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
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
Oh! you must not rejoyce as other people you look upon a Drunkard that reels in the streets and hear a Swearer blaspheme the Name of God yea but that may not be so great an evil as the vanity of thy spirit And why The loosness of thy heart and those secret sins thou art guilty of because thou hast so covenanted and bound thy self to God the Drunkard was never made sensible of his sin and wrath of God upon his conscience but the wrath of God hath been upon thy conscience and thou hast engaged thy self to God if he would shew mercy Oh! thou would'st walk holily and strictly before him Now doest thou think that thy sins are as the sins of other people They never had such Soul-quickning Ordinances but go up and down to Taverns and Alehouses and never know what a powerful Sermon meant upon their hearts and had they such means as thou hast then it 's like it would be with them far better than now and the Name of God is not so much polluted by them as by thee thou that art a Professor of Religion the eyes of all men are upon thee and in thy sin thou doest not only disobey God but thou doest pollute the Name of God thou art a stumbling block unto others and the cause of the hardning of many hundreds in their sins and therfore thy sin certainly is worse than others This would be a great Point to shew how the sins of the Professors of Religion are worse than others and therefore it is not enough for you to say We are all sinners No we must not excuse our selves in this that others are guilty as well as we Oh! but consider what aggravations there is of thy sin more than there is of the sins of others It is a sign of a very carnal heart to think to go away thus it 's true I sin and others sin as well as I do yea but a true penitent heart wil not only consider that he is a sinner but what aggravations are there upon his sin more than upon the sins of others and so will lay it upon their hearts It 's true such and such sin but had they what I have had it would not be so with them my sin that hath broken through so many terrors of conscience and that God hath sought by such means to keep me from my sin it is a sign of the violence of my spirit indeed that hath broken through so much as I have done it is therefore an abominable thing to make our profession in holy Duties a Medium to make our sins less Doest thou think that this is a means to make thee escape that wrath Certainly this is a great aggravation of thy sins We have a generation of men among us that because they are Beleevers therefore they need no sorrow for their sin they must have only joy Now certainly thy being a Beleever may aggravate thy sin so much the more and may make it so much the more vile and may pierce thy heart so much the more for if thou beest a Beleever thou knowest what the pardon of thy sins cost therefore certainly Gods mercies towards thee are the aggravation of thy sins The truth is suppose our sins were not so great as the sins of some other people are yet it is not alwaies an argument that we may rejoyce as other people Why so you will say Thus Suppose our sins be but equal or less than the sins of other people yet it is more than we know whether God will pass by our sins so much as by the sins of others What if God out of his Prerogative damn thee for a little sin and save others that have committed great sins We have such examples in Scripture as in the example of Saul the thing that God cast away Saul for in its self it was not so much as that which David had been guilty of he had been guilty of groser sins than that which God cast away Saul for Saul might have said this is an offence but is this like Murder and Adultry What if it be not God will pardon David and cast away Saul Oh! do not you think to rejoice as other people do Why may not God do with his mercie as he pleases it is his own God may pardon one and damn thee eternally And therefore let no sinner please himself with what others do for he is not to do as others do Now it follows Thou hast loved a reward upon every corn-flour Israel saw the Nations have a great deal of plentie upon their Corn flours which they attributed to the serving of their Idol gods therefore Israel thought to comply with them out of the love to the plentie they had and since the time that she had complied with the Nations about her she prospered more she thought and this she loved by this she was exceeding hardned in her waies of Idolatry and blessed her self in them This is the scope God made many Promises for provision for Israel in his service but they made accompt to get more in following the waies of the Gentiles than in following Gods waies Like Harlots though they have liberal provision from their husbands yet they hoping to get more by others they love braverie and jolitie and they see that other Harlots they live more merrilie and go finer in cloaths and can be whol nights in chambering and wantonness and have good cheer and they love this and though they have allowance enough at home yet they leave their husbands and follow whoremasters Just thus it was with Israel though she might have Gods care over her and provision for her in the waies of his Worship yet she beholding the Gentiles living more bravely she would follow after them At first as you heard she hired Lovers her self but now she loves a reward upon everie Corn-flour now she expects greater advantage this indeed was the matter that put her on the loving a reward upon every corn-flour she might have many pretences Why she did not see but that she might do such and such things and they were not directly contrary to Gods Word but whatsoever she did pretend in the altering the way of Gods Worship yet this was the great matter that prevailed with her heart it was The loving a reward upon every corn flour And thus it is with very many that are superstitious come and speak to them of their waies they will have very many fair pretences they think that they have this and that warrant out of the Scripture for it but all the the while there is a pad in the straw there is their living and trading and estates and friends that they have an eye upon and it is that which byasses their hearts and spirits But divers things have been spoken to the same purpose of this that we met withal before only this one Note Idolaters do love their Corn and outward
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
in their sighs and groans than in all the eloquence of your empty hypocrits they not being fill'd with the Will of God in Colos 4. 12. it is in your books That you may stand compleat in all the Will of God but it is being fill'd with the will of God if thou wouldest have a fulness in what thou doest a fulness in a Prayer a fulness in thy Service in any thing thou doest be fil'd with the Will of God and not with thy self-ends You know empty vessels will break when you set them at the fire and so will selvish spirits those that are selvish they quickly grow empty You that are Merchants if you have Factors abroad that trade for themselves they seldom do any great matters for their Masters I have known Merchants that have been chary of that for their men to be trading for themselves And God doth not love to see us trading for our selves but only as we trade for him and so account that to be for our selves And here is an evident demonstration that your selvishness will make you empty for God how many are there that complain of emptiness Oh! they cannot do this and they cannot do that why because except they find comfort and that coming in which they aim at they have no mind to any duty they go to prayer and strive to pray and they come away and say Oh! the empty prayers that we make but what is the reason that you cannot pray as you would you have no heart to pray if you would have enlargement in prayer and present answer of your prayer to get what you would have Oh! then your hearts would be much let out in prayer and then you would have a mind to pray but now though it be your duty to pray because you shall tender up the worship that a creature owes to God that is no argument that puts you upon prayer so it appears that it is selvishness that appears in prayer but now trie this way trie this way but to get above your selves once and be emptied of your selves and look with a more single eye to God when you go to prayer let this be the great motive O Lord this is that Worship that I as a Creature owe to thee and the strength of my body and soul is due to thee and I let out what I can though I have not enlargements and comforts though I feel not that I get by duty to my self yet in obedience to thee and that I might lift up thy Name and that I might worship thee I am resolved to go on in such duties as thou requirest of me trie but this way and see whether you will not grow more fruitful in prayer than you did before But to pass that I find that some turn the words thus as Pareus An empty Vine he is although he treasure up fruit unto himself and so we may understand emptiness by that word that I have opened to you a spoiled Vine he is a spoiled Vine and he is emptied of all his prosperity and riches and glory that he had although he seeks to treasure up unto himself And indeed in such a kind of reading there is a very profitable Note They seek to treasure and enrich themselves to lay up and provide for themselves now that they may have store by them come what will come but this will not do saith God Israel must be a spoiled empty Vine for all this Now that 's the Note or Meditation hence That when God is spoiling and emptying a Nation it is a vain thing for men to think to provide for themselves This certainly is not the time when God is spoiling and emptying of a Nation or other parts of the Kingdom for men to have their thoughts now to scrape an estate to themselves and get even from the evils of the times to enrich themselves by Places and by Offices to enrich themselves certainly there can be little honor in such an estate or little comfort It is the frame and guize of a vile spirit to think of enriching of themselves in such times as these are certainly it must needs be a very low spirit that minds the enriching of its self in such times as these are what God may cast men in by extraordinary providence at any time we speak not of that or by some eminent service but certainly if it shall prove that God in his mercy shall put an end to such times as these are when men shall prove to be rich after this storm is over that had not some eminent providence of God to cast it upon them but only in his ordinary way I say whosoever should appear to be rich after these times it will be little honor to him or his posterity it will be the most dishonorable riches that ever was in the world In Jer. 45. 4. saith the Lord to Baruch there he was a good man and yet much over seen in this Behold that which I have built will I break down and that which I have planted will I pluck up even this whol Land And seekest thou great things for thy self seek them not I am breaking down that which I have built and plucking up what I have planted And doest thou seek great things for thy self seek them not In Acts 8. 20. saith Peter to Symon Magus Thy money perish with thee So may I say to many is this a time for men to treasure to themselves for men to have their chief care now to gain riches Oh! it is just with God to say to thee Thy riches perish with thee whosoever now will make it his chief care and think now it is a time of trouble and now I may gain thus and thus and it will not appear I say those that shall make this to be their care now to take advantage of these times to treasure up to themselves just were it with God to say of them and their riches Thy money and thy riches perish with thee It follows According to the multitude of his fruit he hath encreased the Altars according to the goodness of his Land they have made goodly Images Here you have the unthankfulness of Ephraim you have had his barrenness and selvishness in the two former expressions and now here his unthankfulness The Devil he loves to have superstitious and Idolatrous people have good Lands and good Possessions that he might be served accordingly Idolaters serve their Idols according to their Lands and Possessions that they have According to the multitude of his fruit were the multitude of his Altars And certainly it is a great reason why all the Papists are so desirous to get England and contribute so much that they might but get into England and get Possession here for there is no place that they have where they should have more goodly Images and more brave things than they should here in England the