you should come into the very place where your children have been murdered or wives ravished would not you have your hearts rise with indignation in this place was my child murdered in this place was my child ravished so saith God every time he looks upon Gilgal Oh! here was this wickedness committed there I hated them Hence it is that many guilty consciences dare not go into the place where they have committed sin There I hated them It follows I will drive them out of my house They shall remain no longer in a Church-State they shall remain no longer so to be in my House Those who under the colour of being under the Church of God yet live in the waies of wickedness God will unchurch them even in regard of the outward appearance of a Church Estate I 'le drive them out of my House It 's a dreadful expression this for a father to take his child or servant and drive them out of his house notes great indignation to be driven out of Gods House is a sore evil that makes all other evils indeed to be evil as abiding in Gods House is a great blessing and recompences the want of many outward blessings If any of you that have been servants to great men and should be driven out of their houses and especially for your conscience yet if God takes you into his House you are well enough and for that you have a famous Scripture in Psal 52. 8. But I saith David am like a green Olive tree in the House of God I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever Upon what occasion was this Psalm pen'd It was when David was driven out of the house of Saul by the occasion of Doeg there was a Doeg that did exasperate Saul against him and David was driven from his house so he dared not come into it but what comfort had David But I am like a green Olive tree in the House of God though I cannot be in Sauls house and enjoy the priviledges of his house yet blessed be God that I may be in His House and there thrive and prosper as a green Olive tree I will drive them out of my house God cannot endure wickedness in his house neither should we God accounts it his dishonor to have wickedness and wicked men in his house and so should we as in the Church ungodly men should be driven out of the house of God we must not make Gods house an Hogs-sty an unclean place for all Swine to come in but they should be driven out as Christ drave out the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple yea and so should all Christians drive out of their families wicked and ungodly servants Psal 101. 7. He that worketh deceit shall not dwel within my house saith David And he that telleth lyes shall not tarry in in his sight It 's a dishonor for any who make profession of Religion that though themselves be not scandalous in their own lives yet there are those in their house that live scandalously they have as wicked servants in their houses as any this is a dishonor to Religion God drives out wickedness out of his house and do you do so to yours And I will love them no more By Love here is meant the communication of outward good things for that carnal hearts account to be the only love of God Indeed if they may have but outward prosperity here in this world they make that an argument of Gods love unto them Well saith God though you have had many such kind of arguments of my love such fruits of my love yet I will love you no more I will take away all those priviledges and good things that you have enjoyed There are priviledges and good things that come from no other love but that which may be taken away Oh! let not us be satisfied with those let us be satisfied with nothing else but that which comes from everlasting love You may have your outward estates you may have comely Bodies Health Strength Success in your labors comings-in plentifully yea you may have Church Priviledges and yet all this not come from the everlasting love of God that can never be taken away these fruits of Gods love may be taken from you and God may say as concerning all these I will love you no more but there are fruits of love the sanctifying Graces of Gods Spirit the fruits of Electing love and God can never say of these I will love you no more No more After many deliverances that this people had in a way of love God resolves with himself that he will have done with them he will love them no more he wil deliver them no more God may withdraw the sence of his love from his people for a while but he manifests his love again the afflictions of the Saints they are but a little cloud that soon passes over the Sun soon breaks in again upon them and Love shines but the Sun of the wicked and ungodly sets and never rises again this is dreadful when a mans ruin or a peoples ruin is thus seal'd by God whatever mercies you have had heretofore yet now there 's an end of all Adieu mercie adieu love I had gracious manifestations of them once to my soul but they are now gon I must never enjoy them more now God hath changed his administrations towards me I must expect nothing but wrath the hand of his sore displeasure to cause ruin and to be sunk everlastingly Oh! let thy provocations of God be no more do not thou ad unto them I have dealt falsly with God dallied and trifled with the Lord many times promising fair but when I was delivered then have dealt wickedly with thee but no more Lord Oh! take heed if thou add'st any more unto thy wickedness lest that this dreadful sentence be pronounc'd in Heaven against thee I will love thee no more The words are in the Original I will add no more I have done enough already I will do good to this wretched creature no more my Goodness and Mercy hath had their turn no more Spirit strive with them no more Ordinances no more do them any good Mercy meddle no more with them I will love them no more All their Princes are revolters This is a very strange expression What all Yes even from Jeroboam to Hoshea's time every one of them thâ— Princes of Israel were wicked men for two hundred and fifty yeers space in all successions every one were naught and false and ungodly all were revolters It 's an elegant Paranomasia that in the Original Princes revolters the words have a greater elegancy in the Original than in our English the Seventy they turn it by this word Men that could not be perswaded they were all of them men that could not be perswaded they were set upon their own way their own ends and would have their own
opposed Do you not find many so that are in a violent way set upon wickedness and ungodliness that they will hear nothing they snuff at the wind and all that is said against them and run violently upon wicked waies and upon their own ruin It may be in their month you shall find them that hath reference unto the very last month which the wild Ass goes when it is with young then when it is so big and till then there is no dealing with them Some Historians say that the wild Asses are so fierce that they will tare asunder Armor of proof but only in the very month when they are so big that they cannot weld themselves then you shall find them So though sinners be never so stubborn yet God hath his month and perhaps then you shall find them When at any time you find your children or servants or others to be stubborn and stout against whatsoever is said to them and even rage in their madness for the satisfying of their wicked wills you may remember this text and creature they are as wild Asses that are alone by themselves and among all wicked men Idolaters are the most stubborn and stout in their wicked waies their hearts are set upon their Idols yea as the phrase of Scripture is in Jer. 5. 38 They are mad upon their Idols There 's nothing that can be said to those whose hearts are taken with false worship nothing will prevail with them without an infinite power of God put forth and there 's no sinners more bold more untamable and fierce in their waies then those that are superstitious and that 's their reason that if they be opposed in their way of false worship you know there will be such tumultuousness of people flinging of stones against windows where God is truly worshipped any thing in the world though they know not what they do yet because they think themselves condemn'd in their sinful waies therefore they run like wild beasts in a furious manner even against those that worship God better than themselves Secondly God compares the ten Tribes to the wild Ass in way of contempt of them As in the former place of Job 11. 12. Vain man would be wise though man be born like a wild Asses Colt he would fain think himself somebody yet he is a most base and vile creature And if any of you be not so fierce in your wicked waies as some others are if God hath tamed your spirits by His Word and Spirit bless God for it for all men are born like a wild Asses Colt they are mad upon their wicked waies to ruin themselves But because there 's no men that think higher of themselves than stubborn spirits for stoutness and stubborness doth evermore proceed from pride because they think it such a dishonor for their wills to be crost in any thing therefore the Scripture casts the more contempt upon them and calls such proud stout fools wild Asses and indeed there are none more contemptible in the eyes of God than stout sinners It follows A wild Ass alone by himself Alone The reason of this expression is to shew that Ephraim and the ten Tribes they would be at their own hands they would have their own wills alone There 's these two things exprest in it First That they would be under no government but alone by themselves and have liberty to frisk up and down and do what they list alone acknowledging no Commander and so the Chalde Paraphrase hath it Because that they would walk in the evil of their own lusts and would acknowledg no Comander And thus many at this day they love to be alone that is to live at their own hand to be from under Government Though it is here he was alone in the Wilderness he would rather be in the Wilderness alone so be it he may acknowledg no Commander than in the best pastors under any command Thus it is with many they love to be alone that is they are loth to come under any Government they had rather be in the wildernes and suffer never so great straights than come under any Government It is true of divers sorts of people even the lowest sort many that love to live at their own hand servants that are not able to provide for themselves that if they have but a little sickness are ready to starve yet that they might live without any command not under any Government they will chuse rather to endure abundance of hardship that they may live alone many times it is so especially in the foemale sex which ought to be under Government and some Protection yet they love to be alone at their own hand I say and meerly because they cannot endure to come under any kind of Government whatsoever And in the wilderness Their lives indeed are as in the wilderness when they are in any straights and distresses they have no body to look after them and regard them because they loved their liberties so much before So many had rather be without all Ordinances in the Church or many Ordinances only that they might live as they list at their own wills that they may not be under the Government of Christ they had rather live in the wilderness of the world so that they might have liberty rather than be in Gods Vinyard under the Government of Christ These come under the reproof here that Ephraim did in this place Secondly Alone by himself as unfit for Society they were so furious and fierce in their way Some are of such untoward and perverse dispositions that they can agree with no body so that they are only fit to live in the wilderness I suppose you have met with in your families that are so extreamly perverse in their waies and they are of such untoward and crooked dispositions that they are fit to live in no Society but alone in the Wilderness and this reproof of Ephraim comes likewise upon those Ephraim hath hired Lovers The Assyrians and Egyptians and others the words signifie Loves Before they put their confidence in the Assyrians and now they make them their loves The thing I note is this That where we place our confidence there our love should be placed If God be the confidence of our hearts let our love be placed there yea let God be our Loves in the plural number for so it is here they hired Lovers she would fain have the Assyrians to love her When God is forsaken when we have lost our Interest in Gods love no mervail though there be such a seeking after the Creatures love men that forsake God they seek to make up what they have not in God in the Creature as a dog when he hath lost his Master he is ready to follow every one he meets with Again He hath hired Loves Because they had nothing lovely in themselves therefore they hire the love of
upon them nor how to avoid it nor what course to take what can you do in such a day For First All your comforts they are gone all such things that your hearts closed withal and made as Gods to your selves they are gone Secondly Now God himself fights against you in Isa 13. 6. Howl ye for the day of the Lord is at hand it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty But it may be you look only upon such and such men that are the Instruments No but it is a destruction from the Almighty and therefore what can you do Thirdly Conscience in that day that will terrifie you Fourthly You shall not know whither to go for help To the creature that cannot help you your vain hopes in the creature hath the very heartstrings of them broke you thought that you might shift and help your selves there but now you see there is no help there What then you cannot go to God then the very thoughts of God must needs be terrible to you and then what will you do Further For these miseries they are but the beginning of sorrows this day of the Lord it is but a preparation for another day there is yet a more solemn day of the Lord in coming than this present Oh! what will ye do in the day of the Lord Howsoever a man may resolve to set a good face upon a thing Oh! but my Brethren though you cannot see daunting in a countenance yet did you but see the black bosom and the woful guilty spirit that there is by sin within you would know that they could not in the world tell what do do in the day of the Lord. It 's strange what a man may do even before death in the presence of men although his own conscience tells him quite otherwise and though men are ready to be taken with dying mens expressions yet many times there is much deceipt in them Why you will say What a man doth profess when he is ready to die certainly it must needs be a truth There is a notable story concerning this that Bishop Latimer hath in one of his Sermons he tels of the desperate stoutness of a certain mans heart even when he was to die as he was â—iding he comes to a place where the execution of a man was to be he turns aside and when the people saw him they made way and he comes to speak with the man and both he and all that were about him could not get out of him to give glory to God for the guiltiness of the fact for which he was to be executed but stood out in it that he was not guilty and when they could get nothing out of him they turned the ladder and the rope being cut and he down they thought the life had been gone from him but at length they saw a little motion in him and by rubbing and chaâ—ing of him they got life so as he was able to speak and then he confest all that he was guilty of those very things that he had took upon his death that he was not Thus it 's possible for men in the stoutness of their hearts even at the last rather to venture their souls upon it and well may they that ventur'd their souls so much before upon other things think that they may make bold with God at such a time as this is But howsoever there is much dejection of spirit and they know not in the world what to do Well it 's happy for us to consider what we do and to lay to heart what we have done that so in such a day of the Lord as this we may know what to do the Servants of God who have walked conscionably before him they know what to do in the day of publick calamity ` For first ' They can bless God that ever they knew him that ever they knew his waies that ever he put it into their hearts to fear his name Secondly They know what to do in a day of calamity they can exercise their faith upon that Word in which the Lord hath caused them to trust they can make it to be the support of their souls and the joy of their hearts even in such a day Thirdly They know what to do they can sanctifie God Name in his righteous judgments they can see mercy and the love of a Father in the sorest and heaviest afflictions that do befall them Fourthly They know what to do they can ease their souls by powring them forth into the bosom of a gracious and reconciled Father Fifthly They know what to do they can see beyond all these present evils they can see Immortality and Glory they can see that on the other side a little beyond these troubles and afflictions there is an everlasting joy and day of peace coming to them A Job can tell what to do he can profess that though God kill him he would trust in him A David can tell what to do In the multitude of the sorrows that I had in my heart thy consolations refresh my soul A Habacuk can tell what to do Although the fig-tree should not blossom nor fruit be in the vines the labor of the Olive shall fail and the fields shall yeeld no meat the flocks shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no heard in the stalls yet will I rejoyce in the Lord yet will I joy in the God of my salvation Thus you see the Saints they know what to do in such a day and this is the excellency of grace that it can never be put so to it in any strait but it can tel what to do as David said to Achish in 2 Sam. 28. 2. Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do So the Saints in time of common distresses they should set their graces so on work that all may see what their faith and humility and patience can do that they may be able to say well you shall see now what the Servant of the Lord can do If one should say to one that hath made profession of Godliness You spake much of the excellency of grace but what can you do with it The answer that such a one may well give is this When you cannot tell what to do in the world nor which way to turn your selves yet through Gods mercy I can tell what to do Grace will be able to carry a man through fire and water that faith of mine and the grace that I have gotten by the Word that you can scorn at it 's that doth through Gods mercy enable my soul to rejoyce yea to triumph in Tribulations Can you do that You can rejoyce now when you are in a Tavern but in the day of Tribulation when a dismal day shall come to the world what will you do then I thank God I have that that can rejoyce my heart in such a day as this is and that that
abominable wickedness in the eyes of God Thus they did in the daies of Gibeah And thus you are ready to do not only to commit horrible wickedness and sins but to stand in the defence of it there is this desperate stoutness of spirit and hardness of heart in many men that when they are once got into the way of sin rather than they would yield and submit they will venture the undoing of themselves the men of Gibeah did so and they were undone accordingly Yea further Not only to stand out our selves in evil but to joyn with others to defend them though it be the venturing of our own undoing and others this is further wickedness yet how many have we of the Gentry and Nobility of the Kingdom that do not only seek to defend themselves but joyn with the greatest Malignants of the Kingdom with those that are the greatest cause of evil and were like to be the utter undoing of us all to defend them from Justice will venture the ruin of their own families whereas were it that the Malignants were given up they might have saved their estates families and all Oh! that ever God should leave men in such horrible wickedness as this is This is just as it was in the daies of Gibeah Sixtly Those who do so stoutly stand to defend wickedness and other men who are wicked yet they may for a while prosper even the men of Gibeah and the Benjamites may prosper But yet in the next place at last these men shall perish twenty five thousand and an hundred of these twenty six thousand perished and all the men of Gibeah and the City was burnt So let men stand out as stubbornly and stoutly as they will and say What care we they will lose their lives and estates rather than they will submit and yeeld well they may lose all at lengh you have yet it may be a day some victory and prevail'd at some time yea but let not mens hearts be hardened by that nor let none of the other side be discouraged for certainly those that stand desperately out in defending of wickedness they shall perish at last so did the Gibeonites Yea But what is this to us might the Prophets Auditors say Yes certainly it 's much to you for this aggravates your sins the sins of forefathers that 's the Note that the Prophet makes use of what was done in daies of Gibeah From whence is this Note That the sins of forefathers is an aggravation of Childrens sins when they commit the same and others like unto them And yet such is the delusion of many poor people that they excuse the present sins by the sins of former times As thus suppose Ministers or others should complain of the sinfulness of the times and declaim against the sinfulness of the times you shall have some can say Why do they keep such a stir of the wickedness of the times were they not as bad as they are now heretofore Oh delusion This is the great aggravation when that thou livest in those sins thy forefathers did thou art it seems the child of a wicked parent and how just had it been with God to have cut thee off presently for the sins of thy parents and doest thou say that thy wickedness is no other than the wickedness of thy forefathers Certainly if the times be as ill as they were heretofore they are worse than they were heretofore for the evil of our forefathers is an aggravation of our present evils if we continue in them As the treachery of a parent would be no excuse for the treachery of a child for him to say my father was a Traytor for me to excuse the sins of the present times with the sins of the former times and say that they were as ill formerly as now it is just for all the world such kind of reasoning but this is not the reasoning of the Spirit of God he aggravates the sins of Israel in Hosea's time with the sins that were in the daies of Gibeah God may let men alone in their wickedness for a long time untill they grow to the heigth of their wickedness and then God comes upon them When the sins of the Amorites were full Now he will remember their iniquities he will visit their sins But for this phrase of Gods remembring and visiting that we have had before therefore we pass it over and come to the tenth verse VER 10. I found Israel like Grapes in the Wilderness I saw your Fathers as the first ripe in the Fig-tree at her first time THE scope of the holy Ghost in this it is to upbraid the ten Tribes for their wretched ungrateful dealing with God their sin is aggravated by Gods love towards them and their forfathers I found Israel like grapes in the Wilderness That 's thus look as a man that hath been travelling in the parched wilderness and is dry and weary and faint he doth come to a place in the Wilderness unexpectedly and finds clusters of Grapes from whence he hath abundance of refreshment to cool and moisten him and Oh how refresh'd is this poor man when he is parched in the dry Wilderness and beyond all expectation comes and finds a Vine full of clusters of Grapes this would be the most pleasing thing to such a man that could be thus saith God Such kind of delight had I in your forefathers He names Grapes and Figs here because they are the most delightful fruit of all kind of fruit to weary travellers Now if this be so that God hath such delight in his people as a man would have in Grapes thus in the Wilderness Oh! how should God be our delight when we are in the Wilderness If we being his people are so delightful to him in the Wilderness surely then God himself should be delightful to us in our wilderness Oh! let God in his Ordinances be to us in our troubles and afflictions as Grapes to a traveller in his Wilderness surely if God will account us to himself so delightful there 's great reason that we should account him to us as delightful Some of Gods Servants have been forced to fly into the Wilderness and though they have not had such outward refreshments as we have had here that have set under our own Vines and Fig-trees yet God hath made them to find Grapes in the Wilderness they have sit under Gods Protection and his Ordinances as a man in the Wilderness should sit under a Vine of Grapes and refresh himself with them I saw your Fathers We should lay to heart Gods Love to our Fathers and seek to continue it to our selves It 's a sad thing to look upon degenerate Children who have had fathers whom God took delight in Your Fathers were as clusters of Grapes that did refresh the very soul of God as it is said of Wine that it doth chear both God and man so the grace
neerer to an ingenious heart than the loss of Love he had rather lose his Money than his Love such an one hath requited me il for my love this I say goes to the heart of a man and there 's nothing more grieves him than that he finds his love is ill bestowed So certainly it goes to the heart of God that his Love should be ill bestowed upon people They went to BAAL-PEOR Many loathsom and obscene things are reported concerning this Baal-Peor this god that was the god of the Moabites that is unfit for chast ears to hear therefore we shall not mention such things Much filthiness was committed in the worship of this their Baal-Peor and yet saith God notwithstanding all my love to their fore-fathers whereby they might have drawn an argument that they should have had blessings upon themselves if they had continued in the waies of their forefathers yet they went from me went to Baal-Peor From whence the Notes are First The more shameful any thing is the more abominable is it to forsake God It 's an abominable thing to forsake God for the gaining of Heaven and Earth if it could be gained by it but for to forsake God for a Baal-Peor God takes this â—ll but that we met with before Secondly This is the evil of mans heart That there is no evil so base and shameful but he is ready to forsake the blessed and glorious God that he may cleave to that As it is reported of the Panther that it doth love the dung of man so well that if it be hung up at a height it will leap and skip for it till it bursts in pieces So many there are that are set upon such base things that they are content to part with all good that there is in God and Jesus Christ if they may but have them they are content to undo themselves to all eternity Thirdly So to leave God as to give up our selves to baseness and wickedness Oh! this is most abâ—minable To be over taken with a sin is vile but for one to give up himself or her self to wickedness this is abominable and yet this is that that many are guilty of at first perhaps sin is fair-mannerd and saith Do but take some dallies with me at first but after the soul begins to give up its self in a most desperate way in sinful courses many an Apostate doth thus that had some comfort before in God but now having gotten a haunt of wickedness they have lost all their comforts in God and Christ and now saith this desperat soul I cannot have comfort in God and Christ and therefore I will have it in the satisfying of my lusts Oh! my Brethren what a shame is this So far as thou art able to be guilty of shaming even God Himself and Jesus Christ therfore in Heb. 6. 6. Apostates are said to put Jesus Christ to open shame and Apostate that leaves the waies of God and separates himself to his lusts he doth put the Lord Jesus Christ to an open shame Oh! how should Gods people separate themselves for the Lord and be wholly his seeing Idolaters separate themselves to their Idols let them look upon themselves as a people separated for the Lord. And their abominations were as they loved That is First as they loved so they were guided they were not guided by the Word nor by any Divine Rule not by right Reason but according as they loved they followed what they had a mind to never regarding what Gods mind was The judgment is soon gone when the heart is taken with a thing Ordinarily people love that way they go not that way the Rule guides them to but what way their affections carry them on in this is a very sinful thing for men to be acted with and carried upon meerly by the violence of their affections and especially this is evil in the matters of Gods Worship there we may not do things as we love that is because we think such things are very fair and there appears no hurt in them to us and they like us well yea but we must examine whether we have warrant out of the Word for that we must not do as we love but according as the rule is Secondly They were abominable as they loved they were turned into the very likeness of what they loved and indeed our loves what ever they are upon doth turn us into the likeness of the thing The understanding turns the object into a likeness to it but the heart is turned into the likeness of its object Austin hath a notable expression for this saith he Such is every man as his love is Doth a man love the earth he is earth doth a man love God what shall I say saith Austin he shall be even God too And indeed the Scripture saith we are partakers of the Divine Nature Oh! what care had we need have of what we love Doest thou love a base filthy thing then thy soul is base and filthy too Doest thou love the glorious and blessed God then thy soul is made like to God Chuse therefore good objects for thy love love the Lord and love his holy waies love things that are excellent and glorious and by the loving of those things thy heart will come to have excellency and glory put upon it but if thou lovest that which is drossy and filthy thou comest to have a base and drossy heart of thy own Mans soul is like to the Cameleon that is changed into the color of the object it looks upon They were abominable as they loved Every man or woman is as he loves Thirdly They were abominable as they loved That which is here translated of the Concrete I find it may be as well translated of the Abstract They were abominable as their love and so it 's carried by Interpreters that is they were abominable as their Idols were that they did love and their Idols were call'd Love in the Abstract as a man cals his Wife his Love so they call'd their Idols their Love and they were abominable as their Love was that is look how abominable Baal-Peor was so abominable were they so the Psalmist saith that they that make Idols are like unto them But fourthly which I think is especially the scope of the holy Ghost here They were abominable as they love though the other may be taken in this Scripture hath reference to that that you reade in Numb 25. 1. there you find that the people of Israel by the wicked counsel of Balaam when they could not be cursed yet Balaam did counsel them that they should come and bring their daughters before them and so to intice them to commit uncleanness with their daughters and then they should intice them to Idolatry that was the wicked counsel of Balaam they committed whordom with the daughters of Moab and they called the
people to the sacrifices of their gods So They were abominable as they loved that is they being inticed to bodily uncleanness by the Moabitish women these drew them likewise to the worship of their Idols And so their loves to their Whores was that which drew them to this wickedness They were abominable as they loved that is they setting their love upon these wicked women that did intice them to uncleanness according to that love of theirs were they brought unto the love of Idolatry Solomons wives drew him to Idolatry And it 's usuall for people to be of that Religion that those are that they love if so be that their hearts be taken with any if they love any it's usual for them to be of that Religion that those are of that they love according to their kindred according to their friends according to the stock that they marry in so is their Religion Many that have been forward in waies of Religion and yet marry into a carnal stock that hath no savour of Religion you shall find they will grow cold according to what their wives dispositions are according to what they love so their Religion either burns hotter or grows cooler as it was usually laid upon Ahab for his wickedness such a one was his wife and so other Kings the daughter of Ahab was his wife his Religion was according as he loved And my Brethren if those who are in a false way can draw whom they love to it then certainly those that are in the Truth should as wel labor to draw those who they love to the imbracement of the Truth Wives that are naught wil draw their Husbands to that which they love to Idolatry to false worship Popish wives have drawn more husbands to their Popery than Godly wives I fear have drawn husbands to the Truth Why should not gracious Wives labor to draw their Husbands to good by love as well as wicked Wives to draw them to wickedness by their love And indeed those who would gain others to good must first gain their love The women of Moab gained the love of the people of Israel and so gained them to themselves in the matters of Religion So if you would do any good to people first labor to gain their love let women that have evil husbands that they would â—ain gain how would you gain them not by reproachful speeches but do you though they be never so evil walk lovingly towards them that they may be convinced that your souls do love them and so do you by your loving carriage gain their love and that 's the way to gain them to your God by that means So divers of the women in the primitive times that had Heathenish Husbands we have many stories of them that by their gracious loving carriage to their Heathen Husbands they gained them to the Truth of Religion And so Ministers if they would gain people to God they must gain their love so walk before them in such a gracious holy loving way towards them as they may gain their love and then they will gain their souls if there be wrangling between Minister and People there 's little hope that they will gain and do any good among that people for people wil do as they love very much And so your neighbors and friends if you would gain them to God any way gain their loves to you for it 's a mighty motive in matters of Religion for people to do as they love And thus much for this tenth Verse VER 11. As for Ephraim their glory shall fly away like a bird from the birth and from the womb and from the conception AS for Ephraim A Pathetical expression he makes a stop at Ephraim Oh Ephraim how sad how much to be lamented is thy condition As for Ephraim their Glory c. By it is meant all their pomp riches strength prosperity but especially by Glory here is meant their numerous progeny in which they did so much glory Ephraim the ten Tribes did prosper very much and were a very great multitude more than Judah This Scripture hath reference unto the prosperous estate especially in the time of Jeroboam the second of which you reade in 2 King 14. Ephraim was in a very prosperous condition and had prospered very much Their Glory Children and numerous progeny is accounted a glory unto people That in which they do much glory in Prov. 17. 6. Childrens children are the Crown of old men the Seventy are the Glory of old men Parents use to glory and pride themselves much in their children saith one Oh! lovely pride of the Mother so it may be said of many sons and daughters of children Oh! the delightful pride of the Father and the Mother in such and such children They accounted it their Glory For 1. By their children themselves are multiplied And 2. They see what excellency soever there is in the child they look upon it as their own as themselves the cause of it and men and women love themselves much and because they are pieces of themselves therefore they glory in them And 3. They have some hope of continuation from Generation to Generation in their children and this is their Glory But let Parents learn to give God the glory of their children and to bring them up to the glory of God then they may rejoyce in them indeed as a great mercy of God In Prov. 10. 1. A wise Son maketh a glad Father but a foolish Son is heaviness to his Mother Why is a wise Son said to be the gladness of the Father Why Doth not a Mother rejoyce in a wise Son too And why is a foolish Son said to be the sorrow of the Mother Why Doth not the Father sorrow and mourn for a foolish Son The holy Ghost not without reason doth express himself thus A wise Son makes the Father glad First because the Father usually hath a more strict hand over his Son in his education to bring him to wisdom more than the Mother ordinarily Mothers are tender over their children and they coâ—ker them and so make them fools some they cannot endure that they should suffer any hardship and hence their children proves foolish and fit for nothing and great sorrows to them And secondly A wise Son is fit for imployment abroad in the world therfore rejoyces the heart of his Father but a foolish Son is fit for nothing but to be at home in the Chimney corner with his Mother and as he grows up grows stout and stubborn against her there And if children be a glory to their Parents they should labor to be such as they may be a glory and not a shame to them indeed There are many which instead a glory to their parents are a great shame to them as it was said of Augustus Caesar he had three daughters that were wicked and
give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts But rather according to most Interpreters I think this expression is rather an expression of Commiseration that is foreseeing the lamentable condition that the ten Tribes should be in ere long the Prophet pities their condition and would fain come in and pray for them and he begins Give them O Lord saith the prophet and then he makes a stop as if he should say but O Lord what shall I say for them Give them but Lord I know not what to ask for them I am at a stand when I consider what they are what the many mercies they have had already what warnings they have had how hardened they are in their sin and how thy word is gone forth but Lord give them shall I say Lord give them deliverance give them peace give them prosperity still Lord I dare not that I cannot ask all means have been used for to bring them unto thee and yet they stand out against the Lord thou knowest they are deer to me they are of my flesh and I should be glad that they might be saved but thy glory is dearer to me then they are and therefore for that I cannot pray and therefore the Prophet praies Give them seeing all this misery must befal them what shall the enemies be let out upon them shall they and their children be made a prey to the Murderer Lord rather let no more be born of them rather let those children that otherwise should have been born and might have lived in their own Land Lord God 〈◊〉 them not be born rather than come to live to so great misery so he doth not pray for a miscarrying womb and dry breasts absolutely but compartively From whence the Notes are First That mens sins make many times Gods Ministers and his Saints at a point that they know not what to say in prayer Truly though there hath bee a mighty Spirit of prayer through Gods mercy in the Kingdom yet considering that since God hath come to shew himself willing to deliver us and Christ hath been coming even upon his white Hors in peace to take the Kingdom to himself since that time such a spirit of Malignity hath appeared against Christ and his Saints as ever was in the Kingdom it puts many of the Ministers and Saints of God to a non-plus in their prayers and straightens their very hearts in the day of their fasting when they are to seek God that the Lord would give forth mercy The Lord knows that the condition we are in is more unfit for mercy than we were at the very first day Thus a Nation thus particular people may put the Servants of God to a stand in their prayers and straighten their hearts Oh! were it that people had gone on in the imbracing of Reformation as they seem'd to do at the first Oh! how enlarged would the herrts of the Saints have been in prayer Oh Lord give England mercy give England deliverance And then a second Note is this That the fruitfulness or the barrenness of the womb it is from God Give them give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts This is from God in Gen. 30. 2. when Rachel cried for children Give me children or else I die the text saith that Jacobs anger was kindled against Rachel and said Am I in Gods stead Paulus Phagius that learned man saith that the Hebrews have this speech that there are four keys that are in Gods hand that he gives not into the hand of any Angel 1. The Key of the Rain and that you have in Deut. 28. 12. The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure the Heaven to give thee rain unto thy Land in his season 1. There 's the Key of Food in Ps 145. The eyes of all wait upon thee and thou givest them their meat in due season thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing 3. There 's the Key of the Grave in Ezek. 37. 12. Behold Oh my people I will open your Graves and cause you to come up out of your Graves 4. And lastly The Key of the Womb and that is in Gen. 38. 22. These four Keys God keeps in his own hand and therefore Gods providence is to be observed in this and there ought to be a submission to his hand in it Thirdly Sin may bring such evil time upon a people as better those who live to such times had not been born or died before those times had come Give them a miscarrying womb and a dry breast if they should have children that should live to endure all the miseries of those times that are coming they had been better not to have been born or have died long before this time saith the Prophet We must take heed of wishing this upon every little affliction that doth befall us as it is the frowardness of many people even with God himself that if their children do but anger them to wish they had never been born or cold in the mouth many years ago I wish I had gone to your Grave Parents many times are ready to wish their children that they had never been born of them but this is frowardness against God himself and wickedness those that are so ready to wish their children had not been born they are the least sensible of the sin that doth cause the affliction upon which they do wish such a thing as that is Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts First There may be either such miserable slaughters as that Parents might even wish that they never had any Children Or Secondly They may live under such cruel tyranny for their souls and bodies Or thirdly They may be drawn from God by false Religion and so may be in a condition worse than if they had not been born Hence Parents to whom God denies children or takes them away they should quiet themselves in Gods dispose especially in such times as these are it may be God hath taken away your children to deliver them from greater evils as in the house of Jeroboam there was but one child that had any good in it and saith God That child shall die and gives the reason Because it had some good in it So that God takes away many that he hath the most love unto and lets others to live that he hath not so much love unto Yes some may say If I were sure that their souls were safe though God doth take them away if I were sure of their salvation then I would be content That 's true indeed If your children were saved what hurt is that to be taken away here and received to Heaven and there to live for ever with Christ not to sin or sorrow more but howsoever you may satisfie your selves in these three things First That they are under an indefinite promise though not an
is excellent ib. Use 1. To shew the happiness of Beleevers ib. Use 2. To shew what a judgment it is to be cast out of the Church of God ib. Obs 3 Those that make Leagues with wicked men it is just with God they should be enthral'd in their abominations 161 Obs 4 When men are inwardly unclean God cares not for their outward cleanness ib. Obs 5 A great sin it is for the Saints to joyn with the World in evil worship 161 VERSE IV. Obs 1 Those that abuse their joy to lust it is just with God to take it from them 163 Obs 2 This makes the affliction bitter when the joy in Gods service is gone ib. Obs 3 It is a sad thing when a creature would seek to God and yet God rejects him 170 VERSE V. Opened 173 The perplexity of the wicked in the Lords day 1 All comforts are gone 177 2 God Himself fights against them ib. 3 Conscience terrifies them ib. 4 They know not whither to go for help ib. 5 The thoughts of God are terrible to them ib. 6 These miseries are but the beginning of sorrows ib. The Saints know what to do in a day of calamity 1 Bless God that ever they knew him 178 2 Exercise Faith in the Word 179 3 Sanctifie the Name of God in his Judgments ib. 4 Ease their souls by Prayer ib. 5 See beyond present evils ib. VERSE VI. Obs 1 Carnal hearts have alwaies some shifting thoughts how to provide for themselves 180 Obs 2 Carnal hearts will rather make any thing their refuge in affliction than God 18◠Obs 3 It is a great affliction to be forced to leave ones own Country and never return 183 VERSE VII Obs 1 God hath his set time for execution of Judgment 187 Obs 2 The apprehension of present evil terrifies the soul 188 Obs 3 Wicked men will not know till they feel ib. Obs 4 The knowledge men have of God in time of affliction is a working knowledge 189 Obs 5 In time of affliction men cry out that those are fools that seduced them ib. Obs 6 It is no excuse for men to be led aside by their Ministers 190 VERS VIII Obs 1 Many vile things are hid under glorious titles 191 Obs 2 When the Truth is cleer it is dangerous to seek the Opinions of others 192 Obs 3 No cause so ill but will be maintained by some learned 193 Obs 4 It is a great grief to those that have interest in God to see those that maintain that which is evil to pretend as much for God as any ib. Obs 5 You must have ground from Scripture before you submit to any thing in the Worship of God 195 Obs 6. Those that have interest in God rejoyce when they see faithful Ministers keep close to God 199 VERSE IX Obs 1 When superstition hath gotten deep root in the heart it is hardly got out 202 Vse to England ib. Obs 2 We may find wors usage from those that profess Religion than from those which profess it not 207 Use Take heed how you carry your selves towards your Brethren ib. Obs 3 God may behold those filthy who carry fair shews in Religion ib. Obs 4 For men to stand out impudently in wickedness committed is abominable in the eyes of God 208 Obs 5 To joyn with others to do so is wors ib. Applied to some of the Gentry and Nobility of this Kingdom ib. Obs 6 Such as do so may prosper a while 209 Obs 7 At last they shall all perish ib. Obs 8 The sins of the forefathers is an aggravation of the childrens sins ib. VERSE X. Obs 1 We should lay to heart Gods love to our fathers and seek to continue it to our selves 211 Obs 2 The greatness of Gods love is not enough to engage carnal hearts 214 Obs 3 There is no evil so shameful but a carnal heart wil forsake the glorious God to cleave to it 216 Obs 4 So to leave God and cleave to wickedness is abominable ib. Obs 5 It is usual for people to be of the Religion those are of whom they love 219 VERSE XI Obs 1 Multitude of children is a glory to a people 221 1 By them they are multiplied ib. 2 What excellency is in their children they look upon it as their own ib. 3 They have hope of continuation from generation to generation by them ib. Use Bring up your children in the fear of God ib. Obs 2 Godliness brings blessings swiftly and wickedness drives them away as fast 245 VERSE XII Obs 1 Many think all is well when they have escaped some judgement 246 Obs 2 It is a judgment to be deprived of children ib. Obs 3 It is God in the Creature that upholds it 248 VERSE XIII Expounded 253 Obs 1 God may depart from men or kingdoms in their greatest prosperity 255 Use Take heed when you are in your prosperity ib. Obs 2. God never shews so much respect to any but if they forsake him wrath follows 256 Obs 3 The curs of God goes forward from the Parents to the children 257 Obs 4 For the curse to follow from the parents to the children is an heavy curse 259 VERSE XIIII Obs 1. Mens sins oftentimes make Gods Ministers at a stand what to say in prayer 263 Obs 2 The fruitfulness or barrenness of the womb is from God ib. VERSE XV. Obs 1 Above all sins the sin of Idolatry makes a people hated of God 169 Obs 2 To take occasion to sin from Gods mercy is a thing which God hates 269 Obs 3 'T is a hateful thing to cast off the Government that God would have men under 271 Obs 4 Some sins provoke God to hatred 272 Obs 5. Sometimes God manifests his displeasure in the places where we sin ib. Obs 6 God cannot endure wickedness in his own house ib. Obs 7 Men in Authority think it a dishonor to be perswaded to alter their minds 276 Obs 8 Engagements work deeply in men when they are engaged in their honors ib. Obs 9 According to peoples interests so they are 277 Obs 10 Princes though they should be used with reverence yet they should not be flattered ib. Obs 11 When Princes successively are wicked there is little hope of good to that people 278 VERSE XVI Obs 1 God will not alwaies forbear sinners 278 Obs 2. If God leave Governors to revolt the people will be smitten 282 Obs 3 Compulsion of Authority doth not excuse sin 283 Obs 4. Tbe apprehension of Gods hand in smiting should humble the hearts of sinners 284 Obs 5 God hath his time to dry up the roots of sinners 285 VERSE XVII Obs 1. Let all the world forsake God a faithful soul will not 290 Obs 2 It is no presumption for a few to chalenge interest in God when the generality do not 291 Use Let thou be offended at the 〈◊〉 of those that keep the faith ib. Obs 3 It is a dreadful thing for wicked men to be declared against by the godly
see but little of it there I but saith God my people have my Law where my mind is written plainly and they may see it there and know what my Covenant is with them and therefore their sin is so much the greater they have transgressed against my Law The Seventy translate these words They have dealt ungodlily against my Law and the word especially hath reference to the worship of God that is commanded in the Law they have not worshiped me according to my Law for though God looks at every part of his Law yet more especially at that that requires his more immediate worship And in the Hebrew it is they have prevaricated against my Law they have made a shew that they would do what my Law requires but they do quite contrary that 's the propriety of the word in the Hebrew What people is there in the world but will make some shew that they would obey Gods Law no people but say it is fit that they should be obedient to Gods Law what variety of opinions and practices are there among men and yet all will father their opinions and practices upon Gods Law and mark but they do prevaricate in this they pretend one thing but they go quite the contrary way and this is that which God charges his people withal upon which he would send his enemies even an Eagle upon them It follows VER 2. Israel shall cry unto me My God we know thee THE words as they are in the Hebrew are somewhat different from what they are in your books for Israel in your books is in the first place but in the Hebrew it is in the last that is To me they shall cry My God we know thee Israel What difference is this yes the words thus read have more elegancy in them than otherwise and they hint some observations that would hardly be hinted to us as it is in your books as thus If you reade it as it is in your books then it is only a speech of God to them But if you reade it according to the Hebrew they shall cry to me My God we know thee Israel They here seem to put God in mind who they were as if they should say we are Israel who know thee remember we are not strangers to thee They shall cry unto me My God we know thee Israel It 's Israel that cries to thee Oh my God! Or as if they should put God in mind of their Father Israel in whom their confidence was They shall cry to me My God we know thee Israel Oh remember our Father Israel and deal graciously with us for the sake of our Father Israel Just like those in Matth. that would cry We have Abraham to our Father so here this people would cry in their cries in the time of their affliction they would cry to God that they had Israel to their Father we have reference to Israel who did so prevail as a Prince with God and therefore we hope we shall fare the better for Israel Or thus They shall cry to me My God we know thee Israel That is we know thee to be the God of Israel we have known how thy waies have been in former times for the good of thine Israel and Lord remember how thou hast wrought for thine Israel heretofore and work now for us in the same manner thus there is a great deal in this word Israel if you set it in the last place in the verse more than if you set it in the beginning From hence the Notes are these First That in affliction men see their need of God So the Chaldae paraphrase upon this place Alwaies when I bring straights upon them then they pray before me and say Now we see plainly that we have no other God besides thee Oh! redeem us because we are thy people Israel so that 's the meaning Secondly Even Hypocrites and the vilest Wretches that are in the time of their distress will claim interest in God and cry to him even those that have departed most from him will be ready to claim interest in him in their distress What an impudency was it for this people that had so grosly departed from God that had gone so against their light and yet they will come boldly and claim their interest in God in the time of their affliction Truly we see the same spirit in men at this very day the most wicked and vile ungodly man or woman that is yet will be ready in afflictions to claim interest in God My God I appeal to you in this Congregation if one should go from one end of the Congregation and speak particularly to every one and ask but this question Do you hope that God is your God Every one would be ready to say Yes we hope he is This is the impudency of mens hearts that will take liberty to go on in a way of rebellion and fighting against God all their lives and yet in the time of their distress claim interest in God Thirdly That knowledg and acknowledgment of God in an outward formal way is that which Hypocrites think will commend them much to God in time of affliction that by which they shall have favour from Him because they have made some profession of God We know thee as if they should say Lord we were not as others that had forsaken thee we continued Israel still we did not turn to be Heathens It is very hard for mens spirits to be taken off from trusting in formality in outward worship we are all Christians we are not turned Heathens so they shall call to me My God we know thee Israel we continue Israel still Oh! how sweet and comfortable is it then to have a true interest in God in the time of affliction to be able to say in truth Lord we know thee and blessed be thy Name Lord we have known thee we have had experience of thy goodness and faithfulness mercy love and tender compassion towards us we have known thee an infinite al sufficient good thou hast satisfied our souls with thy love the light of thy countenance it hath been the joy of our hearts and blessed be the time that ever we knew thee Oh blessed be the time that ever the Lord made himself known to us we can say Lord we have known thee and therefore now Lord have mercy upon us Oh let us all learn to make more of our interest in God and to labor to know Him more and more that we may have this comfort in our afflictions to be able to say in truth Oh Lord thou art our God and we have known thee If Hypocrites think it to be so great a comfort that they are Israel Oh what is it then to be a true Israelite in whose heart is no guile Fourthly Degenerate children they think to have favour for the sake of their godly parents We have known thee Israel Children should imitate
others to them they seek even to hyre love though the truth is Love cannot be hyred nor purchased although men may fawn and glaver and flatter and crouch that they may gain the love of some other yet if there be no loveliness in themselves to gain love although those whom they fawn on and flatter may use them for their own turn and serve themselves upon them yet the truth is they will despise them in their hearts and so often they will discover to their intimate friends how they scorn and contemn them therefore if others would have love there must be some excellency and loveliness in us for love cannot be hyred But Ephraim hath hyred Lovers This shews the shamelessness of the ten Tribes in seeking after their false worship Other Harlots they are hyred to commit uncleanness but Ephraim will be at charge for their Idols Many Harlots count it a great dishonor for to seek after Loves to seek after Whoremasters though they can imbrace them when they come unto them but yet they will rather have a hyre than they will hyre them but mark those that are superstitions they think not upon their honor but they will hyre to the commission of spiritual whordom they will go to hyre Lovers and be at a great deal of charges in Ezek. 16. 33 34. They give gifts to all Whores but thou givest thy gifts to all thy Lovers And the contrary is in thee from other women in thy whordoms whereas none followeth thee to commit whordoms and in that thou givest a reward and no reward is given unto thee therefore thou art contrary As if God should say you are more vile and base in your uncleannesses than any in the world besides for other Whores they receive rewards but you are so set upon your filthy lusts that you will give rewards that you might commit uncleanness From hence the Note is That Idolaters will not stand upon terms if they may have their Idols any way they care not how they debase themselves they will not stand upon honor and respect but let them have their false worship they will submit to any thing Oh! why should we stand upon our terms thus in the matters of the honor of our God when publick good lies at the stake why should not we be willing to suffer shame and disgrace any thing rather than the publick good should not go on than the service of God should be hindered If others will not seek to us yet if good may be done let us seek to them if God may have Glory Though others be never so vile in their carriage towards us yet let us do what we can to win and convince them let us be willing to lie under their feet that God may be glorified If others will not joyn in a good work except they may have the honor of it let them have it so be it the work may go on let us reason so Why should I put forth my self and others go away with all the glory let the work go on and if they will sâ—and for the glory let them have it so God may be lifted up let us be willing not to be seen This is that which doth hinder thee the promoting of his Causes But men stand upon terms and they will not go on in a good cause but break off if others be prefer'd before them If there be two carrying a piece of timber through a narrow passage and if these two men that are carrying a long piece of timber and they must carry it through a narrow passage if they should stand striving who should go foremost one saies I will go first the other saith nay but I will go first they can never carry the timber If one have one end and the other the other end and they cannot agree which should go first and he that goes after thinks himself dishonored because his fellow goes before him they can never carry it through but they must lay it down So it is many times with a good cause it is like a piece of timber upon two mens shoulders and it must go through a narrow passage and one saith why should not I have the glory of it and the other saith why should not I have the glory of it and the while men stand wrangling who should have the greatest glory in the mean time the publick cause is exceedingly hindered let us be willing to submit and debase our selves any way so be it the true Worship of God may go on Further He hath hyred Lovers It 's an evil thing to be drawn to false worship or bodily uncleanness upon any terms out of hope of the greatest gain and to deliver our selves from the greatest affliction but now for a man or woman to seek after the waies of sin to be at cost that they might have their lusts this is more vile for a Whore to prostrate her â—elf for money this is base and abominable though she should have never so much money but to give money this is more base and abominable Josephus reports of one Decius Mundus which was a Noble man that to one Paulina a Lady in Rome he offered as much as came to six thousand pounds for to satisfie his lusts but one night and yet was refused So certainly uncleanness should be cast off with indignation though it be tempted unto with never so much gain but for one to be set upon uncleanness so as to seek after it and to spend their Husbands estates that they might have the free way for the satisfying of their lusts this is a most abominable thing indeed and yet thus many are guilty both in regard of bodily and spiritual adultry It follows VER 10. Yea though they have hyred among the Nations now will I gather them and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the King of Princes THESE words in the reading of them seem to be dark and yet we have much of the mind of God in them and much concerning our selves Yea though they have hyred among the Nations This God still takes ill that they should go to the Nations for help when God had made their condition so much above the Nations for in their going to them they did as it were say that all the love and mercy and protection from the great God it was no more towards them than the Nations had they did as it were hold forth to the world that the Nations were rather in a better condition than themselves in that they would go to the Nations for their help and this went very neer to the heart of God for God had laid out the very strength of his love and the riches of his mercy upon this people and after he had done so much for them yet that they because they were in some little afflictions for the present that they should go to the Nations that did for the present prosper somewhat
and holiness of your forefathers Oh! how refreshing were they to the heart of God But what are you you are sowr in the tast of God what delight can God take in your unsavory and rotten corrupted spirits Oh! it 's a comfortable thing when a child is able to say as Exod. 15. 2. My God and my fathers God God was my Fathers God and delighted in my Father and blessed be his Name he is my God and I hope he hath some delight in me You who are the children of Fathers whom God delighted in as Grapes in the Wilderness it 's a mighty engagement for you to look to your selves that your hearts and lives be not corrupt but follow the steps of your fathers that God may delight likewise in you But further As the first ripe in the Fig-tree at her first time There 's a great deal of elegancy in these expressions The Fig-tree bears twice in the yeer and here it is The first of the first time Their Fathers were as delightful as Grapes in the wilderness and as the Figs the first Figs in her first time Now we know that we prize fruit that is first ripe as Cherries when they are first of all come when they come it may be two or three into the Market and Pease and such kind of things when they are the first ripe of all how they are prized you shall have many will give any price for them We say when Cherries come at first that they are Ladies meat or Longing meat Now the Lord is pleased to condescend so much to express his love to his people as the love of a longing woman to Cherries or other fruit when they come first of all as a woman hath a longing after things when they come and are first ripe saith God Never did woman long after any fruit when it was first ripe more than my soul hath longed after you to do you good I have taken as much pleasure in you as ever woman could take when she had her longing in the most dainty first ripe things This is the meaning of the holy Ghost here to shew the Love of God to his Saints Many expressions we have in Scripture as in Jer. 12. 10. they are call'd his Pleasant Portion and the dearly Beloved of Gods Soul Jer. 12. 7. and the peculiar Treasure of God Exod. 19. 5. and here there are two as elegant expressions as Grapes in the Wilderness and as the first ripe of the Figs in the first time Thus is Gods exceeding goodness to us though we be sapless in our selves and have nothing in us to procure delight yet God in his own free Grace is willing to express himself thus to his People Oh! what delight should we have in God who takes such delight in his Servants And this expression of God we think may very well hint unto us a meditation concerning the delight that God hath in young ones that do begin to give up themselves unto him the Lord loves the first fruits and the first ripe of things in Mich. 7. 1. Wo is me for I am as when they have gathered the Summer fruits as the Grape gleanings of the vintage there is no cluster to eat My soul desired the first ripe fruits So it 's true by way of allusion at least we may apply it the Soul of God is a longer God is a longer To what To the first ripe fruits to the first of your years to you that are young ones We prize highly Nettle buds when they bud out first Oh! so graciousness when it buds out in youth at first Oh how pleasing is it to God! in Exod. 23. 19. God would have the first of the first fruits he would not only have of the first fruits but the first of the first God stands much about the first still And in Leviticus 2. 14. there you reade that the Lord is so eager to have the first things as a longing woman that he will not stay till they be ripe he will have the green ears of Corn dried in the fire as many women that long they will not stay untill the thing be ripe but if they can have it ripened by any art though not by the way of Nature they will seek to have it ripened so and then they must needs have it so saith God my longing is so after the first of things that I will not stay till they be fully ripe but the Corn though it be green ears if they may be dried by the fire I 'le have them then And so in Cant. 2. 12. The flowers appear on the earth the time of the singing of birds is come the Fig tree putteth forth her green Figs and in Cant. 6. 11. I went down into the Garden of Nuts to see the fruits of the valley and to see whether the Vine flourished and the Pomegranates budded Oh! the Lord looks up and down in Congregations that are as the Gardens of God to see such and so in Cant. 7. 12. Let us get up early to the Vineyards let us see if the Vine flourish whether the tender Grape appear and the Pomegranates bud forth there will I give thee my Loves Oh let us go and see whether the tender Grape appear or the Pomegranate bud there will I give thee my Loves Where God doth see grace beginning and budding in young ones there God manifests himself there will I give my Loves And this only by occasion of Gods expressing himself like a longer after the first things Oh! give God his longing you that are yong ones and begin to be godly betimes you satisfie the heart of God as the first fruits satisfie a longing woman It follows But they went to Baal-Peor and separated themselves to that shame But saith God here What a But comes after all this God doth manifest his delight in them as in the first ripe Grapes in the Wilderness and the first ripe fruit and yet behold Oh! there 's a but for all this It 's not the greatness of Gods love that is enough to engage carnal hearts this is an evil and a sore thing to see there was a time that God accepted of this people and delighted much in them but now they are departed Oh! it 's ordinary for people to degenerate though a few yeers since how forward and zealous were they for God and for Reformation but within a while they grew cold and dead and formal and slight and begin to leave off all their good beginnings and decline from God and from his Truth They went to BAAL-PEOR God complains of this people as a Husband of an Adultress Though I delighted in her and loved her though she had all the content she could desire yet she goes and forsakes me and gives up her self to a filthy unclean Whoremaster God takes it exceeding ill that he loses his love And I beseech you observe There 's nothing goes
have cause to bless the Lord from our souls that he hath delivered us from such a temptation from such a temptation lest we should be ashamed of our hopes though the truth is If we had right we should not have been ashamed for our hopes was not so much in the saving of our estates as this That God would own his Cause in the conclusion and so our hopes would not have fail'd I but if our hopes had but seemed to have failed in outward appearance that the Enemy should have prevailed I say it would have been a mighty temptation for us to have been ashamed of our hopes Oh! blessed be God for preventing this that the Lord hath not made his People to be ashamed of their hopes and prayers The Ministers of God can stand up and look comfortably in the Congregations because they put on people and encouraged the hearts of people in this Cause and they have comfort to their souls in this That when things were at the lowest yet still they could have their hopes in God and beleeve yet in God that he would go on in such a Cause as this is and the Lord hath not caused the expectation of his poor people to fail But if it be shame I say now for the present to be disappointed of some hopes Oh! remember upon all your disappointment of hopes Oh! what shame would it be before men and Angels if it should prove that any soul in this place should be so disappointed of their last hopes Thou hast hope of salvation and of eternal life and if it should prove when all secrets are to be made publick before the Lord Jesus and his Angels if then it should prove that all thy hopes were dash'd what would become of thee It is the prayer of David O Lord let me not be disappointed of my hope Let that be thy prayer especially in regard of thy last hopes In 1 Joh. 2. 28. Abide in him that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming Oh! that 's the comfort of the Saints that they shall not be ashamed at the coming of Jesus Christ and many that are not ashamed now yet at the coming of Jesus Christ Oh! the shame that shall be cast upon them But the main emphasis lies in the words that follow Israel shall be ashamed of his own Counsels Now what was that Counsel What why it was this counsel 1. The Counsel that was between Jeroboam his Princes and the Priests together with some eminent of the people for the setting up of the way of false worship And secondly For the forcing of al men that belonged to the ten Tribes to forbear going to Jerusalem This was thought a notable Plot a notable Counsel they thought this was the only Counsel to keep things in peace among them Why say they if we shall suffer men that every one that hath a fancy in his head that they shall go to Jerusalem to worship we shall have nothing but confusion and therefore let us take such a course that people shall have a place to worship in that they worship thus it is but only some people that are so strict that they must needs worship in Jerusalem and therefore let us determine this That we will have a constant way that every one shall be bound unto and we will have no more going to this Jerusalem to worship but they shall be content to worship at Dan and Bethel and this will keep things in peace Now this counsel seem'd to be a fine plot to keep things in order But saith the Lord They shall be ashamed of it though they think they have wise men that do thus advise sage men and some men it may be that seem to have some good in them too and stand for peace thus it was a Counsel cried up mightily yet the Lord he sits in Heaven and laughs at this Counsel and saith he They shall be ashamed of their Counsels perhaps now whilst they are let go on and carry all before them they bless themselves in their Counsel and think it is a very excellent plot and God favors it but when my time shall come when they shall see what evil it brings upon them then they shall be ashamed of their Counsels From thence there 's these two Notes First That mens own Counsels bring them to shame especially in matters of Religion Secondly That men are strong in their own Counsels till they see some eminent evil to come of them and then they will be convinced and ashamed but not before To speak a little of each of these Mens own Counsels bring shame to them especially in Religion For men naturally are very blind in the things of God they do not see far in them mens hearts are ful of corruption they are byassed by their corruptions seeing there 's much self-self-love in men If there be any appearance that is mens own that 's much regarded a great deal more than truth that is another mans if it be their own they mind that but let another man speak that which hath truth that 's little regarded There is in mens hearts much violence to maintain their own Counsels and therefore very like that their Counsels will bring them to shame There 's nothing that men can bear to be contradicted in less than in their Counsels And the more men are set upon their own Counsels the more it is like to bring shame in the conclusion And besides There 's a Judgment of God upon mens spirits that if they will set upon their own Counsels I say there 's ordinarily a Judgment of God upon men to leave them to folly when they rest upon their own Counsels and it 's threatned in Psal 81. 12. as a great Jugment of God upon men to give them up to their Counsels Saith God They would not hearken to my Counsel therefore did I give them up to their own Counsel Oh! it 's a terrible place I beseech you consider of it These are times wherein every one is plotting Oh! tremble at that text I gave them up unto their OWN COVNSELS Mens own Counsels bring them to shame often times they come to nothing after they have made a great deal of do and they will do this and they will go on at length it comes to nothing so that they are fain to sit down and there 's an end of all their labor and stir perhaps they have labored to put on their Counsels by much evil much sin much heart burning and when it comes to all there it lies there 's an end of it thus they are ashamed of their counsels Yea many times the Counsels of men work quite contrary God doth much glory in this in making use of mens own Counsels to bring them into snares What hath brought our Adversaries into snares but their own Counsels What brought the Prelates