humble themselves c. 2 Chron. 7. 14 And if their uncircumcised hearts be humbled and they accept of the punishment of their iniquity c. Lam. 26. 4. He resisteth the proud but gives grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5. 5. And Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble Psal 10. 17. And he shall save the humble person Job 22. 29. So that it is both our duty and security to humble our selves especially when God is humbling us Ahab doing this though but Hopocritically yet the Lord refpited the evil in his days 1 Kings 21. 29. Seest thou says the Lord to Elijah how Ahab humbleth himself before me this was but in outward appearance because he humbles himself before me I will not bring the evil in his days c. But how acceptable then is the hearty humiliatinn of a true penitent And according to what appears of this it bodes good or ill to a Nation When the Lord had manifested his displeasure against that people Exod. 33. 5 It is very observable what the Lord there fays to them Put off says he thy ornaments from thee that I may know what to do unto thee But does not God know what to do to a people and what he will do with them Yes but his displeasure appearing against this people he speaks as one unrefolv'd either for sparing or destroying and as willing to be determin'd as he found their posture and demeanour to be As if he had said If thou do indeed humble thy self and repent I will shew thee mercy but if thou still persist in thy pride and impenitency I will execute my Judgments upon thee So that by what a people are as to this they may guess and conclude how it is like to be with them and what God will do to them and if so how sad may we judg it is like to be with England with London For do we put off our ornaments lay down our pride nothing less for was there ever more does it not testifie to our faces is it not visible and apparent And that even now when God goes on still to testifie his displeasure against us as he hath severely a-late verily we so carry it as if we would not be humbled though God humble us nor lye low though he lay us low and the Lord forgive it to us Ministers that we do no more reprove it in our Assemblies which some sadly resent trading indeed is low and mens estates low but we carry it as high or higher than ever God says to us as to Pharoah How long wilt thou refuse to humble thy self before me Exod. 10. 3. I have laid your health low your strength low many of your lives low your City low your houses low your estates low your trading low O! when shall your hearts be humbled and laid low certainly if we do not humble our selves and lye low God will yet lay us lower Direct 4. Doing what we do very humbly Let it be yet Hopefully Self-abasingly but not disparingly As Shechaniah said to Ezra We have trespassed against our God c. yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing Ezra 10. 2. And who can tell if God will turn and repent and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not c. Jonah 3. 9. And the Lord does here in the very words themselves so express himself as yet to incourage his people For 1st he names Israel twice here O Israel and again O Israel as a name that had been and still was very dear to him as David because Absalom was dear to him he names his name thrice O my son Absalom my son my son Absalom c. 2 Sam. 18 33. 2dly He says Thy God to shew the Covenant still continued firm if they did but repent and all to keep up hope and that his people might catch thereat as it is said the servants of Benhadad did diligently observe whether any thing would come from the King of Israel and did hastily catch it 1 Kings 20. 33. Oh our iniquities are indeed great exceeding great and are increased over our heads and our trespasses are grown up unto the heavens Ezra 9. 6. But Gods mercy is great not only to the heavens but above the heavens and many and great both are his tender mercies And as the heavens are higher than the earth so are his ways and thoughts higher than ours Psal 108. 4. And he delighteth in mercy It was part of the Lords Name which he proclaimed before Moses The Lord God gracious and merciful abundant in goodness forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin c. Exod. 34. 6 7. And Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities Psal 130. 7 8. And the Lord likes well of this that his people humbling and abasing themselves should yet hope in his merey and not despair the Lords eye is said to be upon them that fear him and withal hope in his mercy yea he is said to take pleasure in such Psal 33. 18. and 147. 11. Expecting all from it and encouraging themselves in it which is so great and withal so free Direct 5. Perseveringly unweariedly resolving to persist in our suits till we prevail as the Saints of old I will not says Jacob let thee go except thou bless me Gen. 32. 26. The Lord bids Moses Let him alone and offers him fair that he would make of him a great nation Exod. 32. 10 11 12 13 14. But that would not take him off but he still besought the Lord his God and prevailed we should resolve as the Prophet Isaiah 62. 1 For Sions sake I will not hold my peace and for Jerusalems sake I will not rest until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth And ver 6 7 I have set watchmen upon thy walls O Jerusalem which shall never hold their peace day nor night And ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence And give him no rest till he establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth As it is said of the Macedonians that Alexander being displeas'd with them they not only laid by their Arms and put on mourning apparel and came running in troops to his Tent but there continued for near three days together beseeching his pardon till they obtain'd it And God forbid that we should sin against the Lord in ceasing still to pray for England for London c. but strive together in our prayers still for them with all perseverance and this the Lord is well pleased with we never give him more rest than when in this sense we give him least when we still pray and do not faint but follow on with our prayers till we prevail Direct 6. and last That we may Effectually do what we do and make peace Let us take hold of the Lords
strength as himself advises us Isa 27. 5 which I hinted before but now shall open and explain or let him take hold of my strength i. e. as some of my self who is called the strength of Israel 1 Sam. 15. 29 and in this sense it suits with that of Isa 64. 7 And there is none that calls upon thy name that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee i. e. either to keep thee back from going on still in thy Judiciary proceedings or to keep thee that thou dost not depart from us And thus we should in an humble submissive way take hold as it were of the Lord or his arm that he does not still go on to smite or that he do not depart for wo to us if he depart from us it is the very sum and completion of mans misery for God to depart as to his special and gracious presence Or 2dly Of my strength i. e. of my grace and the help and assistance of my Spirit as his strength and sufficiency to this great work without which he cannot as in reference thereunto do any thing and taking strength in this sense then we may be said to take hold of it when we humbly and earnestly beg and intreat it and as our sufficiency hold to it and rely on it to fit and qualifie us to make peace with God by working in us Faith and Repentance To oppose the strength of God is indeed dangerous but thus in an humble way by Prayer and Faith to lay hold on the Lords strength as our strength so as to make peace with him it is both our duty and advantage and it may be read or let him take hold in or with my strength i. e. my help and assistance Some read it let him be strong in my strength and we cannot indeed be strong but in the Lord and in the power of his might Eph. 6. 10. Or 3dly By the Lords strength We may understand the Lords Christ and the riches of his Grace and Mercy in and through him who is called as the Wisdom so also the Power or Strength of God 2 Cor. 21. 24. The Lords strength to pardon and save sinners lies in his mercy and grace and that grace and mercy is in and through his Son and in and through his Merits Mediation Satisfaction and Intercession by which he is impowered and strengthned thereto without any 〈◊〉 of his Justice And therefore that we may make peace with God we must in this sense take hold of his strength i. e. of his Christ and of his grace and mercy in and through him and this we take hold of by believing and when upon any breach made between God and us we apply our selves to God in and through him and plead and urge him as I hinted before and his Merits Mediation Satisfaction and Intercession and wholly and only groâ—nd our hopes thereon And O! what goodness and condescention is this in the great God that whereas he might trample upon sinners he should thus treat them and bespeak them and advise them or let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me c. Let heaven and earth Angels and men admire and adore this goodness and wonderful condescention of the great God! and how shall we escape if we refuse to hearken to him thus graciously and condescendingly advising us what to do as to that wherein we are so infinitely concern'd CHAP. VII The Motives THE relation we stand in to God Motive 1. And this God himself here urges Prepare to meet thy God O Israel He is thy God and it is as if God had said I have not as yet utterly rejected thee â—or cast thee off neither is my Covenant with thee quite disannul'd and made void though thou hast sadly Apostatiz'd from me and therefore being yet thy God let this prevail with thee to meet me for should not Israel meet his God and being angry make his peace with him and be ashamed to continue any longer incorrigible under his hand The Prodigal Son as soon as ever he came to himself resolves I will arise and go to my Father Luk. 15. 17 18. It is my Father and should not children go to their Father a people to their God and this Argument the Lord often makes use of elsewhere O Israel return unto the Lord thy God c. Hosea 14. 1 And return ye back sliding children Jer. 3. 22 23. And shall not our hearts eccho back again as theirs did Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills and from the multitude of mountains truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel And what indeed more beseems a people than to meet their God and being angry to seek to appease him especially others going on still by their sins more and more to provoke him and that they at least should labour to quench his wrath and save the Nation whiles others go on more and more to incense it and destroy the Nation Mot. 2. The consideration of Gods infinite Power Might Majesty and Greatness Which are here in several clear and perspicuous demonstrations most notably and magnificently described and set forth and with a great deal of State and Solemnity displai'd and all the more to affect and move our dull and stupid spirits and indeed it is one of the Stateliest and most Magnificent Descriptions of God that we find in all Holy Writ For lo he that formeth the mountains and createth the wind and declareth unto man what is his thought that maketh the morning darkness and treadeth upon the high places of the earth the Lord the God of Hosts is his Name And it is as if the Lord had said And if my Mercy cannot move thee let at least my Majesty if not my Goodness my infinite Power and Greatness who am he that formeth the mountains c. And now these glorious Titles and Attributes which the Lord here Assumes to himself being here on purpose brought in the more to put us upon this great work that they may the more awaken us and influence us to so good a work I shall a little open and explain each of them in order as they lye and this is all I shall do at present in reference to this 13 ver 1. He formeth the mountains Those huge high and massy bodies indeed he forms all things the meanest Jer. 10. 16 and the mountains also yea he is said To weigh the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance Isa 40. 12 i. e. he can turn them which way he will or overturn them as easily as we do the smallest matters which we weigh in scales and put in or take out of the balance as we please O quam magna tremenda vertus Dei O how great and tremendous is the power of God! 2. He createth the wind That strong and boistrous creature and which though
Lord shall answer thou shalt cry and he shall say here I am c. Isa 58. 6 7 c. Our shewing mercy to others and therein imitating God in his own goodness and kindness though it be not the cause yet is it a comfortable pledg and evidence of our finding mercy with God our selves The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesephorus for he oft refreshed me c. 2 Tim. 1. 16. And the gratefulness of this to God appears from the many exceeding great and precious promises that are made unto it see Psal 41. 1 2 c. 112. 5 6 7 8. Prov. 11. 25. 19 17 c. And that of all other evidences of Faith this is that especially which Jesus Christ will take cognizance of at the last day Come ye blessed c. for I was an hungred and ye gave me meat c. Matt. 25. 34 35 c. And therefore the loss of such is very sad That merciful men men of kindness are taken away Isa 57. 1. And the good man is perished out of the earth Micah 7. 2. Such as for whom some would even dare to dye Rom. 5. 7. VI. By extraordinary fasting afflicting and humbling our selves before the Lord. And this the Lord doth in a special manner in such a day call for and invite unto As in Joel God was there in the way of his judgments And sanctifie ye says he a fast call a solemn assembly gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land unto the house of the Lord your God and cry unto the Lord Alas for the day the day of the Lord is at hand c. And so Joel 2. 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion sanctifie a fast call a solemn assembly c. And thus we find his people still have done when God hath been in the way of his judgments See 1 Sam. 7. 5 6. 2 Chron. 20. 3 c. And thus the very Ninevites did They believed God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them even to the least of them For word came unto the king of Niniveh and he arose from his throne and he laid his robe from him c. and caused it to be proclaimed and published thorow Nineveh by the Decree of the King and his Nobles Let neither man nor beast herd nor flock tast any thing let them not feed nor drink water c. Jonah 3. 5 6 7 8 And O that the Lord would put it into the heart of our king and into the hearts of our Nobles to decree and cause it to be proclaim'd that in such a way we might all meet the Lord by fasting afflicting and humbling our selves before him And certainly in such a day for people to be still feasting and making merry what is it but to walk quite contrary to God and in a direct opposition to what he is doing and calling for which much provokes him and which therefore he severely threatens And in that day did the Lord of hosts call to weeping c. Isa 22. 13 14. What day was this You may see Isa 22. 5 A day of trouble and of treading down and of perplexity by the Lord God of Hosts in the valley of Vision c. And then did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping c. But behold joy and gladnefs slaying oxen and killing sheep eating flesh and drinking wine Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we shall dye And Vers 14 It was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of Hosts surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye dye saith the Lord God of hosts And wo to them that are at ease in Sion c. that put far away the evil day that drink wine in bowls c. Amos 1. 3 6 c. CHAP. IV. The Reasons why we are thus to meet God 1. BEcause the great God commands it as here and so after elsewhere yea and dictates withal the way and manner thereof as Hos 14. 1 2. O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity Take with you words and turn to the Lord say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously And 2 Chron. 7. 14 The Lord there prescribes the very platform thereof If says he they shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways c. and Isa 27. 4 5 Fury is not in me who would set the briars and thorns against me in battel I would go through them I would burn them together But he gives them better advice i. e. to make peace with him and directs them the way Or let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me and he shall make peace with me And now God commanding us to do this and directing us withall how to do it surely this sufficiently declares it to be our duty and concern both And not to do it What is it but disobedience to God and a kind of slighting and despising of his Soveraignty and Authority 2. He expects it In their affliction they will seek me early Hos 5. 15. And when thy judgments are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness Isa 26. 9. However they neglected to do it before he expects and looks they should do it then And therefore is it then in a special manner their duty to do it 3. Others formerly have done it How often did Moses thus meet the Lord when incens'd against Israel He stood before him in the breach to turn away his wrath lest he should destroy them Psal 106. 23. Thus Samuel and all Israel met him 1 Sam. 7. 5 6. Jehoshaphat and all Judah 2 Chron. 20. 3. Ye the Ninevites Jonah 3. 5 6 7. And it was not without success And surely what others have in such a case done formerly it is no less our duty and concern to do now 4. Because when God is in that way our great work and business is and lies with him he being the great Agent and Efficient in all judgments felt or feared threatned or inflicted I says the Lord form the light and create darkness I make peace and create evil I the Lord do all these things Isa 45. 7. And Whatsoever the Lord pleased that did he in heaven and in earth in the seas and all deep places Psal 35. 6. And so he does still at home and abroad by Sea and by Land There is a wheel in the middle of the wheels as Ezekiel saw Chap. 1. 16 which as the Spring in a Watch orders and sets a going all the other and according to the motion of that which is Gods secret Divine Providence so are all motions regulated and ordered and all things are and shall be as he will who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will Ephes 1. 11. Who is he that saith and it cometh to pass when the Lord commandeth it not Lam. 3. 37. And therefore
what he will they care not they mind the World and their interests and concerns there on the Earth but never regard what heaven doth As the Duke of Alva once told the King of France when he had asked him whether he had observ'd the late great Eclipse in the Heavens No said he I have too much to do on Earth to mind the Heavens And how many such are there who Gallia like care for none of those things They are so far from meeting God so as to stay his hand that they will not so much as see or once take notice of his hand As the Lord complains of those Isa 26. 11 Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see c. And of Ephraim Strangers have devoured his strength and he knoweth it not yea gray hairs are here and there upon him yet he knoweth not Hos 7. 9. That is he hath no sense of it neither does he mind or regard it or lay it to heart And how many such sottish senseless stupid souls are there among us who regard not the works of the Lord nor consider the operation of his hands but are setled on their lees and secure and put far away the evil day But wo says the Lord to them that are at ease in Sion that put far away the evil day Amos 6. 1 3. And because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands he shall destroy them and not build them up Psal 28. 5. See Isa 5. 11 12. 2. To those who instead of meeting God in the way of his judgments so as to appease him do rather by going on still in their sins more and more provoke him and instead of endeavouring to quench the fire themselves have kindled do rather add more suel to it Who say in effect as those Jer. 18. 12 There is no hope but we will walk after our own devices and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart And come ye say they I will fetch wine and we will fill our selves with strong drink and to morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant Isa 56. 12. And let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye Isa 22. 13. Thus they spake in a scoffing way The Prophet tells us we have not long to live we shall soon be slain and therefore let us be jovial while we may O! the daring-impudence of sinners Solomon says The wrath of a king is as messengers of death but a wise man will pacifie it What Fools and Bedlams are those then who still more and more provoke the wrath of the great God who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords who cuts off the spirit of Princes and is terrible to the kings of the earth Psal 76. 12. And yet how many such are there who having troden down the hedg and opened the gap are so far from making it up again that they more and more widen it And instead of endeavouring to put a stop to Gods judgments do rather more hasten them And how justly are such to be reprov'd as enemies not only to themselves and to their own souls but to the Nation to Church and State to King and Kingdom For these take the ready way to undo all As Samuel told Israel But if ye shall still do wickedly ye shall be consumed both ye and your King 1 Sam. 12. 15. II. By way of Exhortation When God is in the way of his Judgments is it his peoples great duty and concern to meet him as hath abundantly been made good Then God being and still continuing and going on in that way let us all in the name aad fear of God set our selves to that which is so much our duty and concern as indeed there is nothing more I mean to meet him in the way of his Judgments and let us meet him aright and as we have had it made out unto us and set before us with preparation by prayers and supplications and those aright qualifi'd by true repentance and conversion in and with a Mediator even that One and only Mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus whom God hath made for us in things pertaining to him or to be done with him With Presents such as in and through Christ the chief Present of all are pleasing to God as of a broken and contrite heart a willing and ob dient heart a sincere and upright heart a merciful and compassionate heart towards others in their miseries and necessities For we go to God for merey for our selves and the Nation and we should then shew mercy to others And lastly by extraordinary Fasting Afflicting and Humbling our selves before the Lord And thus let us answer the Lords call here in the Text And because I will do this prepare to meet thy God O Israel And surely after all the Judgments which the great God hath inflicted on us he hath as great cause to complain of Englands incorrigibleness as here of Israel's Yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord and therefore may justly resolve as here concerning Israel Therefore thus will I do unto thee O England Truly what the Lord will do I know not neither am I able to say what he hath done a-late we see he hath broken out against us again by several Fires and dreadful Flames not only in the City but in several places in the Country He hath called Home several of his Ambassadors a-late taken away several of his Ministers two in one day and others of his choice Servants and that very suddenly such as should make up the hedg and stand in the gap before the Lord for the Land that he may not destroy it which though little considered and laid to heart bodes very ill and is one of those gray-hairs which are here and there upon us we may fear it is even night when the Lord gets his Children so fast to bed and that the storm is very near when he gathers and houses so fast his corn our Fathers the Chariots of our Israel and the Horse-men thereof go off a-pace and we shall see them no more here 2 Kings 2. 9. This now and a great deal more the Lord hath done a-late but what he 's yet about farther to do who can tell But we have great cause to fear he may do worse and deal severelier with us than ever yet he hath done For we turn not as least very few of us to him that hath so often smitten us neither as we ought do we seek the Lord of Hosts And therefore how justly might he bring final ruin upon us and cut off head and tayl branch and rush in one day as he threatens Isa 9. 12 13 14. And therefore that if possible we may yet prevent this let us do as we are here admonished meet God so as to appease and pacify him and make up the breach and take up the controversy between him and us that
currat sententia I have studied plainness and given but an hint of what I might much more have inlarg'd That this being so much the duty and concern of all it might not exceed the capacity of any and that neither the Price nor prolixity thereof might discourage any from the procuring and reading thereof We have many hot disputes and controversies at this day among our selves But it were well we all now joyntly and unanimously set our selves to comprimise and take up that controversy which the great God hath with us and to appease that wrath which by reason of our many great and crying sins is so justly incens'd against us and has a-fresh a-late broken out several ways among us to put us upon which is the main purport and design of the ensuing discourse to which that it may prove subservent shall be the prayer of him who is and remains Studious and desirous of thine and the Nations weal. R. Perrot An Advertisement THere is extant by the same Author a Larger Treatise Intituled Englands sole and Sovereign way of being saved grounded upon Psal 80. 19 Turn us again O Lord God of Hosts cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved England's present great and most incumbent Duty viz. To meet God in the way of his Judgments Amos IV. 12 13. Therefore thus will I do unto thee O Israel and because I will do this unto thee prepare to meet thy God O Israel For lo he that formeth the mountains and createth the wind and declareth unto man what is his thought that maketh the morning darkness and treadeth upon the high places of the earth the Lord the God of Hosts is his Name CHAP. I. The general Scope Coherence Parts and Explication of the Words THE Lord had inflicted several Judgments upon this People already 1. He had given them cleanness of teeth and want of bread ver 6. 2. Withholden the rain from them ver 7 8. 3. Smitten them with blasting and mildew ver 9. 4. Sent among them the Pestilence as he hath among us 5. Slain their young men with ehe sword and taken away their horses as he hath done ours ver 10. Yea 6. He had overthrown some of them as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and they were as a fire-brand pluck't out of the burning ver 11. And yet they notwithstanding all these Judgments remaining still incorrigible and not returning to the Lord The Lord thereupon resolves 〈…〉 Therefore thus will I do unto thee O Israel◠and because I will do this unto thee prepare to meet thy God O Israel c. In the words we have 1st The Lords Minatory Resolution Therefore thus will I do unto thee O Israel 2. His seasonable Admonition and that is that Israel because he will do this prepare to meet him 3. We have this Admonition back'd and enforc'd by an Argument drawn from the Consideration of Gods infinite Power Might Majesty and Greatness of which we have here a most ample Description ver 13 He formeth the mountains and createth the wind c. and he that doth all this the Lord the God of Hosts is his Name Explication Therefore thus will I do unto thee c. this therefore refers to their incorrigibleness under former Judgments as the ground of the Lords present Resolution Thus will I do unto thee How This Interpreters several ways make out 1st thus i. e. say some as I have before threatned Verse 2 3 Or thus i. e. as thy incorirgibleness deserves and calls for Or 3dly thus i. e. worse then ever I have done yet I will come with a severer strook so Calvin and others Or 4thly the Lord by expressing himself thus would the more point out the dreadfulness of the stroak as being above what could be exprest and therefore wraps it up in silence and leaves it to them to imagine what it would be Prepare to meet thy God I find Expositors Interpreting this in a double sense 1st As spoken Ironically i. e. in a way of holy derision at this Peoples obstinacy and fool hardiness as if the Lord had said Seeing then you will not be reclaim'd but still stand it out against Me and I also am resolved to go on to do as I have said and do Proclaim open war against you as Enemies and Rebels Prepare then to meet me muster up your forces and gather together your strength and make the best preparations you can and see if you be able to withstand Me or keep off that final Destruction which I have determined to bring upon you And so this is like to the message which Jehu sent to the rulers of Jezreel and those that brought up Ahabs children 2 Kings 10. 1 2 3 c. And this agrees well enough with the sequel for lo he that formeth the mountains c. as if the Lord had said And you had need to make all and the best preparation that you can for you have a God to contest with and he a God of infinite Power Might Majesty and Greatness he formeth the mountains c. and the Lord the God of Hosts is his Name But others understand it rather as spoken in a plain genuine sense viz. that Israel should meet him in an humble penitential way so as to endeavour to appease him and so prevent that final overthrow which else was like to come upon them and so we are to look upon the words not so much as a challenge but as seasonable counsel and advice to Israel to prevent yet if possible their ruin and so I shall understand it at present and thus it seems the rather to be taken because the Lord does in the very next Chapter several times invite them to seek him that they might live as ver 4 Seek ye me and ye shall live and ver 6 c. Indeed their case seem'd even desperate and God seem'd to have shut up against them the gate of mercy but the Lord hints yet to them that if they did but timely prepare to meet him there might be hopes yet of pacifying of him CHAP. II. The several collateral Observations Obs 1. WHatever is done to a people in a way of Judgment It is the Lord that does it Therefore thus will I do unto thee and ver 6 I also have given you cleanness of teeth c. and Amos 3. 6 Shall there be evil in a City and the Lord hath not done it Our sins indeed they occasion and procure what is done put him upon such work as he tells Jerusalem Jer. 4. 18 Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee this is thy wickedness c. and the Lord makes use of what Instruments he pleases in executing what is done but still he does it whoever are the Instruments he is still the great Agent and Efficient Affliction cometh not forth of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground Job 5. 6. Judgments are not casual but providential Isa 42. 24 Who
gave Jacob for a spoil and Israel to the Robbers did not the Lord he against whom we have sinned c and the Lord still observes what he does in such a way and sets down and keeps as it were a Catalogue of his Judgments as well as of his Mercies and of peoples deportment under them how they carry it as here in this Chapter The Lord declares all he had done and all their incorrigibleness notwithstanding Yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord and Jer. 8. 6 I hearkned and heard but they spake not aright no man repented him of his wickedness saying what have I done Every one turned to his course as the horse rushes into the battel Vse 1. Let us then in all that is done see own and acknowledg the Lords hand and humble our selves under the same thus it is said The man of wisdom shall do Mic. 6. 9 The Lords voice crieth unto the City And the man of wisdom shall see thy Name i. e. he shall see thee and own thy hand in what is done the not doing of which the Lord complains of and threatens Isa 26. 11 Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see but they shall see c. 2. Let us turn to him that smites and seek the Lord of Hosts as he often invites Hosea 14. 1 O Israel return unto the Lord thy God Take with you words and turn to the Lord say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously c. So Joel 2. 12 Therefore also now saith the Lord Turn ye even to me with all your heart c. and seek ye me and ye shall live Amos 5. 4 6. And this the Lord expects Hosea 15 In their affliction they will seek me early Lord in trouble have they visitod thee Isa 26. 16. And peoples not doing of this is the great matter and ground of his complaint and it rolls so in his thoughts that he knows not how as it were to digest it As here in this Chapter it is five times together the matter of the Lords complaint Yet have ye not return'd to me saith the Lord ver 6. So ver 8 9 10 11. So elsewhere Hosea 11. 7 Though they called them to the most High none at all would exalt him They looked after and minded other ways and means of help Isa 22. 8 Thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the Forest c. ver 9 10 11. And they thought in this they were very wise and politick but they neglected the main To look to the Lord and to seek and turn to him ver 11 12 23. And for this the Lord threatned to bring upon them final ruin For all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still For the people turneth not to him that smites them neither do they seek the Lord of Hosts Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail branch and rush in one day Isa 9. 12 13 14. And therefore as ever we would prevent our own and the Nations ruin let us speedly set upon this yea and encourage one another to this as the best course we can take as the best way we can go as those Hosea 6. 1 2 3 Come say they let us return unto the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will bind us up c. And why gaddest thou about saith the Lord so much to change thy way i. e. the way which I have prescribed thee and that which should be thy way but thou triest other ways and conclusions but in vain and to no purpose they shall avail thee nothing Jer. 2. 36 37 Thou shalt be ashamed of Egypt as thou wast ashamed of Assyria Yea thou shalt go forth from him and thine hands upon thine head a sign of shame and sorrow for the Lord hath rejected thy confidences those ways and refuges thou confidest in and thou shalt not prosper in them Observ 2. Whatever the Lord does or threatens to do to a people in a way of Judgment it is not without cause there is a therefore for it Therefore thus will I do unto thee O Israel and therefore hath he poured upon him the fury of his anger Isa 42. 25. Therefore the Kingdom of God shall be taken from you Mat. 21. 43. And so I might give you hundreds more of such therefores and wherefores but they are every where obvious and therefore I shall not stand to mention them and all declare that whatever the Lord does in à way of Judgment it is not without cause But does not the Lord tell Satan that he moved him against Job to destroy him without cause Job 2. 3 It was indeed without cause as to what Satan did alledg and pretend as to Job which was gross Hypocrisie so without cause but not absolutely for if God narrowly search the best there 's ever cause so as to justifie God as to what he does God indeed sometimes afflicts without respect to sin but still there is cause enough from sin in the best to merit it though not always the moving cause c. Vse 1. This then lets us see the vast difference between Gods acting in a way of Judgment and the sinners in a way of sin For the one is not without cause there is a therefore for it but none for the other There 's no therefore for that we do not indeed suffer without cause but we sin without cause Gods Judgments are not without cause but mans transgressions are and hence is it that the Lord does so Expostulate with his people as concerning their sinful carriages towards him as being without cause nay as having given them great cause to the contrary as Jer. 2. 5 Thus saith the Lord What iniquity have your Fathers found in me that they are gone from me and Verse 31 Have I been a wilderness unto Israel a land of darkness say my people We are lords we will come no more to thee So Mic. 6. 3 4 5 O my people What have I done unto thee and wherein have I wearred thee Testifie against me For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt c. As if the Lord had said I have done indeed much good for thee shewn a great deal of kindness towards thee But what evil or hurt did I ever do to thee So that if it be ask't here Who hath wounds who hath grief who has offence without cause It must be answered God haes O the disingenuity Ingratitude and unreasonableness of sin and sinners Gods Service is indeed most reasonable as that we should love him and live and devote our selves to him Which is yur reasonable service Rom. 12. 1. But sin is unreasonable and sinners That we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men 2 Thes 3. 2. Solomon advises Prov. 3. 30 Strive not with a man without cause if he have done the no harm