriptures are like oathes in speech neuer good but when they are necessarie Besides he had spoken of their desperate loue towards their idols in the former verse comprehending vnder it the sinnes of the first table and therfore it is not likely that in this breuitie of speech he doth inculcate and reiterate the same thing but rather vseth a new argument to disswade the men of Iuda from frequenting their company namely because they were guiltie of the breaches of the second table also of which he giueth three instances to wit their drunkennesse adulterie and briberie vnder which he compriseth all the rest But let vs come to more particulars Their drunkennesse stincketh or their drinke putrifieth and stincketh as the word heere vsed signifieth Which words amongst many others haue these three interpretations Some reade thē thus Their Drusius in Hosea drinke is gone backe namely from his first quality and condition and so sowreth and corrupteth for in the proper and Sur. primary signification the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to goe backe Whereby they vnderstand by a metonymie of the cause that they were gone backe and degenerate from their first state of integritie and had made a defection from God according to that Esay 1. 22. Thy siluer is become drosse thy wine is Esa 1. 22. mixt with water But as I take it this doth not so well agree with the scope of the Prophet nor fitly cohereth with the words following as after shall appeare Others reade them thus Their wine is refractarious or Iunius rebellious that is vnderstanding them by the same metonymie their excessiue drinking of wine and strong drinke maketh them refractarious and rebellious according to that Prou. 20. 1. Wine is a mocker and strong drinke is raging that Pro. 20. 1. is it maketh men to mocke and rage And this translation is very probable first because the word may well beare it for strong drinke maketh men refractary and to
wisedome and knowledge of God c. And this is Gods vsuall course in all his iudgements towards his seruants so hee suffered Adam to fall into sinne that hee might haue more ample occasion of shewing his mercie he banished him out of the the earthly paradise that he might receiue him into the kingdome of glorie hee punished him and his posteritie with a temporarie death that it might be an entrance into eternall life hee subiecteth their bodies to weakenesse and corruption that they may rise in power incorruptible and immortall he laieth vpon them light and momentarie afflictions that they may cause vnto them a superexcellent and eternall waight of glorie as it is 2. Cor. 4. 17. The consideration whereof should make vs 2. Cor. 4. 17. patiently to submit our selues when wee are afflicted vnto Gods good will and pleasure seeing his iudgements end in mercie and seeing in respect of his infinite wisedome and almightie power he can and in respect of his loue and fatherly kindnesse hee will raise benefits out of punishments and make those things turne to our good and eternall saluation which in their owne nature seeme to bring destruction and vtter damnation Heb. 12. 9. Heb. 12. 9. Bâ—â—nâ— adopted the sonnes of God wee must walke according to our high calling Secondly as hereby we are put in mind of Gods mercie so also of our owne dutie namely that being exalted to this high dignitie of being the sonnes of God we walke according to our high calling and demeane our selues like Gods children for as it is an vndecent thing that one who is raised from base estate or taken out of the gallies and aduanced to be the adopted sonne and heire of some great Monarch should now behaue himselfe according to his former base condition so much more vncomly is it that one exalted to this high dignitie of being son heire to the King of kings should be haue himselfe like a child of Satan and bondslaue of sinne liuing as in former times in the blindnesse of minde peruersenesse of will vncleannesse of affections and in the lusts of the Gentiles in a base sort suffering his minde to lie groueling on the earth wallowing himself in the filthie puddle of worldly vanities in the meane time forgetting his high calling whereunto he is aduanced to be the sonne of the liuing God For honours should change our manners and as soone as we are aduanced to this high dignitie we should like Saul haue another heart and not suffer our selues any more to be ruled with our own base lusts and concupiscences but being the sonnes of God wee ought to bee guided and directed wholly and only by his spirit otherwise wee can haue no assurance that we are admitted to this glorious state and condition for they who alone are led by Gods spirit are his sonnes as appeareth Rom. 8. 14. Rom. 8 14. The difference betweene God and idols The last thing which wee are to consider is the difference betweene the true God and the false gods of the Gentiles for he is the euerliuing Iehouah whereas they are either without life dead or mortall The consideration whereof may serue first to restraine vs from transgressing the commandements of our God seeing he euerliueth to take punishment on vs for our sinnes secondly it is a strong inducement to holy obedience seeing our Lord and Master euerliueth to reward our seruice and lastly it ministreth to all Gods children matter of sweete consolation in that they haue a God in respect of his power almightie in respect of his loue and good will alwaies readie that euerliueth to giue vnto them the good things which they desire and to deliuer them from the euils which they feare and as he hath life in himselfe so he will giue life vnto them that together with him they may reigne in all happinesse and eternall felicitie in his kingdome For as he hath giuen to his first borne Iesus Christ to haue life in himselfe so he hath giuen vnto vs John 5. 26. his adopted sonnes in Christ that we should haue life in him as it is Col. 3. 3. Col. 3. 3. ANd so much concerning the dignity of the Church and people of God In the next place is set downe their vnity and vnanimity verse 11. Then shall the children of Verse 11 Iuda and the children of Israel be gathered together and appoint themselues one head In which words he alludeth vnto Exposition their separation and diuision which was betweene the Israelites and the Iewes when as for the sinnes of Salomon 1. King 11. 11 12 they were disunited and disioyned in the raigne of Rehoboam into two seuerall Ringdomes vnder the gouernment of their two Kings and likewise to their scattering and dispersing amongst the Gentiles in the time of their captiuity when as they wandred like sheepe without a shepheard shewing that at the comming of the Messias they who were disioyned should bee reunited and they which were dispersed should bee gathered together and whereas in former times they were either without a King or diuided vnder the gouernment of two Kings vpon which followed bloody warres desolation and misery now they should be gathered together into one Kingdome vnder the rule of Christ their onely King vnder whose gouernement they should inioy peace happinesse and abundance of all blessings as it is plainely set downe Ezech. 37. 22 23 24. Ezech. 37. 22 23. But let vs come to the words more particularly where first is set downe their reunion into one Kingdome who by discord and dissension had been disunited The which is signified by this phrase of gathering together for whereas the people of Israel and Iuda had like sheepe gone astray and had dispersed themselues amongst the Gentiles as in a waste wildernesse the Lord promiseth that by the great Sheepheard of our soules Iesus Christ they should be recollected and gathered into one flocke and one sheepfold The parties then who being dispersed should be gathered together are the Israelites and the Iewes where as before by Israelites we are to vnderstand the sonnes of Abraham according to the Spirit that is all the faithfull and true beleeuers both Israelites and Gentiles and by Iuda the people of the Iewes who also belonged to Gods election and were indued with the faith of Abraham neither were all the Iewes according to the flesh added vnto Christs Kingdome but onely the true Iewes who were children of the promise for as the Apostle saith All are not Israel which were of Israel Rom. 9. 6. so he saith he is not a Iew which is one outward but hee is a Iew wihch is one within Romans 2. 28 29. so Rom. 9. 6. Rom. 2. 28. 29. Apoc. 2. 9. Apoc. 2. 9. Now the order of their gathering together may be obserued out of the order of the words for the Iewes haue the first place because they were still the Church and people of God and were not reiected out
fitteth his speech to them shewing that if this heauy iudgement of separation from himselfe would not touch them with any sense of their misery hee had an other iudgement in store for them which hee knew they would feelingly apprehend to wit the withdrawing of his gifts and benefites from them which they farre better loued then himselfe Fourthly we may obserue that the abuse of Gods graces The abuse of Gods gifts moueth him to strip vs of them and benefits doth moue him iustly to spoile and strip vs of them as appeareth here in the example of the Israelites for therefore the Lord suffered them to inioy still his gifts which with a liberall hand hee had bestowed vpon them that his mercy and bounty might leade them to repentance and might mooue them with all earnestnesse to seeke reconciliation with him who had been so good and gratious a God vnto them but when as contrariwise they the rather forsooke the Lord impudently committed spirituall whoredome with their idols abusing Gods benefits as meanes to harten them in their sinne and spending their wealth vpon their false gods the Lord threatneth that if they would not speedily repent of these sinnes he would strippe them of his gifts rather then they should be thus abused If therefore we would haue Gods benefits continued vnto vs let vs take heede that wee doe not abuse them to pride wantonnesse forgetfulnesse of God insulting ouer our brethren or by mispending them vpon any euill vses to further vs in any sinne nay not onely this but also let vs be carefull to imploy them well to Gods glory the good of our brethren and for our owne furtherance in all vertue and godlinesse for though we doe not abuse them yet if with the vnprofitable seruant we hide them in a napkin and do not vse them the Lord will take his talent from vs and not onely strip vs of his gifts but also cast vs into vtter darkenesse where shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth as appeareth Matth. 25. 30. Matth. 25. 30. God putteth vs in minde of our naturall basenesse to humble vs. Fiftly wee may obserue that in the Lords threatning whereby hee indeauoureth to bring the Church of Israel to repentance he putteth them in minde of their former basenesse miserie and nakednesse not onely to worke in their hearts a true loue and reuerent respect towards him who from such a contemptible condition had aduanced them to such high dignitie but also to beate downe their pride with which in respect of their present prosperitie they were puffed vp and to humble them with the remembrance of their owne naturall vilenesse As if a Prince hauing taken to wife a meane seruant and perceiuing her to waxe proud and insolent towards him and to neglect him who had aduanced her setting her loue vpon others should after this manner say vnto her There is no reason why thou shouldest bee so proud insolent for howsoeuer I haue now aduanced thee thou wast when I found thee poore base and beggarly especially considering that I who haue raised thee vp haue power in my hand to pull thee downe and to place thee in as base condition as thou wast in former times if thy preferments puffe thee vp in pride and moue thee in thy insolency to neglect and despise me who haue been the only cause of thine aduancement And hereby it may appeare how easily by Gods grace and bountie we are made insolent wanton and forgetfull of God how odious a vice this is in Gods sight in that he vseth such meanes to draw vs from it and that there is no better course to bring vs to repentance then by beating downe this our pride by calling to minde what we were before the Lord called vs and aduanced vs namely base poore and miserable destitute of all good and replenished with all euill Lastlie we may obserue the manifold miseries and calamities The miseries that God bringeth on those who forsake his true worship which the Lord bringeth vpon those who forsake his pure worship and seruice and giue themselues ouer to commit idolatrie for hee not onely diuorceth them from himselfe but also vnlesse they repent he strippeth them of all his gifts and benefits which he had bestowed vpon them he taketh from them the light of their vnderstanding and suffereth them to be deluded and infatuated in their owne imaginations as appeareth Rom. 1. 21. 22. 2. Thess 2. 11. Rom. 1. 21. 22. 2. Thes 2. 11. Matth. 21. 43. He taketh from them the sunshine of his word and suffereth them to walke in darkenesse and in the shadow of death he strippeth them of al his gifts both of bodie and mind leaueth them in their naturall nakednesse defiled with sin vglie and deformed he taketh from them the name of his seruants children and spouse and leaueth them as hee found them the slaues of Satan the children of wrath and heires of perdition He maketh them like a desert wildernesse barren of all grace and goodnesse and inhabited with their owne lusts corruptions and passions which like wild beasts torment and euen rent them in peeces yea he maketh whole cities and countries of idolaters waste and desolate exposing them to the common spoile of their conquering enemies as our Sauiour threatneth the Iewes Matth. 23. 38. In a word he depriueth their soules of all true ioy and sound Matth. 23. 38. comfort and letteth them perish in the extremitie of their want So that the end of idolaters who hauing knowne God and do renounce his pure worship and seruice is worse then their beginning For better had it been for them not to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse then after they haue knowne it to turne out of it as the Apostle speaketh 2. Pet. 2. Pet. 2. 20. 21. Matth. 12. 45. 2. 20. 21. So Matth. 12. 45. ANd so much concerning the punishment of the adulterous mother the whole Synagogue Church of Israel In the next place he forewarneth her of the punishment of her children vers 4. And I wil haue no pity vpon her children Vers 4 for they be the children of fornications In which words are contained The exposition two things first the punishment secondly the cause thereof In the first we are to consider first against whom this punishment is threatned secondly the punishment it selfe The persons against whom this punishment is denounced are the children of the adulterous mother And I will haue no pitie vpon her children Whereas he saith And I will c. by this connexion he signifieth that vnlesse his adulterous spouse whom hee had diuorced would take away her fornications and adulteries by true repentance he would not content himselfe with her diuorce and spoile but hee would goe forward in his course of iust vengeance to inflict the like punishments vpon her children Where as by mother we are to vnderstand in generall the whole Synagogue Church of Israel
especially their magistrates superiors goueruours both ecclesiastical and ciuil so by the children we are to vnderstand the particular members of this Church especially subiects and inferiours For the Lord contenteth not himselfe with a generall denunciation of his heauy iudgements against the whole Church but he descendeth to particulars and specially applieth his threatnings to euery particular member of this body that so hee may bring the mother and the children the whole body and the seuerall parts superiours and inferiours vnto true repentance Superiours when as they consider that not onely they themselues shall haue the greatest measure of punishment inflicted on them because by their authority and example they haue bin the ringleaders vnto al wickednes but also that the poore people committed to their charge whom they ought as tenderly to loue as the kinde mother her deare children shal through their bad example and ill gouernment fall into the like sins so be made obnoxious to the like punishmēts So likewise inferiours may be drawne to repentance when as they consider that their following of the example of their superiours and obeying their authority in euil will not priuiledge them frō Gods iudgements but being partakers with thē in sin they shall also be partakers of their punishments And so much for the persons The punishment it selfe is that the Lord will haue no mercy or pittie vpon them not that the Lord will vtterly and absolutely exclude them from mercy but onely on this condition if they perseuered in their sinnes without repentance neither doth hee debarre them of all mercy in regard of their eternall saluation but in respect of their temporary reiection from being his people and children as may appeare by the latter part of the chapter The meaning therefore of these words is this that as he had denied to haue pitie vpon the mother and had diuorced her stripped her and made her like a wildernesse c. so neither would he haue any compassion of the children to to spare them but would bring vpon them the same punishments which he had denounced against their mother And this is the punishment here denounced The cause moouing the Lord to inflict it is expressed in these wordes For they bee the children of fornications In which words is contained a twofold cause of the childrens punishment the first because they are the children of fornications that is the issue of an adulterous mother or more plainely thus because they are members of an idolatrous Church who by their gouernours ciuill and ecclesiasticall are nuzled and nursed brought vp and instructed in idolatry and a false religion The first cause therefore why the Lord reiecteth the children is in the mother that is in the whole Church especially their gouernours and rulers both ecclesiasticall and ciuill because by the former they were taught not a true but a false and idolatrous religion and by the other were not restrained from idolatry and false worship and vrged to worship the true God after a true manner but rather by their example inticed and by their authority forced to forsake the true God and follow idols But here it may be demanded whether the sinne of the How God punisheth the sinnes of gouernours in the people gouernours is a iust cause to mooue the Lord to punish the subiects To which I answer that there are two sorts of punishments the first corporall and temporall the second spirituall and eternall In respect of temporall punishments it is iust with God to punish the sinnes of parents in children and of gouernours in the subiects because in respect of the whole body they are parts and members belonging vnto them as the chiefe and principall and therefore whilest the children and subiects suffer punishment the parents and gouernours are punished in them 2. Sam. 12. 14. 24. 12. 17. 2. Sam. 12. 14. 24. 12. 17. But in respect of spirituall and eternall punishments the Lord doth not inflict them vpon the children and subiects for the sinnes of the parents and gouernours positiuely vnlesse they likewise partake with them in their sinnes and follow their wicked example howsoeuer hee may iustly for Ezech. 18. their sins lay vpon them priuatiue punishments by withholding from them his grace and the gifts of his holy spirit which he is not bound to giue of which they being depriued runne into sinne and so make themselues obnoxious to positiue punishments Now these children of which the Prophet speaketh were not onely borne of an idolatrous mother but also they themselues liued and continued in that idolatry in which they were bred and instructed And this is the more principall cause why these children are punished because they liked and approued imbraced and liued in the idolatry of their mother for not simply to haue been the children and members of an idolatrous Church nor to haue been brought vp and instructed in her idolatries is a cause which moueth the Lord to reiect any if afterwards they hate and forsake the idolatry of their mother and loue and imbrace the pure and sincere worship of God The which was the state of many of Gods children in the common apostasie of the Israelites and is the state of many who haue come out of the spirituall Babylon being begotten vnto God by the immortall seede of his word But these of whom the Prophet speaketh had not onely in times past been but presently were the children of fornications they were not onely brought vp in idolatry but still they liked and liued in it and this he implieth when as he faith not that they had been but presently were the children of fornication And this is the meaning of these words The doctrines to be obserued out of them are these First wee may note that That particular application is necessary in the ministery of the word the Lord contenteth not himselfe with a generall denunciation of his iudgements against the whole Church of Israel but also applieth them specially to the particular members thereof The which example is to be imitated of Gods Ministers especially considering that such is the selfeloue pride hypocrisie and security of men that they will make no application of generall reprehensions and threatnings vnto themselues so long as they can shift them off and apply them vnto others An example hereof we haue in the secure Israelites Esa 28. 15. and in the Priests and Pharisies Matth. Esa 28. 15. Matth. 21. 41. 21. 41. yea Dauid himselfe made no vse of the generall parable for his humiliation till it was particularly applied 2. Sam. 12. 7. And therefore because that which is spoken to all is 2. Sam. 12. 7. spoken to none it hath been the custome of all Gods true Prophets and Ambassadours to make particular application of their general doctrines to the special vse of their own hearers so Nathan to Dauid 2. Sam. 12. 7. Peter to the Iewes 2. Sam. 12. 7. Acts 2. 23. Act. 2. 23. all
howsoeuer she might fall through infirmitie yet she should neuer fall away though she may offend her husband by her corruptions and imperfections yet she should neuer forsake him nor desist in her faith and holy obedience So that neither her sins past nor her sins to come should be able to separate her from the Lord her husband not her sins past because they should be blotted out of remembrance and washed away by Christs blood nor her sinnes to come for as much as shee should be endued with such sinceritie and indignitie of heart that she should neuer sin with full consent of will nor euer leaue the Lord to commit spirituall adulterie with sinne and Satan Neither should want of righteousnes cause her to be reiected seeing shee should bee adorned with the glorious robe of Christs righteousnes imputed vnto her and also by vertue of Gods Spirit dwelling in her she should be enabled to walke before the Lord in the integritie and vprightnes of her heart indeauouring to performe all duties of holines and righteousnes vnto him Secondly whereas error and blindnesse of iudgement is a 2 The Church is married vnto Christ in iudgement cause of diuorce and separation seeing thereby the wife is moued to preferre an adulterer before her lawfull husband therfore that this may not be a cause of separation betweene him and his Church the Lord promiseth that he will endue her with a cleare and wise iudgement whereby she shall bee able to discerne betweene good and euill right and wrong and how much more profitable will it be for her to embrace the Lord as her only husband louing reuerencing and obeying him in all things than to forsake him and to follow after her adulterous louers that is idols the world Satan and the pleasures of sinne which last but for a season and in the end bring euerlasting destruction and how much better it is to embrace his pure worship reuealed in his word then to follow humane traditions and her owne inuentions Thirdly the wife is moued to breake her coniugall fidelitie 3. The Church is maried to Christ in mercie and beneficence and to leaue her husband and follow her louers when as she is brought into doubt of his loue and good will in respect of his illiberall cariage towards her and when as by his niggardly restraining her of necessaries she is brought into extremitie and want for then being hopelesse at home she rangeth abroad and seeketh help of strangers when her husband neglecteth her Whereas contrariwise when shee hath assured testimonie of his loue by his readines to supplie all her necessities to the vttermost of his power it is a notable meanes to work in her loue towards him and to preserue her faith inuiolable And thus it fareth in this spirituall mariage when we doubt of Gods loue and fauour and are brought into extreame exigents through our spirituall or corporall wants then our corrupt nature inclineth vs to leaue trusting and depending vpon the Lord and to follow Idols Saints Angels and Images looking for by them a supplie of that wherein we thinke that the Lord is defectiue And therefore he heere promiseth that he will also marrie her vnto himselfe in mercie or as the word may more fitly in this place signifie in benignitie and beneficence that is that he will so multiplie vpon her mercies and benefits as thereby shee shall haue full assurance of his loue and prouidence watching ouer her and shall by his bountie be so furnished with all necessaries that she shall not need to depend vpon any other The which promise is accomplished both in respect of corporal and spirituall benefits for if the first be wanting the Lord giueth the other in such plentie and abundance that in the middest of worldly wants she shal haue little cause to doubt of Gods loue and liberalitie seeing he doth bestow vpon her these rich treasures and gifts of greatest value And thus haue we this prophecie expounded Ier. 32. 40. I will make an euerlasting couenant with them that I will neuer turne away Jer. 32. 40. 41. from them to do them good c. 41. Yea I will delite in them to do them good c. Fourthly because when the husband is of an austere rigorous and impacable nature so as he will not beare with his 4. The Church is married to Christs compassion wiues infirmities but punisheth euery fault in all bitternesse and extremitie it is a notable meanes to worke in her alienation of minde and to moue her to affect others more then him and contrariwise compassion and readines to pardon faults and passe by infirmities is a singular meanes to nourish loue and fidelitie therefore the Lord promiseth in the next place that he wil marrie the Church in mercy and compassion so that though through frailtie she fall and by her sinnes offend him yet this shall bee no sufficient cause to moue her desperately to forsake and flee from him seeing he is so full of mercie and compassion that she can be no more readie to repent then he to forgiue nor to aske pardon then he to grant it And that not only for light and veniall sinnes nor for offences seldome committed but for all her sinnes most grieuous and innumerable and this is implied in that he here vseth the plurall number saying that he will marrie her in mercies to note the multitude of his mercies whereby he is readie to forgiue a multitude of sinnes The like place vnto this we haue Ier. 31. 34. For I will forgiue their iniquitie Jer 31. 34. Esay 54. 10. and remember their sinnes no more So Esay 54. 10. The mountaines shall remoue and the hilles shall fall downe but my mercy shall not depart from thee c. Fifthly because all loue and benefits cannot restraine an 5. The Lord marrieth his Church in faithfulnes inconstant woman who is naturally addicted to lust and vncleannesse but that vpon euery occasion she is apt to forsake her husband and follow her louers therefore in the next place the Lord saith that he will marrie his Church in faithfulnes wherby we are to vnderstand that not only the Lord himselfe will continue faithfull and constant in his loue to the Church but that also he will by his holy Spirit wherewith his Church and he are ioyned in marriage so rule her affections mortifie her naturall lightnesse and pronenesse to spirituall adulterie and confirme and strengthen her in constancie and fidelitie that shee shall euer keepe her mariage faith inuiolable and reserue her selfe for him alone pure and vndefiled Where we may further note that he doth the third time repeate these words I will marrie thee vnto me to this end that we might by this his redoubling of his speech bee the more vndoubtedly assured of the certaintie of this holy and heauenly contract of which we are easily moued to make some question in respect of Gods glorious Maiestie and incomprehensible
are not idlie to expect food from Gods immediate prouidence neglecting the subordinate meanes as obseruing the seasons and husbanding the ground with labour and diligence for though he bee bountifull in bestowing his benefits yet he giueth them not to idle loyterers but to painfull labourers Gen. 3. 19. Genes 3. 19. Fiftly we may obserue the infinite wisdome of God who Gods wisdom an making his creatures to stand in need of one anothers helpe hath lincked his creatures together in such excellent order as they haue need of one anothers helpe and all depend vpon him as vpon the first mouer Man needeth food food is not prouided without the helpe of the earth the earth is not fruitfull without the dew of heauen that heauens cannot send their raine without Gods blessing appointment Where we may note that man who is Lord of the creatures standeth in need of the meanest of thē that whereas his soueraigntie might puffe him vp in pride his necessitie which maketh him stand beholding to the basest creature might teach him humilitie Sixthly wee may obserue that the chiefe meanes which the Praier the chiefe meanes of obtaining all blessings Church is enioyned to vse for obtaining of all benefits is prayer as is implied by the manner of speech here vsed And I will heare saith the Lord c. For howsoeuer the Lord hath determined to multiplie his mercies vpon the faithfull yet not without the meanes of prayer inuocatiō Because if we did not first see and feele our wants if seeing thē we did not earnestly desire to haue them supplied if to haue our desire satisfied we had not our recourse vnto God by prayer wee would neuer know nor acknowledge that we had receiued these gifts frō God nor bee thankfull vnto him for them nor for the time to come depend vpon his prouidence And thus do earthly parents deale with their childrē although they are willing to supply al their wants yet first they will be intreated that hereby their loue affection towards them may be endeared and that they may learne obedience and reuerence seeing their owne want of their parents helpe and their readines in granting succour and reliefe Seeing then praier is the meanes of obtaining all blessings We must pray continully from God the conduit whereby the cleare streames of graces and benefits are deriued frō God the fountaine of all goodnes and the hand wherewith we fill our emptie soules in the store-house of Gods rich mercie let vs continually exercise our selues in this holy dutie and seeing our wants are continuall Let vs pray continually as the Apostle exhorteth vs 1. Thes 5. 17. Are we 1. Thess 5. 17. destitute of Gods blessings praier obtaineth thē Ioh. 16. 23. 24. Ioh. 16. 23. haue we them in abundance prayer sanctifieth them to our vse 1. Tim. 4. 5. doe wee employ our selues in our busines prayer bringeth a blessing vpon our labours Gen. 24. 12. do we cease 1. Tim. 4. 5. Genes 24. 12. Numb 10. 36. from them prayer blesseth our rest Numb 10. 35. are we merrie prayer seasoneth our mirth are we sorrowfull prayer easeth our griefe Iam. 5. 13. are we in trouble praier obtaineth Jam. 5. 13. Psal 50. 15. 107. 10. 13. deliuerance Psal 50. 15. are we in any manner of extremitie prayer bringeth reliefe Psal 107. 6. 13. 19. 28. Seuenthly whereas he saith not that God will heare Iizreel Our corruption in depending vpon inferiour means but that he will heare the heauens c. and that the corne wine and oyle shall heare Iizreel he doth here intimate our corruption and imperfection which causeth vs in the time of our wants in the first place to thinke vpon the inferiour meanes and secondarie causes for the supplying our necessities as vpon the corne wine and oyle before in our cogitations we ascend vnto God begging for helpe and reliefe at his hands the which our infirmitie the Lord tolerateth if wee doe not rest in their inferiour meanes but ascend from one to another vntill we come to the supreme cause of all blessings God himselfe as when being in want penurie we think we must needs starue vnlesse we haue corne food then we must also remember that we cānot haue thē vnlesse the earth yeeld thē nor the earth yeeld thē vnlesse the heauēs make thē fruitful nor that the heauēs can do this vnlesse the Lord enable thē And therfore finding that he is the chiefe cause first mouer who setteth al the rest on work let vs chiefely labor by our praiers to moue him to succour vs assuring our selues that when he is inclined to help and releeue vs there wil be no want in the inferiour meanes as thus we are to ascend vnto God that wee may call vpon him so being possessed of his benefits we must likewise to ascend to returne him thankes Lastly we here learne that all Gods gifts and benefits are All benefits bestowed vpon man for the faithfuls sake grāted vnto mankind at the suite of Iizreel that is for the faithfull and elects sake and if it were not for them the heauens would be as brasse without raine and moisture and the earth as iron barren and vnfruitfull Iolatrous Laban is inriched for religious Iacobs sake and Putiphar hath a blessing vpon his whole Deut. 28. 23. house because Ioseph is one of his familie The murmuring Israelites gather Manna sent from heauen because the faithfull Israelites should not want the whole people fareth the better because they haue a Moses amongst them who in his feruent prayers commendeth their suits vnto God And contrariwise when the godly are seuered from the wicked there is nothing to be expected but plagues punishments When Noah is entred into the Arke the sloud drowneth the whole world Whē Lot is gone out of Sodome it is soone after consumed with fire and brimstone When Gods people haue seuered themselues from Corah the earth swalloweth vp him and his followers And when Iosias is gathered to his fathers then sinful Israel must expect captiuitie and desolation Notwithstanding such is the blind pride of wicked men and The wicked impute all their euils vnto the faithful their inueterate malice towards the faithfull that they are readie to ascribe their prosperitie vnto themselues their calamities vnto the godly Ahab thinketh himselfe innocent and condemneth Elias to be the troubler of Israel Saul supposeth that neither he nor his posteritie could prosper vnlesse Dauid were murthered and the Scribes and Pharisies shame not to affirme that if Christ were suffered all would beleeue in him and that hereupon must needs follow their destruction and the desolation of their countrey Ioh. 11. 48. Ioh. 11. 48. ANd so much concerning the sixth benefit The last followeth which is the propagation and multiplication of the Church in the time of the Gospell Vers 23. And I will sow her Vers 23 vnto me in
God so his name Dauid implyeth that he is man descended of Dauids posteritie Againe from the conjunction of these two seeking God and Dauid vve gather that God is then alone vvorshipped God is to bee worshipped in Christ aright vvhen as he is worshipped vvith his sonne and in his sonne For in him alone the father is reconciled and well pleased Mat. 3. 17. In him alone we are graciously accepted Ephe. 1. 6. Math. 3. 17. Eph. 1. 6. In him he vvill be vvorshipped and serued and vvhosoeuer vvorshippeth not God the father in his sonne Christ they doe not vvorship the true Iehouah but an idoll of their own framing for vvhosoeuer hath not the sonne hath not the father 1 Ioh. 2. 23. Because howsoeuer they are distinguished 1 Iohn 2. 23. in persons yet they are one in substance of the selfe same nature coessentiall and coeternall Where it appeareth that howsoeuer the Iewes and Turkes doe professe that they worship God the Father yet in truth they do nothing lesse seeing they neither know nor acknowledge his sonne Iesus Christ as their onely Sauiour and redeemer Fourthly whereas he calleth Christ by the name of Dauid The Royall dignitie of the faithfull vve may here obserue the great and royall dignitie of the faithfull in that the Lord vouchsafeth to call himselfe by their name and to call them after his name Because Dauid faithfully serued him in his life therefore he honoureth him after his death reuiuing his memory and eternizing his name by taking it vpon himselfe and so because vve professe his religion and vvorship him though vvith much vveakenesse and imperfection he vouchsafeth vs this dignitie that according to his owne name vvee should bee called Christians Thus hee honoured the Patriarkes Abraham Isaac and Exod. 3. 15. Iacob Exod. 3. 15. And his people Israell in that though he vvere the God of the whole Earth yet he vvould be called after a peculiar manner the God of Israell The vse hereof is that vve zealously serue the Lord and If we honour God hee will honour vs. seeke his glory in honour and dishonour euill report and good report not fearing any vvhit at all that we shall be reproched haue our names traduced and loose that reputation which we haue in the world by being ouer forward and precise in performing the duties of Gods worship and seruice for let vs assure our selues that whilest by our Godly conuersation we honour God hee will not onely cause vs to be honoured in our liues but euen after our death our names shall liue and be kept vpon record in the honourable roule of his holy Seruants and bee calendred amongst the Saints Whereas on the other side the name of the wicked though it be neuer so glorious in their liues yet shall it be ignominious in their death and putrifie in the ayre as fast as their bodyes in the earth as the wise man sheweth Prou. 10. 7. The Prou. 10. 7. memoriall of the iust shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot Fiftly we may obserue that when the people of Israell That we neuer flie to God before wee are throughly humbled are affrighted and terrified with the sight and sence of their sinnes and those miseries which doe accompany them they doe then and not before flye vnto the Lord for grace and mercy in whose example wee haue a notable president of our owne disposition and practise whilest wee continue in our carnall securitie and hardnesse of heart we neuer desire mercy and forgiuenesse whilest we thinke our selues whole and sound wee neuer seeke to our heauenly Physition to be cured of our spirituall Leprosie and sicknesse of sinne whilest we thinke our selues rich and haue no sence of our pouerty and nakednesse we neuer labour after the riches of Gods mercy and Christs merits nor to be clothed with the glorious garment of his innocency and obedience whilest we haue no sence of our owne vnrighteousnesse wee will neuer hunger after Christs righteousnesse whilest wee thinke our selues already highly in gods fauour we neuer seeke to Christ our Mediator to reconcile vs vnto his father but when our hearts are broken contrite our consciences wounded then doe wee earnestly desire the oyle of Gods mercy and the precious baulme of Christs bloud that thereby we may be cured when we see our owne pouertie we labour after the riches of his merits and in a word when we are terrified with the sight and sence of sinne and labour vnder it as a heauie burthen then doe we flye vnto the Lord for comfort and sue vnto Iesus Christ that according to his gracious promise hee will ease and release vs. Of the former we haue Math. 19. 16. 20. Luk. 18. 11. 14. Iob. 41. 6. Luk. 15. and 18. Acts. 2. 37. examples in the young Iusticiarie Mat. 19. 16. 20. The Pharisie Luke 18. 11. 14. And in the Pharasaycall Papists Of the latter in Iob Chap. 41. 6. In Dauid Psal 51. In the prodigall sonne Luke 15. In the poore Publican Luke 18. And in the Iewes Act. 2. 37. Sixtly we may obserue that howsoeuer the Elect are affrighted Son-like feare maketh vs to draw neere vnto God and terrified with the sight and sence of sinne and the apprehension of Gods displeasure yet this their feare doth not make them to flie Gods presence but moueth them with all possible speede to hast vnto him and his goodnesse for they are not like vnto slaues who hauing offended and being without any assurance of their maisters loue do for feare of the whip runne away but like ingenious and well nurtured children who hauing by their faults displeased their father doe not flye his presence but rather runne vnto him and fall downe at his feete acknowledging their fault promising amendement and imploring pardon and forgiuenesse For howsoeuer the apprehension of his displeasure greatly feareth them yet the perswasion of his loue moderateth their feare and begetteth in them some hope of remission and reconciliation So that here wee haue a plaine difference betweene The difference betwene son-like and seruile feare the Son-like feare of the faithfull and the desperate and seruile horrour of the wicked for that causeth them with awfull reuerence to flye vnto the Lord for mercy and forgiuenesse because of the experience which they haue of his goodnesse and the other causeth the wicked to flye from God by reason of the fearefull expectation which they haue of Gods just vengeance Of the former wee haue examples in Dauid Psal 51. In Daniell Chap. 9. 5. And in the prodigall Psal 51. sonne Luk. 15. Of the latter in Saul Iudas and in the Dan. 9. 5. reprobate Apoc. 6. 16. Luke 15. Seauenthly whereas he saith that being affrighted with Apo. 6. 16. the sight and sence of sinne they should hast vnto Gods goodnesse here we learne what is our best place of refuge Gods mercy our best
refuge to flee vnto when our sinnes terrifie vs namely Gods free and vndeserued goodnesse for the shade of Gods mercy is our best shelter when as wee are scorched with the heat of his wrath and our best course when we are pursued by his Iustice is to flye to the throne of his grace and goodnes for pardon and forgiuenesse When therefore our consciences accuse vs for sinne let vs not flye vnto our owne righteousnes merits satisfactions for whatsoeuer wee haue done it was but our Luke 17. 10. duety and no man dischargeth one debt by paying another nor yet to the merits of Saints for they could merit nothing for themselues much lesse for others neyther haue we any proprietie vnto them nor they sufficiency to make satisfaction for the least sinne but we must flye vnto Gods goodnes and expect pardon onely through his free and vndeserued mercy and Christs all sufficient merits An Example hereof we haue in Dauid who hauing sinned doth not seeke for pardon by pleading that he had beene in former times a man according to Gods owne heart or by promising to make satisfaction by his future obedience but disclayming all opinion of desert he onely relyeth himselfe vpon Gods mercy Psal 51. 1. Psal 51. 1. Eightly out of the time of the accomplishing this promise concerning the conuersion and deliuerance of the afflicted Long afflictiōs often necessary for our humiliation Israelits namely that it should be after that they had a long time beene tryed with afflictions and in the last dayes hence we obserue first that such is the obstinacie and hardnes of hart euen sometimes of those that belong to Gods election that they had neede for their humiliation and conuersion to be afflicted not onely with grieuous but also long lasting miseries And therefore it is not alwayes expedient for vs to haue quicke deliuerance out of our afflictions vnlesse they haue wrought that good worke in vs for which they were inflicted that is humiliation and vnfayned repentance for it will little auaile vs to haue our soules wounded with sinne once or twise dressed if they bee so left before they bee perfectly cured because they will againe ranckle and become as dangerous as they were before it will nothing profit vs to haue ben cast into the fierie furnace of affliction if presently wee be taken out before wee be purged and purified from the drosse of our corruptions Secondly wee may obserue that howsoeuer the afflictions The Lord deliuereth out of tedious afflictions of gods elect being tediously continued doe seeme to threaten their vtter distruction yet in the end the Lord will graunt deliuerance cause them to further their conuersion and saluation it may be whilest we deferre our repentance the Lord will delay his helpe as though hee had vtterly forsaken vs but wee may assure our selues that though he bee long in comming to our ayde yet at length hee will come and graunt vnto vs a good issue out of all our trialls Examples hereof wee haue in the Israelits in the Aegyptian captiuitie in Babilon and Assiria in the three Children Daniell in the Lyons den and many others LECTVRES VPON THE FOVRTH CHAPTER OF THE PROPHECIE OF HOSEA THe Prophet hauing in the former Chapter The argument testified and approued the loue of God towards the people of Israell to the end that those who were long to continue in a grieuous Captiuitie might in the middest of their miseries be supported with some comfort doth now againe direct his speach to the Israelites of his owne times accusing and conuincing all states and conditions of diuers grieuous and enormious sinnes which raigned and ruled in the whole land and withall intermixeth such just and well deserued punishments as the Lord was purposed to inflict vpon them vnlesse they preuented them by their vnfained repentance And least the people of Iuda by following their practise should make themselues subiect to the like miseries he admonisheth them not to communicate with them in their sinnes that they might not be pertakers of their punishments And this is the maine argument of this Chapter the parts The generall Analysis of the Chapter thereof are two The first is an accusation or sharp reprehension of the people of Israell for their manifold haynous sinnes from the first Verse to the fifteenth The second is an admonition to the people of Iuda to auoid their sinnes that they may escape their punishments from the fifteenth Verse to the end of the Chapter The first part is expressed in a judiciall forme of proceeding wherein the people of Israel are summoned to appeare and arraigned before the Tribunall of Gods Iudgement to answere such things as should bee laid to their charge namely that they had by their capitall crimes and enormious sinnes offended against their soueraigne Lord the king of heauen and earth and so breaking his Lawes had made themselues guiltie and obnoxious to those punishments which were therin threatned All which their offences were comprized in foure seuerall bils of inditement of which being conuicted there is annexed to euery bill a forme of condemnation to suffer such punishments as they had justly deserued The first bill of inditement is contained Verse 1. and 2. the sentence of condemnation is affixed Verse 3. The second bill Verse 4. the sentence in the 5. The third bill and third sentence are intermixed Verse 6. 7. vnto the 11. The last bill Ver. 12. 13. the sentence of Iudgement in the latter part of the 13. Ver. and in the 14. And these are the speciall branches of this first generall The maine scope of this Prophecie part Now the generall scope of the Lord in all this is that the people who liued so securely in their sinnes that they little or nothing regarded eyther the person of the Prophets or their threatnings might at least be awakened out of their spirituall Lethargie when as they heard themselues summoned before Gods Iudgement Seate and perceiued that the Lord would no longer suffer his word to be contemned in the mouth of his seruants but would plead in his owne cause and examine and try the transgressours of his lawes before his owne Tribunall Seate of Iudgement and so proceed to the condemnation and execution of those whom he found guiltie BVt let vs come to speake of these speciall parts more particularly the first whereof is contayned in the three first verses wherein the people of Israell are by law conuicted and then by Gods just sentence condemned They are conuicted in these words verse 1. Heare the word of the Lord Verse 1 yee children of Israell for the Lord hath a controuersie with the inhabitants of the land because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the land verse 2. By swearing and lying and killing and stealing and whoring they brake out and bloud toucheth bloud Where is set downe first the summons and araignement of the people Heare the
for not entertaining him not for stripping the clothed but for not clothing the naked not for hurting and iniuring the sicke and prisoner but for not visiting and comforting them Verse 41. 42. c. The reason hereof is because we being the Lords seruants it is not sufficient Mat. 41. 42. that we doe not serue Gods enimies or that we spend our time in idlenesse and serue no body but wee must doe faithfull seruice to him our Lord and Maister for which end he hath created and redeemed vs and spend our liues not onely in abstayning from euill but also in doing of good Moreouer vertue and vice being extreames without meane hereof it followeth that the absence of the one in a subject capable of it argueth the presence of the other so that if we be destitute of vertue we are replenished with vice If our houses be cleane swept and empty of Gods graces they become forthwith fit habitations for vncleane spirits if we be Mat. 12. 44. not indued with knowledge we are blinded with ignorance if we be destitute of faith we are full fraught with infidelitie if we cease to doe good immediately we beginne to doe euill And therefore our sinnes of omission being alwayes accompanied with sinnes of commission are sufficient matter of inditement for our iust condemnation whensoeuer the Lord shall summon vs to appeare before him The vse hereof is that wee doe not with simple ideots That we must not blesse our selues in our harmlesnes blesse our selues because we are harmelesse and doe no man wrong and because we abstaine from such grosse impieties as we see others commit for the Lord requireth that we not onely refraine from euill but also that we doe good so that it is not sufficient that we doe not scorne Gods worship if we doe not also religiously serue him nor to abstaine from biaspheming Gods name if we doe not also glorifie it nor to forbeare doing wrong to our neighbour vnlesse also wee be ready to performe the duties of justice charitie and christianitie towards them Secondly out of the order which the Prophet vseth in The duties of Iustice the true Touchstone of the duties of Pietie reprehending the peoples sinnes vve may obserue that hee first conuinceth them of their sinnes against their neighbors and then of their sinnes commited against God and this methode is vsuall in the Scriptures which the holy Ghost obserueth first that he may beate downe the pride and vaine boasting of hypocrites who are ready to brag of their knowledge faith loue of God and other hidden graces though they be destitute of the loue of their brethren and barren of good workes And therefore he bringeth such as these who make a golden shew of spirituall and inward graces in respect of God to the true touchstone of outward obedience and the externall works of charitie and mercy towards their brethren to the end that if they will not abide this tryall it may appeare that though they make neuer so glittering a shew of spirituall and hidden graces yet they are nothing but drosse and Copper guilt And this is the Touchstone which Christ giueth vs to discerne a Hypocrite from a sound professor namely by their fruits Mat. 7. 16. By their fruites ye shall know them And the Apostle Iames. Chap. 2. 18. Shew me thy faith by thy works The Apostle Iohn likewise 1. Ioh. 4. 20. If any man say I loue God and hate his brother hee is a lyar c. And Chap. 2. 4. He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him Verse 9. So our Prophet knowing how ready the hypocrites of his time were to brag of their Religion towards God doth conuince them of the want hereof by laying open their injuries and cruelties towards their neighbours Secondly this is done for the behoofe and benefit of Gods children who by reason of their naturall blindnesse and selfe loue cannot easily spye out their secret and hidden corruptions but contrariwise are ready to flatter themselues with an opinion of a great measure of their spirituall graces these also are to examine themselues by this touch-stone for their loue of God is not much if their loue of their neighbour be but a little their faith is not strong if their obedience be but weake their knowledge is not great if their practise be but small and their Religion is rootelesse if it bee but fruitlesse Thirdly whereas he includeth the breach of the first table The true know ledge of God the fountaine of all sound Obedience and all manner of impietie against God vnder this one particular that there was no knowledge of God in the land hence we gather that as true knowledge of God is the fountaine of all true obedience so contrariwise ignorance is the cause of all neglect of Religion of all impietie and wickednesse And this may further appeare both by reason and Ignorance the root of all sin also by manifold examples By reason for they that know neyther God nor his will they are ignoraunt of that which pleaseth him and displeaseth him and therefore though they had some good intention to serue God yet they must needs displease him through ignorance and errour Againe whosoeuer sinneth he also erreth according to that Prou. 14. 22. Prou. 14. 22. Doe they not erre that imagine euill and those that erre doe erre eyther through ignorance or wilfull maliciousnesse Thirdly for this cause sinners are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is such as are ignorant and through ignorance are deceiued And sinnes are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Ignorances Heb. 5. 2. and 9. 7. Heb 5. 2. 9. 7 So also this appeareth by examples For this was the cause of Adams transgression because hee knew not Gods truth both in his promises and threatnings Gen. 3. Of the sinne of Gen. 3. the Israelites for the Lord himselfe rendreth this reason why his people erred because they had not knowne his wayes Psal 95. 10. This made the Iewes to erre because they knew not Psal 95. 10. the Scriptures Mat. 22. 29. This caused them to crucifie the Lord of life Act. 3. 17. And to become proud iusticiaries testing Act. 3. 17. in their owne righteousnesse because they knew not the righteousnesse of God Rom. 10. 3. This was the cause of the Rom. 10. 3. Gentiles Idolatry Gal. 4. 8. But when yee knew not God yee Gal. 4. 8. did seruice to them which by nature were not Gods And of Pauls persecuting Gods Saints 1 Tim. 1. 13. 1 Tim. 1. 13. And as this Ignorance is the cause of all vice and sinne Ignorance turneth good inclinations into sinne so it maketh all our inclinations which are good and vertuous being guided with the light of knowledge to degenerate and become euill for example Religion joyned with ignorance bringeth forth Idolatry deuotion joyned with
worldly riches then would we also neuer forget it but meditate therein day and night The third cause of the forgetfulnesse of Gods Law is Gods mercies make vs vnmindfull of him our pride of heart through the vnthankfull abuse of our prosperitie for such is our corruption that whereas Gods benefits should make vs mindfull of his Law that in lue of thankfulnesse we might obey it contrariwise the abundance of Gods mercies makes vs to forget not onely the Law but euen God himselfe so the Lord complaineth Hos 13. 6. Hos 13. 6. As in their pastures so were they filled they were filled and their heart was exalted therefore haue they forgotten me Hence it is that the Lord giueth the Israelites so oft warning that when they abounded in Gods blessings they should not suffer their hearts to be lift vp so to forget him the authour of all their good Deut. 8. 11. 12. A man would thinke that as tokens Deut. 8. 11. 12. sent serue to put vs in minde of an absent friend so the innumerable tokens of Gods loue which as it were from heauen he sendeth vnto vs should serue as so many remembrancers to put vs in minde of him who sendeth them vnto vs but though against all reason it falleth out otherwise for the tokens of Gods loue as riches pleasures and honours make vs forget the sender and therefore wise Hagur seeing this corruption in himselfe doth intreat the Lord to restraine his bountie and not to bestow too much vpon him least being full he should denie him say who is the Lord. Prou. 30. 8. 9. Pro. 30. 8. 9. Seeing therefore our corrupt nature is so inclinable to The greatnesse of this sinne of forgetfulnesse this vice of forgetfulnesse let vs labour not onely to see it but also to subdue and mortifie it which that we may the rather performe with the greater care and conscience let vs consider the grieuousnesse of the sinne and the greatnesse of the punishment which doth attend it The grieuousnesse of the sinne herein appeareth in that it is not onely in it selfe haynous but a cause also of innumerable other sinnes In it selfe it is a haynous sinne as appeareth by the Lords often and earnest forbidding of it So Deut. 4. 23. Take heed vnto Deut. 4. 23. and 8. 11. your selues least you forget the couenant of the Lord your God and 8. 11. Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God not keeping his commaundements And when the people notwithstanding these admonitions did forget the Lord he grieuously complaineth of this neglect So Deu. 32. 18. thou hast forgotten Deut. 32. 18. Esay 57. 11. Ier. 2. 32. the mightie God that begat thee and formed thee Esa 57. 11. Ier. 2. 32. Can a maide forget her ornament or a bride her attire yet my people hath forgotten me daies with out number Secondly to forget God and his word is a kinde of Athisme seeing they haue not God nor his law in their principall parts namely their heart minde and soule for they who so haue them doe also remember them Thirdly this forgetfulnesse is ioyned with singular contempt of Gods word for they who regard it doe also remember it they that can say with Dauid that they delight in his statutes may also adde that which hee addeth that they will not forget his word Psal 119. 16. Psal 119. 16. Fourthly as this forgetfulnesse is in it selfe a sinne so it is the cause of almost all sinne Whereof it is that forgetfulnesse and the transgression of the law are often joyned together as the cause and effect Deut. 8. 11. Beware that thou Deut. 8. 11. forget not the Lord thy God not keeping his commaundements Ier. 3. 21. They haue peruerted their way and haue forgotten the Lord their God Prou. 2. 17. Which forsaketh the guide of Ier. 3. 21. Pro. 2. 17. Ezech. 22. 12 her youth forgetteth the couenant of her God Ezech. 22. 12. Iud. 3. 7. The children of Israell did wickedly in the sight of the Lord and forgat the Lord their God The reason is because Iud. 3. 7. they who doe not so much as remember the law of God can much lesse obserue it and those vvho neuer thinke neyther on gods promises nor threatnings are neither incouraged to that which is good nor discouraged from that which is euill But as this forgetfulnesse is to be auoyded in that it is a The punishment of the sinne of forgetfulnesse grieuous sinne so also because God inflicteth vpon it grieuous punishments As in this place he threatneth the Priests that because they had forgotten his Law he would not onely forget them but their children the which was a fearefull judgement whether we consider it in the generall or in this particular In the generall for if in God we liue and moue and haue our being Act. 17. 28. If when hee but hideth his face Act. 17. 28. we are troubled Psal 104. 29. If when he neglecteth vs we are straight depriued of all good and exposed vnto all euill Psal 104. 29. then what is Gods forgetfulnesse but our destruction so likewise in this particular where by Gods forgetting their children is meant his neglect of them the with-drawing of the signes of his loue the disinheriting of them of the honour of Priest-hood as if he would call backe his commission and suffer them no more to beare the name of his ambassadours turne them out of their stewardship and make them more base then common seruants make them of shepheards worse then the meanest of the flocke and of Captaines common souldiers which also with the rest should be casheerd out of his Campe the Church militant Besides this heauie judgement there are diuers others threatned against this sinne of forgetfulnesse in the booke of God and these both temporall and eternall Of the first sort is the punishment of barrennesse and dearth Esay 17. Esay 17. 10. 11 10. 11. Desolation and destruction of their cities Hos 8. Hos 8. 10. 10. Bondage and subjection vnder tyrannicall enimies 1. Sam. 12. 9. The Lord scattereth those that forget him and 1 Sam. 12. 9. his word as stubble before the winde Ier. 13. 24. 25. Hee Ier. 13. 24. Ier. 18. 17. ouerthroweth them in the day of battaile Chap. 18. 17. But the most grieuous punishment of all is that they shall beare their wickednesse which is a burthen intollerable and presseth all that are vnder it euen down to hell Ezec. 23. 35. Ezech. 23. 35. So likewise it is punished with eternall punishments for as it is Psal 9. 17. The wicked shall turne into hell and all the nations that forget God And therefore I conclude this point Psal 9. 17. and 50. 22. with the Psalmist Psal 50. 22. O consider this O ye that forget God least I teare you in peeces and their be none to deliuer you And these are
reasoneth 2 Cor. 3. 6. 7. 8. 9. 2. Cor. 3. 6 7. The vse of this doctrine respecteth both Ministers and people the Ministers first for instruction that seeing the Lord hath aduanced them to such Honour and Dignitie they walke worthy this high calling thinking no paines too much which they shall take for the aduancement of Gods glory who hath so exceedingly honoured them Secondly for their consolation encouragement against all Consolation for Gods Ministers against contempt the miserie pouertie reproch contempt which they suffer in this life For though outwardly they are poore and destitute of all worldly pompe yet they are like the Kings daughter all glorious within though they are despised of men yet they are highly esteemed before God though the world esteemeth them as the very ofscouring of all things yet the Lord hath chosen them to be his chiefe Officers his Ambassadours his Stewards his Keepers of the inestimable Treasure of his Word and of his great seales the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper The vse which concerneth the people is that they honour The people ought to reuerence Gods Ministers them whom God thus honoureth and that they behaue themselues towards their Ministers as it becommeth the rest of the familie to behaue themselues towards the steward or Treasurer the people towards the Ambassadour yea the children towards their fathers For looke what honor is done vnto them as being Gods Ambassadours that the Lord accounterh as done vnto himselfe whose person they sustain looke what disgrace and reproach is offred against them as being his Ministers the Lord esteemeth it as offred against himselfe and therefore will neuer let it goe vnpunished eyther in this life or in the life to come for if Dauid could not endure those insolent abuses which were by Hanun offered 2. Sam. 10. against his Ambassadours whom in loue and kindnesse he sent vnto him but reuenged them with the death and destruction of a great part of the people of Ammon how much lesse can the Lord endure that reproach injuries outrages should be offred against his Ambassadors and not reuenge these indignities which are not so much offred against men as in them against himselfe Fearefull examples hereof wee haue in the Scriptures as in the conspiracy of Corah and his associates whom the earth swallowed quick Numb 16. In Numb 6. 16. Ieroboam whose hand was withered vp for the contempt and violence which he offred against the Lords Prophet 1 Kin. 1. King 13. 13. In the two Captaines their fifties who were destroyed with fire from heauen because they came not to the Lords Prophet with that submissiue reuerence which beseemed them 2 King 1. 9. 10. 11. 12. In the fiftie two children 2. King 1. 9. 10 who were destroyed by Bears for scoffing at Elisha 2 Kin. 2 2. King 2. And the in people of Israell who because they mocked the messengers of God and despised their wordes and misvsed the Prophets therefore they were subjected to Gods heauie 2. Chro. 36. 16. 17. wrath and in the end vtterly destroyed 2 Chro. 36. 16. 17. The second thing to be obserued is the gorse ingratitude Our vngratefull abuse of Gods benefits of our corrupt natures whereby it commeth to passe that the more God multiplyeth his mercies the more ready we are to rebell against him and to prouoke his wrath by our sinnes for whereas Gods manifould benefits multiplyed vpon vs should make vs to humble our selues before him in that he hath made vs so deepely indebted to his infinite goodnesse we contrariwise abusing them make them serue as so many steps whereby we may ascend into the seate of pride whereas they should serue as so many common places to put vs in minde of Gods gracious goodnes towards vs we abusing them are made hereby more forgetfull of God as though now being throughly furnisht vve had no further neede of his helpe vvhereas they should serue as so many motiues to stirre vs vp to holy obedience that thereby vvee may glorifie God the author of all our good vve hereby grow more vndutifull like cockred children towards their Parents or pampred horses towards their maisters and are more ready to fall into the sinnes of pride voluptuousnesse loue of the world profanenesse and vtter neglect of religion and all religious dueties whereas the abundance of Gods blessings vvhich vve injoy should make vs to pittie and take compassion on those who want them they abused through our corruption doe make vs to disdaine contemne them furious and cruell in reuenge and insolent in offring wrongs and injuries And hence it is that the Lord doth so carefully vvarne the Israelites that when they did injoy all the blessings of Canaan they should not forget and rebell against him Deut. 6. 10. 11. 12. Into vvhich sinne they shamefully Deut. 6. 10. 11. Psal 62. 10. 1. Tim. 6. 17. fell notwithstanding they were thus admonished So Psal 62. 10. 1 Tim. 6. 17. Examples of this vngratefull abuse of Gods blessing we haue in Saul Ieroboam Naball Nebuchadnezzar Hos 10. 1. and 13. 6. the people of Israell but neuer vvas age more fruitfull of these examples neuer land more plentifull in these vngratefull presidents then this of ours wherein the more the blessings of God abound the more pride forgetfulnesse of God contempt of Religion and the vtter neglect of all holy duties abound likewise so that hard it is to finde a man bettered by Gods benefits or more zealous of Gods glory the more blessings they receiue from him but contrariwise the more they abound in honors riches peace health and all kind of prosperity the more they shew their profanenes irreligion worldlines and vtter neglect of all holy duties The vse of this doctrine is first that seeing through our corruption we are so apt to abuse Gods blessings we be made hereby more watchfull ouer our owne hearts when wee are in prosperitie that we be not ouertaken with this vnthankfulnesse and that wee bee no more earnest in begging these temporary benefits then in praying also for an holy vse of them that they may serue as helps and furtherances vnto vs in all holy and Christian dueties for if the more we abound in them the more we abound in sinne against God then doe they cease to bee blessings and benefits and become snares to intangle vs and thornes to choak in vs all vertue and godlinesse Secondly that we arme our selues with patience when as wee are not so much increased in these temporall benefits seeing the Lord herein respecteth the good of his children and with-holdeth worldly blessings from them because hee knoweth they would abuse them vnto sinne Thirdly that we be not vexed out of measure with impatiencie when as those of whom we haue best deserued doe shew themselues vngratefull to vs considering that wee continually shew our selues much more vnthankfull against God vnto whom we are
infinitely more indebted The third thing to be obserued is that the Lord condemneth Vngratefulnes condemned as a great sinne this vngratefull abuse of his blessings and benefits as a great sinne not onely in this but also in many other places So Esay 1. 2. 3. he condemneth it as a vice worse then brutish Esay 1. 2. 3. 5. 5. Esay 5. 5. he complaineth that when he had done what hee could for his vineyard yet still it brought forth wilde grapes so Ezech. 16. 16. 17. that the people abused his blessings Ezech. 16. 16. as meanes to further them in Idolatry So Hos 10. 1. Hos 10. 1. and 13. 6. and 13. 6. But as this sinne is in all men grieuous so it is in Gods Ministers most haynous both because the blessings which they injoy being extraordinary doe require extraordinarie thankfulnesse and also in that they are daylie informed out of Gods word both whence they haue these benefites and that the Lord for all onely requireth a thankfull heart wee hauing nothing else to returne vnto him Now this vnthankfull abuse of Gods benefits vnto sinne Ingratitude diuers wayes committed is committed diuers wayes First when as wee doe not acknowledge God the authour of the benefits which we injoy but ascribe them vnto some other things as vnto Idols an example vvhereof vvee haue in the Israelites Ierem. 44. 17. Ier. 44. 17. Hos 2. 5. 8. Hos 2. 5. 8. or vnto a mans owne wit power industrie and labour an example whereof vvee haue in the King of Ashur Esay 10. 13. and in Nebuchadnezzar Dan 4. 27. Esay 10. 13. Dan. 4. 27. Hab. 1. 16. and this is to sacrifice to our owne nets as is is Hab. 1. 16. Secondly when as knowing God to be the authour of the blessings which we enjoy we doe not praise him with thankfull hearts nor imploy his gifts to the aduancement of his glory which are the chiefe ends for which he hath bestowed them Psal 105. 45. Psal 105. 45. Lastly vvhen as vve abuse Gods blessings as meanes and motiues to with-draw vs from performing the dueties which God requireth of vs and to incite vs to the committing of the contrary vices As vvhen by Gods blessings vvee are made more slack and negligent in the dueties of his worship and seruice as those are who to maintaine state come not to the assemblies of Gods Saints to heare the Word and call vpon his name when as injoying prosperitie we be moued thereby to with-draw our hearts from God and to set them vpon the world when as honours make vs neglect him who hath aduanced vs when as riches like thorns choak in vs the seede of the word so as Gods spirituall graces cannot spring in vs when as injoying pleasures we wallow in these worldly delights and spend that precious time wholy in them which should bee bestowed in Gods seruice when as by worldly prosperitie we are made more proud insolent disdainefull impatient reuengefull cruell vnmercifull voluptuous spending we care not what vpon back belly and vpon the filthy lusts of the flesh And this is the chiefe and most vngratefull abuse of Gods benefits when as we doe not onely not glorifie him but dishonour and injure him in his owne gifts as if the poore Subject being inriched by his Prince should imploy his riches in furnishing himselfe for the seruice of the Princes enimie or as if the wife hauing from her husband abundance of all things should abuse his gifts for the hiring and rewarding of filthy adulterers as Ezech. 16. 16 17. 33. The ingratitude of this land it is Ezech. 16. 16. 17. 33. The vse of this doctrine serueth to conuince the greatest part of our land of this sinne of vnthankfulnesse seeing the more the Lord multiplyeth his benefits of peace prosperitie and abundance of all good things the more we multiply our sins abusing his grace vnto wantonnesse and his manifold blessings as arguments to continue vs in our impenitencie securitie and hardnesse of hart For are not those most colde in all dueties of religion who most abound with these benefites doe they not choake the seed of the Word in the most and make it vnfruitfull and in stead of louing and praysing God the more for his blessings doe not men hereby grovv louers of the world and forgetfull of God doe not those vvho abound most in wealth honours and pleasures imploy all to the dishonour of God and the seruice of sinne and sathan spending Gods gifts in pride excessiue brauerie surfetting drunkennesse and filthy lusts of the flesh so that the Lord may in our time justly take vp this complaint of England that the more he hath increased it in his benefits the more it hath sinned against him The last thing to be obserued is the punishment of this vngratefull abuse of Gods blessings and that is wheresoeuer The punishment of ingratitude Gods gifts are thus abused by any there he will strip them of them and not onely so but will also bring vpon them the contrarie euils as in this place because they abused their honour and aduancement hee doth not onely threaten to take it from them but to turne it into shame and reproach So he threatneth his vineyard that because in stead of the sweete grapes of righteousnesse it brought forth nothing but the sower grapes of sinne after he had bestowed all his cost and labour about it he would not onely abandon and let it alone but pull downe the hedge and lay it waste to be deuoured of the beasts of the field So when as the children Esay 5. of Israell were not moued by Gods benefits to loue and obedience but sinned and prouoked him with their rebellions he doth not onely with-draw his blessings but his wrath being inflamed against them he bringeth vpon them his fearefull judgements Wherevpon one maketh this conclusion Quantò maiora beneficia sunt hominibus constituta tantò grauiora peccantibus iudicia the greater benefits that Chryso super Math. wee receiue from God the greater shall bee our punishments if we abuse them vnto sinne Mat. 11. 21. Mat. 11. 21. The vse hereof is that seeing the Lord with a liberall hand That we must returne thankfulnes to God for his benefits hath sowen the seed of his benefits amongst vs wee returne vnto him the haruest of loue obedience and thankfulnesse otherwise if wee vnthankfully abuse Gods blessings vnto sinne the Lord will not onely strip vs of them but also bring vpon vs the contrary euils he vvill turne our peace into war our libertie into tharldome our health into sicknesse our plentie into penurie vvant our glory into shame and that vvhich vve most feare shall come vpon vs or else vvhich is worst of all if he continue these his gifts yet he vvill make them of blessings curses of benefits punishments by giuing vs ouer to our owne wayes and suffering vs to goe on as in
giuing them to vnderstand God judgeth vs according to our vsuall conuersation and not our extraordinarie actions that hee would not in examining and judging of them stand vpon their errours by-pathes and extraordinary actions but vpon their vsuall behauiour and vpon their ordinarie course in their life and conuersation From whence we learne that the Lord in the day of his visitation will not regard nor examine our sinnes to punish them nor our good actions to reward them if they be extraordinarie and extrauagant but will deale with vs according to our customable carriage of our selues and vsuall demeanure so that if our way and course of life wherein we walke be the way of holynesse and righteousnesse he justifieth and approueth of vs notwithstanding our many slips and fals in this way and errours by-pathes and digressions out of this way for not onely they are to be accounted blessed of God who sinne not seing thus the blessing should belong to none of the sonnes of Adam Christ excepted but they also are blessed Who haue not stood in the way of sinners nor sate in the seate of the scorners as it is Psal 1. 1. that is who haue not made Psal 1. 1. a custome and vsuall practise of sinne and wickednesse and the reason is because the Lord doth not judge vs as he findeth vs in some by-way where into we haue bene thrust with some violent or suddaine passion but according to that way wherein we walke with a constant purpose and setled resolution So it is saide that they are blessed who are vpright in their way and walke in the Law of the Lord Psal 119 1. Psal 119. 1. that is they are blessed notwithstanding all their infirmities and imperfections who in the vprightnesse of their harts desire to keepe a constant course in godlynesse and howsoeuer they often goe astray through errour and corruption yet make choise of Gods Law as the way wherein they desire to walke For if the Lord should marke what is done amisse who were able to abide it Psal 130. 3. If hee should Enter into iudgement with vs and examine our particular Psal 130. 3. faults none that liueth should be iustified in his sight Ps 143. 2. Psal 143. 2. But the Lord knoweth our weaknesse and accepteth of our desire and indeauours he doth not deale with vs after our sins nor rewards vs after our iniquities but as a father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him for he knoweth whereof we be made he remembreh that wee are but dust as it is Psal 103. 10. 13. 14. Psal 103. 10. 13. As therefore a louing father beareth with the infirmities of his childe when he seeth that he taketh good courses indeauoureth with an earnest desire to please him so the God pardoneth our infirmities when we haue good indeauours Lord much more accepteth of the imperfect obedience of his children when as he seeth that with vpright harts they desire to serue and please him couering their imperfections with Christs perfect righteousnesse and washing away their corruptions in his most precious blood so as in the day of judgement they shall not arise against them to their condemnation Although Dauid did make a fearefull digression out of the way of righteousnesse when as he committed murther and adulterie and numbred the people yet God did not judge him according to these particular slips because in the whole course of his life he kept the wayes of the Lord and hated all by-wayes of falshood and iniquitie as himselfe professeth Psal 18. 21. and 119. 104. Hee did not condemne Peter for digressing into the way of iniquitie Psal 18. 2. and 119. 104. when as he denied his maister because he did not voluntarily make choise of this way but was suddainely thrust into it by violent feare nor Paul because he sometimes did the euill Mat. 26. which he would not being taken captiue with the violence of sinne seeing he was in his generall course delighted in the Rom. 7. law of God and did earnestly striue against his corruptions So in like manner he judgeth the wicked according to their wayes and not according to their particular actions God respecteth not ague fits in religion neither doth hee respect their ague fits of Religion and justice when as generally in the course of their life they cast his lawes behind their backe and willingly walke in the wayes of wickednesse but judgeth them according to their wayes and the constant course of their conuersation So it is saide that the wicked should eate the fruite of their owne wayes Prou. 1. 31. And the Lord threatneth to visit Iacob Pro. 1. 31. according to his wayes Hos 12. 2. Though Pharaoh sometimes Hos 12. 2. confessed his sinne and justified God though Saul vttered many good speeches and performed many actions which might well haue beseemed a better man though Iehu in a fit shewed great zeale in suppressing idolatrie and in erecting Gods true worship though Ahab once humbled himselfe before God and by outward signes testified his repentance and though Herod hard Iohn the Baptist willingly and in many things yeelded obedience to his admonitions yet none of all these were approued by God because whatsoeuer their particular actions were yet they were wicked in their wayes that is in their life and conuersation The vse of this doctrine is that wee labour for vpright We must labour for vpright harts harts and constantly resolue to forsake all sinne and to imbrace all righteousnesse in our liues and conuersations and then if besides our purpose and desire we digresse out of the right way by falling into some sinne through infirmitie and the violence of our corruptions the Lord will spare vs as a father spareth his childe who desireth to please him as hee professeth Mal. 3. 17. Neither shall our imperfections and Mal. 3. 17. slips with-draw Gods loue or hinder our saluation because he doth not visite nor punish men according to their errours and slips but according to their wayes and ordinarie course of life Secondly it serueth for the terrour of hipocrites who securely God regardeth not the extrauagant good deeds of hipocrits goe on in the course of sinne thinking that God will be well pleased if at sometimes they make a shew of religion by going to the Church or giuing an almes to a poore man or by performing some other workes of justice mercy or liberalitie But such are to know that vnlesse they keepe a constant course in godlines and make the path of righteousnesse and holinesse their ordinary way all their particular good workes which are but as it were so many steppings aside out of their constant course of sinning will little profit them in the day of Gods visitation because they shall bee judged not according to their extrauagant good deedes but according to their wayes and ordinary conuersation
cause hereof is the corruption of mans nature which is exceedingly addicted to this idolatrie and superstition partly through grosenesse of vnderstanding affecting a palpable deitie and diuine worship which is subject to the senses and partly through pride preferring his owne inuentions and wil-worship before the will of God reuealed in his word The vse hereof is that we doe not onely flee from idolatrie We must flye the first beginnings of idolatrie in the grosest kinde but also that wee shunne the first beginnings thereof for if in the least degree we giue way vnto it we shall from one degree ascend vnto another till we come to the highest partly because we are naturally possessed with a spirit of fornications which carrieth vs headlong into this sin and partly because the Lord will giue vs vp to a reprobate sense and to be deluded with strong delusions if wee doe not imbrace and loue his truth but incline to wil-worship and Idolatry The third thing to be obserued is that our good intentions Good intentions hauing no sound ground no better then wil-worship in Gods seruice which haue no ground in his word are nothing else but wil-worship and superstition The Israelites made choyse to worship in the groues and vnder the greene trees because the shadow thereof was good that is because they thought these pleasant places and delightfull shade in the sweet and open ayre were most fit and conuenient for religious worship but because this their good intention was contrary to Gods word which restrayned publike seruice sacrifices vnto the Temple at Ierusalem their good meaning could not priuiledge them from the just censure of Idolatrie and Superstition So Aaron in a good intention made Exod. 32. 1. 5. a golden calfe Exod. 32. 1. 5. But it was condemned and punished as grose Idolatry Gedeon in a good intention made Iudg. 8. 27. an Ephod of the Midianitish pray but it was an occasion of Idolatry and the ruine of his house and Micahs mother in a good intention made a moulten Image Iudg. 17. 3. and Iudg. 17. 3. Micah himselfe consecrated one of his sonnes to be a priest vnto it Verse 5. and entertained a Leuite for the same purpose with the like good meaning and yet neuerthelesse all this was but grose superstition and Idolatry in Gods sight The vse hereof is that we be not deluded with this conceipt that the Lord will accept of any manner of seruice so it proceed from a good meaning intention for if it haue no warrant out of Gods Word but bee repugnant therevnto vvhatsoeuer our meaning and intention bee it is but vvil-worship superstition and Idolatry in Gods sight And therefore we must not examine what we intend but what God requireth not what we like as most fit and couenient but what is pleasing vnto God And this examination is to be made not according to our owne phantasies and carnall wisdome which as the Apostle saith is emnitie against God but Rom. 8. 7. according to the canon and rule of Gods word which that we may the rather doe let these reasons perswade vs first because the Lord hath straightly forbidden and condemned all manner of vvil-worship and in his seruice hath precisely restrayned vs to his word for our direction Deu. 5. 32. Take Deut. 5. 32. and 12. 8. 32. heed that you doe as the Lord your God hath commanded turne not aside to the right hand nor to the left And 12. 8. Yee shall not doe after all these things that we doe here this day that is euery man what seemeth him good in his owne eyes And Vers 32. Whatsoeuer I command you take heede you doe it thou shalt Num. 15. 39. Prou. 39. 5. 6. Ezech. 20. 18. Col. 2. 20. The causes why the Lord forbiddeth all wil-worship put nothing thereto nor take ought there from So Numb 15. 39 Pro. 30. 5. 6. Ezech. 20. 18. Col. 2. 20. Now the causes why the Lord doth so earnestly forbid all manner of vvil-worship are principally two first it doth exceedingly derogate from his wisedome when as men doe not think his lawes sufficient for their gouernment direction but labour to perfect them by their owne inventions as though they were wiser then God himselfe Now if it be an odious thing to an earthly prince that his subjects should take vpon them to alter or adde or detract from his Lawes or in stead of submitting themselues to be gouerned thereby should make their owne vvill a law though they should make neuer so faire a shew of their good meaning intentions then how odious and abhorninable a thing is it for vs thus to demeane our selues towards God who is infinite in wisedome and the supreame king of heauen and earth Secondly because where wil-worship and humane inventions Wil-worship banisheth the true seruice of God are intertayned there soone after the true worship of God is expelled and banished for such is the aversenesse of mans corrupt nature towards the true worship of God and proannesse vnto humane inventions and superstitions that when they are both together he nourisheth and maketh high esteeme of wil-worship as being the birth of his owne brain and vtterly neglecteth Gods pure and sincere seruice which in his word he hath prescribed as though it were the child of a stranger And this is a notable fruit of pride and selfe loue when as men preferre the wisedome of the flesh before the wisedome of God and their owne inventious before his commandements The which was the sinne of the Scribes and Pharisies who as our Sauiour charged them made the commandements of God of no authority whilest they established their owne traditions Mat. 15. 16. And vvhilest they vvere Mat. 15. 16. and 23. 23. ouer busie in tithing Mint Annis and Commin they were vvholy negligent in the vvaightie matters of Gods Law as Iudgement Mercy and Fidelitie as it is Mat. 23. 23. Secondly it behoueth vs to imbrace Gods pure and sincere Wil-worship is vaine and vnprofitable vvorship prescribed in his vvord and to auoide vvil-vvorship our owne superstitious deuotions because when vve haue spent our time and euen tyred our selues in these things all our labour will bee spent in vaine So the Lord himselfe saith Mat. 15. 9. In vaine they worship mee teaching Mat 15. 9. for doctrines mens precepts And the Apostle saith that humain inventions and traditions as touch not taste not handle not doe perish in the vsing Col. 2. 22. For if we would haue Col. 2. 22. any wages for our labour vve must doe the Lords vvorke vvhich himselfe hath commaunded otherwise hee vvill demaund of vs as hee did of the Israelits Esay 1 12. Who hath Esay 1. 12. required these things at your hands And vvill say vnto vs as he did to the Priests and people of Israell Zach. 7. 5. When yee Zach. 7. 5. fasted and mourned did ye fast vnto me
yeare of Ezechias wherein the Israelites were led captiue into Assiria by Salmanaser was 680. yeares Thirdly he implyeth the sorrow and mourning of the people by this phrase of sitting which vsually in the Scriptures is ascribed to those who are in griefe and heauinesse for not knowing which way to ease themselues nor hauing any appetite when they are oppressed with sorrow to go about any thing they sit down bewaile their miserie So it is said of Iobs friends that they sate downe to mourne with him when they could not help him Iob. 2. 13. Of Nehemiah that Iob. 2. 13. he sate downe and wept and mourned for certaine dayes Nehe. Nehe. 1. 4. 1. 4. Of Ierusalem that she sate solitarie like a widdow mourning and lamenting her afflictions Lamen 1. 1. 2. And Babilon Lamen 1. 1. 2. sayeth of her selfe that shee would not sit as a Widdow Esa 47. 8. Esay 47. 8. Fourthly hee sheweth wherein her widdow-hood consisteth namely in being depriued of the outward signes of her communion with God both in regard of Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall gouernement and of the meanes of Gods pure and publike worship as also in being restrained from worshipping and seruing Idols false Gods All which are expressed in these particulars Without a King and without a Prince that is without any Magistrate of their owne nation or any publike forme of gouernement whereby Gods presence is represented in the common wealth And without an Offring that is they should not offer Sacrifices and Oblations for neyther was it lawfull to erect an Altar or offer a Deut. 12. 13. 14. Sacrifice any where sauing at Ierusalem the place appointed for Gods publike worship And without an Image namely made to represent Gods presence such as were the Images erected by Ieroboam in Dan and Bethell 1 King 12. 28 29. 1 King 12. 28. and those spoken of 2 King 17. 10. And without an Ephod 2 King 17. 10. of which there were two kinds the one made of Gold blew Silke Purple Scarlet and twined Linnen in which were the two Onix stones wherein were graued the name of the twelue Tribes and the Vrim and the Thummin and this was proper to the high Priest of which we may read Exod. Exod. 28. 6. 28. 6. c. The other made of Linnen of which wee may read 1 Sam. 2. 18. 2 Sam. 6. 14. The meaning is that they 1 Sam. 2. 28. should bee without a Priest-hood which should instruct 2 Sam. 6. 14. them and aske counsell for them of the Lord. Lastly hee saith that they should be without a Teraphim that is they should haue nothing to doe with the Idoll Gods of the heathen for the Teraphims were Images which the Idolatrous Heathens worshipped of which kinde were those Teraphims or Images which Rachell stole from her Idolatrous father Laban Gen. 31. 19. and that Teraphim in Michaes Gen. 31. 19. house Iudg. 17. 5. Iudg. 17. 5. So that hereby it appeareth in what the widdow-hood of the Church of Israell consisted namely that she should haue no signe of Gods presence in the ciuell gouernment for she should haue no King nor Magistrate nor yet in the Church for she should haue no offring nor Ephod that is no Priesthood nor publike meanes of worshipping God according to his word Neither yet should shee follow her louers and commit Idolatrie with them for she should not worship the true God after a false manner as Ieroboam did in images nor the heathen idols for she should be without a Teraphim Now the Lords end in all this was that he might weane the elect Israelites from their vaine hopes by withdrawing from them all those things wherein they trusted that so hauing no other hope of being deliuered out of their miserie they might turne to the Lord by true repentance and so expect from him alone freedome from their afflictions For as long as they had any Kings and gouernment or any forme of a common wealth whilest they had any shew of Religion or any outward meanes of worshipping God though they were neuer so much depraued and corrupted they rested nay they boasted in it as though they were in good estate and therefore to beate them from this vaine conceipt the Lord threatneth to bring vpon them a confused anarchie to depriue them of all shew outward appearance of a Church that so being humbled in the sight and sense hereof they might be moued laying aside all other hopes to expect saluation in Iesus Christ and be the better fitted to receiue him when he was exhibited as their onely King Priest Prophet and Redeemer And this is the meaning of the words from whence we That the beames of Gods fauour are often clouded with afflictions may obserue these instructions First whereas he saith that the people of Israel shal sit waiting in heauines without any outward signes of gods comfortable presence hence we learn that euen Gods dearest children oftentimes haue the beames of Gods fauour so clouded from them in their afflictions that they seeme vnto themselues desolate and vtterly forsaken of God as appeareth in this place So Iob complayneth Chap. Iob. 13. 24. 13. 24. Wherefore hydest thou thy face and takest mee for thine enimie And Dauid Psal 13. 1. How long wilt thou forget mee O Lord for euer how long wilt thou hide thy face from me Psal 13. 1. And 88. 14. Lord why doest thou reiect my soule and hidest Psal 88. 14. and 46. 89. thy face from me 89. 46. So Esay complaineth in the name of the faithfull Chapter 45. 15. Verely thou O God hidest thy Esa 45. 15. selfe The Church likewise Lamen 5. 20. Wherefore doest Lamen 5. 20. thou forget vs for euer and forsake vs so long time Yea this was the complaint of the sonne of God himselfe when as he bore our iniquities Math. 27. 46. Not that indeede the Lord Math. 27. 46. doth euer forsake those whom he hath once chosen but onely for a time with-houldeth the outward signes and inward feeling of his comfortable presence that hee may moue them more seriously to sorrow for sinne more earnestly to beg and pray for the returne of his fauour and more preciously to esteeme of it being restored vnto them when they perceiue how barraine of all comfort and ioy their soules are as soone as the Sun-shine of Gods fauour is ecclipsed from them The vse hereof is that if euer the Lord seeme thus to withdraw himselfe from vs in our afflictions wee be so humbled hereby as that in the meane time we sincke not into desperation as though we were vtterly rejected and to this end let vs remember that this hath beene the lot of the dearest of Gods children and therefore let this comfort vs that the same afflictions haue beene accomplished in other of the faithfull 1 Cor. 10. 13. 1 Pet. 5. 9. Secondly let vs call to
mind times of old wherein the Lord gaue vs sure testimonies of his loue and so from the immutabilitie of his loue mercy and goodnesse wee may receiue comfort So Dauid Psal 77. 11. Psal 77. 11. Secondly we may obserue how the Church behaueth her selfe when shee seemeth left and forsaken of God namely she sits downe like a desolate widdow and spendeth her time That we must not be carelesse and sencelesse in the time of affliction in mourning and lamentation whence we learne not to make light of this heauie affliction nor to walk vnder this waighty burthen with stiffe and stretched out necks but when God in the time of affliction seemeth to estrange and absent himselfe we must humble our soules with mourning and lamentation watch and waite for his returne and continually cry and call vpon him by hearty prayer desiring nothing in the world so much as that hee will hasten his comming and re-assure vs of his fauour And if we thus behaue our selues then shall we finde Gods promise verified Esa 54. 8. For a Esay 54. 8. little while haue I forsaken thee but with great compassion will I gather thee And by this meanes also shall we gather vnto our selues assurance that we are indeed espoused vnto God when as the Lord our husband hauing absented himselfe in some displeasure we doe not like strumpets rejoyce in his absence or if there be any little griefe seeke to put it off by haunting the company of vaine persons and by passing the time in sports and pastimes but like loyall and louing wiues bewayle his absence and displeasure taking delight in nothing till wee enjoy his loue againe in whom our soule delighteth Here therefore two extreames are to be auoyded for as we must not sincke and fall downe flat vnder the burthen of Gods displeasure so we must not stand vpright with stiffe and stretched out necks casting it aside without care or sorrow but we must take the middle course that is we must stoupe and buckle vnder our burthen as being weary of bearing it we must sit downe and mourne like a widdow forsaken and desolate delighting in nothing till wee feele and finde that God deligheth in vs and is reconciled vnto vs. An example hereof we haue in the Church Psal 137. 2. 3. Psal 237. 2. 3. Thirdly we are to obserue Gods wise mixture of Mercy and Iudgement that the Church might neyther be secure Gods wise mixture of Mercy and Iudgement and carelesse nor yet comfortlesse and without hope for whereas he saith that she shall sit mourning for many dayes herein is implyed that her afflictions should neyther bee very short nor very long First hee sheweth that they should not be very short for they should last for many dayes and then that they should not be very long for they should not last for many ages or many yeares but onely for many dayes He doth not reckon the time by minutes or houres for then they would haue beene secure and wretchlesse and so taking no care to arme themselues with patience they would haue beene altogether vnprepared when contrary to their hope their afflictions were tediously continued nor yet by yeares or ages least whilest he sought to arme them with patience he should disarme them of hope vvhich is our chiefe stay to keepe vs from sincking vnder affliction The vse which we are to make hereof is that vvhen vvee are in affliction vve doe neither expect present deliuerance nor yet imagine that God will forsake vs for euer For if our hopes be frustrate vve shall grow impatient and if vve haue no hope at all we shall grow desperate Fourthly vve may obserue that he saith the Israelits should That our afflictions are momentanie howsoeuer they seeme tedious to the flesh continue in their afflicted estate many dayes vvhereas in truth they continued diuers ages euen sixe hundred fourescore yeeres So hee saith that the Church of the Smirnians should haue tribulation for ten dayes Apoc. 2. 10. And that the Church should be fed in the vvildernesse of affliction a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes Chap. 11. 6. By vvhich computation hee teacheth vs how vve are to accompt of the time of affliction namely howsoeuer to the flesh it seeme long and tedious yet it is to be judged short momentanie in comparison of that eternall glory vvhich attendeth for vs after vve haue finished the short skirmish of afflictions When as therefore our troubles and crosses seeme so tedious as though they would neuer end let vs comfort our selues with this consideration that they are in truth but light short and momentanie in respect of that superexcellent and eternall waight of glorie which is reserued for vs. 2 Cor. 4. 17. 2 Cor. 4. 17. Fiftly whereas the Lord describing the widdowhood of the Church of Israell and the seperation betweene him and her doth after-wards expound himselfe and sheweth that it consisteth in the taking away of their King Magistrates The Magistracie and Ministerie signes of gods presence ciuill gouernment and the meanes of his publicke worship and seruice hence wee learne that Princes wisely ruling in the common wealth and godly and faithfull Ministers publickly executing their functions which concerne gods pure and sincere worship in the Church are notable signes representing vnto vs Gods owne presence So that where the Lord hath established a lawfull and vvise Magistracie and a godly learned and faithful Ministerie there himselfe is present ioyned in a neere communion with that church common-wealth where these are wanting from thence the Lord may be said to haue withdrawne himselfe and to haue made a seperation leauing such a people in the estate of an afflicted vviddow And this appeareth not onely in this but also in diuers other places of scripture For first for Kings and Magistrates they are said to be breathing and mortall gods and the children of the most high vvho in their gouernment after a more peculiar manner resemble their heauenly father Psal 82. 6. 7. In vvhose assemblies God standeth and Psal 82. 6. 7. judgeth righteous judgement ver 1. God standeth in the assemblie of gods he iudgeth among gods And for the ministery and publicke seruice of God vvee haue Christs promise That where two or three are gathered together in his name there is hee in the middest of them Mat. 18. 20. And howsoeuer Mat. 18. 20. being infinite he filleth heauen and earth vvith his presence yet after a more peculiar manner he walketh in the middest of the seauen golden candlestickes Apoc. 1. 13. that is he is present in his Church to rule defend and preserue it And hence it is that vvhen Dauid vvas banished from the Temple and debarred of the publike meanes of Gods worship hee complayneth that he vvas banished from Gods presence and cast Psal 42. 2. and 84. 1. 2. out of his sight Psal 42. 2. and 84. 1. 2. The vse hereof is first