Gods mercy by their own they think thus if any had offended us so as we have offended God though we might say wee would be reconciled to him yet wee could not bring our hearts fully to come off to it something would remain in our hearts they therefore think so of God they suspect God that he doth not mean really in his expressions of love and mercy to them But take heed of this doe not judge of God by your selves though you have a base and cruell heart and cannot be reconciled to those that provoke you it is not therefore so with God There are these two evils in sin first in the nature of it there is a departing from God secondly it causeth jealousies and suspitions of God and so hinders the soul from coming unto God again Secondly God is very carefull to prevent all these suspitions in the hearts of his people God desires that you should have good thoughts of him and this is that we plead with you for and do often open the riches of Gods grace to this end that you may have good thoughts of God and to take off your jealousies and suspitions of him as if there were no reall intention in all the proffers of mercy he makes to you doe not thinke that all those riches of Gods grace are meer words they are certaine intentions of Gods heart towards you I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness And for your parts I will give you a heart you shall return to mee bona fide you shal do it in the plainnesse of your hearts There was a time indeed as Psal 78. 34 35 36. God complained of his people that they sought him and returned unto him neverthelesse they did flatter with their mouth and lyed unto him with their tongues there was no reality in their returning unto him they made great promises that whatsoever God should say unto them they would do it but there was no reality in it yea but saith God there shall come a time that you shall have righteous hearts and that which you promise to me you shall promise really there shall not be that falsenesse in your hearts those shews and overtures that were heretofore but you shall return to me with all your hearts in righteousness God hath made adoe at first with us to make us believe that he is in good earnest with us in his proffers oâ— mercy and much adoe there is before our hearts can be gotten to work towards God in good earnest Further note this is one reason why God doth betroth for ever because he doth it in the plainnesse of his heart and this is also a good reason why the Saints continue for ever because what they do to God is in the plainness of their hearts Those who return to God in an hypocriticall way will fall off but they that return in uprightenesse will hold constant with him Prov. 8. 18. it is said of Wisdome that with her are durable riches and righteousnesse they are put together where there is true righteousnesse in the heart there is durable riches But yet there is another thing in this betrothing in righteousnesse and that I thinke hath more in it then the former God will be so reconciled to his Church as yet he will manifest himself to be a righteous God In the works of the riches of his grace he will manifest the glory of his justice too I will doe it in righteousnesse though indeed the Lord intendeth to glorifie rich grace yet so as he will declare his righteousnesse to men and Angels that in this very work of his he shall be acknowledged by them unto all eternity to bee a righteous God GOD will make such a way for this his love and goodnesse as that hee will have satisfaction to his justice in it That place Rom. 3. 25 26. is remarkable for our purpose Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood How To declare his righteousness for the remission of sinnes Marke it it is not that he had set forth Christ to be a propitiation to declare his mercy in the forgivenesse of sins you will say What is there in the forgivenesse of sins but only the mercy of God Yes there is somewhat else there is righteousnesse too and the Lord doth declare his righteousnesse in the forgivenesse of sins and therefore it is that he hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation that hee might declare his righteousnesse If the Lord should have said but thus Well you are great and grievous sinners I will be content freely to forgive you all your sins this would have declared Gods mercy but not his righteousnesse but now when the Lord hath set forth Christ as a propitiation and forgiveth sins through the blood of his Son in this God declareth as much righteousnesse as grace This text Luther had a great deale of do to understand and he prayed much before he could get the right meaning of it yea it is repeated again To declare I say his righteousnesse that he might be just the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus not that he might be mercifull in justifying him that believeth in Jesus but that he might be just in justifying him that believeth in Jesus And this is the great mystery of the Gospel this is that which the Angels pry into the Saints and Angels shal admire blesse God to all eternity for the reconciling riches of mercy and infinite justice both in one This was that which set the infinite wisdome of God on worke from all eternity how to find a way to save sinners and to be infinitely righteous notwithstanding If all the Angels in heaven and all the men in the world had been put to it to find out a way to answer this question How shall sin be pardoned the sinner reconciled unto God and God glorifie his justice they could never have done it but God in his infinite wisdome hath found out a way to doe it This cost God dear it cost him the heart blood of his own Son and that was a sign that Gods heart was much in it and indeed we are not Christians untill in some measure we see and have our hearts taken with the glory of God in this mystery We must looke at righteousnesse in our reconciliation as well as to loving kindnesse and mercy When God is reconciled unto a sinner there is not only his mercy glorified but in that way that God hath found out to save a sinner hee hath the glory of his justice as much yea more then if the sinner were eternally damned in hell How is that you will say I make that good three ways First when God appointed a surety his Son and charged his debt upon him to satisfie his justice in that God would not spare this Sonne of his the least farthing token I mean not the least degree of punishment he would not remit any thing to
depth swallowing up the greatest evill of sin or affliction If you should poure a paile of water upon the planchers in your chamber it seems a great deale of water like a little sea but take a paile of water and poure it into the deep Ocean and it is there swallowed up and appears nothing Our afflictions that are upon us and our sinnes in themselves appear great but when they come to be swallowed up in these bowels in these depths of Gods mercies in which he betrotheth himself unto us they are as nothing in comparison Therefore the Scripture hath such strange expressions of the wonderfulness of Gods mercies to his people in Christ The Scripture hath three notable words to expresse the fulnesse of Gods mercies in Christ The first is Ephes 2. 7. the abundant riches of his grace the riches that are cast in over and above The second word is in Rom. 5. 20. The grace of God hath been more then exceeding there is a second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And a third is 1 Tim. 1. 14. The grace of God was exceeding abundant it had a pleonasme asore yea but here is a super-pleonasme Here are three 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put upon Gods mercy to note the riches of the glory and depth of the mercy of God in Christ Secondly consider these mercies in the effects They set on worke all that is in God for the good of his people If there be any thing that Gods wisedome or power that all that blessednesse that is in GOD can doe for the bowels of mercy yerne toward thee and they will set all on worke for thy good if thou beest in Christ Yea further know that it is such mercy as it is the great designe yea the greatest designe that ever God had from all eternity to honour this his mercy to set out the infinite glory and the riches of this his mercy in Christ Certainly God had great designs in doing such great things as he hath done but above all the designs that ever God had in all his works that is the chief to glorifie the riches of his mercy in Christ They are indeed bowels of mercy when they are such as in the glory of which God attaineth his great designe in making the world he would never have made the world had it not been for that Fourthly They are the heart-blood mercies of JESUS CHRIST they are such mercies as are worth all the blood of Christ and his blood was certainely most precious blood when Christ sees any converted and brought home to him to be made a subject of Gods mercy hee thinks his blood well bestowed The text saith he shall see his seed and his soule shall be satisfied I have enough for all the blood I shedde Indeed I came from my Father and was made a servant a curse I suffered the wrath of my Father my blood was shed but if this be the fruit of it that such and such a soule shall have this mercy I have enough for all my blood I am glad that ever I shed it Yea God the Father is well pleased with it he thinks the blood of Christ but a valuable price to purchase such mercies as these As for all the glory of the world God can give that unto men that he hates to reprobates as Luther saith of the whole Turkish Empire it is but a crum of bread that the Master of the house throws to his dogs but when it cometh to his mercies in Christ they are such as are worth the blood of his Sonne that must goe to be the price for the purchasing of them 6. They are such mercies as God bestows on purpose that hee may declare to all eternity before Angels and all his Saints what God is able to doe for a creature to what a height of excellency and glory these infinite mercies are able to raise a poor creature unto These must needs be great Yea they are such as must be the object for Angels and Saints to admire at adore and magnifie the name of God for everlastingly What shall I say more in naming any fruits of these mercies Such mercies as whereas before sin made thee to be the object of Gods hatred it makes thee now to be an object of his pity God takes the rise from thy sin to shew his mercy Take heed of abusing it it is childrens bread that which I now speak let us not sinne that grace may abound God sorbid seeing thy sin cannot overcome Gods goodnesse let Gods goodness overcome thy sin Only let us learn to admire at these riches of mercy in Christ and let us exercise much faith about them Certainely wee should thrive in godlinesse much more if we did exercise faith in the bowels of God in Christ Those kind of fruits as your Apricocks and your May-cherries that grow up by a wall in the open sun-shine and have the hot reflection of the sun come to be sooner ripe have more sweetness then those that grow in shady places your grasse you know that is shaded by the trees in Orchards is sowre So that fruit that Christians bring forth under discouragements and dispairing thoughts is very sowre some things they do conscience hales them to duties but alas it is sowre fruit though it be better to doe what conscience requires then not for we must not go against conscience but to doe it meerly because conscience hales to it it is but sowre grasse But when a Christian can by Faith set himselfe before the Sun-shine of these mercies of God in Christ and continually live in the midst of the lustre of the grace of God in Christ he groweth ripe sooner and his fruit is sweeter You may know whether it be the Sun of righteousnesse or no that you are set in Doth your fruit grow ripe and is it sweet fruit Those who talke of mercy and of Christ who have the name of Christ in their mouths but is their fruit sowr does nothing come from them but crabbed fruit these men are not in the Sun they are blinde they cannot see the Sun they are but in a light of their own fancy and in a heat of their own making Ephes 3. 18. 19. The Apostle prayes for the Ephesians that they may be able to comprehend what is the bredth and length and depth height of the riches of God in Christ Marke the Phylosophers tells us but of three demensions but here are foure but what is the fruit of this And that you may know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fulnesse of God Here is the effect of it when we come to know the bredth and length and depth and height of Gods love and have that knowledge by the Spirit of God that passeth all naturall knowledg then we come to be filled with all the fulnesse of God Here now is a glorious Christian a Christian filled with all the fulnesse
ever you have done and yet you are hard-hearted this will grieve God at the heart 1 Ioh. 3. 17. He that seeth his brother hath need and shuiteth up his bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him If thou hast bowels and shuttest them up from thy brother surely thou never knewest what the love of God meant Mark that place 2 Cor. 9. 8. what encouraging expressions we have unto bounty and liberality toward our brethren for the opening our bowels toward them God is able to make all grace abound towards you that yee alwayes having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good worke There is no such text in all the book of God to encourage to the opening our bowels to the administring to the necessities of the Saints for that Scripture is brought to that end that part of the Chapter is spent about that argument if you believe any thing in the Scripture if you have any experience of Gods bowels towards you read over this and see if it will not open your bowels God is able to make all grace abound Grace abound that is something all grace that is more but all kinde of grace that is more then that that from Gods almighty power too but that is not enough Marke that you always having all sufficiency in all things It were enough one would think God should say you shall have all things needfull no you shall have all things If he had said thus you shall have sufficiency in that you have that is something no but you shall have all things and sufficiency in all things and all sufficiency in all things Yea but I may want before I dye No you shall have alwayes all sufficiency in all thiugs Well this may make us doe something you may thinke if I do this good work and another and another I hope I do my part no but you must abound you must doe every good work and abound in every good work But I shall draw my self dry if I be so abundant in every good work No God is able to make all grace in you to abound towards you that you alwayes having all sufficiency in all things may abound You shall never be drawn dry for you have the bowels of Gods mercy Alexander giving large gifts some asked him what will you keepe for your selfe Spes saith he I will keepe Hope for my self I will make account that still there are greater things comming for me what he had he gave away because he had a spirit that looked after and hoped for great things to come certainly Christians have that left alwayes they have hope they may expect great things why because they have the bowels of Gods mercies to be theirs One thing more to knit all together all righteousnesse all judgement all loving kindnesse all mercies comes from God through our union with Christ Though God be an infinite ocean of goodnesse yet we can expect nothing from God but through our union with Christ Man hath forfeited the title he had to all the goodness of God and now the title upon which he is to hold all his good it is the union he hath with this husband with JESUS CHRIST by vertue of this marryage Whensoever Faith goes to heaven for any good from God it goeth to heaven by vertue of this right and obtaineth all the good it gets from God by vertue of that conjugall union the soul hath with JESUS CHRIST How blessed then was the time when Christ was first revealed to the Church Cant. 3. 11. Behold King Solomon with the Crown where with his mother crowned in the day of his espousals in the day of the gladnesse of his heart These things opened in our espousals with Christ must needes make that day the day of the gladnes of our hearts O how deare should this Christ thy husband be unto thee how happy when thou shalt have full communion with him when Jsaac met Rebekka he carryed her into his mothers tent when the Lord Christ shall meet his spouse he will carry her into his Fathers pillace Behold the riches the glory of my Father whom I told you of these are all yours in my right eternally The Nineteenth Lecture HOSEA 2. 20. 21. 22. 23 I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulnesse and thou shalt know the Lord. And it shall come to passe in that day I will heare saith the Lord I will heare the heavens and they shall heare the earth And the earth shall heare the corne and the wine and the oyle and they shall heare Iezreel And I will sowe her unto me in the earth and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy and I will say to them which were not my people Thou art my people and they shall say Thou art my God I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulnesse Here is a third betrothing I will betroth I will betroth I will betroth Jerome hath a note upon that and saith that it is thrice repeated to note three several times of Gods betrothing himselfe unto his people 1. VVhen he called Abraham 2. After they went out of Egypt and were in the wildernesse at Mount Sinai 3. In the time of the Gospell And of this Exposition Calvin saith it may be accounted witty but it is frivolous He giveth a better reason which I thinke to be the minde of the holy Ghost why it is thrice tepeated Because apostatizing Israel could hardly beleeve that ever God would doe such a thing as this what after the Lord had cast Israel away yea cast her to the beasts for so he threatneth in the former part of the chapter yet now betroth her to himself this was unlikely I will even betroth thee so you have it in your books now the truth is the word in the Originall is Vau the same that is translated and before but because the third time it is said and the Translators thought there was an emphasis in the third And and therefore to expresse that emphasis they put in the word even Infaithfulnesse In steadiness so the word signifieth I will betroth thee unto me in a steady way my goodness toward thee shall be stable and sirme So the word is often used in Scripture Exod. 17. 12. His hands were steady the same word that we have here for faithfulnes So Deut. 28. 59. I will make thy plagues of long continuanoe thy plagues stable and constant the same that is here for faithfulness And 1 Sam. 2. 35. I will raise me up a faithfull Priest and I will build him a sure house there the word is of the same roote a sure house a firm steady house Faithfulnes here imports Gods stability steadines in his Covenant with his people It notes not so much the perpetuity for that was before I will betroth thee unto me for ever But firmeness constancy as opposite to ficklenes uncertainty There is
time for the decree to come forth against a kingdome when God will not be intreated a time when though Noah Job and Daniel should stand before him yet he will not be intreated though they cry cry â—arly cry aloud cry with teares cry with fasting yet God will not be intreated Gods mercy is precious and he will not let it run out to waste he will not be prodigal of it a time wherein God will say Now I have done I have done with this people mercy hath had her turn It is true except we had that immediate revelation that the Prophets had we cannot now determine of the particular time yet by examining Gods way toward his people in former times the truth is that those that laboured most to search Gods minde in his word they were even afraid that this decree had been gone out upon us in England It is true God hath seemed for the present to tell us that hee hath a prerogative and he will have mercy upon whom he will have mercy But yet neither are those altogether to be blamed that even in their own hearts determined as it were that mercy was gone except they did wholly limit God and left nothing of prerogative at all to him but because it was Gods ordinary way and except God had wrought with us in a way of prerogative otherwise than ever he did with any nation before they did then conclude that the decree was gone forth and so it might be true and what God may do with us yet we do not know But this we can say if the decree be not gone forth if there be mercy for us God hath shewed his prerogative that he will now goe on in such a way otherwise than formerly he hath done in the world and if God will do so who can say against it A time there is likewise for God to say against particular persons he wil not have mercy upon them a time when God will say those men that were bidden shall not tast of my Supper he that will be filthy let him be filthy still my spirit shall no longer strive with them God hath no need my brethren that we should receive or entertain his mercy we had need that God should grant it God many times is quick in the offer of his mercy Goc and preach the Gospel he that believeth shall be saved he that believeth not shall be damned A quick worke God makes many times in the effects of mercy Yet 3. I will not have mercy This is pronounced as the most dreadfull judgment What not have mercy upon them then indeed is a State or a Kingdom in a dreadful condition when God shall say of them that he will not hve mercy Wo to you saith the Lord when I depart from you wo then to you when my mercy is for ever gon then all judgments miseries must needs flow in upon a nation or a particular soul when the Sea-bank is broken up then the waves will all flow in Isa 56. 9. All you beasts of the field come to devour yea all you beasts in the forrest why what is the matter His watchmen are blind c. I argue thus from thence if the prudence of the watch-men being taken away which should stop misery then all evils come flowing in upon a Nation What then if the mercy of God that should stop misery be taken away whither should the poore creature goe if mercy be gone to what creature should it look for help if it cryes to any creature the creature saith I can afford no comfort because God affordeth no mercy what shall uphold the heart then when it hath no hope at all It must needs sink I will not add mercy saith God shewing that what good they had received before it was from his mercy though they would take no notice of it well saith God you shall have no more you have taken no notice that it was my mercy that helped you before but when my mercy is gone then you will know it but then I will not add more Men best know what the worth of mercy is when mercy is taken away from them when God addeth no more Again I will not adde mercy God doth not use to take away his mercy fully from a people or from a soul but when mercy hath been shewed and abused after much mercy hath been received and that being abused then God saith hee will not adde more You have a parallel place to this Iudg. 10. 16. I will deliver you no more saith God I have delivered you many times my mercy hath been abused I will deliver you no more It is just with God when mercy is abused that wee should never know farther what mercy meaneth Mercy as it is a precious thing so it is a tender thing and a dangerous thing to abuse it There is nothing that more quickly works the ruine of a people or of a soule then abused mercy But further I will utterly take them away Before it was only that they should be scattered the name of the first child before was but Iezreel that they should be the scattered of the Lord but the 2. is Loruhamah that they shall have no more mercy from the Lord. Gods 2. strokes usually are more dreadfull then the first God beginneth first with the house of Correction before he bringeth to the gallows There is branding first before hanging there are warning pieces before murthering peeces God makes way for his wrath by lesser afflictions before hee cometh with destroying judgments I remember Mr. Knox in his History of Scotland hath this story of one Sir Iames Hamilton that having been murthered by the Ks. means there he appeared to him in a vision with a naked sword drawn and strikes off both his arms with these words Take this before thou receive a finall payment for all thy impieties and within 24. hours 2. of the Ks. sons dyed God cometh to nations particular persons with a sword cutteth off arms before he takes their lives he commeth by degrees upon them As the Lord when he cometh in a way of abundance of mercy lesser mercies make way for greater mercies When Manna was rained down the dew ever came before it So lesser judgments to the wicked are forerunners of and makers way for greater judgments first they are parboild before they come to be rosted in the fire Further I will not adde mercy to the house of Israel He doth not say I will not adde mercy to this or that particular man of Israel but to the house of Israel A Multitude of sinners with God is no argument for their escape of judgment It is a rule indeed with man Multitudo peccantium tollit peccatum Multitude of offenders take away their offences Men know not how to execute the offenders when they are in Multitudes here and there some of the ring-leaders may be taken for example sake But it is no
every thing and prize every little mercie Oh the tenth the hundreth part of that will not serve your turne now you vvould have been glad of then and blessed God if you had had it But now you know not your selves your hearts are raised up as your estates are VVell it is good for you to looke to the condition that once you were in vvhen you were low As vve reade of Agathâ—cles that King that was a Potters sonne and after advanced to a kingdom he vvould alwayes be served at his table in earthen vessels to put him in mind of that condition he was in before certainly if in any place in England it be seasonable to speake of this it is here in London where many that have been Potters children and in a low degree have been raised up high and have gotten great estates Let them remember in what condition once they were that they may be humbled and so may prevent that danger of being brought thither again Many put others in mind of it in a taunting vvay I know vvhat you were not long agoe I know vvhat your father vvas c. But doe you put your own soules in mind of this in an humbling way This is the vvay to continue mercies But now apply vve it a little to our selves for the generall and then vve shal conclude all Let us vvork this upon our hearts Look vve back to vvhat we vvere lately and let us check our hearts for any discontent in our present estate Not long since vvould not many of us have beene willing to have laid dovvn our lives to have purchased that mercy we have had this yeer or two God hath granted to us our former mercies raised us from our low condition of free cost hitherto God hath been afore hand with us and what if those mercies that are to come will be at some vvhat a dearer rate then those vvee have had already Those mercies vve have had already have been very precious and sweet but surely they that are to come are more precious and sweet and therefore vve may be content though they cost us deare Yet hovv vile are the spirits of men in forgetting the condition the sad condition they lately were in forgetting the Taxes and Monopolies and uncertainty of enjoying an thing that was your own and now if there be but a little charge comming you presently fall a murmuring and repining Oh these are heavy burthens the Parliament burthens the kingdome and the Couutrey and as good have ship-money and other taxes as these burthens Oh unworthy unworthy are you to live to see the goodnesse of the Lord in these dayes unworthy to have thine eyes open to see what God hath done and thus to murmur Thou shouldest magnifie Gods mercies and not murmur at his proceedings VVe have a notable parallel to this Numb 16. in the story of Corah Dathan and Abiram those murmurers when they were but in a little strait they come to Moses and say ver 13. Why hast thou brought us up out of a land that floweth with milks and honey What land was that that Moses brought them up out of that they said flowed with milke and honey It was the land of Egypt the land of their bondageâ— indeed they were promised a land of Canaan that should flowe with milke and honey and they put that upon the land of Egypt though they had been in bondage and slavery in Egypt and were now going to Canaan yet when they did but indure some trouble in the vvay and had but some opposition and were put to some straits then Egypt was the Land that flowed vvith milke and honey and who would come out of Egypt So though God be bringing us to Canaan to a blessed Land that floweth with milke and honey yet because there are some straits in the way some difficulties some oppositions that may cost us somewhat now how doe men cry out we vvere better before you talke of Reformation and such and such things but for our parts would vve might have but vvhat we had before and be as quiet as vve were then why will you bring us out of a Land that floweth with milke and honey Oh base murmuring and discontented spirits that forget what once they vvere and rather prize the bondage they were in before then are thankfull for Gods present mercies For us not to look back to Gods former mercies it goeth to the very heart of God God hath an expression that it frets him to the very heart You have it in Ezek. 16. 43. Because thou hast not remembred the dayes of thy youth but hast fretâ—ed me in all these things It is a thing that frets God at his heart to see a people so unworthy of mercie when God commeth in such wayes of mercie to them as he doth My brethren God hath done great things for us whatsoever others say and thinke Let them murmure and repine and say what they will let us say God hath done great things for us Let us lay to heart the condition we lately vvere in that so we may be stirred up now to seeke after God that wee may never be brought into that condition any more if they would have it again much good may it do them but for us let it be our care to seeke God and to use all lawfull meanes to prevent our bringing back to it again For even the very straits we now are in are an aggravation of our former misery and present mercie it should not therefore make our former misery or present mercie seeme lesse but greater How is that you will say Thus If now wee have so much helpe and power to hinder a malignant party that seeke our ruine yet they have so much strength and resolution what would have become of us if this had been before when we had no way nor no meanes to help us If men complaine now what vvould they have done then Therefore whereas we make use of our straits to make us thinke that our former misery was lesse and we are now in a sadder condition then before rather let us make it an aggravation of Gods mercie towards us and if wee be in such straits now when God hath raised up such meanes beyond all our thought to resist the flowing in of misery upon us Lord whether were wee a going what would have become of us if the streame which hath been so long a swelling had broke in upon us when there was no meanes to have resisted it VVe may well see now that if their intentions and resolutions be so strong for mischiefe as will not be hindered notwithstanding the present strength God hath granted us to oppose them surely they had most vile intentions and dreadfull things were determined against us which would have brought us low indeed and have made us the most miserable people upon the earth if God had not come in so mira culously for our help as he hath done at this
yet it is more then he can expect he rather hath cause to wonder he hath so much then expect more but God ever draws out his loving kindnesse to his Saints Psal 36. 10. Draw out thy loving kindnesse unto them that know thee and thy righteousnesse to the upright in heart First the good that others have from God is bounty patience but that which the Saints have is loving kindnesse Secondly that which others have is no ways tied to them by promise but that which the Saints have they have by promise it is righteousness Ps 23. Thou makest me lye down in green pasture thou anointest my head with fresh oyle my cup runneth over Here is a great deal but is here all no ver 6. surely mercy goodnesse shall follow me all the dayes of my life That we read of David 2 Sam. 5. 12. is very observable from Gods prospering him in his present way he draws an argment to confirm him in the assurance for the future that his Kingdome was established to him why did not Saul prosper at the beginning of his raign as well as David yet it was no evidence of his establishment but David could see Gods mercy coming to him after another manner then Saul could all mercies the Saints have come from the covenant in which there is a rich treasure of mercies a blessed connexion of the mercies The covenant between David Ionathan was 1 Sam. 20. 15. That loving kindnes must not be cut off from the house of Ionathan The covenant between God and the Saints is that loving kindnesse shall never be cut off from them but the links of mercies shall be fastned one to another so as they shall reach eternity Mercies to the Saints come from love amor nescit nimium love knows no such thing as excesse The Saints understanding this mistery in the way of Gods grace towards them hence they follow God in seeking his face then especially when he is most in the way of mercy whereas the men of the world who know not this seldome seek after mercy but in times of affliction when God is in a way of justice and wrath this is their folly Infinite reason there is O ye Saints of the Lord that one duty should for ever make way for another seeing on mercy makes way for another here lyes a great difference between doing duties from the strength of common grace and from sanctifying grace in the one the spirit by doing some things is wearied and thinkes now it may rest but in the other the very doing still encreaseth strength and puts the heart upon doing more But may not security promise continuance of mercy Yes but if so then when affliction comes the heart will sinke for feares of continuance in misery as well as before it hoped for continuance of mercy When then may we assure our selves that our mercies are doores of hope to further mercies First When they are created mercies wrought by a more imediate hand of God generation may be imperfect but creation never omne creatum est perfectum Esay 26. 12. Lord thou wilt ordaine peace for us What is the argument for thou hast wrought all our workes in us Secondly When they are spirituall mercies Ezek. 39. 29. Neither will I hide my face any more from them VVhat is the argument For I have powred forth my spirit upon the house of Israel but is not this your private opinion that this argument will hold No the words following are Thus saith the Lord God Thirdly When mercies carry us to the God of mercy and are turned duties as if we can turne our duties into mercies that is account every duty a mercy that is a good argument that we shall hold out in duty when wee can turne mercies into duties that is make every mercy an engagement to duty that is a good argument that mercy will hold out But are there not interruptions many times in the wayes of Gods mercy to his own people VVe sometimes think there is an interruption when if we knew all we should see a blessed concatenation but it must be granted that there may sometimes be some kinde of enterruption in such a particular After Israels returne from captivity and beginning to build the temple there were such enterruptions as it was seventy years before it was finished but though there may be enterruptions for a time yet not a quite breaking off there is yet a strength in the grace of the covenant that carries the work on and perfects it at last by ceasing in one way of mercy God prepares for another the very ceasing in such a way may be a mercy we our selves at this day are a sad spectacle of the interruption of the wayes of Gods mercies towards a nation Mercy that ere while shined in her beauty upon us hath now seemed in a great measure to have withdrawn the beames of her glory our doore of hope that we thought to be so wide open seems almost shut against us I dare not say that it is shut lest I should wrong the present grace of God yet continuing to us But First Sinne yea our many and fearfull sins lyes at this our door Gen. 4. 7. Secondly And now a crowd of difficulties seeme even to stop up the door they come thronging still to it as if they would certainly stop it up against us Thirdly As the Prophet Ezek. 11. 1. 2. saw at the door of the gate five and twenty men amongst whom there were some chiefe ones who devised mischiefe and gave wicked councell in the city so may we at this day see many even of the chiefe ones devising mischiefe and giving wicked counsel by which they labour to shut yea to lock and bolt up this our doore of hope Fourthly VVe hoped that this our door of hope would have been like the doors that entred into the oracle of which we read 1 Kings 6. 31. made of the olive tree yea the side-posts and lintels were of olive tree carvings of palm trees cherubims all overlaid with gold but now our door seems to be of Iron the way to our help and mercy must be through the Iron gate we must get to it by suftering hard things 5. Our door that was wide whereat mercy began to come flowing in apace freely now it seemes to be straitened it is now the strait gate we must be content to strip our selves of a great part of our estates of many of our outward comforts yea we must venture them all and well if possibly at length we may crowd in 6. Yea our door-posts are like the Israelites in Egypt besprinkled with blood the keeping up of our meanes of mercy hath cost much blood and may cost more 7. Now when we knock when we would step in the dogs bark at us and are ready to flye upon us yea it may be the servants yea some of our
should have said Though you think such a thing can never be you see nothing but cause of doubting and discouragement in your selves but I wil doe it yea I wil doe it and it is thus repeated to note also the excellency of the mercy that is in it It is an excellent mercy indeed that the Lord will take a people into so neer a communion with himselfe from this mercy floweth most glorious mercies I will doe this saith God I need say no more here is mercy enough to satisfie any soule living I will doe it I will doe it I will doe it But will this mercy hold will it hold I have already apostatized from the Lord I have still an apostatizing heart am like to fall off from God againe and so may condition is like to be worse then ever yet it was no saith God I will betroth you unto my selfe for ever my heart shal bee for ever towards you and your heart shall be for ever towards me there shall never bee any breach of conjugal love and communion betweene you and I any more But the Lord is a righteous God he is a God of infinite justice and I have most fearfully sinned against him oh the hideous sins that I stand guilty of before him how shall that infinite justice of God be satisfied for my sinnes this is the care of a repenting heart not onely to obtain mercy for pardon but how shall that justice of God be satisfied Yes saith God I will have a way for that too though you have been very sinful yet when I receive you to mercy it shall be in such a way as I will be righteous as wel as gracious I wil doe it in righteousnesse it shal be no dishonour at all to my righteousnesse that I take you again to my self And I wil put such a righteous frame into your hearts that it shal be no scandal unto me before the Nations that I have betrothed such a one as you unto my selfe But what reason can there possible be that God should do thus how can it be imagined that ever the Lord should do such a thing as this God hath ten thousand wayes to honour himselfe though we perish for ever no people have ever provoked him as wee have done saith this repenting Israel Well saith GOD though you know no reason why it should be done yea indeed though there bee no reason at all in your selves yet that which I will doe I will doe it in judgment too I know a reason why I will do it it is not a rash thing that I shall do I will do it in judgement it is no other thing that now I promise you but that I have exercised my wisdome about from all eternity it is not onely a worke of my grace and mercy toward you but it is a work of my wisdome too and there will one day appeare a glorious shine of wisdome in this my work of taking you unto my selfe again I know what I do in it yea and on your part though hitherto you have seene no such excellency in my wayesto cleave to them but you have departed from them and followed other lovers yet I shall when I come in wayes of mercy to you convince you so of the vanity of all other things your hearts runne after and of that fulnesse of good there is in me to satisfie your soules for ever that you shal see infinite reason to joine your selves unto me in an everlasting covenant You though there were some more specious shews in wayes of false worship but when you shal be reconciled you shal see there is infinite reason in those wayes of worship your soules have heretofore rejected you shal not only have your affections a little stirred and have some heate for the present but that change that shal be in you shal be out of judgment I will betroth you unto me in judgement in judgement on my part I will have reason for what I doe and in judgement on your part you shall see reason for what you doe you shal see so much reason in comming in to me that you shall admire at the former folly of your hearts when you departed from me and sought your comforts else-where The workings of my heart shal be in judgment toward you and the workings of your hearts shal be in judgment toward me But take it at best that my heart doth indeed come in to God yet I shall remain a poor sinful weak creature there will hang upon me many infirmities that will be grievous to the Spirit of the holy and just God Well saith God I will betroth you unto me in loving kindnesse I wil deale gently and favourably with you I will not take advantage of your failings and infirmities I will remember you are but flesh I will have a tender respect to you But it may be there will not onely bee some ordinary infirmities which may be grievous enough to the Spirit of God but I may perhaps fall into grievous offences that will provoke the Spirit of God bitterly against mee and so I shall fall into as woful yea worse condition then before No saith God I will betroth you unto me in mercy as well as in loving kindnesse my bowels of mercy shall yearn toward you not only to passe over lesser infirmities but to swallow up greater iniquities And accordingly I will worke in you gracious dispositions of loving kindnesse towards mee you shall have a most sweete and ingenuous disposition of spirit you shall doe what you doe for mee out of principles of love out of abundance of sweetnesse in all your ways that perverse surly crooked sowr spirit of yours towards me shall be changed into a sweet gentle gracious frame And this sweetenesse and loving kindenesse shall be in you toward one another you shall have your hearts changed that were so rugged and so harsh and peevish toward one another afore when I am once reconciled unto you you shall be reconciled one to another And you shall have bowels of mercy as my bowels shall yerne towards you so your bowels shall yern toward me as it shall pity my soule to see you in misery so it shall pity your soule to see me dishonoured and you shall have bowels likewise one toward another pitying one another and helping and relieving one another in the greatest straits I will betroth you unto me in loving kindnesse and in mercy But there are many glorious promises that we find God made to his people surely according to what wee read in his word there are great things to be done for them shall ever these promises be made good unto us If wee may have mercy though we be never so low if Gods loving kindnesse be manifested unto â—s in a way of reconciliation though wee be but hired servants if we may be Spouses though we be kept hardly it will be well with us But saith God there are glorious promises made
and make us look up to free grace not take us off from the practise of any but from relying upon any onely to rely upon free grace in Christ As this is the supernaturall seeking God so it is the most powerfull way of seeking him It is not enough to seeke God by vertue of a promise except vve seek him by vertue of Christ who is the foundation of all the promises VVe seek him because he is mercifull that is one way yea we seek him because he hath promised mercy this is a higher degree but we must go higher yet we must look to his Son in whom all the promises are Yea Amen otherwise though we seek him never so earnestly though we chalenge his promises and cry to him to remember his promises yet if we do not act our faith upon his Son wee may misse in all And herein we sanctifie that great name of God in that which is the great work of his his master-piece as we may say or the great designe hee hath to honour himself in the world here and everlastingly hereafter Certainely though God hath made the creature for his own glory expects we should honour him in beholding him in the creature yet the great design God hath to honour himselfe in and by is in that glory of his that is manifested in his Son to have the children of men behold this his glory and reflect it upon his own face except you give God his glory in this he cares not much for what soever glory you can give him otherwise You must not therfore expect when you seek God that you must have good things from him meerly because he is mercifull you must not thinke that the mercy of God serveth to eike out our righteousnesse Perhaps some will say it is true we are poor sinfull creatures and what can wee expect from God being fin full but we hope that God will pardon our sin and so will accept of the poor services that we perform This is the way that most goe they do as it were imploy Gods mercy in such a worke that God never intended it for that is they would make the mercy of God to eike out their owne righteousnesse and so both put together they think they will serve to be a means of atonement No you mistake Gods mercy the worke of Gods mercy is not this but it is to shew us our unrighteousnesse our misery our unclearnesse to shew us Jesus Christ to draw our hearts to him to emptie us of our selves that wee may wholly rely upon that righteousnesse that is by faith in him and tender up that to the Father for sanctification and attonement that is the work of Gods mercy when it hath this work then it hath the true genuine work indeed The fifth is why here added King True wee must seeke the Lord and Christ but why Christ the King The reason is because Christ in the latter dayes shall be fully honoured in his Kingly power they shall looke upon him not only as Prophet and Priest but as King Hitherto Christ hath bin much honoured in his Propheticall and Priestly office but not so much in his Kingly but in the latter dayes when God shall call home his people the Jewes then Christ shall be fully honoured in his Kingly office The Tabernacle of Christ was raised in the Primitive times according to that speech of St. James we had before Acts 15. 16. God shall raise the tabernacle of David hee puts it as fulfilled then but there is a time when God shall not only raife the tabernacle of David but the throne of David Christ the King shall appeare in glory Ezek. 37 24 25. And David my servant shall be King over them It was spoken upon the union that there should be between Judah and Israel then David my servant shall be King over them David was dead a great while before there is a time that David must again be King that is Christ upon the union of all the Tribes together And againe David shall be Prince for ever when they are brought againe into their owne land David shall be Prince over them for ever saith the Text surely this prophesie is yet to be fulfilled And Luke 1. 32. The Lord shall give him the throne of his father David and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever and of his kingdome there shall be no end I know we usually think that this is meant only of his spirituall reign but there is a mistake in it certainly there is to be a fulfilling of this prophesie in a reign that shall outwardly appeare before the children of men which will appea more in comparing this with other Scriptures Revel 11. 15. The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of the Lord his Christ and so he shall reign for ever and ever VVhy in a spirituall sense the kingdoms of this world are always the kingdomes of the Lord and of Christ but there is spoken of some famous notable time when the kingdomes of this world shall appeare to be the Lord and his Christs and then he shall reigne for ever and ever after another manner then now he doth Revel 3. 21. To him that overcometh will I give to sit with me in my throne as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne Mark this Text as one of the most notable of any wee have That kingly rule that Christ hath for the present is upon his Fathers throne he is not yet upon his own in comparison of what he shall be the kingdome that Christ hath now is the joynt reigne of him with the Father but there is a time for Christ to have a Throne himselfe Now that Throne of Christ it may be you will thinke it is in heaven at the day of judgement but we finde 1 Cor. 15. 24. that at that day he comes to refigne the kingdome the words do not seeme to import as if hee came to take it but that then hee doth give up the kingdome unto God the Father therefore there is a time for Christ himself to have a Throne with whom the Saints shall reign Matth. 21. 9. The children cryed out Hosanna to the sonne of David because they looked upon the sonne of David as one who was to reign In these latter dayes CHRIST shall breake the Kings of the earth who stand against him as indeed many yea most of the Kings of the earth have ever stood out to hinder this kingdome of his There will be a mighty shaking of the kingdoms of the earth when this shall be Heb. 12. 26. Whose voyce then shook the earth but now he hath promised saying yet once more I shake not the earth onely but also the heaven quoted out of Hag. 2. 6. 7. God in giving the law shooke the earth but he will shake the earth and the heavenâ— which some Interpreters expounds thus not only the meaner power of
is the deep preaching when it is from the heart And so Augustine sayes of Hosea because that which he spake was so deep it wrought more strongly Hoseas Prophesie must needs be deep for God spake in him before he spake out to the people We say that which commeth from the heart will go to the heart Surely that which commeth from the voyce of God in the heart will goe beyond the ears to the hearts of people And blessed are the people that have such Ministers that shal speak nothing to them but what hath first been spoken by God in them Againe in this second verse he comes twice with the same expression The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea and againe The Lord said to Hosea and yet in the beginning of the first verse The word of the Lord came to Hosea Why all this three times All this upon good reason for Hosea was to come with a terrible message to the people and to reprehend them with much sharpnesse to tell them that they were the children of whoredomes and that they had departed from the Lord and he would have no more mercy upon them but would utterly take them away He had need therefore have an expresse command for what he did and to have much evidence of the Spirit that what he said was from God and not any thing of his owne spirit When a Minister of God shall come and reprehend a people severely for their sins and threaten Gods judgement let him then if ever look to it that he hath a good ground for what he saith that what he shall deliver may be nothing but the word of God in him the sheer word of God without any mixture of his owne It is an ordinary thing in Ministers in reprehending of sinne and denouncing of threatnings to mingle much of their own spirit and wrath But if at any time Ministers should take heed of mixing their own wrath then especially when they are to denounce Gods wrath then they should bring nothing but the word of the Lord for it being a hard message the spirits of men will rise up against it if they once see the spirit of the Minister in it they will be ready to say as the devill in the possessed man Iesus I know Paul I know but who are you So they the word of the Lord I know but what are you here is your own passion your own humour c. O let not any think to oppose sin with sin the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God You that are Ministers would you have a sentence I wil give you one and I have done When you are called to reveale Gods wrath conceals your owne The Second Lecture Hosea 1. the middle of the second verse and so on Go take unto thee a wife of whoredomes and children of whoredomes for the land hath committed great whoredome departing from the Lord. 3. So he went and tooke Gomer the daughter of Diblaim which conceived and bare him a son 4. And the Lord said unto him Call his name Iezreel for yet a little while and I will avenge the blood of Iezreel upon the house of Iehu will cease the Kingdome of the house of Israel 5. And it shall come to passe in that day that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Iesreel THE Preface to the work and to the whole prophesie you heard the last time The scope of the prophesie is the very same that the scope of this Chapter is to declare first The evill condition that Israel the ten Tribes were in in regard of their sins and punishment that was to be executed for their sins Secondly Gracious promises of mercy to a remnant to Iudah in the 7. ver and to Judah Israel both from the 10. ver to the end of the Chapter First God beginneth with conviction to shew them their sin and the dreadfulnesse of it Conviction should goe before correction You must not presently fly in the faces of those that are under you when they crosse you first instruct them and then correct them do as God did here God would first convince them of the greatnesse of their sinnes not by verball but by reall expressions Those things that come but to the eare they doe more slowly stirre and work upon the heart but things that are presented before the eye are more operative and therefore Hosea must not tell them onely that they had committed whoredome but must tell them in this way he must goe and take a wife of whoredomes and beget children of whoredomes In the very threshold in the entrance of the prophesie you see we meete with a difficulty a great difficulty First a command from God from the holy God unto a Prophet a holy Prophet to goe and take a wife of whoredomes not an ordinary whore but a most prostitute whore for so the word signifieth of whoredomes as in the Scripture phrase a man of bloods is a man that hath shed much blood and a man of sorrowes is a man that hath been exercised with many sorrows and so a wife of whoredomes is one that hath committed notorious whoredomes vile whoredomes Yet such a wife must the Prophet take to himselfe and his children must be children of whoredomes too How can this be S. Austin who had been a Manichee having to deale much with Macichees met with this object on from one Faustas a Manichee against the Old Testament for they denyed it saith Faustas that Old Testament of yours Moses and the Prophets is that of God doe you not finde there a command to take a wife of whoredomes and can this be from God Austin answereth it thus Though shee had been a prostitute whore before yet she might be reclaymed and so shee might be called a wife of whoredomes from that whoredome that heretofore she was guilty of and now reclaymed And so he thinketh that it was a reality indeed that Hosea did take to himselfe a wife of whoredomes and think to salve it up thus Theodoret is somewhat angry with those that thinke it was not really done but done only in away of vision I find many of our later men that are of the same minde that thinke there was a reality in it that God did command Hosea to take to himselfe a wife of whoredoms and that he did take such a wise one that was a notorious harlot so Arius Montanus Piscator Pareus Tarnovius and others they go that way and they thinke to salve it only thus that it is a command of God and therefore though it had not been lawfull for Hosea to have done it yet God commanding it he might do it As they instance in other cases that seeme to be somewhat of the like nature as the children of Israels robbing the Egyptians Abrahams killing his sonne and the like If this should be so as many
rule with God though it be the whole house of Israel God hath no mercy for the whole house of all the people of Israel Let no man presume to sin against the Lord because there are Multitudes that do offend think that he shal escape with the Multitude No all the nations of the world with the Lord are but as the drop of a bucket as the small dust of the ballance nothing even lesse then nothing And yet further No mercy upon the house of Israel Though it be the house of Israel yet no mercy upon her If it were the house of Pharaoh it were not so much but what no mercy to the house of Israel The neareness of any to God exempts them not from the wrath of God God hateth sin and hateth sin most when it is nearest him You have I knowne of all the families of the earth therfore wil I punish you for your iniquities saith the Lord. As we hate a Toad in our bosoms more then when it is at a further distance so God hateth sin in those that are nearest to him more than in those that are further off for God will be sanctified in all those that draw neer unto him But wherefore is all this that God wil have no more mercy upon the house of Israel what hath the house of Israel done that God should be so angry with it It is worth our searching and enquiring after why the Lord will at this time have no mercy upon the house of Israel It concerns our selves neerly The first and main reason is because of their continuance in their false way of worship notwithstanding all the means that God had used to bring them off not only by his Prophets sending them again and again to shew them the evill of their false worship in those 2. Calves in Dan and Bethel but by most remarkable works of his providence against them As for example The work of God against Jeroboam when hee was but stretching out his hand against the Prophet that came to denounce judgement against that Altar upon which he was offering Sacrifice his hand that he put forth against him dryed up so that he could not pull it in again to him and upon the prayer of the Prophet it was restored became as was before Again the remarkable work of God in anointing Iehu to destroy the house of Ahab and his seed for their Idolatry Yet notwithstanding these Prophets and these works of God with many other they still persisted in their way of Idolatry And this caused the Lord now not to have mercy upon the house of Israel Let us take heed of this God hath used and still doth use means to bring us off fully from all wayes of false worship not only by sending his Ministers from time to time to declaim against such things but by wonderful and remarkable works of his providence towards England especially at this day Never had any Nation never had England heretofore more remarkable works of God to draw them off from all wayes of false worship to bring them to worship God in the right way according to his will Now let us tremble at this sentence I will not add mercy I will have no more mercy God hath added mercy to us again and againe from time to time And now me thinks in this work of Gods mercy that he is about concerning us he speaks to us as he did to the people Come and put off thy ornaments that I may know what to do with thee Come now and humble your selves that I may know what to do As if God should say Come give in your last answer Certainly in that way that God is now in with us he calleth England to give its last answer as if he should say Now I am sheing mercy once more take heed of rejecting it lest you have a Loruhamah upon you I will adde no more mercy consider not onely what wee have done but what we do how we have abused mercy and how wee doe now abuse present mercy how opposite the spirits of most are against the work of reformation now in hand who even say to the Lord Christ depart from us we desire not the knowledg of thy ways When the people of Israel were offered Canaan and God bade them go in and possesse it they were then neer unto it but when they then refused Canaan God sware in in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest If ever a people were offered Canaan were offered the Ordinances of God in his owne way certainly wee are at this time Let us tremble lest God if wee reject this mercy should swear in his wrath I will have no more mercy upon you and so we prove to be a Loruhamah indeed But a second reason why this people could have no mercy might be because of their forsaking God even in the civill State For you are to know that this people of Israel had not only left God in their Church State and defiled themselves with false worship but they had in their civill government wickedly departed from that that God had appointed over them They had departed from the house of David and rent themselves from it It is true this was of Gods permission but yet it was the wickednes of their hearts no excuse at all for them Hence Chap. 8. 4. God chargeth them that they had set up Kings but not by him From whence this may bee observable That it is a most dangerous thing for a people to forsake that government to rebell against that civill government that God doth set over them When the people in 1 Sam. 8. 7. had required a King and would not be ruled by Judges any more saith the Lord to Samuel They have not rejected you but rejected me that I should not reigne over them A most dreadfull place And I confesse freely to you this one Text of Scripture was the first Scripture that took impression upon my thoughts and heart about fearing to goe on in a way of Church-government that God had not appointed For thus my thoughts reasoned What is God so provoked against a people that will reject but a Civill government a government that hee hath appointed that specially concernes but the outward man Then if it proves that God hath appointed any government in a Church that is Divine Institution that concerns the good of the soule and is immediately to work upon that surely God will be much more provoked there for rejecting it And going yet further upon search finding that though we have not a civill government appointed by God as the Jewes had yet for the Church state wee have one appointed even by God himself And reason there must be for it for whatsoever hath a speciall efficacy upon the heart must have a spirituall rule for the warrant and direction Indeed prudence and reason is enough for the ordering of things that
concern the outward man except God will come in with his owne institution But when it cometh to the ordering of the heart and there is a spirituall efficacy expected as in all Church ordinances there must be and that authority by which they are executed giveth a great influence into them now nothing can goe beyond its principle therefore it must have a divine institution to give it its efficacy It may here be demanded whether hat not God appointed over us a particular civill government as he did over the Jews That our government and all lawfull government of other Nations is appointed by God we must conclude is a certain truth But not so appointed by God as the government of the Jewes was And the reason is this because the Church and Common-wealth of the Jewes was involved in one and therefore the Apostle speaking of the Church hee saith they were Aliens and strangers from the Common-wealth of Israel It was meant of the Church state There was such a kind of Paedagogy under the Law that the Church and State were involved in one for Christ would be the head of the Church and Common-wealth too and appoint them lawes And so their government was imediately from heaven Now for us That we should have a government according to the rules of wisdome and justice that indeed is appointed by God God would have us have a government But he leaveth the ordering of that government to generall rules of prudence and justice So that now it is lawfull for any Kingdome or Country to agree together and according to the rules of wisdom and justice to appoint what government they wil as vvhether it shall be a Monarchy or an Aristocracy or a Democracy and to limit this according to Covenant of agreement as whether that the fundamentall povver shall be vvholly put out or any part reserved hovv farre this or that Man or society of Men shall have the Managing of it and the like then so farre as it is agreed upon vvee are bound in conscience to obey either actively or passively but no further are vvee bound to obey any Man though he be in authority yet vvee are not bound to obey him either actively or passively conscience is not tyed Though those men be in authority yet it is no resisting of authority at all not to do what they would have Yea though the thing be lawfull they would have yet if it be not according to the law of the kingdom to the first agreement I may be bound by the rules of prudence to save my selfe but it is not authority that binds me to obey out of conscience For we must of necessity distinguish between men in authority and the authority of those men Wherefore so long as wee seeke but to keepe authority in the right channell that it flows not over the banks we cannot be charged for resisting the government God hath set over us though we do not obey the wills of those who are set over us and therefore there is no cause that we should fear that God should say to England upon this ground Loruhamah hee will have no mercy To proceed But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah The people of Israel they might say Hosea thou art a Preacher indeed what preach nothing but judgment nothing but wrath to be utterly taken away Is there no mercy at all Is not God a mercifull God Yes saith the Prophet though you be taken away God knoweth how to glorifie his mercy he hath others that he can make to be objects of his mercy though you be destroyed From whence first you see that though God utterly reject some yet in the mean time he hath others to shew mercy unto Therefore it is no plea for any sinner to say thus well I have sinned indeed but God is mercifull What if God be mercifull so he may be though thou be damned and perish everlastingly Yea whole kingdoms nations may perish yet God may be mercifull God hath stil infinite ways to glorifie his mercy Many people in desperate moods lay violent hands upon themselves certainly there is a kind of spirit of revenge in it as if they thought there would be some trouble about it and so God should lose some honour But if you will have your will in this or in any thing else though you be dead and rotten and your souls perhaps in chains of darkness God will have wayes to be glorious in his mercy whatsoever come of you But 2. I will have mercy upon the house of Judah God will alwayes have a Church he will never destroy his Church at once the Lord loveth publique worship in the world Though he will utterly take away the house of Israel yet he will have mercy upon the house of Judah Again Israel might say what will not God be mercifull to us why I pray you what doth Judah get by her worshipping of God in that which you say is the only right way Judah indeed keepeth her selfe to Ierusalem keepeth her selfe to worship in the Temple but what doth she get by it for ought we see Iudah is in as hard an estate and in as low a condition as we nay as we shall see afterward Iudah was in a lower condition than Israel and certainly such kind of expressions as these they would be ready to have against the Prophet Well saith God let Iudah be what she will I will have mercy upon her Though carnal hearts when they look upon the low condition of the true worshippers of God think that there is no difference between those that are in a good way and themselves that are in the ways of sin yet God will make a difference I will have mercy upon Iudah but not upon Israel Many carnal men please themselves with this I see others that are strict that pray in their families that run to Sermons and wil not do thus and thus as others do yet they are as poor in as mean a condition as any others what do they get by their forwardness in religion Are not we in as good a condition as they Well friend though thy carnal heart think there is no difference between him that serveth God him that serveth him not God hath a time to manifest a difference There shall a time come saith God Mal. 3. 18. that you shall returne and discerne between the righteous and the wicked between him that feareth God and him that feareth him not I will not have mercy upon Israel but I will have mercy upon Iudah Fourthly Judah had at this time many grosse and fearful evils amongst them yea scarcely delivered from Sodomy it will aske a great deale of time to shew you the state of Judah in regard of the horrible wickednesse that was in it yet God saith I will have mercy upon the house of Iudah What is the reason of this Because though Iudah had many grosse evils yet Iudah kept
to the right way of worshipping God kept to Ierusalem to the Temple so farre they kept the worship of God pure Hence we see God will favour a people exceeding much though there be many weaknesses yea many wickednesses among them if they keep the worship of God pure It is true there are many spirits that are most bitter against those that seek to worship God in the right way if they can but get them tripping in any small thing they follow it against them with all their might with all the bitternesse that they can possibly This is not like unto God God will favour those that worship him in a right way though for other respects hee may have many advantages against them But this you will say seemes to contradict what you said before for you said the nearer any are to God the more he hates their sinnes and the sins of those that make a shew of worshipping God in a pure manner are worse than the sins of others It is true But as their relation to God in the nearnesse of his worship is an aggravation of their sins so their relation to God is a foundation of their hope of mercy from God How is this It makes their sin indeed worse so as to provoke God to punish them sooner and perhaps bitterer yet their relation to God keepeth this ground of faith that God is their God still and will have mercy upon them at last But the wicked though God spare them longer than his own people yet when he cometh against them he rejecteth them utterly so he did Israel Iudah indeed was punished but yet Iudah had mercy at last but saith God I will have no more mercy upon the house of Israel but will utterly take them away Fiftly Israel had prevailed a little before against Iudah for if you read in 2 King 14. 12. you shall finde that Iudah was put to the worst before Israel the Text saith They fled every man to their Tents and Iehoash the King of Israel took amaziah King of Iudah and came to Ierusalem and brake down the walls of Ierusalem from the gates of Ephraim to the corner gate four hundered cubits And he took al the gold and silver and all the vessels that were in the house of the Lord and in the treasures of the Kings house and hostages and returned to Samariah And this was but a little before this time Israel had thus prevailed against Iudah and brought Iudah under yet now saith God I will have mercy upon Iudah but not upon Israel What should we note from hence God sometimes sheweth mercy to poor afflicted ones and yet rejecteth those that are greater enjoy more prosperity in the world Many that are poor people poor souls that are in a low afflicted condition God looks upno them and sheweth mercy unto them when brave ones that carry it out and thrive and live gallantly in the world are many times rejected of God Mark what God saith Zeph 3. 12. I will leave in the middest of thee an afflicted and poor people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. God lookes not at the brave and gallant ones of the world but at the poor and afflicted ones and they shal trust in the name of the Lord. We must not then judge at the happiness of men according to their successe in the world For you may now be delivered and others kept under affliction yet afterwards you may be rejected and the others received unto mercy Further Hosea was the Prophet of Israel he was sent to the ten Tribes yet Hosea tells them whose Prophet especially he was and God would have no more mercy upon them And he speaks to Judah he was not sent to them and he tells them that God would have mercy upon them Here we may learn how impartial the Ministers of God ought to be in their work they must not goe according to their particular private engagements though they are engaged more to such a people in divers regards yet if they be wicked they must deale faithfully and plainly and denounce the judgements of God And if others though strangers to them be godly they are to give to them that comfort that belongs unto them My brethren partiality in those in publick places especially of the Ministery is a great evil It was for this that God said he had made the Priest and the Levite contemptible and base before all the people Why because they were partial in the Law Malac. 2. 9. 7. It is a great aggravation of the misery of some that God sheweth mercy to others For it is here set down as a part of the threatning against Israel I wil have no more mercy upon Israel but I wil shew mercy to Judah To aggravate the misery of Israel God manifesteth his mercy to Judah Mark how God in Esay 65. 13. makes it a part of his threatning against the wicked that he will shew mercy to his servants Behold my servants shall eate but you shall be hungry my servants shall drink but ye shall be thirstie Behold my servants shall rejoyce but ye shall be ashamed Behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart but yee shal crie for sorrow of heart howle for vexation of spirit These Buts are cutting ones to the heart of the wicked And observe it here is the word Behold three times used in setting out the difference that God will make between his servants and the wicked and how God will aggravate the misery of the wicked by shewing mercy to people because it is a thing much to be considered A like place you have Mat. 8. 11. Many shal come from the East West and shal sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob but the children of the Kingdom shal be cast out into utter darkness there shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth Mark they shall gnash their teeth when they shal see how they are rejected and others received gnash their teeth for envie and vexation of spirit for it is a great aggravation of mens misery And is it not fulfilled this day How do many bite their nailes and gnash their very teeth to see the mercy that God sheweth to his people in giving them liberty and encouragement in his service while he casteth shame contempt upon their faces bringeth them forth to answer for their wickedness and to suffer condigne punishment Wicked mens spirits vex at this it is that which they cannot possibly beare it is that which galleth and fretteth the very gaul of their heart to see the mercie of God to his people now in these dayes to see such an opportunity as this to meet together with this liberty to exercise our selves in the word when they are caged up This they gnash and grind their teeth at It is observeable that which you have in Acts 22. 21. Paul was speaking there a great while to the Jews they
satisfied yeeld to them gratifie them in what you will this is the first temptation what will you be so strict and rugged and yeeld to them in nothing but if they prevaile with you to begin to yeeld they will never have done they will still encroach upon you Hezekiah yeelded to Senacherib even to take away the gold of the Temple doores yea a little while after he cometh againe with a great host so that Hezekiah said it was a day of trouble and rebuke Chap. 19. Nothing will quiet them but the ruine of the Church they must needs have that Downe with it downe with it even to the ground nothing else will satisfie them To this low estate and sad condition was Iudah brought not long after Israel was taken away and yet God promiseth mercy to Iudah for all this VVhat shall we learne from this This profitable lesson for our present condition God may intend much mercy yea God may be in a way of mercy to a people yet may bring that people into very great straits difficulties The promises of Gods mercies are alwayes to be understood with condition of the crosse If we thinke that upon the promise of mercy we shall be delivered from all trouble affliction we lay more upon the promise then the promise will or can beare It is a great evil that proceedeth from much weaknes of spirit and distemper of heart for people though God hath done great things for them yet if there come any rub in the way and difficulty any trouble Oh now we are gone now vve are all lost now God hath left us we hoped that there would have come mercy we looked for light and behold darkness now the heart sinketh and all is presently given for gone Know my brethren this is an evil and an unbeleeving heart an evil and an unthankful heart God hath indeed done great things for us yet how ready are wee though God be in such a way a glorious way of mercy if we hear of any difficulty of any little rub any combining of the adversaries together we must expect nothing now but blood and bid farwel and adue to all our peace we thought to have had happy dayes but now the Lord is coming out against us and all that is done must be undone againe Why why are you so full of unbeleefe Surely this is unworthy of Christians that professe an interest in God unworthy of all the good that God hath done for us Peter though before he had walked upon the seas through the power of Christ yet when the waves came now Master save me or else I perish Hath not God made us walk upon the waves of the sea all this while wrought as great a Miracle for us in England as he did for Peter Yet when a wave doth but rise a little higher then before we are so distressed in our spirits that we can scarcely cry Oh Master save us but we look one upon another and discourage one another hearts and in stead of crying unto God wee cry out one to another in a discouraging way and so pine away in our iniquities Certainly God is exceedingly angry at such a demeanour as this and yet this is ordinary both in regard of nations and particular persons Of nations It was so high with Judah for I desire to keep as close as I can to the work I am about though God had made this promise to Judah here yet if we look into the 7. Isa Isaiah was contemporary with Hosea it was not much after the making of this promise wee shall see how they were troubled with fear saith the Text When it was told the house of David saying Syria is confederate with Ephraim the heart of the King of Judah and the heart of his people were moved as the trees of the wood were moved with the winde they were afraid and shook as the very leaves of the tree shake both the king of Judah and all the people Well but God speaks to the Prophet in the 8. Chap ver 11. and it was at this time when they were so troubled because of the enemies coming against them God I say in that Chapter speaks to the Prophet saith the text he speakes with a strong hand saying say not ye a Confederacy a confederacy Oh the King of Israel the king of Syria are confederate together what shal we do we are undone we are lost for ever say not ye A confederacy neither fear ye this fear nor be afraid but sanctifie the Lord of hosts himself and let him be your fear Thus God would have his Saints do not when you hear of confederate enemies or any ill tidings abroad Oh the papists are linked together A confederacy a confederacy do not say a confederacy fear not their fear but sanctifie the Lord of hosts himself let him be your fear and let him be your dread he shal be for a sanctuary to you and mark the resolution of the Prophet afterward ver 17. I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob and I will looke for him Oh that this were the disposition of our hearts Take that note away wiâ—h you amongst many though you cannot remember all when you hear so many rumors of fears and troubles as if all were gone and there were now no more hope Let this be your answer I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his facè from the house of Jacob for God is in a way of mercy and mercy certainly we shall have let us look for it And for particular persons how ordinary is it though God be in a wonderful gracious way of mercy towards them yet if they do but feel their corruptions stirring never so little all is gone presently I was indeed in a good way but God is gone Christ is gone and Mercie is gone all is gone surely God intendeth no thoughts of good to me Oh be not unbeleeving but beleeving For this is the way of God though he promiseth great mercie yet in the meane time he may bring into great afflictions I will not have mercy upon Israel but I will have mercy upon Judah and will save them For a people to be saved when others neare them are destroyed this is a great setting out of Gods goodnes to them as to stand upon the shore safely see others suffer shipwrack before us is a great augmentation of Gods mercy towards us When the people of Israel could stand upon the banks and see the Egyptians tumbling in the Red-sea and their dead bodies cast upon the shoare then saith the Text sang Moses and the children of Israel unto the Lord. And this kinde of mercie the Lord hath granted to us in England for while our neighbouring nations have been in a combustion and many of them spoiled we have sate under our own vines under our own fig-trees and our greatest afflictions have
can see how all the difficulties about the worke are or may be removed You must up and be doing be doing presently fall to the worke and then when you are working wisely to prevent and avoid the difficulties that come in it As those active spirits did that we read of in Nehem. 4. 17. when they were at work with one of their hands they wrought and with the other hand they held a weapon they did not stay the building of the wall of Jerusalem till all their adversaries were quashed but prefently they fell to it and with one hand they wrought in the work and with the other held a weapon This is an active spirit Further we must not be active in a sudden mood upon a meer flash and so gone but in a constant solid way Active yet solid Many indeed are stirring and active for the present but as the flame of a wispe of straw that makes a noise and a great stir for the present but soone after there remains nothing but black dead ashes But we must be considerately active Therefore observe the Scripture saith speaking of the Saints specially in the time of the Gospel that they are lively stones you know the place of Peter What a stone and yet lively A stone of all things is the most dead thing and so it is used to set out a dead spirit in that story of Nabal when Abigail came to tell him of the business of David the Text saith that his heart dyed within him and became as a stone What is this but to shew that though we must be lively and active 〈…〉 must be solid firme and substantiall in our activeness and again that when we are solid firm and substantiall yet we must be active There are many that know not how to be active solidly and therefore grow slight and vain in their activity and many others striving to be solid and substantiall they quicly grow dull many through a kind of affected gravity they would forsooth be accounted solid and wise and so become at last dull and heavy and of very little use in the Church of God Take heed of either and labour to compose both together that is acceptable to God to be living stones before him Ver. 11. Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together c. Here you have a promise both to Israel and Judah together Great was the enmity between Judah and Israel heretofore They worshipped the same God but in divers manners One worshipped God according to his owne institution Judah did And Israel worshipped the same God but after their own ways according to their own inventions so as might best sute with their politique ends There was a great deale of bitternesse and vexation between these two people though worshipping the same God and God here makes it a great matter to bring these two together that they should be gathered together in one For that here wee have the promise First that there shall be an union Secondly that there shall be an union under one head First that there shall be an union Hence then the first observation is this The enmity of such as seem not much different in matters of Religion and yet do differ is sometime exceeding great and bitter There shall be an union between Judah and Israel saith God Here is a mercy here is a wonderful worke of the Lord. In that God doth I say make this so great a matter this observation doth spring forth of the Text clearly that many times between such as professe the same Religion and seem not to differ much and yet do differ their oppositions are most bitter and ineconcileable and requires a mighty worke of God to bring them in and reconcile them It appears it was so between Judah and Israel I will give you but one Text for it 2 Chr. 28. 9. The Prophet Obed tells the children of Israel when he came to reprove them after the slaughter committed by them upon the children of Judah saith he Ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up to heaven What a rage was this this and yet thus the people of Israel were inraged against the people of Iudah their opposition was very bitter yea more bitter were they many times one against another then they were against the Heathen the Philistims and Assyrians and Egyptians that were round about them they were nothing so bitter against them as they were one against another Thus it hath been and untill that blessed time come that here is spoken of in the Text thus it will be You know the Calvinists and Lut he rans though they agree together against Papists in the main fundamental things yet â—h the bitternesse of their spirits one against another A Lutheran is scarce so bitter against a Papist as he is against a Calvinist Luther himself complaineth Not only open wicked men are our enemies but even our frends and those that at first received the doctrine of the Gospel from us even they persecute us most bitterly And he complaineth in particular of Zuinglius Zuing. saith he accuseth me of my wickedness of any cruelty so that the Papists doe not teare me so much as these my friends Again speaking of Corolost adius He is more deadly against mee more set against me then ever any of my enemies were Even hee that God did ufe together with Luther for great ends and purposes for the furtherance of the Gospell yet such bitterness was between them And hath it not been so amongst us Those that are Protestants and such as are nick-named Puritans though they do agree in all the fundamentall points against popery yet because there is some difference in matter of discipline and ceremonies Oh what bitternesse of spirit is there and it is so much the more sinfull in those who say themselves that discipline and ceremonies are but in different things they themselves are specially to be blamed for bitterneesse on their side because the conscience of the other is bound up and cannot yeeld yea not only such as doe contend against popish discipline but such as doe goe a further degree in reformation of discipline it selfe yet because they are differing in some few particulars oh the bitterness of spirit that is many times even among them These are times that call all the people of God to see what they can agree in and in that to joyne against the common adversary and not to tear one another by dissentions God may justly give us over to our adversaries if we agree not among our selves and they may chaine us together Perhaps a Prison may make us agree as it was said of Ridley and Hooper though Ridley stood much against Hooper in point of ceremonies and they could not agree yet when they came to Prison they did well enough there The Lord deliver us from that medicine of our dissentions that wee be not made
should see the thicker skin bubble he might thinke t is harder to be broke then the thinner skin but if a Cannon should be shot off nay if it be but a Fillip it makes no difference Now the afflictions of Gods people they are to this right hand of Gods power and the arme of his strength but as a bubble of water before a mighty Cannon Yea if there be not help at all to deliver Gods people in time of affliction yet God can create helpe He will create Jerusalem a rejoycing and their people a joy Yea suppose their condition be such as yet never was the like since the beginning of the world yet Isa 64. 4. Since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the care â—either hath the eye seene what God hath prepared for them that waite for him And as the greatnesse of the Churches deliverance is no hinderance of Gods power in delivering them so it should be no hinderance to the work of our faith Common prudence and reason will go a great way to uphold us under some affliction but when the affliction comes to be sore and grievous and long prudence reason then sinketh under the burthen but then should faith lift up it selfe and cast an eye upon this right hand of Gods power this arme of his strength that he hath sworne by and exercise it self in the glorious acts of it For certainly faith is appointed for such a time as this when the Church is under grievous extremities The ordinary afflictions of the Church do not call for such a work of faith but when they come to extraordinary that requires such a power of God for their deliverance then there is called for a worke of faith proportionable as Alexander when he was in great danger Now saith he there is a danger fit for the spirit of Alexander to incounter withall So when the Church comes to be in any great danger all the members of it should say here is a danger here is a trouble fit for the spirit of Christians fit for the spirits of those that are able to exercise the most noble and glorious acts of faith This glorious exercise of faith I may even say we are scarce yet for the present put to it for reason and sense sees much help they see that the cause of God at this day hath the better of the adversary reason I say and prudence may see far this way Let us not look upon every difficulty as a thing that calleth for such a mighty glorious worke of faith whereas men by reason and prudence and may carry themselves under such difficulties much better then most of us doe But we do not know but the Lord may call us unto such difficulties and dangers as requires such a faith as hath such a kinde of work as I have spoken of Let us therefore lay up this Instruction for the time to come Again for great shall be the day of Jezreel If the words be read thus as they are in your Bibles and yet have reference to the calamitous time and grievous extremities of the day of Jezreel then there will be these two excellent meditations from thence The first is That Gods bowels of compassion do work toward his Church because of the greatnesse of their affliction When their afflictions shall be very great and the greater they are the more do Gods bowels of compassion work toward them We know the misery of Gods people in Exo. 3. was a marvailous quickning argument to the compassion of God as I may so speake I have seene I have seene saith he the affliction of my people and their sorrowes and therefore am come down to deliver them If the greatness of the affliction of the Church move the bowels of Gods compassion then let not the greatnesse of affliction hinder our faith Let not the greatnesse of trouble reason down our faith but rather let it reason up our faith for so indeed it should and so the Saints of God heretofore have done by the greatness of the trouble we must reason up our faith as thus It is â—â—me for thee O Lord to work for men have almost destroyed thy law yea the high time is come for thee to have mercy upon Zion for thy people begin to favour the dust thereof What was this a good argument Have mercy upon me and pardon my sin for it is very great to move God withall Surely then this is a good argument Deliver us in our afflictions for they are very great for sin makes a great deale more distance betweene God and us then afflictions yet if the greatness of sin shall come to be put as an argument for Gods mercy and compassion to work much more the greatness of afflictions Yet this is the grace of God in the second Covenant that even the sins that before made the creature the object of hatred those sins come now to make it an object of compassion So afflictions that before were part of the curse they come now to be arguments for the moving of the bowels of Gods tender compassion toward his people Another note if you read it so for great is their affliction is this the promise is the only support of the soul and that which carrieth it thorow the greatest affliction Afflictions are as leade to the net the promise is as the corke the promise keepes above water when the lead pulls down But I leave these meditations though I finde many interpreters run this way And I rather take it as a further expression of Gods wonderfull mercy unto his Church For great shall be the day of Jezreel That is God hath a great day of mercy for Jezreel That is the meaning they shall appoint themselves one head they shall be gathered together and be made one they shall come up out of the land why for God hath yet to come a great day of mercy to his pepole A grâ—â—â— day of Jezreel And herein therefore God makes use of the name of Jezreel in a good sense They that carry it the other way would carry the signification of the name thus for great is the day of scattering of the scattered people so Iezreel signifieth as you heard in the beginning of the Chapter But Jezreel signifieth likewise the seed of God Before God made use of their name in the worse sense that he would scatter them according to their name now he makes use of their name in the best sense they are the seed of God and there is great mercy from God for them When God is reconciled unto a people he takes all in the best sense and makes the best acception of every thing as he doth here of the name Jezreel We have onely these two things to consider of in this expression 1. That the Saints of God and the Church they are Gods Jezreel That is they are the seed of God 2. That there is for this
of the Church that shall be marke what the Text saith The Lord shall regard the prayer of the destitute and shall not despise their prayer speaking of those that shall live in those times a little before this day of Iezreel shall be The Lord shall regard the prayer of the destitute the word that is translated destitute it signifieth in the Hebrew a poor shrub in the wildernesse a poor shrub that the foot of every beast is ready to tread downe and that poore shrub that perhaps is despicable in the eyes of the world and despicable in his own eyes yet saith the Text the Lord shal regard the prayer of that poor shrub Is there ever a poor shrub though never so destitute so despicable in the eyes of the world or in thine owne eyes yet be thou a praying Christian a praying soul praying for those things and God will regard thy prayer he will not despise thy prayer Perhaps thou art ready to despise thy prayers thy self but God will not despise them let all our hearts be lifted up and let us all cry with the Church Come Lord Jesus Come quickly O let this day come for great shall be the day of Jezreel HOSEA CHAP. 2. The First Lecture CHAP. 2. VER 1. 2. Say 〈◊〉 your brethren Ammi and to your sisters Ruhamah Pled with your mother plead for she is not my Wife neither am I her husband c. SOme joyne the first verse of this Chapter to the end of the former and according to a sense that may be given of the words agreeable to the scope of the latter part of the former Chapter it may seem more fit to be made the end of that then the beginning of this In the latter end of the former God was in a way of promising mercy to his people that those that were not his people should be his people and those that had not received mercy should receive mercy Now he calleth upon all whose hearts were with God to speake to one another of this great favour of God to his people foâ— their mutuall encouragement and for the praise of his Name As if he should say Well you have been under dreadfull threats of God your sins have called for dreadfull things but my grace is free and it is rich powerfull therefore you that were not my people and have deserved to be for ever cast off from being my people you that had not obtained mercy shall obtaine mercy Say to your brethren Ammi and to your sisters Ruhamah that is O you that are godly speak one to another and telâ— one another for the quickning of one anothers hearts of this great favour of God of his free grace Oh say Ammi Ammi the people of God Ruhamah Gods mercy We were not his people but now Ammi again God hath promised to make us to be his people we were rejected from mercy but mercy is come again now Ruhamah O the mercy of God O that free grace of our God that wee that have beene so vile so provoked the eyes of his glory we that have so sinned against mercy it self yet mercy should thus follow us to make us his people and to save us from his wrath It is a good thing to speake of the loving kindnesse of our God Psal 92. 1. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and to be telling of the goodnesse of God in the morning and his faithfulnesse every night That Psalme is appointed for the Sabbath It is a work of the Sabbath to be speaking one to another of the goodnesse of God Especially in this case when a people were afraid that they should have been for ever rejected that now God should call them againe Ammi my people and say now againe that he will have mercy upon them Psal 145. 4. 5. One generation shall praiss thy name to another and shall declare thy mighty acts I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty and of thy wondrous works Mark what the wayes of God are toward his Church when he commeth in the wayes of mercy they are wondrous works of God they are the mighty acts of God they are such wherein the honor of God appears yea they are the honour of his Maâ—esty yea they are the glorious honour of his Majestyâ— There is Majesty honour of Majesty glorious honour of Majesty mighty works of God wonderfull works of God When these appeare these are to be declared indeed And for them to be able to say to one another Ammi and Ruhamah it was to declare the wonderfull works of God and the glorious honour of his Majesty Yea it followeth further in that Psalme verse 6. Men shal speake of the might of thy terrible acts and I will declaâ—e thy greatnesse And verse 7. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodnesse Eâ—uctaâ—uâ—t so Arias Mâ—ntanus renders it they shall not be able to keep it in but break â—orth in the memory of thy goodnesse Happy are those people that God gâ—ants such subjects of discourses unto that they may say one to another to their brethren and sisters Ammi and Ruhamah It was not long since that when we met with our brethren we could not have such a subject of discourse as this is but usually when Christians met together after their Salutations their first question was Oh! what shall we do what shall we doe what course shall we take All the Newes almost that was in the Kingdome and the subject of discourses specially among the Saints was this Such a Minister silenced in such a place such a one banished in another place such a one imprisoned in another place such a one High-Commissioned in another place such signes of the wrath of God upon us we are afraid that God is going if he be not quite gone already we are afraid that he will not onely reject us from being his people but reject us from being a people upon the facâ— of the earth But blessed be God he hath changed the subject of our dâ—scourses Now Gods wayes have begun to be towards us as if he intended to make us again to be his people Now we may when we meet together have plentifull subjects of discourses about Gods grace mercy to say Ammi Ruhamah O the Lord manifesteth goodnes to an unworthy Nation we have hope that yet he will owne us to be his people we have hope that yet he will shew mercy to us though never so unworthy Who would have thought ever to have seene and heard of such things as we have seene heard who would have thought ever to have seene the hearts of the adversaries so daunted their power so curbed their rage so quelled the wicked in their own workes so ensnared their hopes so disappointed who would ever have thought to have seene the Saints so rejoycing their liberties so inlarged their hearts and expectations so raised This is the free grace of God
will be convinced I suppose of it that it is fit for children to plead with their parents when they go from God Thus we see it was with Jonathan 1 Sam. 19. 4. there you shall finde that he pleaded with his father when he saw him so furious and in such a passionate mood as he was in and in such a cruell way toward poor David Let not saith he â—he King sinne against his servant Let not the King he gives him very respectufll words and sheweth his due honour to his father Let not the King sinne against his servant and then goeth on and tells his father of the good service David had done and that David did not deserve such ill usage from him Thus when children shall see their Fathers or Mothers to be in a fâ—â—ous rage or passion it is fit enough for them if they come in an humble and submâ—ssive way in a beseeching way I be seech you father or mother consider that by these distempered passions in stead of helping your self you sinne against God you have known it by experience that you have often in such passion so broken out that many sinnes have broken from you and you have grieved for it afterwards oh doe not againe that which your Conscience hath so often checked you for If children should come thus in an humble and submissive way to plead with their parents they doe no more then their duty and their parents are bound to hearken to them in it I confesse they should be very carefull in keeping their due respect to their parents and not speake mallapertly but with all reverence and submission to them and to speak privately too if possibly it can be not to divulge their parents weaknesses You know Cham was cursed for discovering his fathers nakedness though he was drunk he did not shew his due respect at that time to his father but if he had sought to cover his fathers nakednesse and after had come and pleaded the case with him certainly he had not beene cursed but received a blessing Yea and there is a great deale of reason that children should pleade with heir parents and that you should give them leave so to doe because you know children are the worse for your sinnes God thrâ—tneth to visit the sinnes of the parents upon the children unto the third and fourth generation there are many threatnings against children for the sinnes of their parents therefore it concerns your children that they should plead with you and that you should suffer them For you say Sirrah what have you to do with me What doth it concern you Yes the child if he doth it in modesty and humility may say O father it doth concern me I may fare the worse for your sinnes God may come upon me for them therefore give me leave I beseech you to pleade the cause of God with you And if you will not give your children leave in this they may rise up as witnesses against you another day If children in an humble and submissive way plead with their parents and they will not hearken unto them then a very good pleading will be for them to burst out into teares before their parents and it is a very sutable and powerfull pleading that when children cannot prevaile in an humble and submissive way then to burst out into teares before them We read in the story of King Edward the sixth when Cranmer and Ridley came to him and were so earnest to let him give way to his sister the Lady Mary to have Masse he stood out and pleaded the case with them told them it was a sinne against God they used many carnall arguments to perswade the King but hee withstood them a great while at length when King Edward who was but a childe about 15 years of age saw hee could not prevaile with pleading against those grave men he burst out into teares and that so prevailed with them that they went away and concluded that the King had more Divinity in his little finger then they had in all their bodies and so yeelded to him Certainly in such pleadings the heart of a parent must needs be much hardned if hee will not breake and yeeld to his child You that are parents looke upon your childrens pleading with you and consider with your selves what doth God send one out of my loins out of my own wombe to come and plead the cause of God with me to draw me from the wayes of sinne and to do good to my soul for ever surely it is a mercy to have one out of my owne bowels to stand for the cause of God surely God is in it I see this child in other things walks humbly and obediently unto me As indeed you that are children that plead with your parents you need be carefull so much the rather to be obedient to them and not take upon you in an unseemly manner to check and reprove them and then it cannot but convince the heart of a parent What a blessing will it be to your children if you that have received your naturall life from your parents should be a means of the spiritual and eternal life of them Thus much for the expression Plead with your Mother Now for that which is chiefly aimed at Plead with your mother that is the Church and State Hence the Note is Those that are Godly should not onely sacrifice themselves to do good to themselves or friends in private but they are to labour to doe good to the publique too Not onely say to your sisters and to your brethren but pleade with your mother There are many narrow spirited men who if they can discharge as they think their consciences with their families and can plead with their servants and children or some of their own neere acquaintance perhaps they have done enough though for the publique they take no care at all Hence it is apparently implyed that all those that are members of any Church ought to be men of knowledge why because they are such as are called upon to plead with their Mother It is not for an ignorant Sot to plead with a Church of God and yet such should be all the members of every Church as in some cases they should plead with their mother Lastly which indeed is the maine Observation of all God giveth liberty to some private members of Churches yea it is their duty in some cases to plead with the whole Church This we must speak unto a little more Gods wayes and his Cause are so equal that private Christians though they be very weak yet they may be able to plead it with a Church It is true there is a great deale of disadvantage that a poore weak private Christian hath when he is to deale with a whole Church where there are many godly and learned but where as there is a disadvantage one way so the advantage is as much the other way in regard that the
young ones upon her wings that if any shoot at you to hurt you they must shoote through me first before they can come at you This was Gods mercy to them when they were in the wast howling wildernesse here is not such an And they were in a wildernesse yet God had much mercy upon them Thirdly milestone God brought them into a dry Land in this wildernesse they wanted water yet though they were ready to murmure he made them sucke honey out of the rocke and oile out of the flinty rocke Deut. 32. 13. You will say when did God make them suck honey out of the rock wee read indeed that water gushed out of the rocke in a dry land but here the Scripture speaks that he made them suck honey oile out of the flinty rock It is a note of Chrysostome speaking upon this very thing of Gods making them sucke honey and oile out of the rocke Not saith he that there was indeed honey or oyle came out of the rock but because they being in the wildernesse and in such great want the water that came out of the rock was to them as sweet and delightfull as if it had beene honey or oyle Thence he gathered that note that want and necessity will make every thing very sweet and comfortable water will be as honey and oile to them that want When you are at your full tables This wine pleaseth you not and that beere pleaseth you not but if you were in necessitie water would be as wine it would be as honey and oile to you Yea but what say you to the fourth And He will slay them with thirst Can you shew us any place wherein God did slay his people yet shew mercie to them Yes I can There is a place where it is said God slew his people yet for all that at that very time he shewed abundance of mercie to his people when God did come with his sword in his hand yet with abundance of compassion in his heart The Scripture is in Psal 78. 34. Marke what the Text saith there When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God and they remembred that God was their Rocke Well they sought him and they remembred this that God was their Redeemer but did God redeeme them at that time Yes verse 38. He being full of compassion for gave their iniquity and destroyed them not yea many a time he turned his anger away and did not stir up all his wrath Or as the old Translation hath it He called backe his anger which here he will not doe He was full of compassion and forgave their iniquity and called back his anger though he did slay them at that time He denieth to doe it here he letteth out his anger here to the full and will not call it back I will have no mercy upon them And it is observable in this Scripture that yet the Text saith before that they did but flatter God with their mouth though they did but flatter God with their mouth yet such was Gods mercie toward them that he calleth back his anger My brethren God hath a high esteeme of his worship in a Nation though it should be but externall but we must not rest in that yet many times externall humilliation and worshipping of God in a Nation hath beene effectuall to deliver them from externall judgements Therefore we have much cause to be incouraged in that God doth stirre up our Nation at this day yea and those particularly that are going in that expedition and service for the Kingdome that God doth stirre them up to goe forth worshipping of him Our adversaries come against them with Oathes and curses and they goe against them with fasting and prayer not externally onely but we hope internally many of them and thousands that joine with them in our Nation And if God will shew so much mercy to them when they did but flatter him with their mouth surely then when as there are so many true worshippers of him yea those that are the instruments of the work we have much cause to think that God will shew mercy to us and that if anger were come out against us yet God will call it backe Thus then we see that so long as Gods people be Gods people though they may be brought to great troubles we cannot be secured from troubles yet still there is mercie for them so long as they are his people so long as the knot is between God and them and they are in Covenant there is mercie for them But now when they are cast off now there commeth an and I will doe thus and thus bring them into these extremities and I will shew no mercy to them there shall be judgement without mercie The observation then from hence is when God commeth upon the wicked with wrath hee cometh with pure wrath Wrath without mixture of mercie and this is intolerable We have a remarkable place for this Isa 7. 5. An evil saith the Text an onely evil behold it is comming Marke there may come an evil to the people of God that which materially is evill but it can never be said of Gods people that an evill an only evill is comming If an evil come there cometh a great good together with that evil but now it is upon the wicked an evil an onely evil is coming God threatneth Psal 75. 8. that he hath a cup in his hand full of mixture the mixture of that is an aggravation of the wrath that is in it but here there is a cup in Gods hand without mixture and the want of mixture is the aggravation of the evil of this cup. VVhen wrath is pure then it is grown beyond anger and grown to hatred so long as it is but meere anger it admitteth of mixture of love but when once it is as we may speak grown to that height of sowerness that all the mixture of love is gone then it is turned to hatred There was a time when Israel spake in a murmuring way that God brought them into the wildernesse because he hated them Deut. 1. 27. But now God threatneth to bring them into the wildernesse and to hate them indeed according to that Hosea 9. 15. All their wickednesse is in Gilgal for there I hated them David prayeth Psal 6. 1. that God would not rebuke him in his wrath neither chasten him in his hot displeasure but what then Have mercy upon me O Lord So long as God sheweth mercie he doth not chasten in his sore displeasure but when God commeth with afflictions denyeth mercie then he commeth in sore displeasure indeed it is hatred Secondly When God commeth without mercie he commeth upon the wicked in the most unseasonable time for them that can be That is the difference betwixt the evills that come upon the godly and the wicked There may be evills that materially are so upon the godly but yet they shall come
otherwise our Governours had in their hands hearts to bring to passe As 2 Chron. 20. 33. it is cleere there Howbeit the high places were not taken away why For as yet the people had not prepared their hearts to seeke the God of their Fathers Why should they have pulled down the high places no but they should have beene in a preparation for the pulling of them downe Certainly this is the great cause why our high places are not pulled downe why Reformation hath gone on no better then it hath and why we have so much evil remaining amongst us because the people have not prepared their hearts they are not in a disposition to receive the mercie that our governours have hearts to bring unto us They have hearts to work for us but when we speake to them of what is fit to be done their answer is but is England in a fit disposition to receive such a thing as that is so that the truth is although you are ready to cry out of your Governours you say they have power in their hands why doe they not reforme things yet the guilt in great part devolves upon the people they are not in a fit dâ—sposition to receive such reformation therefore God threatneth the childâ—en the peoâ—le here Again further It may be it is from you that the Governours that are evil are so much incouraged and abetted in that which is evill though you doe it not yet you so much incourage them as the guilt redounds upon you Yea lastly If you do but obey them in any thing that is evill in doing of that the guilt devolveth upon you for you should not do it but rather obey God then man Many thinke to make this their plea they are commanded to doe thus and thus and Governours would have them doe it and it is Law and the like and they thinke upon this plea they may do any thing in the world This will not secure you God may come with judgement without mercie upon the children as well as upon the Mother And if Gods wrath should come in nationall judgements against England let the people know that they are like to smart most dreadfully for never was their a time in our dayes nor in our fore-fathers dayes that so much depended upon the people as at this day never were they called to that help as now they are called to at this day So that the people now may have reformation they may have blessings if it be not through their own default As Cant. 7. 1. The Church is there described in her beauty and it beginneth at her feete How beautifull are thy feete And Cant. 5. There Christ is described in his beauty and it beginneth at the head His head is as the most faire gold God sometimes makes use of the people to be great meanes and perhaps the beginning of means to bring beauty to the Church though they cannot perfect it Heretofore private persons could doe little Alas though they were under grievous oppressions they knew not now to help themselves Many men that had purses and strength and heads and hearts and all yet they knew not what to doe but to make their moane one to another and to heaven but now it is otherwise now you may do somewhat else besides making your moane one to another yea besides making your moaâ—e to heaven for you that have purses now you may see waies to employ them for the publique good for Religion for liberty you that have strength of body may know what to doe you that have head-pieces I mean parts you are called to help you may joyne together for God and the good of your Country you may do much more then heretofore could be done Wherefore now if you should desert the Cause of God and desert those that you have trusted you must expect the most dreadfull wrath of God and that without mercie even upon the people that ever was upon any nation since the beginning of the world for never any nation that we know of had more depending upon the people then there is at this day upon the people of England O consider of it and oh that all the people of the land did but know what God would have them to do in such a time as this Again I will not have mercy upon her children upon particular private persons in the society One note more upon that It is a dangeraus thing for men in any societie to do as the most doe If they be in a civill societie to give their votes and to do as the greater part doth if you be in a Church societie to do as the greater part doth without any examination of it this dangerous For though the greater part the communitie may doe that which is evil you shall not be excused by that for you to say why what could I help it whâ—n the most doth it God commeth upon private and particular men upon the children even every one of them And why For they are the children of whoredomes That is either passively or actively passively because they were begotten of whoredomes and brought up their education hath been in whoredome they have had it from their parents Or else they are the children of whoredomes actively they live in the same whoredomes their Mother did From hence First There is little hope of children brought up in wicked education who have wicked parents also If the dye have beene in the wooll it is hard to get out of the cloth If wickedness if evill principles have beene dropped into children there is little hope of them for good especially of those children that have been brought up in wayes of superstition and Idolatry their hearts being so soyled and defiled and hardned in superstitious and idolatrous wayes they seldome come to any good Therefore that which hath been mentioned is very good namely of wayes to take the children of Papists to bring them up in the education and knowledge of the truth Yet Secondly This shall not excuse children though they be the children of whoredomes It is no excuse for them to say they had it from their Parents and they did as their Parents have done and as they bade them and according as they brought them up No it excuseth not at all for the wrath of God commeth upon them that are the children of whoredomes Then what a mercie is it for us to be brought up in the truth to have Parents that doe professe the truth and for our education to bee in the way of truth It is a mercy that we do not consider of to give God the glory of it How dangerous is it to have superstitious Idolatrous Parents and to have such kind of education there is not one of ten thousand that altereth his religion If they have Turks or Jewes or Papists to their parents and such education it is not one of tenne thousand I say that altereth his religion
calleth the hedge and the wall they were fore afflictions and they were for their sins for their perversness and yet God intendeth good and mercy to them in those afflictions Here is the vertue of the Covenant of grace it takes out the sting and venome and curse even of afflictions that are not onely for tryal but for sin they are to keepe you from greater misery if God bring some misery upon you it so appeareth unto you yet being in covenant with him this is the blessing of God upon you that those troubles are to keep you from greater misery that would befall you That for the general Now for the particulars as the words lye Therefore behold This inference therefore I told you it was as if God should say thou wilt still goe on notwithstanding all admonitions and meanes that I shall use by my Prophets therefore behold I will doe thus and thus From hence we may observe first There is even in the Saints such a slavish disposition remaining that they will stand out against God along time even against admonitions exhortations convictions and threatnings of his word Not only the reprobate will doe so but such is the perversnesse of the hearts of men that even the elect of God will many times do so this is a sore and grievous evill that it should be said so of them for if there be ingenuity in the spirit of men the very notice of the minde of God is enough to cause the heart to yeeld and surely grace doth make the heart of a man ingenuous and God expects that there should be melting of spirit at the very notice given of his displeasure yet behold even in the hearts of the godly many times there remaineth so much slavishnesse that they will not come in but upon Gods dealing very hardly with them they must have many afflictions they must be whipped home before they will returne home God must send the dog many times to worry his sheepe before they will come in This God complains of Jer. 2. 14. Is Israel a servant is he a homs-borne-slave why is he spoiled ver 17. Hast thou not procured this unto thy selfe So it may be said of many even of the Saints when we see how the wayes and dealings of God are toward them yea even God himselfe speakes thus What is such a one a servant is he a slave is not such a one my child how is it then that hee must be dealt with like a slave like a servant Secondly Therefore because one meanes will not do it namely my Prophets admonishing and threatning therfore I will do thus thus therefore I will consider of some other way to deale with you The observation is VVhen one means will not keepe from sinne either those that wee have to deale with or our selves we must not rest there but set even our braines on work to look after other meanes What will not this do it Is there any things else that possibly may doe it That means then shall be used Thus God as we may speak with reverence even studyes his administrations towards his people when he is frustrated in one and if that do not do it he bethinks with himselfe is there any thing else will do it if there be any thing in the world can do it it shal not be left unattempted God doth not presently cast off his people because they stand out against him in the use of one meanes It is true for others that are not in covenant with him God is quick with them and if they come not in presently he cuts them off and will have â—o more to do with them but for his own people though they stand out long yet God tryeth one meanes after another and after that another This is the grace of God towards his own It should be our care to imitate God in this when you are to deale with others that are under you with your children or servants do not satisfie your selves in this I have admonished them and threatned them and perswaded them What then yet they will not come in What will you have no more to do with them then Will you cast them off presently You should study what further course may be taken study their dispositions What do I think will work upon them if this do not will faire meanes will foule meanes vvill any thing do it if any thing will you should labour to deale with them that way So for your own hearts when you are convinced of the evill of your own hearts it is true your consciences will not be quiet unlesse you use some meanes against that sinne that is in your heart well but I have used meanes I have layed the word to my heart the threatnings the promises to my heart and I have followed Gods ordinances will it not doe will not my heart come off Is there no other meanes to be used what doe you say to the afflicting of your soule Try that you have layed the word to your heart and you finde it doth not work try the afflicting of your soules in humilliations fasting and prayer for the overcoming of your sinnes Thus God doth when admonitions and exhortations of the Prophets vvill not doe yet saith God I will try another way I will bethinke me of some other course I will hedge up their way with thorns I will see whether I can bring them in that way These two from the inference Therefore From the note of attention Behold we have an excellent usefull observation that naturally springeth up For God to make the way of sin to be difficult to sinners is a most singular mercy Howsoever alwaies it doth not prove so but take it at the worst yet it is better for the way of sin to be hedged with thorns to be made difficult to us then to have the smoothest way that possibly can bee As it is one of the greatest judgements of God upon wicked men to lay stumbling blocks before them in the way of righteousnesse so it is one of the greatest mercies of God to his children to lay stumbling blocks â—â—d difficulties before them in the way of sin It is an 〈◊〉 way of Gods dealing even with reprobates with those he hoth no love unto that in the wayes of godlinesse in the way to life he in his just judgement layeth stumbling blocks before them and they appeare very difficult to them the hedge of thornes compasses about the way of righteousnesse to the wicked therefore you shall finde it in Pro. 15. 19. that the way of the slothfull man is said to be as an hedge of thornes that is a slothfull man who is a wicked man there hee lookes upon any duty that he should perform as compast about with an hedge of thornes God in his just judgement suffereth difficulties at least to appeare to him in the way of his duties that makes him to have no mind to
men from their sins God usually cometh with greater and sorer I see some of them will break through the hedge I will make a wall therefore that is I will come with stronger and greater afflictions and so keep them off Levit. 26. 18. If you will not for all this saith God turne unto mee I will punish you seven times more and I will breake the pride of your power you thinke there is a power in your hand and there is pride in your power for power raiseth the heart up to pride I will break it I will never leave till I have broke your hearts in spight of you and you shall find ein that Chapter four or five times mention of seven times more This is after the hedge then there cometh a wall And they shall not find their paths Hence God is able to strike men with blindness that they shall not see their way Though there be an evill way of mischief before them yet God knows how to strike them with blindness though there be nothing to hinder them in it God can strike men with blindness one way or other that they shall not bee able to see their way before them We have this this day exceedingly fulfilled in our eyes how doth God blind and befot our adversaries that they cannot see their way the truth of that Scripture Job 5. 13. is this day before our eyes He taketh the wise in their owne craft inesse and the counsel of the froward is carried head long How hath God taken wise men in their own craftinesse the counsell of froward men their spirits are froward because they are crost they are vexed their counsell is carried headlong God takes away their understanding and doth baffle them in their own counsels A notable Text we have in Psal 75. 6. The stout-hearted are spoiled they have slept their sleep and none of the men of might have found their hands They are cast into a slumber and know not what in the world to doe they know not how to make use of that power they have in their hands It followeth further in that Psalme At thy rebuke O God of Iacob both the charet and horse are cast into a dead sleep A strange expression that a Charet should be cast into a deepe sleepe the meaning is they can no more tell how to make use of them then if they all lay for dead or asleepe Let us not be afraid of the power of adversaries suppose they had power in their hand God can strike them with blindnesse they shall grope to find the door they shall be baffled in their own waies they shall not tell how to make use of their own power Isa 29. 14. Behold saith God I will proceed to doe a marvailous worke even a marvailous work and a wonder What is it The wisedome of their wise men shall perish the understanding of their prudent men shal be hid This is a wonderfull thing that God will doe yea and he will mingle a perverse spirit in the midst of them so you have it Isa 19. 11. Surely the Princes of Zoan are fooles the counsell of the wise counsellours of Phaâ—aoh is become bruitiâ— and verse 12. Where are they where are thy wise men And againe verse 13. The Princes of Zoan are become fooles the Princes of Noph are deceived and verse 14. The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit it in the midst therof they have caused Egypt to erre in his worke as a drunken man that staggereth in his vomit Here is the judgement of God upon Men when he list he can blind them in their way that they shall erre in their worke and they shall stagger in their own counsels and designes as a drunken man in his vorâ—it they shall not finde their paths they shall not know in the world what to doe VVell Thus God dealeth with wicked men But now let us consider this in reference to the Saints to Gods own people they shall not finde their paths then the Observation is It is a good blindnesse for men not to see the way of sinne It is promised here in a way of mercy that they shall not finde their paths this darkeness it is not the shadow of death but the way of life It is rich mercy I have read of one Maris a Bishop of Calcedon a blinde man to whom Julius the Apostate giving some opproptious words and calling him blinde foole because he had rebuked Julian for his Apostacy the good man answered thus I blesse God that I have not my sight to see such an ungracious face as thine So many may blesse God for their bodily blindnesse because it may be it hath prevented abundance of sinne that might have beene let in at the casements of their eyes But especially for blindnesse not to see the way of sinne if we may call that blindnesse It is a mercy that God doth not grant to all it is a singular mercy to the Saints For you shall finde there are abundance of people exceedingly quick-sighted in the way of sinne that can finde the path there and yet are exceedingly blinded in the way of God and cannot find the path there On the other side that Saints are blinded in the way of sinne but are quick-sighted in the wayes of God How many men are wise to do evill as the Scripture saith they are able to see into the depths of Satan they are profound to damn themselves they can finde out such objections against the 〈…〉 answer such things that are said against 〈…〉 devises contrivances how to get to their sinfull wayes but when they come to the wayes of God as blind as Moles they cannot see such necessity of such strictnesse they cannot understand men of great parts great Rabbies of great understanding otherwise they have no skill in the wayes of God I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth saith Christ that thou hast hid these things from the wise and learned and hast revealed them unto babes Whereas on the other side you shall find that the Saints are able when they come to Gods waies to see farre into the excellency and glory of them they have understanding there though they be but weake otherwise they can see into the great mysteries of God into the beauty of his wayes so that it dazeleth all the glory of the world in their eies they are not easily catched with temptations but can see into the subtilties of the devill that would draw them out of Gods waies but when they come to the wayes of sin there they want understanding and it is Gods mercy to them to doe so there they are but bunglers they do but grope as blinde men they are not their crafts masters they are not cunning artists in those waies but as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 1. 1â— Wee have not received the spirit af the world wee cannot shift for our selves as the men of the
it would warme and refresh yea 〈…〉 The Text saith of Elies sonnes 1 Sam. 2. 12. that they knew not the Lord they were Priests of God yet they were sonnes of Belial and know not the Lord. Be not offended at great Schollars who have skill in the tongues Arts and Sciences do not you say these men that are great and knowing men would they do thus and thus if things were so as you speake they are not knowing men God saith that Elies sonnes did not know the Lord the things of God are hid from them I thanke thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid thess things from the wise and prudent c. Sixthly They did not know that I gave them c. Affected ignorance comming thorough distemper of heart is no excuse but rather an aggravation It is a high degree of ingratitude not to prize Gods mercy but not to take notice of Gods mercies Oh what a high ingratitude is this That which shall be part of Gods charge against sinners can be no excuse of their sinne it is a part of Gods charge that they did not know therefore their ignorance cannot be their excuse God threatneth to cut people off to have no mercy upon them for want of knowing as well as for not doing They are a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will have no mercy upon them and he that formed them will shew them no favour Esay 27. 11. Ambrose hath this expression Thou doest sinne greatly if thou doest contemne the riches of Gods long suffering but thou sinnest most of all if thou doest not know it From the word for as depending upon the 5. ver for so it doth The Observation is The not taking notice and considering of Gods mercies and laying them to heart is the cause of vile and shamefull evils in mens lives Therefore they did shamefully therefore they went after their lovers because they did not know the cause of almost all the evill in the world it is from hence They that know thy name will trust in thee those who know the Lord will feare him and his goodnesse Esay 1. 4. Ah sinfull nation saith God God fetcheth a sigh under the burthen of it his spirit is laden and troubled with it Ah sinfull people c What was the matter The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider they were more stupid then the brute creatures Oh sinfull soul this is the cause of all thy inordinate walking of all thy profanenesse of all the ungodliness in thy wayes because thou dost not know thou dost not consider thou dost not lay to heart the wayes of God towards thee Ier. 2. 5. God chargeth his people that they were gone from him and ver 7. that they had made his heritage an abomination What is the reason that is given of both these It is in the 6. ver They did not say Where is the Lord that brought us up out of the land of Egypt c. They did not take notice of what the Lord had done for them therefore they were gone far from him c. If thou hadst but a heart to lay to heart what God hath done for thee it is impossible that thou shouldst goe so farre off from God as thou dost For these deductions are easie and obvious to any from such a principle 1. Justice common equity requires living to God seeing we live by and upon God 2. Common ingenuity calls for requiring good with good the Publicans and Heathens will do good to those that do good to them 3. If all be from God then all still depends upon God 4. How much good is there in God from whence all this good and mercy comes when God shall shew another day to men and Angels how hee was the fountaine of all good it will confound those who have not laid it to heart 8. She did not know that I gave her corne and wine and oyle and multiplyed her silver and her gold God is more bountifull to his people then the Idols can be The Idols by their owne confession gave them but their bread water and flax and oyle c. but God giveth them wine silver gold God gives them better pay a great deale then the Devill doth yet the Devill usually hath more servants to follow him then God hath though his wages bee lesse and worse It is usuall for men to get souldiers from adversaries by givâ—ng them more pay This is the way God takes he offereth a great deale better pay to those that will follow him then they have that follow the Devill yet God can get few to follow him This shews the vilenesse of mans heart against God 9. She did not know that I gave her c. which she prepared for Baal When men get abundance then they soon grow wanton When I gave them corn and wine and oyle and multiplyed their silver and their gold then they followed Baal This is the reason of so many solemne charges of God Take heed when thou art full that thou dost not forget the Lord. As they that are neerest the sun are the blackest so those to whom God is neerest in regard of outward mercies are many times blacker then others It is observed that the fatter mens bodies are the lesse blood and the fewer spirits they have so the fatter mens estates are many times the lesse spirit they have to any thing that is good God hath lesse spirit from them sinne hath much more We read of the sunne melting the Manna that fell downe but the same Manna was able to bear the fire so many a mans heart is able to beare affliction and the affliction doth good prepareth for much good as Manna was prepared to be eaten by fire but prosperity melteth them makes them useless Many men when they were poor and in a low condition were very usefull but when they grow high and rich they are of very little use in the places where they dwell Trajan the Emperour was wont to liken a man growing to a great estate to the Spleene in the body for as the Sâ—leene grows big the body growes lesse so when mens estates grow bigger they grow lesse usefull Euagrius noteth it as a speciall commendation of Mauritius the Emperor but notwithstanding his prosperity he retained his ancyent piety it is a very rare thing to see men advanced to high places do so 10. I gave her corne and wine and oyle and I multiplyed her silver and gold which they sacrificed to Baal Even those creatures that wicked men abuse to their lusts God gives them Though he doth not give them for that end yet those creatures that they use for such an end are given of God If thou beest a drunkard that wine or drinke that thou dost sacrifice to that lust of thine who giveth it thee Is it
and desperately inflameth wicked resolutions of ungodly men When a company of ungodly men met together in a Tavern and there have drunk and eat liberally how desperately are they set against the ways of godlines then they scorn and jeer godly Ministers and Parliament and Christians they are then as if they were above God their tongues are their owne and who shall controule them and all when their lusts are heated with wine and good cheer Mark that Scripture Ps 35. 16. With hypocriticall mockers at feasts they gnashed upon me with their teeth Here is scorning and violence gnashing upon the Psalmist with their teeth and this at their feasts Hos 7. 5. In the daye of our King the Princes have made him sick with bottles of wine he stretched out his hand with scorners They brought bottles of wine and when his lusts were heated with wine and good cheere then hee joyned with them in scorning the wayes and worship of GOD they scorned at all those that would goe up to Jerusalem to worship according to the institution these must be so precise that they will not joyne with us as if wee had not the worship of GOD among us they tel tales to Jeroboam and the other Princes of the godly who would not yeeld to their idolatrous wayes of worship they scorned at their precisenesse Now saith the Text The King stretched out his hand with scorners takes them by the hand and encourageth them in that way and tells them he will take a course with them not one of them shall be suffered to live in his dominions Their hearts were put all agog with their feasts but God hath a time to take away feasting times from a people a time when those who have delighted themselves so in the use of the creatures shall have all those merry meetings and brave times cease never feast more never meet with such merry company more As that Pope Adrian said when he was a dying O my soule whither art thou going thou shalt never be more merry For Kingdomes also though there be times for feasting yet there is a time of mourning and God seems this day to be comming to us to take away our feasts to call upon us to spend our times in another way It were good for us to do what we can to prevent God by humbling our selves in a voluntary way to take away our owne Feasts and to change our Festivities into Humiliations The times call for fasting now rather then feasting and it is a most dreadfull sin then for men to give liberty to themselves for feasting when God calls for mourning and fasting It is not at your liberty to feast when you will Isa 22. 12. is a most dreadfull place that might make the hearts of those who are guilty in this kinde tremble Vers 12. And in that day did the Lord of hosts call to mourning and to girding with sackcloath and behold joy and gladness slaying oxen killing sheep drinking wine Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till you die saith the Lord God of Hosts While the bread is taken away from our brethren and the land is so miserably spoyled and when such a black cloud hangeth over our heads here is no time for Festivities Whatsoever your customes have been at this time now coming I mean that which you call your Christmas Festivity you are certainely bound now to turne it into a time of mourning For if wee should grant it lawfull for men to appoint Holy-days that way for feasting of which more by and by yet certainly it cannot be but a sinfull thing so to set those dayes apart as whatsoever providence of God falls out yet they will continue what they themselves have set You will all grant this that if it be lawfull to keep this time of Festivity yet this not that that God himselfe hath set apart and enjoyned We never have it required by Christ or by his Apostles that at such a time just when the yeer cometh about that wee should have solemn dayes of Festivity Well then at the most if we suppose it lawfull it is but the institution of man if it be mans institution then certainly it must give way to Gods work to providence For man to put so much upon his institution because hee hath appointed such a day when the yeer cometh about to rejoyce in that whatsoever worke of God falls out in the mean time that calls for humiliation and fasting yet hee will hold to his own institution what is this my brethren but to make the commandements of God to be of none effect through mans tradition It is apparent breach of that Scripture For this is certaine now that it is the commandement of God that you should mourne and fast if then because of mans institution you will put by the command of God and now spend time in feasting and rejoycing which ought not to be but in such times when God shines upon a Kingdom in wayes of mercy know this is sin unto you If you can say that God shines upon us now in present extraordinary mercies then we may feast I confess they are extraordinary mercies in regard of what wee may hope to be the event and effect of them but for the administrations of God towards us they are such as if ever they called for fasting they call for it at this day Therefore here by Gods works amongst us wee know we have Gods will revealed to us namely to fast the other at most is but mans institution and tradition Now the traditions of man must yeeld to the commandements of God With what conscience now can you take such a plentifull use of the creature and suffer your brethren to want cloaths and bread If God have yet granted to you such a comfortable estate that you have so much to spare as to feast know you are bound in conscience then to lay out that in relieving your brethren who have been so cruelly used therefore God brings them to you to be objects of your compassion It would be very acceptable to God if so much as any of you have usually spent in feastings or intended to spend in these twelve dayes you would set it now apart for the reliefe of those who want bread and set the time apart also for mourning in your families that God would pardon the sinne of these times formerly committed And now not only feasts in private Families should cease but the feasts of Companies in your publique Halls likewise What abundance of poor plundered people might be relieved if all that were spent in one yeere in the feasts of your companies were laid aside for their use These are times for mercy not for festivity if wee will not cease our feastings let us know God hath thousands of wayes to take away feasts from a kingdome and to bring cleanness of teeth among us I will take away their feasts saith the Lord. The main thing in
this verse to be opened to you is what these feasts of the Jews were In the opening of all these we shal be put upon the opening of much Scripture and therefore I shall not make hast out of this verse The words here are Feasts and solmne Feasts they are Feasts both in your English but the words in the Hebr. differ much the first comes from a word that signifies to rejoyce and leape the second from a word that signifies a stated a setled time Our English word Feast comes of the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a goddes as the heathen so called that which the Latines call Vesta the goddess both of earth and of fire The Jewes had their Civill feasts and their Holy feasts Amongst their Holy feasts some were of Gods appointment and some of their own Of Gods appointment some were more solemn some lesse Their Civill feasts were times wherein they tooke a more liberall use of the creature in rejoycing one with another upon some specially occasion this they called a Good day not a Holy day so you have it Esth 8. 17. The Jewes had joy and gladnesse a feast and a good day so they were wont to expresse the day of feasting facere Bonum diem to make a Good day to their brethren it will appeare by examining that Text of Esther that that day thought it was set to be kept every yeer yet it was but as a good day to them and could not be said to be a holy-day we do not read of any religious solemne exercise that they had for the day Such a day I take to bee our fifth of November a Good day not a Holy-day wherein wee have a more liberall use of the creature then at other times and remember the mercies of God with thanksgiving But wee know the day is not set apart for this end so as it is unlawfull to be exercised in any other thing and we shall shew afterward how that dayes cannot be set apart Annually or be made holy by men Their Religious feasts which they presumed themselves to make holy were their feasts rather then Gods and for that you have the example of Jeroboam he appointed a feast even of his own head it is in 1 King 12. 32 33. And Jeroboam saith the Text ordained a feast in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month like unto the feast which is in Iudah so hee offered upon the Altar which hee had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month even in the month which hee had devised of his owne heart and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel Marke here Ieroboam is rebuked for appointing a feast of his owne heart like the feast God had appointed this is no excuse that he would be an imitator of God This reason many think will justifie their superstitious way they do but imitate what God did as thus God had an Ephod for the Priests therefore they will have a holy garment God had a Temple consecrated they will have one so too God had his feast days and holy-dayes they will have theirs too in imitation of God This very thing that Ieroboam did hee is rebuked for that he would set up a thing like unto Gods Where God hath set his stamp upon any thing wee must take heed wee presume not to set our own stamp Suppose any one should take a piece of silver should set just the same stamp as neer as he can that the King doth upon his coine be it but a two-pence the silver is his owne well but if he come to be examined Why do you thus What hurt saith he is there in it I have done no more then the King I have done but as he did Why may we not follow his example will this answer think you serve his turne It is as much as his life is worth Just such a plea is this they will doe such and such things in Gods worship why God hath done so before and they doe but imitate God There is as much strength in the one as in the other Therefore that word here devised of his owne heart in the Hebrew comes from a word that signifies to lye Ieroboam did lye Isa 44. 25. He frustrateth the tokens of the lyars it is the same word Jeroboam indeed in setting this day apart he did it under a pretence to honour and worship God but though it might seeme to make Gods honour and worship better then before yet the Scripture puts the lie upon it so the word is I thinke this was the reason he set it apart in the eighth month the Feast of Tabernacles was the fifteenth day of the seventh month now he would not alter the day but have it the same day that Gods was but in the eighth month for the Feast of Tabernacles was appointed for this end to praise God for the in-gathering of the fruits of the earth and it was as upon our September Now because upon the fifteenth of September perhaps all the creatures were not gathered in there might be some remaining abroad therefore Ieroboam might have this device he would stay till every thing be gathered in till they had it in their barnes and in their vessels when they had it all fully in and it was fit to eate and drinke then saith Ieroboam now it is the time to praise God you praised God before when you were taking in of the fruits but you have not taken them all in you cannot come to use them but now having them all in and now being able to make use of them now is the time to praise God This was Jeroboams wisdome and he thought to make a Feast to take the people rather then Gods Feast There are no superstitious men but will have some argument and plea for their wayes to take the hearts of people to embrace those wayes rather then Gods simple plaine and pure Ordinances Well but though Jeroboam did it under this pretence yet hee lies still so those men that will take upon them to sanctifie dayes or places or garments or any gesture that God never did though they say they doe it for Gods honour to make Gods worship more glorious and decent yet it is a lie Just as those who will make Images brave golden Images of God O say they it is for the honour of God but marke what the Text faith Hab. 2. 18. What profiteth the graven Image that the maker thereof hath graven it the mâ—lten Image and a teacher of lyes If Images be lay mens bookes they are books that have abundance of errâ—aes in them they are full of lies Here now ariseth the Question about mans appointing Feasts whether there may he holy Feasts taken so in a proper sence by mans appointment Ieroboam is accused for it plainly and Gal. 4. 10. there is a charge upon the Galatians and that very severely You observe dayes and months times and yeers
if I shall thus set it a part so devote it for such a businesse as it may not without sin to me whatsoever falleth out be used to any other occasion And secondly when I have set it apart I shall put so much in it as if the same holy actions be performed to another time they shall not be accounted so holy as at this time although that time hath as much natural fitnesse in it now I sanctifie time to my selfe but thus I cannot doe without sin You shall finde that there are these two things in all holy feasts and indeed in all things that are accounted holy First it was a sinne for them to make use of that time for any other thing or any other wayes then God had appointed Secondly the actions that they did at that time were such as were more acceptable to God then if they had done the same thing at another time Yea it was so in their very days of humiliation that were once a yeere a day of Expiation this day must not be used for any thing else and if they humbled themselves or fasted upon another day that would not have beene so acceptable to God as upon this day So wee shall see it in all superstitions of men when they set apart either dayes or places or things they put these two upon them As for places They say we appoint a place for people to meet in a religious way yes but when comes it to be superstitious Thus first when it comes so to be set apart so as I shall make conscience of using it to any other use but this Secondly when I shall be perswaded in my conscience that God accepts of service done him in this place better then in any other though as decent as this So for superstitious garments You will say may not Ministers be decent I have heard a great Doctor give this argument for a surplice somtime saith he I ride abroad to preach and my cloake is dirty is it fit for me to come into a Pulpit with a dirty garment and therefore there is alwayes appointed somewhat to cover it it is decent Suppose it be so but if it be so that this garment must be made use of for nothing but such a holy exercise and secondly if I thinke the wearing of it doth honour the service and that God accepts of the service performed in such a garment rather then in another this is superstition as in one place in Suffolke when that garment was lost there was a strict injunction to the poore countrey men that there might not be any service or sermon till they had got another for which they were appointed ten dayes and this being upon a friday there were two Sabbaths without any service therefore it is apparent they put the acceptation of the duty upon it So for days for any man to set apart a day so that it shall be a sin that a mans conscience shall condemne him before Ged as sinning against him if he doe any thing upon that day but such holy duties Secondly That though the same holy duties be done upon another day they shall not be accounted so acceptable to God as done upon that day this is superstitious Yer certainly of this nature have many of our dayes been for if you opened your shops what a deale of disturbance was there in the city It was a profaning of the day every Proctor and such fellowes had power given them to molest you 2. did not they account it a greater honour to God for to have service read that day then to have it read upon an ordinary teusday or thursday yea preaching upon a Lecture day that was not one of their holy dayes they accounted not so acceptable unto God as service upon that day Here comes their institution their institution puts upon it more then God puts upon it so it cometh to be sinfull So if you should set apart this time you call Christmas so as you should make conscience of doing any other service or worke that day and besides you should think that to remember Christ and to blesse God for Christ upon another day is not so acceptable to God as to doe it upon that day here comes in the evill of thus putting mans institution upon dayes Well but this is not cleareâ— except we answer another objection But doth not the King and Parliament command dayes of fasting and dayes of thanksgiving and are not they of the same nature Will not you say it is sin for us to open shops upon these dayes I answer our dayes for fasting and thanksgiving have not those two ingredients in them for first if God by his providence call any particular man to any particular businesse in his family then let this man take heed he doe not appeare in a way of contempt he need not have his conscience condemn him though he spend all that day in that businesse They may set apart a day to be spent publickly yet with this limitation not to enjoyne every particular man that whatsoever Gods providence calls him to in particular businesses he must leave off all make as much conscience of doing this as upon the Lords day You will say upon the Lords day if we have any extraordinary thing fall out we may go a journey or doe businesse as a Physitian may ride up and down workes of mercy may be done therefore this makes no difference betweene Gods day and these of mans appointment I answer Though a Physitian doe a worke of mercy upon the Sabbath day yet he is bound to doe it with a Sabbath dayes heart as a work of mercy whatsoever calls him off from those services that are Gods imediate worship he must doe that thing with a Sabbath dayes frame of heart he is bound in conscience to doe it so and he sinneth against God if he rides up and down to Patients with such a heart as he may doe it upon another day he may follow it as a businesse of his calling upon another day but not so now but if he do it with a Sabbath dayes frame of heart as a worke of mercy he keeps the Sabbath in that But if there were a necessity upon a Fast day to ride a mans conscience need not to condemne him before God if he went about that worke as the worke of his calling at that time It is not therefore so dedicated but Gods providence may take us off to doe other civill actions and that as the works of our calling Secondly Neither is it so sanctified as if the same works done at another day were not so acceptable to God as done upon this day As our fast dayes set upon the last wednesday of the Moneth to thinke that the worke done upon another day were not so acceptable to God as done upon that day this is a sanctification of the day and such a sanctification is sinne The same answer may be given for dayes of
looking upon God when we pray to him as a God of mercy and we present our selves in our humiliations before the mercy seat but know this that the mercy seat will doe us no good without the blood of Christ faith must take this blood of Christ and sprinkle it tender it up to God his Father for the atonement of our souls and procuring mercy to us and not only so the blood of the Bullock the Goat must be sprinkled upon the Mercy seat but before the Mercy seat we must not only thinke there can be no mercy obtained from God but by the blood of Christ but we cannot so much as have accesse to Gods Mercy seat without the bloud of Christ we must not dare to enter but by the bloud of Christ by him we have accesse to God we must all know that all sinners are banished from the presence of God and must not have accesse to Gods presence as they are in themselves Lastly this day divers times is called A Sabbath of rest that is A Sabbath of Sabbaths so it is in the Originall as one of the principall Sabbaths that they had I did not handle it amongst the Sabbaths because it comes in now more fully amongst these solemne Feasts there must be more rest in the days of atonement then in other of their solemn days There was that permitted in other solemn days that was not permitted in that day this may teach us that in the dayes of fasting above any dayes we must get our souls now separated from the world there must be a rest in our hearts a rest from sinne a rest from the world it must be a Sabbath of Sabbaths unto us Now notwithstanding God had given this solemne charge for this day of atonement yet Theodoret tels us that in his time they did so degenerate that they spent this day in sports and made it a day of mirth God grant that the ordinariness of our days of atonement do not grow to this abuse as in some places it is amongst us the most solemne things that ever God gave charge of yet in time degenerates this is the wickedness of mens natures One note more from this Feast of Expiation it is very probable that the Grecians did use yearly in expiation of their Cities in this manner from this we find amongst the stories of the Grecians that yearly they were wont to have a kind of Expiation in imitation of the ways of the Jewes the Devill is Gods Ape for their Cities there was this custome amongst them certaine condemned persons were brought forth with garlands in manner of Sacrifices and these they were wont to tumble down from some steep place into the middst of the Sea and so offer them up to Neptune the God of the Sea with these words Be thou a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for us The like was used by them in the times of publique infection when they had a publique plague in their Cities they used such a custome to make an atonement betweene them and their gods there were certain men brought to be sacrificed to their Gods for an expiation for ther whole City and they were caled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this word was used to signifie that that man that was to expiate for all the sins of their Cities to their gods ing all their sins upon him was as filth and 〈◊〉 scouring and from these two words it is probable the Apostle in the first to the Corinthians 4. 13. hath that expression by which we may come to understand the meaning of those two words there We are saith he made the filth of the world and off-scouring of the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in these alluding to the manner of the Grecians We for our parts saith he are made as despicable and odious in the sight of the people and are as much loaded with the curses of the people as those condemned persons that had all the sins and curses of the people put upon them and so were offered to their Gods for expiation The Feast of Tabernacles The history of this Feast is Leviticus 23. 34. soon In this Feast the Iews were to take boughes off the trees and make booths of them and those that write the history in their manners they tell us they used to carry boughs in their hands because they could not make booths Tabernacles for all the people therefore some of them thought it sufficient to carry boughs in their hands and those boughes they carried in their hands they used to call Hosanna Do thou fold or prepare the Hosanna so they used to speake therefore when Christ came to Ierusalem they cryed Hosanna to the Sonne of David the meaning was not a prayer Save us O thou Son of David as some would have it but Hosanna to the Son of David that is we hold forth these boughs to the honour of the Messiah the Son of David the Feast of Tabernacles was to point at the Messiah now for those boughs ver 40. there was a command of God they should be goodly trees palme trees or willowes of the brooke but why so it noted that thereby they were to acknowledge Gods goodnesse to them that whereas they had lived forty yeares in the wildernesse in a dry place they were now brought to a fruitfull land that had much water which was a great matter in those hot countries and therefore they were to bring the willows of the brooke and goodly trees those that might most testifie the goodnesse of God to them in delivering them from the wildernesse and in bringing them to a land filled with sweet and pleasant brookes Things observable in this Feast are First The end why God would have this Feast kept he aimes at these three things chiefly First God would have them to blesse his name for his mercies to them in the wildernesse when they dwelt in boothes it was appointed by God that they should once a yeare call to minde the great mercies of God while they were in the wildernesse and there dwelt in boothes and had no houses for so was the dispensation of God towards his people for forty yeares they were to be in the wildernesse and not to have a house in all that time but dwelt in Tabernacles this was a mighty worke of God and manifested his exceeding protection over them and provision for them and his providence every way to provide necessaries for them even as well as if they had had the strongest houses that so many hundred thousands should live forty 〈◊〉 and never have a house built all that time was a great work of God God â—ould declare thereby that the Church in this world is not to expect any certaine habitation any setled condition but to be as men that dwell in tents removing up and downe and so seeke after a City that hath foundations as it is said of Abraham At this Feast the Jewes were wont to reade the
of God and hence are put to it so much to make a connection betweene that that went before and this therefore but wee need not go so farre the right knowledg of the fulnesse and the riches of the grace of the Covenant will help us out of this difficulty and tell us how these two the greatnesse of mans sin and the riches of Gods grace may have a connection one to another and that by an Illative therefore I confesse the Hebrew word is sometimes conjunctio ordinis rather then causalis a conjunction that only sets out the order of a thing one thing following another rather then any way implying any cause but the reading here by way of inference I take to be according unto the scope of the Spirit of God and it gives us this excellent note Such is the grace of God unto those who are in Covenant with him as to take occasion from the greatnesse of their sinns to shew the greatnesse of his mercy from the vilenesse of their sins to declare the riches of his grace And the Scripture hath divers such kind of expressions as these as Gen. 8. 21. The Lord said in his heart I will not again curse the ground any more for mans sake VVhy For the immagination of mans heart is evill from his youth A strange reasoning I will not curse the ground for mans sake for the imagination of mans heart is evill from his youth One would have thought it should have been rather I will therefore curse the ground for mans sake because the imagination of mans heart is evill from his youth but the grace of God knowes how to make another manner of inference then we could have imagined So likewise Isa 57. 17 18. For the iniquity of his covetousnesse was I wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart I have seen his wayes saith God Now one would have thought that the next word should have been I will therefore plague him I wil destroy him I will curse him but mark the words that follow I will heale him I will 〈◊〉 him also and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners I will create the fruit of the lips peace to him This is a consequence at least if not an inference David understood this reasoning to be indeed the true reasoning of the Covenant of grace and therefore he pleadeth thus with God Psal 25. 11. Pardon my iniquity for it is great Lord my iniquity is great therefore pardon it Hearken you Saints hearken I say this is the great blessing of God unto you who are in Covenant with him whereas otherwise your sins should have made you objects of Gods hatred your sins now render you objects of his pitty and compassion this is the glorious fruit of the covenant of grace I would only the Saints heard me in this thing but why doe I say so I will recall my word let all sinners heare me let the vilest the worst sinners in the world heare of the riches of the grace of God in this his Covenant that if they belong to Gods election they may see the fulnesse the glory of Gods grace to be inamoured with it their hearts ravished with it that they may never be at rest till they get evidence to their soules that God indeed hath actually received them into this his Covenant If then God be pleased in the riches of free grace to make such an inference therefore let us take heed that wee make not a quite crosse inference from the greatnesse of our sins nor on the other side from Gods grace As thus You have followed your lovers you have forgot me therefore will I allure you An unbelieving heart would make this inference I have followed my lovers I have followed after vanity and folly and therefore God hath rejected mee therefore God will have no mercy upon me therefore I am undone therefore the gates of mercy are shut against me unbelieving heart do not sin against the grace of God he saith you have forgotten me therefore will I allure and speake comfortably to you doe not you say I have forgot the Lord and therefore the Lord will for ever reject me these discouraging determining despairing therefores are very grievous to the Spirit of God God would have us have all good thoughts of him It is a maine thing that God intendeth through the whole Scripture that his people should have good thoughts of him and that they should not think him a hard master It is an excellent expression of Luther saith he the whole Scripure doth principally aime at this thing that we should not doubt but that wee should hope that we should trust that we should believe that God is a merciful a bountifull a gracious and a patient God to his people It is an excellent expression that I have read of Master Bradford in one of his Epistles saith he O Lord sometimes me thinks I feel it so with me as if there were no difference between my heart and the wicked a blind mind as they a stout stubborn rebellions spirit a hard heart as they and so he goes on shall I therefore conclude thou art my Father nay I will rather reason otherwise saith he because I do believe thou art my Father I will come unto thee that thou mightest enlighten this blind minde of mine that thou mightest soften this hard heart of mine that thou mightest sanctifie this unclean spirit of mine I this is a good reasoning indeed and is worthy of one that professes the gospel of Jesus Christ Again as the inference of this unbelieving heart is grievous to Gods spirit so the inference of a prophane heart an unbelieving heart makes his therefore from the greatnesse of sin against Gods mercy and the prophane heart makes his therefore from the greatnesse of Gods mercy to the hardening of his heart in his sins what shall God make his therefore from our sin to his mercy and shall we make our therefore from his mercy back again to our sins where sin abounds grace abounds but where grace abounds sin must not abound because God is mercifull to us who are very sinfull let not us be very sinfull against him who is so mercifull God takes occasion from the greatnesse of our sins to shew the greatnesse of his mercy let not us take occasion from the greatnesse of his mercy to be emboldened in greatnesse of our sins Therefore behold Behold Here is a wonder to take up the thoughts of men and Angels to all eternity even that that we have in this inference behold notwithstanding all this yet you men and Angels behold the fulnesse the riches of Gods grace I will allure her what will not God cast us away notwithstanding the greatnesse of our sins let not us reject Gods ways notwithstanding the greatnesse of any sufferings we meet with in them there is a great deale of reason in
humbled us broke our hearts before him but when wee began to bee delivered a little out of our bondage the Lord brings us into the wildernesse and follows us with afflictions to this day that he might throughly break us and yet we hope all this while it is but making way unto Canaan But in the second place take it as you have it here I will allure her and bring her into the wildernesse Then wee may take the scope of it to be not the afflicting part of the wildernesse but only the manifesting this unto Israel that he would shew unto them great wonderfull works of his power wisdome and goodness as he did unto their forefathers in the wildernesse What ever your conditions shall be into which you shal be brought yet you shall have me working in a glorious way for your good and comfort as ever I did for your forefathers when they were in the wildernesse and this exposition is rather strengthened from that we have ex Thargum Ionathae I will work miracles and great wonderfull famous things for them such as I did work in the desert hath God wrought gloriously for his people hitherto in the wayes of his mercy if reconciled to him they may expect the fame wonderfull works of God for their good even to the end of the world We may read the stories of Gods wonderfull power in deliverances of his people in their straits in the wildernesse and make them to be our own and pleade with God that he would shew forth that old that ancient power and wisdom and goodnesse of his as he did unto his people formerly this is the ground of that excellent prayer that we have Esay 51. 9. 10. Awake awake put on strength O arme of the Lord awake as in the ancient dayes in the generations of old Art thou not it that hast cut Rahab and wounded the Dragon Art thou not it that hath dryed the sea the waters of the great sea Awake awake thou art he who hast done such great things formerly it is a great help to our Faith to consider what God hath done for the Church of old But further Poreus saith this expression is taken from the condition of a poor man that is drawne aside out of his way by a thief a thief comes and entices him out of his way and carries him into some desolate place when he hath carried him thither then the manbegins to bethink himself where he is and sees himself in a sad condition and knows not what in the world to do and yet at that time there comes in supply comfort and help for him so saith God I will bring you into the wildernesse that is I will put you into the same condition that such a poor man is put into I will allure you as the thief allures I will make proffer to you of abundance of good and by that I will draw you into such and such wayes wherein you shall meet with very great straits for a while and you shall be put into an amazed condition as not knowing what in the world to do and when that is done then I will come with the fulnesse of my grace and speake comfortably to your hearts Thus though God speakes of bringing into the wildernesse yet still it is with an intention of shewing mercy there and is not this just to a very haire for all the world our condition have not the ways of God toward England for these two or three years been alluring wayes God hath made proffer unto us of a great deale of mercy and raised the hopes of his people and the Ministers of God have spoken encouraging words to his people that surely the Lord intends great goodnesse to us and because Gods wayes have been such towards us as they have been we have endeavoured God knowes to follow him in those ways of his to do that that for the present those present ways of his called for and yet we are even brought into the wilderness now even into a kind of desolate condition that for the present we even are at a stand we see afflictions to be round about us the very beasts to be ready to come teare us and pull us in pieces and yet we can say to the comfort of our hearts Lord if we be deceived thou hast deceived us for Lord thou knowest that whatsoever we have done it was our duty to doe and although we be brought into great straits for the present yet we repent not of what we have done nor of what we have said for thou hast allured us into this condition thy gracious wayes of mercy towards us in the beginning of the Parliament and so on hath allured us and hath brought us into what we have done Wee will not therefore say what is now become of all our hopes but wee expect God even in this wildernesse to speake comfortably unto us let not men upbrayde us for what wee have done we would doe as we have done if it were to do again for God hath brought us into these wayes and if he hath allured us into the wildernesse the next words shall be made good unto us he will speake comfortably to us if we be in no other then that wildernesse he hath allured us into then we may expect fully that he will speake comfortably to us Here is the difference betweene men bringing themselves into trouble or being brought by the Devils or worlds allurements and by Gods In the one we cannot expect comfort but in the other we may confidently Further There is yet another interpretation that I think is most genuine and full For the ground of that I shall say in this we must know that from the beginning of this part of the Chapter to the end God is expressing himselfe unto his people in a conjugall way that is whereas his people had gone a whoring from him yet he would receive them againe into a conjugall affection and communion all along God expresses himself thus from the fourteenth verse to the end Now this being laid for a ground In this expression of Gods bringing into the wildernesse the Prophet alludes unto the custome of the Jewes that they had in their marriages Their custome that I reade of was that the Bride-groom used to take his Bride and carry her out of the City into the fields and there they had their nup tiall songs and delighted themselves in some place there one with another afterward he brought her back againe leaning upon him into the City to his Fathers house and there they rejoyced together and solemnized the further nuptials now these fields are called the wildernesse either because they might be some champion dry fields that were about the City or otherwise let them be what they will be yet because he would allude unto the mercy of God in bringing of his people out of Egypt into Canaan and would put them in minde of
if you be in such a condition and such a condition but doe something presently set upon the work presently and so engage your hearts to God if once you be engaged by doing something the worke will goe on It is a great matter when we can engage the heart of a man to God in any businesse suppose a man promise to doe this or that yet if all this while he have done nothing he lookes not upon himselfe so really engaged as when something is done he therefore sooner flies off again but if together with his promise he be brought to do hee will not so readily flye off God doth so with you he together with his promise gives some real evidences of his love Againe After God speakes to the heart and then restores vineyards then they are blessings then they are sweet indeed for then God restores them as fruits of reconciliation with him Many a poor afflicted soul know what belongs to this comfortable note I thought my sinfulnesse forfeited all my comforts all mercies and God indeed tooke away this and the other comfort from me but it pleased God to come in graciously upon my heart and to speake to my heart and in some measure to breake it and to humble it before him so that I hope peace is made up and notwithstanding those great offences of mine he hath now restored mercies he took away a childe but he hath given another a beâ—â—eâ— he hath took away one mercy he hath given a better this I can though with holdness yet with humility say it is as a fruit of my reconciliation with my God O how sweetly may such a one enjoy that mercy from God! If after the meltings of thy heart after God he then comes in with mercies to thee thou mayest take them as tokens of love to thee now thy house is a comfortable blessing to thee thy yoake-fellow thy children about thee O how comfortable blessings are they yea the meat on thy table is sweet with a double sweetness when thou canst looke upon all as the fruit of Gods reconciliation with thee As the Christians Acts 2. 46. 47. when they once believed in Christ they did eate their bread with gladnesse singlenesse of heart praising God We may enjoy all our common mercies in another manner then other men can they will be blessings doubled yea a hundred fold encreased I will speake to her heart and then I will give her her vineyards Perhaps God hath given thee an estate in the world more then thy neighbors more then thy brother But hath God spoke to thy heart Are Gods blessings upon thee as a fruit of Gods speaking to thy heart in away of reconciliation with thee otherwise it is but a flat dry comfort to have an estate and not to feele God speaking to our hearts I will restore unto you your vineyards from thence From whence From the wildernesse There the Note is God can bring vineyards out of wildernesses Let us not be afraid onely let us make up our peace with God and then though we be in a wilderness God can from thence bring us vineyards Our brethren have found vineyards in the wilderness and many of Gods people in the midst of their straits have found abundance of mercy Further From the wildernesse they shall have more love mercy working more strongly for them now it seems then they had before They had vineyards before but they had none in the wildernesse Now God will dravv mercies out of those things that were unlikely he will bring forth good unto them out of things that seemed to goe quite contrary to them the Lord hath done so for us out of those things that seemed to goe quite contrary to us God hath brought much good to us as if hee had made vineyards to spring out of a wildernesse But the close of all is Those mercies that come to us out of great difficulties and seeme to be raised out of contraries are the sweet mercies indeed those we are to rejoyce in and therefore it followes and they shall sing Deut. 32. 13. God made them to suck honey out of the rock and oyle out of the flinty rock When did God doe so where did you ever reade that God did cause his people to suck honey out of the rock or oyle out of the flinty rock wee reade indeed that the rock was smote and the water did gusb out of it but when did we reade that ever oyle or honey came out of the rock there was never any such thing that we reade of but the meaning thereof is because they being in necessity God brought forth water yet being brought out of the rock by such a mighty hand of God it was oyle it was honey to them it was as good as if God had given them oyle and honey Why because it came out of so much difficulty So all the mercies that God gives to his people when he brings them out of difficulties and straits they are sweet and glorious mercies Let us be patient a while though we seeme to be in the wilderness and we see nothing to fetch out water from but onely rocks stones and difficulties yet God at length will bring mercies out of those difficulties and they will be honey mercies to us then we shall sing and praise the name of our God with joyfull hearts The Thirteenth Lecture HOSEA 2. 15. And the valley of Achor for a doore of hope c. THe words are an excellent expression of mercy to Israel For the opening of which these three things are to be enquired into 1. What this valley of Achor was 2. The reason of the name 3. Why this is said to be a doore of hope For the first Achor was a very pleasant delightfull fruitfull rich valley and lay neer Jericho The first place that Israel came into in the entrance upon and taking possession of the land of Canaan Esay 65. 10. And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lye down in for my people that have sought me First it is joyned with Sharon Can. 2. 1. I am the rose of Sharon that was a sweet pleasant place Secondly It is said to be a place for the herds to lye downe in a fat pasture that they shall even tumble in And thirdly It is promised as a blesâ—â—◠〈…〉 the Lord. The reason of the name Achor That hystory we have Iosh 7. sheweth Achan who 1 Chron. 3. 7. is called Achar having taken the accursed thing God left the Campe and Israel fell before the men of Ai which was the first battell that ever they fought for the possession of Canaan upon that their hearts were exceedingly troubled as if the whole worke had been at an end so fraile is mans nature so soone discouraged when it meets with opposition notwithstanding all the experiences of Gods mighty
power going along with them so lately bringing them over Jordan so wonderfully and given them Jericho so miraculously yet now at the losse of 36. men their hearts begin even to faile Ioshua falls with his face upon the earth and Josephus in his hystory of the Jewish Antiquities sets down Ioshuahs prayer at large these are some expressions Beyond all expectation having received an overthrow being terrified by this accident and suspitious of thy promises to Moses we both abstaine from war and after so many enterprises we cannot hope for any successfull proceedings by thy mercy relieve our present sorrow and take from us the thought of despaire wherein we are too farre plunged Now God comes to him and askes him Why he lay upon his face and bad him get him up for Israel had sinned in the accursed thing upon search made Achan was found out whereupon Joshua tells him that he had troubled the Hoast of Israel and God would trouble him upon which they stoned him and from thence it was called the valley of Achor vers 26. that is Vaâ—â—is tribulation is the valley of trouble The third thing is the principall why this valley is called a doore of hope Herein two things First how it was a doore of hope to Israel then when they first came into Canaan Secondly how it is promised to be a doore of hope to repenting Israel in after-times For the first It was a doore of hope to them in two respects First because it was the first place wherein they tooke the possession of Canaan when they began to have outward means of substance to eate of the corne of the land all the while they were in the wilderness although God provided wonderfully for them by sending them Manna from Heaven yet because they had no way of substance by ordinary means they always feared lest they should want upon any strait they were brought into their hearts began to sinke Now in this valley God gives them outward means this raises hope in them that their danger was over and that they should do well enough This is our nature when ordinary means fayle our hearts fayle yea though in regard of Gods extraordinary workings we have never so many gracious encouragements and when God grants means againe then we hope Secondly God made their great trouble there a means of much good unto them for by that they were brought to purge their Campe they learned to feare the Lord and were prepared more then before for so great a mercy as the further possession of that good land The Septuagint instead of those words a doore of hope have these to open their understanding for there indeed they learned the dreadfulnesse of God who for one mans sin was so sorely displeased there they understood to purpose that the God that was amongst them was a holy God and that he would have them to be a holy people But how should this valley of Achor be a doone of hope to Israel in after times First the Jews think that Israel shall return into their own country againe yea and the same way they shall come again into Canaan by that valley which shall be a door of hope to them Secondly but rather by way of Analogy as God turned this valley of trouble to much good unto them so he would turn all the sore afflictions of Israel in after dayes to their great advantage grievous afflictions should make way for glorious mercies Thirdly But especially thus in this expression God followes the Allegory of marriage now it was the custome of the Jewes in their marriages that the Husband gave his Spouse according to his quality as a dowry some peece of ground rich as he was able and this he gave as a pledge of his love to her to assure her that whatsoever was his she should have the benefit of it so saith the Lord although you have gone a whoring from me and may justly expect that I should for ever reject you yet I will marry you to my selfe and I will fully perform all marriage rights for the expression of my love towards you to the uttermost you shall know that you are marryed to a Husband who is rich I will give you a rich and plentifull dovvry and this but as a token and pledg of further love mercy riches that you shall enjoy by me it shall be that valley of Achor that rich delightfull fruitfull valley By this he means he would bestow some speciall choise mercy upon them at his first taking them into his favour again and that should be a pledg of and making way to much more mercy that he intended for them a doore of hope to let in greater things as the first fruits of all those glorious things that he had treasured up for them From this valley of Achor as it concerned Israel before First Sometimes when God gives men their hearts desires when they think themselves happy as if all trouble were past then he comes in upon them with great and sore afflictions Secondly although God hath been humbling mens hearts with sore and long afflictions yet just before he bestows great mercies he afflicts againe to humble and break their hearts yet more Thirdly sin will make the pleasantest place in the world a place of trouble Fourthly the afflictions of the Saints do not only go before mercies but are doors of hope to let in to mercies means to further the way for mercies God commands light to shine not only after darknesse but out of darkness Josephs prison Davids persecution Daniels den made way for glorious mercy God had in store for them that which once The mistocles said to his children and friends the Saints may much more say to theirs I had beene undone if I had not been undone had it not been for such a grieyous affliction I had never come to the enjoyment of such a mercy Hence we must learn not only to be patient in tribulation but joyfull But the especiall thing intended in this expression is this When God is reconciled to his people then present mercies are doors of hope to let in future mercies the Saints may look upon all mercies received as in-lets to further mercies to be received Every mercy a door to another mercy and all mercies here put together are a door to eternall mercy When Rachel had a sonne she called his name Joseph Gen. 30. 24. saying The Lord shall add to me another sonn Every mercy the Saints have may well be called Ioseph it brings assurance of mercy to be added this is the high priviledge of the Saints every mercy that a wicked man hath he may look upon as his utmost as his all he may write a ne plus ultra upon it one misery one judgment upon a wicked man makes way toanother but not one mercy howsoever God in his bounty may lengthen out mercies to him
his people be opened we must accept of the punishment of our iniquity and even beare this indignation of the Lord because wee have sinned against him 12. Yea the Lord hath strucke us with blindnesse at the doore we grope up and down and we cannot finde it as Gen 19. 11. Never were a people at a greater losse in a greater confusion then now we are every man runs his owne way wee know not what to doe nay the truth is we know not what we doe 13. Yea many because they have found some difficulties at the right door they have gone away from it and have sought back doors to help themselves by even base false shifting treacherous ways seeking to comply for their own private ends as if their skins must needs be saved whatsoever becomes of the publique 14. This is yet a further misery that we are groping up and downe at the doore and night is come upon us stormes tempests are rising dangers are approaching and yet God opens not to us 15. Above all our misery this is yet the greatest that even our hearts are shut up too there lyes a stone rowled at the doore of our hearts and such a stone as is beyond the power of an Angel to rowle away were it that after all our hearts were but open our condition yet had comfort in it Oh now what shall we doâ— 1. Let us resolve to waite at this doore â—â—aite upon God in those wayes of helpe that yet in mercy he affords unto us Certainly we are at the right doore let us say with Shecaniah Ezra 10. 2. We have sinned against the Lord yet there is hope in Israel concerning this thing Let us resolve whatsoever becomes of us not to goe from our fathers door if we perish we will perish at his gates 2. Let us worship the Lord at this our doore though we be not entred in yet let our hearts bow before the Lord in the acknowledgement of his greatnesse power dominion that he hath over us to doe with us what he pleaseth as Ezek. 46. 2. it is said The Prince shall worship at the threshold of the gate and the people of the land shall woâ—ship at the doore 3. Let us look in at the key-hole or at any crevise that wee can to see something of the riches of mercy that this door opens into Within on the other side oâ— the door we may see what liberty of conscience what enjoyment of Ordinances the blessing of Gods worship in his own way we may see the wayes of God and his Saints would be made honorable in this kingdome yea in a higher degree then any where upon the face of the earth yea we may see many sweet outward liberties the free enjoyment of our estates peace plenty prosperity in abundance all these and more then we can think of if this door were but once opened to us howsoever it is good 〈◊〉 looke in to quicken our hearts and set on our desires and endeavours the more strongly in the meane time Oh how happy were we if we had these mercies 4. Let us yet knock lowder and cry lowder at our Fathers doore But did not you tell us our Father seemed to be angry at our knocking Mark what we have in that very Scripture where the Church complains that God is angry with her prayer Psal 80. 4. How long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people Yet ver 7. Turne us againe O God of Hosts and cause thy face to shine And ver 14 Returne we beseech thee O God of Hâ—sts look down from heaven behold visit this vine ver 19. Turne us againe O Lord God of Hosts cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved 5. Let every one take away his sinnes that lye at this door let every one sweep his owne door Zech. 8. 15. 16. Again have I thought in these â—â—â—yes to doe well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Iudah feare not But yet mark what followes These are the things that ye shall doe Speake ye every man the truth to his neighbour execute the judgement of truth and peace in your gates Let none of you imagine evill in his heart against his neighbor Both private men and men in publick place must reforme How far are we from this Never more plottings more heart-burnings one against another those in publike place neglect the execution of judgement they would have their policies beyond Gods wisdome God puts these two together and commends one as a meanes to the other the execution of judgement and peace but they have a further reach they will not exe curâ—â—â—dgement for feare of a breach of peace It is just with God that we should never have peace till we can trust God for it in his own way 6. Let us seek to God againe and call to him for the right key Lord reveale the way of thy worship and thy government to us and we will yeeld our selves unto it 7. Stir we up our selves against all difficulties Things are not yet so bad but we may help our selves if we have hearts Our Father heares us he can command many Angels to come to help to rowle away the stone yea he hath opened divers doores to us already We are indeed come to the â—ron gate the Lord can make that at length flye open of its own accord as Acts 20. 10. The Church was praying and after the prâ—â—on dooâ—es were opened to Peter and he had passed the first and second gate he came unto the iron gate that led into the City and there he found as easie passage as any where else In the mount will the Lord be scene 8. Let us exercise Faith in the blood of Christ let us as it were besprinkle this our door with the blood of the Lambe yea looke we up to Christ as the true doore to let into all mercy let Faith act as well as Prayer 9. Let us now especially watch all opportunities of mercy and take heed we neglect no more as we have done many very foulely lest hereafter wee knock and cry Lord open to us and it proves too late 10. Let us open to God who knocks at our doores it wee would have him open to us God knocks at the doore of every one of our hearts open we to him fully set all wide open for him Openye gates stand open ye everlasting doores let the King of glory come in These who doe thus are the true generation of those that seek the Lord let England open for God yet stands at the doore and knockes and if we will yet open to him he will yet come in and suppe withus and we shall suppe with him It is true God rebukes and chastens severely so he did Laodicea at that time when he stood at her doore and knocked Apoc. 3. 19. 20. if any Church be or ever was like to that of Laodicea we have been luke-warm as that was a mixture of Gods
is the fruit of this This is set as the reason of the words immediately before Then shall the lame man leap as an Hart and the tongue of the dumb sing Because the Lord shall make the parched ground become a poole and the thirsty land springs of water this shall make the lame to leap as an Hart the tongue of the dumb to sing Though our tongues be dumb yet it should make us sing when we see God working good out of contraries when wee see things that of themselves tend to our ruin and would bring us to misery that are as the valley of Achor yet God working good out of them if wee have the hearts of men in us much more the hearts of Christians though we were dumb before this should make us sing Yea all this is brought in as an argument to strengthen the weak hands and the feeble knees and as a reason why those that have weake hearts should not feare because God workes good out of that which seemeth the greatest evill vers 4. Say to them that are of a fearefull heart be strong feare not and then followeth this in the 6. verse Are we in the valley of Achor a place of trouble and straits wee have cause to sing even in this valley of Achor for we have not yet been brought into any straits but God hath brought good out of them he hath turned the parched ground into a pool and the thirsty land into springs of water It is our great sin that when God calleth us to singing we are yet concluding of rejecting we are ready to think if we be brought into the valley of Achor we are presently cast off Oh no God calleth you to singing nothwithstanding you meet with difficulties Isa 49. 13. Sing O heavens saith the Text there he joyfull O earth breake forth into singing O mountaines for God hath comforted his people and will have mercy upon his afflicted But mark now the next words But Zion said the Lord hath forsaken me my God hath forgotten mee At that very time when the Lord was calling for singing even then they were concluding of rejecting Take we heed this be not our condition But take the words as then I told you as I conceived them to be the meaning of the spirit of God that this valley of Achor was some speciall mercy that God gave at first as a door of hope to further mercies he would give afterward and there they shall sing Then the observation is When the Lord is beginning with his Saints in the ways of mercy though they have not all that they would have yet it is a singing condition Though you be but yet brought into the valley of Achor and be but at the doore of hope and not entred into the door though you have not yet got the possession of all the mercy God intendeth for you yet God expects you should sing You must not stand grumbling whining complaining and murmuring at the door because you have not what you would have though God makes you wait at the door you must stand singing there It may be said of Gods mercy as of his word in Psal 119. 130. The entrance into thy word giveth light so the entrance of Gods works of mercy giveth light Psal 138. 5. Yea they shall sing in the wayes of the Lord for great is the glory of the Lord. In the ways of the Lord they shall sing though God be but in the wayes of his mercy and they have not what they would have yet they shall sing This is certainly one great reason why our doore of hope is not yet opened to us as we desire or at least that we have not that entrance that we would have at that door because we stand murmuring yea we stand quarrelling one with another at the doore whereas God expects that we should stand singing and praising his name there Though wee have not what wee desire yet let us blesse God that ever we lived to this day to see so much of God as we have done though we should never see more though the mercy we look for should be reserved for the generation that shall follow yet we have cause to blesse God while we live that we have seene and do see so much of God as we have done daily do Let us stand at our Fathers door singing and if we must sing at the foot of Zion what song shall we sing when we come to the height Ier. 31. 12. They shall come and sing in the height of Zion they shall flow to the bountifulnesse of the Lord. If there be any one with whom God is dealing in a way of mercy though you can see but a little light thorough the key-hole yet you should sing there There are many poor souls with vvhom God is beginning in very gracious ways yet because they have not their minds inlightned their hearts humbled as they desire power over corruptions abilities to performe duties as they expect they are presently ready to conclude against themselves surely the Lord will not have mercy we are rejected They think they have nothing because they have not what they vvould O unthankfull heart This is the very thing that keepeth thee under bondage because when the Lord is setting open a door of hope unto thee thou wilt not take notice of it but art presently murmuring and repining because thou hast not all that thou wouldest Wouldest thou enter in at this door and have God perfect the mercy he hath begun take notice of the beginnings and blesse God for what thou hast This would be an observation of marvey lous use to many a drooping soul if they would learne by this dayes coming hither to sing hereafter at the doore of hope Yet further They shall sing there as in the dayes of their youth It is the condition of Gods own people many times when first they enjoy liberty then to be in a singing condition but afterward to lose their joy At first indeed when Gods mercies were fresh to them in the dayes of their youth O how their hearts were taken how then they sung merrily and chearfully Moses and all the people but in processe of time it appeareth they had not kept up this singing this harmonious this melodious heart of theirs therefore God promiseth they should sing as in the dayes of their youth We finde it so in people when they first come to enjoy liberty out of bondage Church liberties Oh how they rejoyce in them how do they blesse God for them O how sweet are these mercies at their very hearts they rejoice that ever they lived to this time but within a while the flower of their youth is gone and they soone have the teats of their virginity bruised At first indeed O the sweetnesse but stay a while and you shall finde contention or scandoll arising amongst them or deadnesse of heart befalling them Oh the blessed
you who are true Israelites but in your blessing God now let present mercies be to you but as streames to bring you to the fountaine Consider of all the mercies along till you come to the fountaine even that Covenant that God hath made with Israel A fourth is All former mercies to Gods people should help Faith in beleeving future mercies That is raised from hence Why doth the Prophet tell them or comming out of the land of Egypt He speaks of some mercy that was to come to Israel now hee names this coming out of the land of Egypt that he might helpe and strengthen their Faith in the beleeving of what mercy was to come As if he should say That God that hath wrought so wonderfully for you in delivering you out of the land of Egypt is able and willing to make good his word in granting to you deliverance for time to come We have excellent Scriptures for this as Psal 66. 6. He turned the sea into dry land they went thorough the flood on foot there did we rejoyce in him Marke they went thorough the flood and there did we rejoyce in him How did we rejoyce in him it was many hundred yeares after that we came to rejoyce But upon the manifestation of Gods great goodnesse to his people in former dayes our faith commeth to be strengthened in Gods mercies for our times and there did we rejoyce in him we did rejoice in the worke of God when they went thorough the Red-sea upon dry land for it is an argument of Gods mercy to us of the power goodnesse and faithfulnesse of God to us Another temarkable Text is Hos 12. 4. Hee had power over the Angel he found him in Bethel and there he spake with us Marke he had power over the Angel he found him in Bethel VVho was that It was Jacob who many years before but there he spake with us hee did not speake with Jacob onely but there hee spake with us that is whatsoever goodnesse the Lord did shew to Jacob in Bethel it concerned us for the strengthening of our faith Mat. 22. 31. 32. Have ye not read that which was spoken unto you saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob This was spoken to Moses many hundred yeares before but that expression of Gods grace then was a strengthening the faith of the godly when Christ spake and is the same to us now A fifth is where there is a proportion of mercies there ought to be a proportion of thankfulnesse They shall sing as they did in the day when they came out of Egypt I will grant unto you as great mercies as they had and I expect as great thankfulnesse from you as I had from them as they sung to my praise so must you sing too God sheweth as much mercy to you now as he hath done heretofore I appeale now to you nay God appeales to your consciences Is there a proportion of thankfulnesse as of mercies There hath been a time when you have sung to the praise of God when your hearts have been inlarged to give God praise why should it not be so now A sixt observation is deliverance out of Egypt is an ascending condition That ariseth from the words as they are in the Originall They shal ascend out of the land of Egypt so I told you the words were in the Hebrew as then God would never rest till he brought them up to Mount Zion so when God beginneth to deliver his people from Antichristian bondage they should never rest in their spirits untill they be got to the height of Reformation to the height of their deliverance that is to come to enjoy Gods Ordinances in his own wayes in the purity and the power of them This is our misery and our bâ—senesse that upon some little deliverance we presently are ready to rest whereas we should rise yet higher and higher and expect that God should goe on still with us and raise us in the wayes of mercy untill he hath brought us even to the top of Mount Zion Seventhly From the connection of these words with what followes They shall sing as in the day when they came up out of the land of Egypt and they shall call me Ishi and shall call me no more Baali for I will take even the very names of Baalim out of their mouths and they shall remember them no more that is there shall be a most glorious reformation they shal be delivered from all the remainders of their Idolatrous worship they shall not so much as remember their very names the Reformation shall be so perfect From thence the Observation is When God raiseth the spirits of people to rejoyce in his mercy then is the time for them if ever to set up a through Reformation then when their hearts are warmed inflamed and inlarged with the goodnesse of God unto them then is the time to cast out all the remainders of all superstition of all kinde of false worship I will give you two excellent Scriptures for this the one is Esay 30. 19. Thou shalt weep no more saith he he will be very gracious unto thee at the voyce of thy cry The Lord promiseth abundance of mercy he tells them that they shall weep no more he will be very gracious now marke what followeth in the 22. verse Ye shall defile the covering of thy graven Images of silver the ornaments of thy molten Images of gold thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth thou shalt say unto it Get thee hence The other Scripture is 2 Chron. 30. 26. there you finde that there was great joy in Jerusalem such joy as the text saith was not since the dayes of Solomon it was upon the celebration of their Passe-over there had not beene the like Marke then in the beginning of the next Chapter saith the text when all this was finished that is when they had celebrated a Passeover so full and had such abundance of joy such a joy as had not beene in Jerusalem since the time of Solomon Now all Israel went out to the Cities of Iudah and brake the Images in pieces and cut down the groves and threw down the high places and the Altars out of all Iudah Benjamin Their hearts were inflamed with the joy they had they went with resolution and brake down 〈◊〉 â—â—ages c. And marke it the Text saith it was 〈…〉 that did this 〈◊〉 went out into the Cities of Iudah and brake the the Images in pieces and threw down the high places the Altars out of all Iudah What had Israel to doe with Iudah Iudah and Israel were divided But now their hearts were so inflamed for God that they were not able to abide any false worship amongst their brethren though it belonged to Judah yet they would goe help their brethren to cast down all their Images and to cut down their Groves and
the Lord my child is stout and stubborn against me how hath my heart been stout stubborn against the Lord my Father Againe peace with God brings peace with the creatures I will make a covenant with the beasts of the field with the fowles of the ayre c. Job 5. 23. you have a strange kind of promise Thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field and the beasts of the earth shall be at peace with thee This goes somewhat deeper then that which is here promised there shall be a league not only with the beasts but with the stones of the field How in league with the stones of the field It is more easie to be understood to be in league with the beasts of the field for they are many times hurtfull unto us But how with the stones of the field There are many interpretations given of that place Only thus much for the present It was wont to be the way and so it is still in many places in setting the bounds of their fields they took stones which they set up for land-marks and engraved upon their stones to note to whom this or the other parcell of ground belonged Now this is the promise that the Lord would be so gracious to his people that they should enjoy the bounds of their own habitations securely they should not be wronged their land-marks should not be taken away The stones of the field shal be in league with thee that is the stones of the field that stand for your land-marks shall abide and none shall take them away I will preserve your bounds as if you were in league with the stones that are your land-marks as if they had agreed with you and were in covenant that they would undertake to stand and to set out the bounds of your fields for ever And the beasts of the field also shall bee usefull to you and do you no hurt But you will say sometimes the beasts of the field doe hurt the Saints how doth God make a covenant with them Many things might be answered to that vers 17. of that place of Job he speaks of a time when God corrects and men despise not the chastning of the Almighty now this in vers 23. hath reference unto that time that is when any do make use of Gods correction doe not despise it but in a reverent way submit unto Gods hand of correction then God will make this league with the stones of the field and with the beasts of the earth If God hath corrected you with any sicknesse and you doe not profit by that sickenesse it is just with God that a beast of the field that some or other creature should meet you and be more terrible unto you then ever your sicknesse was And the promise here in Hosea is to those that are reconciled to God who have cast off their superstitious vanities And because wee are not here perfectly reconciled therefore this promise is not perfectly fulfilled But I make no question but the holy Ghost here aymeth at the tâ—me of the call of the Jews and then I believe that this promise shall be literally fulfilled and those other promises in Esay and other places where God sayes he will make the Lion to eate straw with the Oxe and the like and that no venomous creature shall doe them hurt When the calling of the Jews shall be the creatures shall be brought into such a kind of excellency in a manner as they were in Adam in Paradise they shall come to the primitive institution the Lion was not at the first creation wont to live upon prey the creatures were not made to prey one upon another therefore the promise is that the Lion shall live in that kind of quietnesse as it was to do in Paradise if man had not sinned And at the calling of the Jewes it is very like there shall be such a restitution of all things as it is called Acts 3. 21. the creatures shall be restored to such a knd of excellency as it had at the first in the Creation And though in part this may be fulfilled to Gods people so as the beasts of the field shall do them no hurt that is if they prevail against them it shall be for some gracious ends that God aymsat yet for the literall fulfilling of it it is reserved for that day Thirdly VVhen God is reconciled to his people shall the beasts of the field and the fowles of the ayre and the creeping things of the earth be at peace with the Saints what a wicked and ungodly thing is it then in men that the more any are reconciled unto God the greater enemies are they unto them God promiseth when his people be reconciled to him the creature shal be reconciled unto them yet thou a vile wretch when thou seest one grow up in the wayes of reconciliation with God thy enmity increases towards him what a horrible wickedness is this it is more then bruitish by farre it is desperate wickednesse as it was with those Kings of Canaan Iosh 10. 5. assoone as the Gibeonites had made peace with Ioshua and were in coveuant the five Kings conspired against them they lived quietly enough before with them but when they heard that they had made a covenant with Ioshua they presently conspired against them Thus it is with many at this day when you had your companions who would drink swear and break the Sabbath and be unclean and scorn with you they were good fellowes then how would you hug and embrace them and delight in them but so soone as God hath wrought upon their hearts and they are brought from enemies to be reconciled unto God now your hearts are opposite to them now you look upon them as your enemies now you hate them now your spirits rise against them O horrible desperate wickedness the Lord rebuke you this day the Lord strike upon such a heart Before Saul was converted hewas a man of repute but assoone as he turned Christian he was a pestilent a seditious fellow Away with such a man from the earth he is not worthy to live the next newes wee heare forty of them conspired together and bound themselves with an oath that they would neither eate nor drinke till they had killed him Fourthly I will make a Covenant saith God you shall have this mercy and have it by covenant Mercy that commeth by Covenant is excellent mercy indeed The same mercy that cometh in by a worke of generall providence is nothing so sweet nothing so firme as that mercy that cometh in by Covenant When the Saints enjoy a mercy though it be outward they are not so taken with the mercy for the outward part of it because they have some comfort and contentment to the outward man by it but they are taken with it upon this ground they see even this outward mercy cometh to them by vertue of Gods Covenant
with them that sweetnesse and makes firme the mercy when they goe up and down the field and the beasts come not upon them to destroy them they can looke upon their present safety as enjoying it in the Covenant You will say the wicked can walke up and down in the fields and the beasts not destroy them Though they doe yet a godly man hath more sweetnesse in this then he in that he can see this his safety from the Covenant when he rides a journey his beast is not made an instrument of Gods wrath to dash out his braines perhaps it is so with his wicked neighbour that rides with him but that from whence the preservation is is different it is a mercy to the godly man form the Covenant that God hath made with him to preserve him in all his wayes it is but generall providence to the other wicked men may have the same mercies for the matter of them that the godly have yet there is a kernell in the mercy which onely the Saints enjoy There are two things observable in a mercy comming by Covenant 1. It is more sweet 2. More firme More sweet Psal 25. 10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth to such as keepe his covenant This is a sweet promise a soule-satisfying promise more worth then all the riches of your City even that one promise all the passages of Gods ordinary providence are mercy and truth to those that keepe his Covenant Marke perhaps they are mercies to you there is a generall bounty you have in your ordinary preservation but they are not Mercy and truth to you there is the addition they are Mercy and truth to the godly that is they are such mercies as are bound to them by Covenant Therein David rejoyceth therefore saith he in the beginning of the Psalme I will lift up my heart unto God as amongst other reasons so for this that all the paths of God are not onely mercy but mercy and truth You have beene preserved and have had many mercies from God Well they are Gods mercies unto you but are they mercies and truth to you that is Doe they come to you in a way of promise Looke to that there is the sweetnesse of a mercy and it is a good signe of a gracious heart to looke more to the Originall whence mercy commeth then to the outward part of the mercy Secondly They are more firme Esay 54. 10. The mountaines shal depart the hills be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee Why For the Covenant of my peace shall not be removed That mercy that you have I give it in a way of Covenant and the hills and mountaines shall depart rather then that kindnesse of mine shall depart 5. Is it such a blessed thing for God to make a Covenant with the beasts for us VVhat a mercy is it then for God to make a Covenant with our soules the Covenant that God makes with his people is a Covenant in Christ there is mercy It is a very observable place we have Gen. 17. concerning Abraham you shal find there that in ten verses of that Chap. God repeateth his Covenant which he made with Abraham thirteen times to note thus much that that was the mercy indeed that must satisfie Abraham in all his troubles sorrowes and afflictions as if God should say be satisfied with this Abraham that I have entred into Covenant with thee and thy seed I am a God in Covenant with thee And 2 Sam. 23. 5. there is a notable Text Although saith David my house be not so with God as I desire as I expect yet the Lord hath made me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation all my desire although he make it not to growe Take this Scripture Christians take it I say and make use of it in these times of trouble though things doe not go as you desire yet say as David did yet the Lord hath made a Covenant with us ordered and sure in all things ands all our this isalvation and all our desire 6. Is this a mercy for God to make a Covenant with the beasts for his people what a mercy is it then for God to make a Covenant with his Son for his people It is that we are to blesse god for that he will make a Covenant with brute beasts for our good but that God will make a Covenant with his owne son for our good for our eternall good That God should bring the second person in Trinity to be the head of the Covenant for us what a mercy is this Tit. 2. 1. the Apostle speaks there of eternall life that was promised before the world began Why what promise was there ever made before the world began to whom was this promise made who was there before the world began for God to make any promise unto It was onely the Son of God the second person in Trinity and there was a most blessed transaction between God the Father and God the Son for our everlasting good before the world began and upon that dependeth all our salvation and our hope When we reade the promises of the Gospel that the Lord hath given to us as branches of the Covenant of grace made with us we are ready to think we are poore weake creatures we cannot keepe Covenant with God we cannot performe the conditions of the Covenant But Christians know this thy peace the salvation of thy soul doth not depend so much upon a Covenant God hath made with thee as upon the Covenant he hath made with his Son there is the firmenesse the original the foundation of all thy good thy salvation and though thou art a poore weake creature that doth not keepe Covenant with the Lord yet the Son of God hath kept Covenant with the Father and hath perfectly performed all conditions the Father required of him the worke hath been perfected by the Son and here is our comfort Raise your drooping hearts by this meditation The second part of this peace and that is a promise of deliverance from hoftility from the enemy I will breake the bow and the sword and the battell out of the earth First Peace is a great blessing it is a great mercy to have the bow and the sword broke It is a part of the Covenant that God makes with his people to take away the instruments of hostility Esay 2. 4. God promiseth the breaking of swords into plough-shares and spears in pruning hooks You finde the contrary when God threatneth judgement to a people Joel 3. 10. he threatneth thus to beate their plongh-shares into swords and their pruning hooks into spears then they are in a sad condition It is a great deale better that their swords should be beaten into plow-shares then that the plow-shares should be beaten into swords that the speares should be made pruning hooks then that pruning
to the Church and I will fulfill them all unto you though you have departed from me and provoked me against you yet upon your returning you shall be so received as to have interest in all the precious gracious glorious promises I have made to the Church I will make them all good to you for I will betroth my selfe unto you in faithfulnesse as well as in mercy looke what ever I have said concerning my Church that is yours to be made good to the uttermost and there is nothing that can be for your good that concerns me as a loving husband to doe but you shall be sure to have it And as for you howsoever your hearts have been hitherto unfaithful towards me in departing from me yet now you shall have put into you a faithful spirit there shall be faithfulfulnesse on your part as well as on mine so as my heart shall confide in you you shall not deale falsely with mee as before your hearts shall confide in me that I will deale faithfully with you and my heart shall confide in you that you will deale faithfully with me so that whatsoever befalls you yet you shall be faithfull to me and faithfull one to another so as your hearts shall trust one in another I will betroth you unto me in faithfulnesse And whereas it is but little that yet you have known of me and this indeed hath been the cause of all your vile departings from mee because you have not known me the Lord therefore you shall know the Lord know him in another manner then ever yet you knew him I will shew my glory to you I will open my very heart to you the secret of the Lord shall be with you you shall all know me though your parts be but weak and meane yet you shall be taught of God perhaps you may be ignorant of other things but you shall know the Lord. And as for outward blessings you shall have your fill of them too all the creatures shall be moved towards you to comfort you to succour you Let Iezreelory to the corne the corne shall cry to the earth and the earth shall heare the corne the earth shall cry to the heavens the heavens shall heare the earth and the heavens shall cry to me and I will heare the heavens There shall be in them 1 a readinesse to help 2 a greedinesse to relieve you yea 3 a concatenation of them all 4 and I will joyn them for the good of Iezreel But yet we are a people scattered about the world and most of us are consumed but I will sow her unto me in the earth you were scattered this is a judgment but now it is turned to a mercy your scattering is as seed you shall fructifie encrease abundantly so be a blessing to the whole earth But we have lien underthe curse of God a great while and have seemed to be rejected but saith God I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy Lastly we are a proverb uuto all the world as you know the Jewes are we are a by-word a scorn a reproach amongst all people they say God had rejected us and so trample upon us No saith God I will not onely betroth you to my selfe but it shall appeare to all the world you are my people I will say to you which were not my people you are my people though you be a people scorned and vilified in the world yet I will owne you and it shall appeare so your low and miserable condition shall not hinder me from saying you are my people and as for you whatsoever you shall meet withall in my wayes whatsoever you suffer for my worship though it be scorned and despised in the world yet you shal own it before the world and you shall say Thou art my God Thus you have a short paraphrase upon this gracious expression of God to his reconciled people You have here but a flash of this mercie of the Lord to his Saints But when was all this fulfilled you will say or is it to be fulfilled to what times does this prophesie refer There is in part the making good this prophesie when ever a soule is brought into the embracing the Gospel but the height of this shall be at the calling of the Jewes then not only the spiritual estate of particular converted soules shal bee thus happy but the Church state shal bee thus the visible Church shal be betrothed unto the Lord for ever We cannot say so of any visible Church here there is no visible Church but may fall off from the visibility of it but when God shal bring in the Iewes they shall never fall off from the visibility of their Church-communion Revel 21. 2. seemeth to have reference to this prophesie And I John saw the holy City new Jerusalem coming down from God prepared as a bride adorned for her husband And I heard a great voyce out of heaven saying Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God This hath almost the same words that wee have here in this prophesie that is to be fulfilled in that glorious Church-estate that shal bee when God calls home to himselfe his own people Mark there God himself shall be with them God is always with his people but God himselfe that is a more especiall and immediate and full presence of God shall be with them But the words must have yet a more full search into them I will betroth thee The Scripture makes much mention of Espousals and of marriage to expresse the great mysterie of the grace of God to his people The holy Ghost seems to delight much in this Allegory there is none more frequent in Scripture then it which is a very great honour to a married condition And such ought to be the lives of those that are in a married condition as much as may be to resemble the blessednesse of the condition of a people reconciled unto God for in all similitudes there must be something in the thing to resemble that which it is brought for Married people should so live as all that behold the sweetnesse the happinesse of their lives may be put in mind thereby of that sweetnes happiness there is in the Churches comunion with Jesus Christ I appeale to you are your lives thus Now in a married condition there are these foure things most remarkable First There is the neerest unino that can be They two shal be made oneflesh this is the power of God in an Ordinance consider it two that not perhaps a month before were strangers one to another never saw the faces one of another did not know that there were such in the world if they come under this ordinance though it be but a civill ordinance these two shal now be neerer one to another then the child that
well pleased with it Esay 53. 10. Why was God pleased with it Because the Lord saw this was the way for him to communicate himself in the fulnesse of his grace unto his Church and therefore though it cost him so deare as the death of his own Son yet he was well pleased with it And as for Christ he takes delight in letting out himself to his people after he had suffered the Text saith he was satisfied when he saw of the travell of his soul As if Christ had said O let me have a Church to communicate my self unto though I see it hath cost me my blood it hath cost me all these fearfull sufferings yet I am satisfied I thinke all is well bestowed so I may have a people to partake of my love and mercy for ever Cant. 4. 9. Thou hast ravished my heart my sister my spouse thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes Then for the Saints the delight they have in communicating themselves unto Christ is unutterable Stay me with flaeggons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love saith the Church Cantic 2. 5. Psal 63. 5. My soul shall be satisfied with marrow and fatnesse and my mouth shall praise thee with joyfull lips when I remember thee upon my bed and meditate of thee in the night watches Take this note the more fully you lay out your selves for Christ the more comfort you shall have in your lives Here is the great difference between hypocrites and others in the comfort of their lives It is impossible that any hypocrite can have that comfort in his life as a gracious heart can have upon this ground because a hypocrite reserveth somewhat of himself for something else there is not a full comunication of himself unto Christ he alwayes keepes somewhat back and thereby loseth his comfort But a gracious heart fully letting out himselfe into Christ from thence cometh the comfort sweetness that he hath in the ways of Christ above all hypocrites in the world Perhaps you thinke that the onely comfort you can have is by receiving some benefit some mercy from God you are much mistaken the comfort of letting your hearts out to God is a greater comfort then any comfort you have in receiving any thing from God And now Oh how happy are they unto whom Christ is thus espoused How comfortably may you live being made sure to Christ and how comfortably may you die It is our work to seeke to draw soules to Christ to allure soules to be in love with him Gen. 24. 35. You may see what course Abrahams servant took in drawing the love of Rebekah and her friends to his Masters son he begins wiâ—h telling them that he is the servant of Abraham and that the Lord had blessed his Master greatly so that he was become great and that the Lord had given him flocks and herds and silver gold and that he had an onely soone that was to be heire of all this This is the work of Ministers to tell people what riches of mercy there are in God and that all the treasures of those infinite riches of the infinite God are in JESUS CHRIST and to be let out in him this gaines the heart Yea it is not onely the work of Ministers but it should be worke of every gracious heart thus to seek to draw souls to Christ as Rev. 22. 17. not onely the Angels there say Come but the Bride saith Come and let him that hea eth say Come and let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely VVere I not in such a way of explication as I am surely wee could not get off such a point as this but that which I shall say for the present is onely this Know that it is not want of any worth in you that can hinder communion with Jesus Christ doe not reason in that manner I am a poor wretched sinfull creature will ever Christ be married unto me It is not thy sinfulnesse it is not thy base condition that can hinder thee Christ never joynes himselfe to any because they are worthy but he joynes himself to them that they may be worthy hee makes them to be worthy in joyning himselfe unto them The woman is not married unto the King because she is a Queen but the King maryeth her to make her a Queene And further know if your hearts be not taken with Christ to joyne with him in his holy mariage if he be not your husband to enjoy conjugall communion with you he will be your judge to condemn you But besides this betrothing between Christ a soul there is a betrothing between Christ a visible Church especially the Church of the Jews when they shall be called God shal appeare in his glory when this maryage shall be between Christ and the Jewish Church the King will then be in his Robes if a man of estate have a sonne to marry and intends to solemnize the maryage according to his estate if he have any better cloathes then other he puts them on that day so at the calling of the Jewes the King of heaven will be in his robes God will appeare in a most glorious manner to the world then ehe did since the creation Yea and you know the Bridegroome too will be very fine upon the mariage day so Jesus Christ will then appeare whether personally or otherwise wee say not but certainly hee will gloriously appeare at that day Tit. 2. 15. We looke for the glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour jesâ—s Christ And 2 Thes 1. 10. Christ shall come so as to be admired in all them that believe the Church likewise shall then be arrayed in her fine cloaths shee shall be then cloathed in white cleane and fine liâ—nen as it is Rev. 19. 8. all in the righteousness of Christ the great doctrine of justification by Christ shall be made out full and cleare Yea and the creatures her servants shall put on the best rayment as in a great marriage the servants in the house have new cloathes at that day there will be a change in all the creatures and another kind of face in the world then now there is Then will be the marriage supper and happy shall those be that shall then be found worthy to enter into the bed-chamber let us now love Christ let us now cleave to him let us now suffer for him we may perhaps be some of those who beside our eternal enjoyment of christ in heaven may enjoy him in this mariage upon the earth But we must leave this argument we spake something of it in the end of the first chapter And I will betroth thee unto me for ever For ever This adds to the mercy to make it glorious this for ever makes a misery though never so little an infinite misery and a mercy an infinite mercy This betrothing for ever shall be fulfilled
his Son the Lord did hereby shew a stronger intense love unto justice then if he had damned tenne thousand thousand creatures Suppose a malefactor comes before a Judg the Judg will not spare the malefactor but requireth satisfaction to the law this shews that the Judg loves justice but if the Iudges own son be a delinquent and it appears before all the Country that the Iudg will not spare him but he must satisfie the law to the uttermost you will say the Iudge doth honour unto justice more in this then in condemning many other malefactors So when the Lord shall cast many thousands into hell there to be tormented for ever this sheweth that God loveth justice but when his own Son shall take our sins upon him but by imputation God will not spare him that is the very word of the Scripture He spared not his own Sonn saith the Text this declareth Gods love to righteousness more then if all the world had been damned Secondly suppose the sinner that is reconciled had been damned then the justice of God had been but in satisfying and never had fully been satisfied but in that way that God hath found out to save a sinner his justice is not only satisfying but it comes to be fully satisfied to have enough Now it is a greater honour to justice to be fully satisfied then to be in satisfying As for instance suppose a man be a Creditor to one who owes him five thousand pounds this man is poore and the utmost he can pay is but sixe pence or twelve pence a weeke suppose the Creditor should lay him in the Jayle untill he had payed all this man would be paying but would never be payed so long as the Debtor liveth but if another rich man should come and lay downe five thousand pound at once the man is presently satisfied Here is the difference between Gods satisfying his justice upon sinners and upon Jesus Christ God cometh upon the sinner he requireth the debt of punishment because he did not pay the debt of obedience God cast him into prison the uttermost he can pay is but twelve pence a week as it were that is but a little and thereforefore he must be still paying and paying eternally which is the very ground of their eternall punishment in hell because they cannot pay enough in any finite time Now commeth Christ and he fully payes the debt so that justice saith it hath enough it is satisfied this is the greater glory to the justice of God Thirdly If the sinner had been sent down to hell God had had the glory of his justice passively upon him hee should be for ever under the power and stroke of justice but in the mean time the sinner would have hated God for his justice and hated justice but when justice is honoured actively the sinner falleth down and acknowledgeth himselfe guilty putteth himselfe under the stroake of Gods justice and accepteth of the punishment of his iniquity now God is delighted more abundantly in this active way of glorifying his justice then if the sinner should have beene eternally in hell to have satisfied And now Devils and all wicked men must needs have their mouths stâ—pped for ever they cannot cry out of God becanse he will marry himselfe to such sinners this is mercy but where is his righteousness where is the glory of his justice here is an answer to them all though the Lord setteth his love upon vile sinners yet so as hee doth it in righteousnesse And this is a great encouragement to come in and believe as thus if the sinner be terrified with the apprehension of his sinne I see by them the wrath of God is incensed and infinite justice comes upon mee and I heare that crying for satisfaction this bids the sinner know likewise that God hath a way to satisfie infinite justice and yet to save thy soul he will marry thee unto himself and yet he will do it in righteousnesse And this is a mighty helpe unto a sinner against all faylings afterward a mighty establishment against a thousand objections the sinner may make against himself Thus we must seek to God when wee seek for reconciliation to be received againe when wee have departed from him whatsoever GOD doth for us hee must doe it in the way of righteousnesse as well as in the way of mercy Take this with you sinners if ever you have a pardon sealed unto you it must be sealed in the Court of justice as well as in the Court of mercy therefore thou needest not appeale from the Court of justice to the Mercy-seat for in that way of the mystery of godliness that there is in God reconciling himselfe unto a sinner there may be as much comfort in standing before the bar of justice as at the Mercy-seat that is by standing there in and through Christ for he hath made justice propitious to us and now it pleadeth to mercy for us And indeed this is the very work of Faith to go unto God this way when by Faith the sinner shall tender up unto God the Father the righteousness of JESUS CHRIST for an atonement and satisfaction for sins It brings the comfort of justification this way When you come to God in any other way but this it is but in a natural way not in a true evangelicall way A man by nature may know thus much that when he hath sinned he must seek unto God for mercy to pardon his sin or else he is miserable but to seek unto God for pardon with a price in our hand to tender up the merits of Christ for a satisfaction to Divine justice here is the mystery of faith faith is not onely to rely upon Gods mercy for pardon but this I see riches of grace in Christ and Christ my surety hath made an atonement hath laid down a price now by faith I tender up this unto God the Father and by this way I believe my soul shall be accepted in him What a mighty ingagement is this for us to be righteous with God the Lord betrotheth us unto himself in righteousnesse we should give up our selves to him in righteousnesse too O my brethren take this away with you what ever you forget If the Lord hath thus ingaged himselfe unto us in a way of righteousnesse and if it hath cost him so deare to shew himself righteous unto us what an infinite ingagement is this unto us to be righteous before him to glorifie Gods righteousnesse in our conversations I will doe it in righteousnesse and you shall have such a righteous heart as you shall never be a dishonour unto me before the people neither devils nor wicked men shal ever be able to upbraid me that I set my love upon such creatures as you because whatsoever you were you shall be now righteous When ever we expresse our selves to be the Spouse of Christ and be unrighteous in our conversations we upbraid Jesus Christ wee
are a dishonor unto him before Men and Angels what you the Spouse of Christ where is this ornament this bracelet of righteousnesse then whosoever Christ maryeth he putteth upon them this Jewel of righteousnesse Hee blasphems Religion which he seems to honour sayes Cyprian who makes not good in his life what he professes The Eighteenth Lecture HOSEA 2. 19. And in judgement and in loving kindnesse and in mercies IN Judgement Some Interpreters we finde make this and righteousnesse to be all one according to that Psal 33. 6. He loveth righteousnesse and judgement and so passe it over but we must not do so for wee shall finde much of Gods minde in this Others take judgement as divers times it is taken in Scripture for sanctification so they would make this promise sutable to that of Christ John 16. 10. 11. I will send the Comforter and he shall convince the world of sin of righteousnesse and of judgement that righteousnesse there is the same with that here judgement there by many Interpreters is understood of sanctification because the Prince of this world is judged the power of Satan is already broken he is already cast out of your hearts And they thinke to strengthen that by that place in Mat. 12. 20. He will not quench the smoaking flaxe nor breake the bruised reed till he send forth judgement unto victory that is untill he perfect the work of sanctification that it shall overcome corruption This text in Matthew is quoted out of Esay 42. 3. but there we have the words somewhat different there it is He shall bring forth judgement unto truth Now if that should be the meaning that by judgement is meant sanctification then we may learne an excellent note from the comparing these two Texts together that it is all one to bring judgement sanctification unto truth and to bring it unto victory when it is in truth it will certainly be in victory But we shall a little more examine this interpretation of Judgement presently for my part I do not think that it is meant either in this Text or in any of the Texts named Thirdly I finde others make this in judgement to be Gods judgement against the adversaries of the Church I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse I will deale with you in a way of righteousnesse and for your adversaries I will deale with them in a way of judgement you shall have judgement against them So I finde Luther carries it and he saith that judgement here is the second pearle of the Husbands ring he gives to his Spouse God promiseth to exercise judgement vengeance against the adversaries of the Church and so he applyeth it unto those times wherein he lived in Germany saith he for these many years wicked Magistrates have oppressed the Church and prophane Doctors have corrupted the doctrine of it but Germany hath seene God judging his adversaries And if we should understand it in this sense we have a sutable place Esay 54. 5. where God telleth his Church that He that is her maker is her husband even the Lord of hosts and her Redeemer the God of the whole earth the word there is Vindex the avenger he that will avenge thee of thine enemies is the God of the whole earth he is thy husband This might afford a sweet meditation that the Lord will defend his Church from the rage of adversaries as the husband will defend his Spouse being betrothed unto her the Lord certainly will take a valuable consideration at the hands of the adversaries who wrong his Church But this I thinke not to be the scope of the place Another is In Judgement Though things be now out of order all things seeme to be in confusion yet the time is coming when all things shal be ordered in the Church according to equity and right These two I thinke are meant in the former Texts I will convince the world of judgement that is the world shall be convinced that Christ hath all judgement committed unto him and he shews it in this that the Prince of this world is judged so that place before in Matthew I will cause judgment to returne unto victory that is though the adversaries of the Church be many yet he will cause them all to be vanquished judgement shal conquer over them all though there be much opposition and confusion in the Church yet I will bring all things in the Church to be ordered composed in a right way according unto equity That place likewise Esay 4. 4. where the Lord saith he will purge his Church by the spirit of judgeâ—ent and by the spirit of burning I know some carry it as if it were meant of the spirit of sanctification that is as fire to consume lusts but rather thus whereas there were such as did oppresse the Church by false judgement the Lord would cleanse the Church from wrong and oppression by giving a spirit of judgement unto those that should be the Officers of it and consuming the adversaries But yet I thinke we have not the full scope of this place I rather would pitch upon this as that which is more principally intended though the other may be in some degree included viz. I will betroth thee unto me in judgment that is there shall be a good reason for what I doe that which I will now do in betrothing thee unto my selfe shall not be out of rashnesse it shal not be done unadvisedly but with understanding with good deliberation I know what I do in it and I know what glory I shall have by it I will do it in judgement So I finde the word judgement taken in scripture Jer. 4. 2. Thou shalt sweare in truth in judgement and in righteousnesse In judgement that is when you sweare know it is a worship of God and you must doe it in judgement you must not only sweare in truth that is sweare to that which is true and in righteousnesse that is not to the wrong or prejudice of your neighbour for you may sinne in swearing though you sweare in truth if you have an intent to wrong any but thirdly you must sweare in judgment too you must understand what you doe that is when you take an oath you must know that it is not as the Ex Officio was to sweare to answer to every thing that shall be asked you but you must understand beforehand what you are to sweare to and so sweare out of judgement So saith God I will betroth thee unto me in judgement that is I have considered what I am to doe in this thing and I doe it out of judgement And for your parts when you shal come and close with me in this blessed conjugall union and communion you shall doe it out of jndgement too I will betroth you in judgement so as to make it appeare before the world that I had good reason so to do and you shall likewise close with me as you shall be able
sonne of the perverse rebellious woman he cast a jave lin at him to kill him then the fourescore five Priests in the City of Nob must be all slain in his anger What was the bottome of all this It was the breach between God and his owne spirit Oh take heed of breaches between God and you for they will put you into a perverse and froward disposition What doth a man get by the want of this kindness and loving disposition He troubleth himself Pro. 11. 17. He that is cruell of a sharsh disposition troubleth his own flesh I appeale to you do you not lose much of the sweetness of your lives you that are in a marryed condition What comfort have you in your lives when there is nothing but snarling at and crossing one another you trouble your own house and your own flesh whereas if there were loving kindness betwixt you it would sweeten all your comforts yea all your crosses The loving kindnes of a man or a woman is the beauty of a man or woman Pro 19. 2. The kindnes of a man is the desire of a man saith the text there And of a woman Pro. 31. 29. among other high comendations of a vertuous woman who had done excellently this is one The law of kindnes is in her tongue kindnes giveth a law to her mouth many women have no law given to their mouthes their tongues are lawlesse when they are angred but a woman that is commended of God the Text saith the law of kindnes is in her tongue the kindnes of her heart doth give a law to her mouth that is the honor of a woman To be of a sweet kind disposition is an exceeding beauty it addes a glorious lustre to any man living Isa 40. 6. All flesh is grasse and all the goodlinesse thereof is as the flower of the field the word is in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same word that is here that word which signifyeth kindnesse is translated there goodlinesse noting that kindnesse is the goodlinesse of the spirit of a man or woman what the beauty of a flower is to a flower that is kindnesse to a man or woman it is goodlinesse Just in Martyr in his Apologie for the Christians faith that their adversaries did hate only the name of a Christian they had nothing against the Christians and what is there saith he in the name Nothing but that which is good and lovely enough now saith he it is not just to hate that which is profitable gentle for so the word signifyeth they are Christians what if you call them Christiani of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mild profitable for to they are indeed they are profitable gentle sweet natured people and why should you hate those people 2 Cor. 6. 6. Being filled with the holy Ghost and kindness are put together there is much of the holy Ghost where there is much kindnesse The spirit of Christ is a spirit of kindnesse and gentleness and though you may thinke that your rigidness and roughnesse may argue bravenesse of spirit in you for it is ordinary for froward and passionate people to thinke they have more brave spirits then others but know that your spirits are more base and vile then the spirits of others I will give you only one Text for that Psal 45. 4. it is said of Christ In thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meeknesse now the same word that is here translated meeknesse 2 Sam. 22. 26. is gentlenesse thy gentlenesse hath made me great Mark gentlenesse magnificence or majesty may stand together yea Christ is magnificent and full of majesty in the gentlenesse and quietness of his spirit ride on in thy majesty prosperously because of thy meeknesse because of thy gentleness Would you have a brave spirit like unto the spirit of Christ in his glory let your spirits be gentle sweet and loving spirits I will betroth thee unto me in mercies Loving kindnesse and mercies may seem in the reading as if they were the same but there is a great deale of difference in them And in mercies Viscera so the word is I will betroth thee unto my self in bowels Not the fruit only but the root not the water onely but the fountaine thou shalt have the fountain of all good my very bowels from whence flowes all mercies Wherefore Christians you need not fear the want of the supply of mercies why because you have the fountaine of mercies from whence they spring God may grant to wicked men many fruits of his bounty and goodnesse yea but they have not his bowels they have not the fountain the root from whence all springs Here is the happinesse of a Christian not onely to have much good from God but to have those very bowels from whence that good cometh Here lies the dignity the glory of a Christian the vastnesse of his riches Christians you shall not therefore neede feare to give up any mercy God calls for at your hands for you have got the bowels of mercy to be yours you have got the spring-head of all mercy to bee yours whence you may fetch all seasonable all sutable mercies when you will Here is the reason why many who are carnall when they have got a mercy from God they keepe it so sure they are afraid to lose it they are loth to part with it though God calleth for it againe Why because they are not acquainted with the true priviledg of a Christian they do not know what it is to possesse the bowels of God they know not where to goe for more therefore they are loth to part with what they have Now the Saints can part with any thing for God let him take what he will have let him strip me as naked as hee pleaseth I have the bowels of God I have the spring-head to goe to for all mercies again It is true if there were want of water and you had only water in a cistern if your neighbour came to borrow of you you would be loth to lend any but if you have a well-spring and a fountaine that never was dry and never will be drawn dry is it a great matter for you to lend water then So it is true the men of the world are needy creatures they have something indeed but it is as water in a cistern when that is gone they think that all is gone therefore they will not lend it no not unto God himselfe when hee calls for it But the Saints have the bowels of mercy the spring-head of all mercy therefore whatsoever God calls for they presently say Lord here take all I know where to have it againe and much more then that This makes godly men so ingenuous for God and so free hearted to him and to his servants I will berroth thee unto me in mercies A little to search into these mercies It is an argument that hath much depth in it First they are a
yet ordinarily he makes use of second causes not only to work ad praesent iam as Biel the Schoolman and others say that is only together with the creature but there is say they no efficacie at all of them issuing into the effect but the truth is God doth make use of second causes otherwise so that there is some vertue and efficacy in them to work the thing that God intends Fourthly there is a concatenation of second causes not onely an use of them but every one in their order supplyes the other the heavens heare the earth and the earth hears the corne one after another If we could see the comely order of the creatures wee should see them all hang together in a golden chaine as it is in the joynts of the body one bone supplyeth another one place is hollow to take in another so one cause in nature supplyeth and cometh in to the other As in our salvation there is a golden chain which we have Rom. 8. So in the creatures there is a golden chain of comely order and mutuall supplyance Fiftly God is at the higher end of the chaine and nothing can be done by any link of the chaine of second causes but by Gods being at the uppermost link Jezreel must cry to the corn and wine and oyle and they must cry to the earth and the earth must cry to the heavens he must be the highest cause Sixtly It is most comely and a great blessing when the right order and chaine of second causes hold As it is in Nature so in any Society in a Common-wealth in a City when all keep their due subordination as when the Trades-man works in his way the Magistrate in his way the Minister in his way and every Officer in his place every one keeping his order But when it is otherwise when they are out of order it is a great misery upon a City or Kingdom As it was once among the Athenians Themistocles saith of his son a bolâ— youth This boy can do more then any man in all Greece Why For saith he the Athenians command the Grecians and I command the Athenians and my wife commands me and my son commands my wife here was the concatenation of that government God deliver all societies from such a concatenation that the beginning of any publick work I meane the lower link of the chain should be perhaps in a whoremaster he should command one and that one another and so one after another This is a fearfull judgment where soever it is 7. God is the giver of all plenty hee accounts it his glory to give raine Ier. 5. 24. God there wonders that men will not feare him because of that Neither saith he doe they say in their hearts Let us feare God that giveth raine As if hee should say It is a strange impudence in men what will they not say in their hearts Let us feare God seeing he gives us raine Thus God gloryeth in this great work when hee heareth the heavens and the heavens heare the earth the heavens will be as brasse over us and the earth as iron unlesse GOD heare them and send raine Therefore let God be acknowledged in that rain we have had of late the creatures wanted grasse and the grasse cryed to the heavens and the heavens cryed unto God and God hath heard the heavens and sent downe raine and so we see the earth hath been refreshed abundance of good hath come to us by those showers Give God the glory of this 8. All plenty is given for the sake of the Saints How God heares the heavens and the heavens hear the earth and the earth hears the corn and the wine and the oyle and they hear Jezreel It is for Jezreels sake that the earth heares the corne and the heavens hear the earth and God hears the heavens Were it not for the Saints the earth wauld soon come to a confusion They are the blessing of the earth Isa 18. 24. 9. If the creatures work so graciously for us how should wee then worke for God and one for another What shall the creatures cry one to another and heare one another for our good and shall God cry to us and wee not heare God The senseless corn cries to the earth O earth help me that I may help Iezreel and the earth cryes to the heavens O heavens send down your influences and the heavens say We will heare and the earth saith I will heare Shall the earth heare and the heavens heare for our good and shall not we hear when God cryes for help God cries to you many times to helpe in his cause and wilt not thou hear to work for him O vile creature how unreasonable are thy ways before the Lord Again how should we hear the cries of the poor When wee are in want the corn cries to the earth and the earth cries to the heavens and the heavens cry to God for us VVhen the poore I mean Gods poore whom Gods hand hath made poore cry will not you heare VVill you be more hard-hearted then the earth and the heavens are seeing they heare you doe you hear the cry of your poor brethren Further if God will hear the creatures when they cry for us how much more will he hear Jesus Christ when hee cries for us It is our happinesse in part that we have all the creatures cry to God for our good but the top of our happinesse is this that wee have Iesus Christ the Mediatour of the new Covenant making intercession at the right hand of God continually for us Lastly Gods mercies go through when they work for the Saints the corn beginneth to cry to the earth that stays not here but the earth goes on and cryes to the heavens the heavens go on and cry to God Gods mercies to his Saints never leave till the thing be done And I will sow her unto me in the earth VVhat great mercy is this for God to grant plenty if he destroy his people Our Country is plentifull but if God should consume us out of the land what good wouâ—d our plenty do us Therefore saith God I will sow her unto me in the earth Indeed she is now a poor contemptible people there are but few of them remaining upon the earth but I will make them a seede and a seed that the Lord hath blessed I will sow her Here the Lord alludeth to the name Iezreel which signifies the seed of the Lord the sowen of the Lord. It was used in the first Chapter in an opprobtious way and in the latter end of that Chapter in a way of mercy I speak of it there therefore I shall not need say much now only this God makes use of the word here to put her in mind of what shee deserved as if he should say though thou beest a Jezreel and deservest to be scattered yet I will be mercifull to thee out of free grace
expression of much love also to Israel but yet withall God tells them of that meane and low estate they are like to be in before that time comes for the fulfilling of all that good that God intends to them God purposes great mercy for them his heart is much set upon them but they must for a long time beare their iniquity they must be brought into a vile and desolate condition in their captivity even untill a second appearing of Christ But in all this time the heart of God would be toward them his intentions would be strong for good to that people above all the people upon the face of the earth though they might seeme to be utterly rejected of the Lord and that for many yeers yet hee would look toward them as a people that he intended yet to marry unto himself in time mercy should breake forth gloriously upon them and his name should be magnified in their returning unto him so as their hearts should melt toward his goodnesse they should not abuse it any more as formerly they had done but they should returne and seeke the Lord their God and David their King and feare the Lord and his goodnesse in the latter dayes This is the scope of the Chapter In which you have three things 1. Gods love continued unto an adulteresse Israel 2. The low and mean condition of this adulteresse for a long time 3. The returne of God in infinite mercy toward them at the latter day together with their returne unto him And the Lord said unto me goe yet love a woman beloved of her friend yet an adulter esse We have here a new injunction to the Prophet and that somewhat harder then his former In the first Chapter God commanded him to goe and take awife of whoredomes but here God commanded him to love an adulteresse which is somewhat more then to take her unto himself What that was of taking a wife of whoredomes hath been opened in the former Chapter and may spare some labour in this It is here a vision as it was there As if God should say unto Hosea Hosea it is just with me as it would be with thee if thou shouldst goe and have a wife an Adulteresse notwithstanding all the love she hath found yet still an Adulteresse thine heart should be upon her so as thou couldest not take thy heart from her but thou must needs love this Adulteresse still This people whom I have loved for whom I have done so much good yet they have gone a whoring from me they are an Adulteresse yet for all that my heart cannot be taken off from them but is still toward them yet I love them This is through the strength of the Covenant that Gods love is so permanent Others who are not in covenant with him God casts out for lesser sins for any sins but as for his people who are in Covenant with him no not their adulteries their idolatries takes not the heart of God wholly from them Surely then if thou canst appeale to God O Lord thou knowest all things knowest that there is nothing of thy mind revealed to me but my heart is ready to do it and if I faile in any thing thou knowest it is the greatest burden of my soul O that I knew more of thy minde and that I had power to doe more surely God will love thee you heare he loves his people though an adulteresse as before so now take this lesson thy sinnes cannot over come Gods goodnesse let Gods goodnesse overcome thy sinfulnesse An adulteresse beloved of her friend This is as some carry it Calvin Vatablus and many others beloved of her husband as if God should say had they any such excuse for their departings from me that I have been a bitter husband to them that I have used them hardly and rigidly then indeed they might have some plea but I have loved them dearly I have done much for them they were beloved of me I have carried my selfe to them in the most friendly way that possibly could be yet they are gone a whoring from me The wife that followes other lovers thinks if she have but this to say her husband is hard to her hee cares not for her he loves her not it excuses in part her adulteries and so the husband a company keeper an adulterer if he can say what will you have me to doe I never come home but my wife is alwayes bâ—awling and she loves other men he thinks this is plea enough for him But Israel could not have this excuse for her selfe for she was an Adulteresse yet beloved of the Lord. If we take the words thus the notes briefly would be these First The husband should be a friend to his wife There should be nothing but friendly carriage betweene man and wife Yea the love of the husband to the wife should farr surmount the love of any friend in the world but a friend at least to comfort her to cherrish her in time of sorrowes to beare the burthen of affliction with her and so the wife towards the husband Secondly A base heart will be base against all bonds of love beloved of her friend yet an adultoresse if you should ask who is he or where is he that is so base Lay thy hand upon thine owne heart and consider what the love of God hath been towards thee all the dayes of thy life and how thou hast carried thy selfe toward him what love thou hast had from God that might breake the heart of a devill yet when any temptation comes to draw thee from God thy base heart listens to it Thirdly It is a great aggravation of sin to sinne against much love We ought to doe our duties to those that we stand in relation unto though they doe not their duty to us if a wife hath a froward husband a bitter churlish rugged wicked ungodly husband yet she is bound to doe her duty to him she is bound to love him to obey him to be observant of him in what may give him all lawfull content So if servants have froward churlish cruel Masters or Mastresses yet they are bound to be obedient to them 1 Pet. 2. 18. Be subject to your masters not onely to those that rae good and gentle but to the froward It is no sufficient excuse for the wife to say My husband is froward and unquiet and therefore what shall I doe Nor for the servant to say My Master or Mistresse are unreasonable they are cruell what can I doe You must doe your duty to them though they doe not theirs to you But if you have a loving husband tender over you then love is required much more Love above all things should draw the heart the knowledge that it is duty may force obedience but it is love that draws the heart most kindly So if a servant have a godly Master and Mistresse who respects and tenders his good if
First they should be in a contemptible condition they should be valued but at halfe the price of a slave Secondly they should be fed but meanly and basely even as slaves or rather as beasts this homer and half of barley should be for their sustenance in which they should be used very hardly for along time And that you may see how this hath been fulfilled for it did not only refer to the time of their Captivity before Christ but to all the Captivity they have been in ever since Christs time to this day and shall be in untill their calling the mean condition they were in before in the time of their first Captivity you may see Lament 4. 5. Those that were clothed in scarlet embraced the dung-hill they either lay in filthy places that had dung in them like beasts or else they were imployed in carrying dung up and down And to this day Histories tell us that generally the Jews have a most stinking savour and we know that they are the vilest people in the esteeme of others that are upon the face of the earth An Historian tells us of an Emperour travelling into Egypt there meeting with some Jews he was so annoyed with the stink of them that he cryes out O Marco-mani O Quadi c. At length saith he I have met with worse with viler men then such and such reckoning up divers of the basest people that were upon the face of the earth And to this day the Turks will admit of no Jew to turne to the Mahumetan Religion unlesse he first turne Christian they have much more honorable esteeme of the Christians they think that Jesus Christ though he was not God yet he was a great Prophet but for the Jews they have such vile thoughts of them that they think it a dishonour to the Turkish Religion that any of them should turne Turk unlesse be first turned Christian And we reade of the Romanes that when they conquered other Nations they would permit them to call themselves Romanes after they had conquered them but they would never permit the Jews to call themselves Romanes though the Jews would comply never so much with them and be their servants Augustine hath it upon Psalme 58. lest there should be some blot stick to the glory of the Romanes by that odious people Thus we see what shame hath God cast upon that nation even unto this day that they are counted as the very off-scouring of all nations Suetonius tels us that in the exactions that the Romanes require of people they put upon the Jews more then upon all people This that we reade of in histories that which we finde by experience of the base condition these people are in is the fulfilling this Scripture that I am now opening unto you she shal be bought for fifteen pieces of silver and fed with barly she shall be in a very low base and meane condition untill Christ shall come and marry her to himself Notes from hence are First A people who have been high in outward glory when they depart from God make themselves vile and contemptible God casts contempt upon wicked men especially upon wicked men who corrupt his worship Do we not see it at this day Mal. 2. 9. It is threatned that the Priests who departed from the law corrupted their waies should be base and contemptible before the people Hath not the Lord done thus at this day even those that not long since gave themselves the title of the triumphant Clergy and the triumphant Church and went up and downe jetting as if they would out-face heaven it self They feared all men with the High Commission Court But what shame hath God cast upon this generation the people loath them and we hope in time the Lord will sweepe away the proud and haughty of them as the reffuse of the earth Yea our whole nation hath been a proud nation what vaunting hath there been of what a glorious Church we had never such a one upon the earth we sate as a Queen amongst the nations we have been a haughty people and God may justly cast contempt upon us The Jewes were so the Temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord but God hath now made them the vilest nation upon the earth And the truth is God hath begun to cast much shame upon this nation The time was when the Kingdom of England was a terror to other people of late they have been the scorne and contempt of other nations When Ephraius spake there was trembling he exalted himselfe in Israel but sinning it Baal he died he became as a dead poor vile contemptible people Hos 13. 1. The Lord loveth to name the pride of men How many have you known who have been proud and lofty and the Lord hath cast shame and contempt in their saces even before those whom they looked upon heretofore with contempt they have now been made objects of contempt Secondly Though a people be under contempt yet Gods heart may be towards them to doe them good at the latter end There is the love of Gods election still to this people God remembers them and intends good unto them for all this VVho knowes what contempt God may cast upon us Perhaps he may let our proud adversaries trample us under their feet but we hope he will not because he sees their hearts so proud as they are But if he should we should not despaire we must not conclude God hath quite cast off England though he should bring all his people under contempt so as to betrampled under the foot of pride And if there be any of you whom God hath so humbled as he hath made you contemptible doe you humble your selves before God but do not despaire the Lord may yet have a love to you though you are now under shame and contempt who knowes but that this was the only way that God had to humble your hearts God putteth his ovvn people under contempt and yet it is all out of love unto them and vvithan intent to do them good at last Thirdly which is the most especial note hence After many promises of Gods mercy and of a glorious condition which he intendeth his people he may yet hold a very hard hand over them a great while God having promised so much mercy in the former Chapter Israel might quickly grow vvanton and say it is no great matter though we be vile and wicked yet God will marry us to himself and we shall be a glorious people and what need we take care Nay saith God stay here though my heart be toward you yet this generation shall suffer and the next generation the next generation after that shall suffer hard things you shal be brought into the most vile condition that ever any people was brought into yet my promise shall be fulfilled at the last Here we see what care God taketh that people should not grow wanton
with his mercy and think Oh we are in covenant with God and God hath pardoned our sins what need we care take heed of growing want on thou maist suffer fearfull things in this world Though God may save your souls yet you may be brought into as wofull a condition in your ovvn apprehensions as ever any creature was upon the earth And for England though it is true we have as many arguments of the love of God to 〈◊〉 as ever any nation had but yet who knows what this generation may suffer that hath so sullied it self with superstitious vanities We may be brought into vvefullslavery and then God may raise up unto himself another generation upon whom he will be stow the mercy intended Fourthly Those who will take their fill of delight to the flesh in a sensual use of the creature it is just with God they should be cut short be made to live meanly and basely to be made to feed with course fare with barley The Jews had their delicates before they fared deliciously now they must be sed worse then their servants and eare that which was meate for beasts How many hath God thus dealt withall who not long since had their tables furnished with the choysest sare with variety of dishes now perhaps are glad of a harley loafe for themselves and their children Again If God will not utterly destroy a people as he might but reserve mercy for them at last though they have never such a meane subsistence for the present yet they have cause to blesse God Though this here be a threatning yet there is a promise in it The people of Israel if they knew all had no cause to murmur at Gods dealing but to admire at his mercy though they had but a little barley to sustaine them And suppose God should bring us in England into a low condition so as we may be glad of a barley loafe we know famine commonly followes warre it was wont to be a phrase browne bread and the gospell is good fare and God may bring that upon us in another way then ever yet we or our fore-fathers were acquainted with but yet if the Lord do not cast us off utterly from being his people though he feed us with brown bread though we have never so mean a subsistance for the present we shall have cause to blesse his name Lastly It is the way of God to humble those he intendeth good unto to prepare them for mercy by cutting them short of these outward comforts If the Lord hath dealt so with any of you you have lived full-handed perhaps wives have brought good portions to their husbands and now they are broke and all is lost perhaps you had good friends in the Countrey many of them are plundered in their estates now you are faine to fare meanly and if you have bread for your children you think it well but consider this Is not God now humbling me and thereby preparing my heart for himself Oh blessed be God for this my condition this bread is sweeter to me then all the dishes I have had in my life VVhen you sit in your houses with your wives and children and have nothing but barley bread to feed upon have these thoughts I hope God doth this in love mercy he is making this my condition the best condition I was ever in the greatest blessing to me Verse 3. And I said unto her thou halt abide for me many dayes thou shalt not play the harlot and thou shalt not be for another man so will I also be for thee You shall not only be in such a low condition as a slave and worse then a maid servant and be sed with barley but you shall abide thus abide thus many dayes Thus they have abode these sixteene hundred yeares since Christs time besides their former captivity The Lord would have a full experience of Israel that their hearts were throroughly humbled before he would take them to mercy again There was never any people dealt more falsely with God in their humiliations then they had done before How often when they were in misery did they come with their seeming humiliation cryed for mercy and God â—â—â—wed them mercy and assoone as they were delivered they fell off againe and went after their Idols and then being in misery again they cryed to God and he delivered them and then presently to their Idols again Well saith God I will not deale so with you hereafter I will not trust you so as I have done you have beene in misery and I have delivered you when you cryed to me and then you have fallen to your sins againe but now you shall be humbled to purpose you shâ—l be â—ow many yeers in this low and meane condition and then your hearts â—â—ll be thâ—rowly broken so that when you shall returne to me againe you shall never fall from me God hath dealt so with many of you you have been in affliction God hath delivered you you have gone to your sinnes again you have been in affliction againe and he hath delivered you you have fell to your sins again and thus you have dallyed with the great God God may bring a fore long affliction upon you that you shall be so thorowly humbled that you shall never goe back againe to your sins as you have done This is the meaning abide many dayes When we would scoure purge a filthy garment thorowly we do not onely wash it but wee lay it a soaking a great while and a frosting many nights the Jews have lyne a soaking frostning many hundred yeeres this is the hardnesse of mans heart afflictions wil not work presently though many wedges be put into many blows struck upon knotty wood it stirs not some metals are long in melting yea though the fire be very hot Againe Here we see it is Gods ordinary way when he promiseth mercy to seeme to goe quite contrary to a people to seem as if he would quite destory them I will marry my self unto them in loving kindness and in mercies but yet I will let this people be above sixteen hundred yeers in this forlorne condition And so it hath been in all Gods administrations since the beginning of the world When God comes to humble sinners they must be content to be humbled Gods own time they must not out of a sudden furious humor say Lord how long I have been thus long in a sad condition I have prayed thus long Is your sadness affliction eternal Oh no a yeer or two perhaps but you have deserved eternity of misery Thou shalt abide for me many dayes thou shalt not play the harlot thou shalt not be for another man so will I also be for thee That is in all this time you must have a care of your self that you do not seek after other lovers let me have experience that you will now worship the
hee would not take such an unlawfull course then but he searched to see whatsin was amongst the people that caused God to refuse to give him an answer so you have it in the case of Jonathan 1 Sam. 14. 33. when he took the honey he enquired of God and God answered not and Saul said draw neere and see wherein this sin hath beene this day But afterward he grew to a greate◠height of evill when he was in a strait and God answered him not presently he goeth to the witch but it was when he was near destruction The note from thence is VVicked men neare destruction as Saul was finding things in a confusion and God not shewing them what is to be done presently are in a rage against God then they frer and seeke after unlawfull means to help them The Lord forbid that this should b◠our condition Let not us say things are now in such a confusion that we know not how to find out the mind of God we consult with Ministers and they know not what to say they have cast out such a government and they know not what to bring in and therefore it were better we were as before If this should be our teasoning it is a signe we are like Saul nigh to destruction Let us be content to wayte they shall be many dayes without a King c. and then they shal return this shall be the fruite of being without a King and Prince Ephod and Sacrifice not vexing and raging but returning to God and repenting It things be worse we be brought into greater straits then ever we thought of let us not murmur but let us repent Every one is complaining but who is repenting If there were as much repenting as there is murmuring then we should soone know the minde of God Then they shall returne Here is the use of sanctified affliction it is to cause returning to God Jerome expresses the life of an impenitent sinner by a line stretched out he goes saith he from the center in a right line and so goes in infinitum from it but a penitent sinner is like a line bent and turning back to the center though by sin he goes from it yet by repentance he turnes to it again they are gone from me a great way saith God but I will give them a turne they shal bend back again and return to me They shall returne Repentance is set out by this vvord to note the folly of sinne In sin thou goest out of the way and the truth is though you thinke you choose a good way for your self yet you must either come back again or perish It is just like a man travelling in a rode and he sees a dirty lane before him which he is told is the way he must goe there but on the other side of the hedg he seeth a green and pleasant vvay and he gets over into that way and so perhaps rides on a mile or two at length he is compast about with ditches and rivers so that he must either return back or else lie there starve he returnes back with shame and if any one that before told him of the other way see him he tells him now of his folly I told you that the other was the way and that if you went over the hedge you must come back again So it is with sinners there are wayes of God that go directly to heaven but because those wayes are rugged and they meet with trouble and persecution in them they see by-ways that leade to hell that are more plaine smooth they get over they will transgresse for that is the word for sinne they are got over now they are merry sriske up and down for a while in this fine way but friend you must come backe again and if ever you mean to be saved you must goe in the way that you have refused Further they shal return and seeke the Lord their God Here is an encouragement for old sinners The Jews have been above 1600. years in this wofull condition for saking God but in their latter dayes they shall returne and seeke the Lord and God shall be mercifull to them Hast thou been forty fifty sixty years going from God there is hope for thy soul Oh returne return you old sinners But further 〈◊〉 shall return to Jehovah and seeke him Jer. 4. 1. If thou wilt returne O Israel saith the Lord return unto me They shal not return from one false way of worship to another but from the false way to the true they shall return to God It is that we had now need look unto We must not think it enough to cast one false way of government out of the Church and turn to another though not so ill yet not Gods if out of any politicke pretence we reject the way of God it will prove a sore evil unto us it is one thing not to be able to bring in the way of Christ and another to reject it They shall seek Jehovah not their Idols but God himself The word signifies conatu ac studio quaerere to seek with endeavouring with study rather then meerly to ask and enquire they shall be studious in asking after God They shall seek the Lord that is First They shall seeke his face and favour for the pardon of all their evill wayes they shall come and acknowledge their false wayes and their doings which have not been good and seek mercy for pardon Secondly They shall seek the Lord that is they shall seeke the true worship of the Lord. Calvin in a Sermon upon that place Seeke ye my face interprets it to be seeking the Ordinances of God the true worship of God so Psal 105. 4. Seeke the Lord his strength what is meant by the strength of God there It is the Arke for that Psalme was made at the bringing in of the Arke into the place that David had prepared as you may see by comparing that Psalme with the 1 Chron 16. the Arke of God is called the strength of God Psal 78. 61. He gave his strength into captivity Surely if the true worship of God be the strength of God it is our strength too a people are then strong when they entertaine the Arke of God the true worship of God and then indeed we seeke God aright when we seeke to know the way of his worship Lastly They shal seek the Lord that is they shall seeke to know his will in all their wayes and to do it It is not enough for them to be content to do just that which shall be put upon them but they shall seek to know what his minde his worship is Some yeeld thus far to God if any come to them and convince them that this is to be done then they will do it they dare not then but yeeld to it but when the heart is in a true repenting frame it is then in a seeking
people but the powers of Kings and Emperours the highest powers in the world whatsoever is lofty in the world shall be shaken when Christ comes to take the kingdom to himself the Father will set him King upon his holy hill Though the Kings of the earth set themselves and the Rulers take counsell together against the Lord against his Anoynted saying Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us he that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision then shall he speake to them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion yet have I done it though the kings of the earth and great ones of the world fret vex and rage and gather power together though they blaspheme and say he shall not raigne the Lord sitteth in heaven and laugheth at them let them do what they can and gather what strength they can oppose to the uttermost they can Yet will I set my King upon my holy hill This is acceptable news it is the joyfull voyce of the Gospel to tell you of Christs comming to raigne in the world Esay 52. 7. How beautifull upon the mountaines are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings What are those good tidings this tidings that saith unto Zion Thy Godraigneth This is the triumph of the Church Esay 33. 22. The Lord is our judge the Lord is our law-giver the Lord is our King for then shall the Churches be delivered from the oppression of all Tyrants in the world And this Kingdom of Christs shall indeed be like Davids kingdome Christ shal be David the King I might shew you the parallels in many things but I will only parallel the kingdome of Christ and of David in these two particulars First David of all the Princes that ever were was one of the most gentle he was exceeding loving and sweet unto his subjects that you shal finde 1 Chron. 28. 2. Then David the King stood up upon his feet said he are me my brethren and my people Marke how a King speaks speaking to his people he stood upon his feet and said heare me my brethren and my people Thus the kingdome of Christ is set out to us Psal 45. 4. In thy Majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meeknesse Christ shall be a most meeke King hee shall not be a bloody King to his people he shall not be a King â—â—â—ing in viòlence and harshness so as not to care for the love of his people his singer shall not be heavier then the loynes of others but he shall rule his people with all gentleness Therefore the government of Christ is set out 〈◊〉 a sheâ—he 〈…〉 leading those that are with young 〈◊〉 â—his David David and CHRIST are parallel Psal 78. 70. 71. He chose David his servant tooke him from the sheep-folds from following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people and Israel his inheritance So the Kingdome of Christ Esay 40. having spoken ver 9. of the glad tidings of the Kingdome it followeth He shall feed his flocke like a shepheard he shall gather the lambs with his arme and carry them in his bosome and shall gently leade those that are with young When Christ shal raigne he shal have great respect to the good and comfort of his people over whom heraigneth he shall not raigne over them without regard to their liberties and what may be for the comfort of their lives the good of his people and his own glory shall be put both in one Secondly David their King in regard of faithfulnesse David was exceeding faithfull to his people and therefore the mercies of God in Christ are called the sure mercies of David because David was found faithfull before the Lord. Psal 45. 4. is the Prophesie of Christs Kingdom the Text saith In thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousnesse there shall be righteousness in the Kingdome of Christ This is a blessed thing when we may confide and fully venture our estates liberties and our lives upon the promises of those who are above us VVe know how many there are about great personages to take them off from those things that they have promised though never so seriously and with never such solemne protestations to performe them I will give you a story or two remarkable for this to shew what danger people have been in when they have confided upon the promises of Princes when there have beene those about them that endeavoured to take of their hearts from performing what they had ingaged themselves to You shall finde in the life of Edward the sixth this story The King sends his Letters to London in the behalfe of the Duke of Somerset the then Protector there were divers of the Lords rose up against him thinking he did oppresse the people and they sent the same time their Letters to London for their aide and assistance hereupon there was a Common Counsell called in the City and amongst them there was one that the story saith was a wise and an honest man one George Stadlowe and he speakes thus to the Counsell I remember saith he a story written in Fabians Chronicle of the wars between Henry the third and his Barons at which time the Baronsdemanded aide of the City of London as our Lords do now and that in a rightfull cause for the good of the Common-wealth for the execution of divers good lawes against the King who would not suffer those lawes to be put in execution and the City did aide them and it came unto an open bartell and the Lords prevailed against the King and tooke the King and his sonne prisoners and upon certaine conditions the Lords restored the King his son again to their liberties amongst other conditions this was one that the King should not only grant his pardon to the Lords but also to the Citizens of London which was granted and the condition of their accommodation of peace were ratifâ—ed by act of Parliament but saith the story what followed of it was it forgotten no surely nor forgiven neither during the Kingslife the libeties of the Cities were taken away strangers were appointed to be our head governours the Citizens their bodies and goods were given away and so from one persecution to another they were most miserably afflicted Again in the history of Queen Maries time we find that Qeene Mary because there was some dispute about her comming to the Crowne at that time she went down into Suffolke to the place where the Duke that then rose up for another was most hated and she being at Framingham Castle the Suffolke men came to her and promised their â—ide upon condition that she would not attemp the alteration of Religion which her brother King Edward before had established she promised them there should be no innovation of
deliverance of it Iam periculuâ— paâ— animo Alexitiri Obser Afflictions should raise our hearts Obser Obser The godly are pretious seed Filibatur nomen ejus The wicked are corrupt seed 1. 2 3. That place Dan. 12. 2. opened not understood of the generall resurrection at the last day and why 6. 7. 8. Ego autem qui sunt per omnia orthodoxae sententiae Christiani c. Vt jam nostra haec tempora quibus iniquitas malitia usque ad summum gradiâ—m crevit soe licia prope aurea possint judicari Si tum forte suâ—rint boni undeque practae sint scelâ—ratis ac divexentur soli autem mali opulenti sint boni vero in omnibus contumeliis atqùe in egestate confundetur omne jus leges peribunt nihiltunc quispiam habebit vi omnia possialebunt Lactant. l. 7. c. 15. 2. Romannm nomen horet animus dict re sed dicamqâ—ia futurum est tollâ—tur de terra Lactant. l. 7. c. 15 .3 Lect. 7 Terra aperiet fâ—cunditatâ—m suam ubâ—rrimas fruges sua spontâ— generabit rupes montium meâ—â—e sudabunt perrivos vina decurrent fâ—umina lacte inundabunt ominù natura Letabitur erepta liberata a dominio mali impietatis eroris non hestia per hoc tempus sanguine alentur non aves praeda sed quieta placid a crunt omnia Lactant. l. 7. c. 4. Tunâ— qui erunt in corporibus vivi non morientur sed per mille annes infinitam multitudinem generabunt evit sâ—boles eorum sancta Deo charre Lactant. ibid. In the evening time it shal be light Exhorâ—at to come in to embrace godliness to joyâ—e with the Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser A good thing to speak of Gods loving kindneâ—â—â—â— 1 〈◊〉 ct So disconâ—se of Gods mercies as our hearts may be sanctified by that discourse Chap. 2. Esa 9. 8 Obser Obser Obser Leâ—ct i Obs 1. Obs 2. Reliqui mihi septem milliaonon ait relicta sunt vel reliquerâ—nt se sed reliqui reliquiae per electionem gratiae August de bono perfev l. 2. c. 18. Obs 3. Obs 4. Turpe est doctori cum culpa redarguit ipsum Obs 5. Obs 6. Obs 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obs 1. Obs 2. Idolaters hardly convinced Obs 4. Obser 5 Obser 6 Obser 7 Children may plead with parents Amandus Generator sed praeponendus Creator Obs 9. We must endeavour the good of the publique Obs 10. Obs 11. private members may in some cases plead with the whole Church One man may prevail against many Hactonus verba audivi verba rededi sed cum divina virtâ—â— accessit ultra râ—spondore non potui * Conteâ—â— neretur ecclâ—siae Christi sivel vnum puellum ejus divino Spiritu lequentem non audiremus etiamsi totus orbis illi reclamet Orcolam padius Object Ans Quest Ans No pride but selfedenyal to plead against the sinnes of others Obj. Ans The truth is not alwayes seen best where there is greatest natural abilities no nor alwayes where there is most 〈◊〉 Mit. 11. 25 1 Iohn 5 16. 1. Rules to be observed by private Christians who plead with the Church 2. 3. No Officer in a Church member be he never so great but he may be pleaded against by a private member 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Private people must take heed they abuse not their liberty Obj. Ans When a Church comes to be unchurched A Chuch may continue a true Church though with much mixture A Church may remain a true Church yet so corrupt as in some cases we cannot have communion with it 3 Cases In a cases though I may have communion yet I may noâ—â—oyne as a constant member Obser Pleading must not befor contention but for reformation Quest This may be known 1 Cor. 54. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioshus 22. 33. Obser Lect. 2. Hope for mercy even when God seems most to reject Peoples perversness against Ministers threatning Gods wrath against sin Obser While exhortation continues there is hope Geminatio apud Hebraos auget Ibiveâ—ae viae quibus ab utero ad mamillas accessio fit Ille cultus scilicet vtl ornatus in auro argento gemmis vestibus deputatur iste in curae eapilli cutis earum parâ—ium corporis quae oculos trahunt alteri ambitioni crimen intendimus alteri prostitutionis Tertul. de hab mul. c. 4. Iudicabunt vos Arabia soeminae Ethnica qua non caput sed facâ—em quoque ita totam tegunt ut uno ocuâ—loâ—liberato contentae sint luce frui dimidia potius quam totam facienâ— prostituerâ— Tertul. de vel virgin cap. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Cyril in Hol. c. 2. In what sense Israels father is an Amirite and mother an Hittite Obser Obser Lect. 1. Thy navil was not cut what is the meaning of that Strabo l. 15. AElian variar Hist li. 11. Ne cui Thebano licâ—at infontem expouere Nunquam apud eos infans natus exponitur Lect. 2. Portenta diabolica pâ—nenumero Egyptiaâ—â— vincâ—ntia Lect. 1. Obs 2. Obs 3. Obs 4. Lect. 2. Gifts of hypocrites will vanish Obs 5. Who they are that bring evill upon the nation Lect. 1. Obser 6. It is time for every one to appeare in times of danger Obs 7. Lect. 2 GODS works will convince when his word will not Obs 8. Obs 9. A sad condition for one advanced high to bee brought down low Obser Wee must lay to heart our low coudition wee once were in Asperius nihil est humilicum surgit in altum Lect. 1. Lect. 2. Lect. 3 Psal 133. 3 Anima Idololatriae dedita nullos profert fructus est que inutilis prorsus ut desertum in quo nihil noscitur Vatab. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psalm 1. 3. Obser Sin layes wast Countryes Cum in fu ga aquam turbidam cadaveribus inquinatam bibisset negavit unquam se bibisse ju cundius â—unquam scilicet ut Cicero lib. 1. Tuso aiit sitiens bibisset Obser God brings wicked men into straits and there leavs them destitute of all succour Obser Wrath upon the wiâ—ed is pure wrath with out mixture of mercie Iudgments upon the wicked at times most unseasonable for them God proportions afflictions to his childdren but not to the wicked Hos 7. 14. Ezek. 8. 18 Lect. 3. Gods judgments against people as well as against Governors and why 2 Sam. 24. 1. Much depends now upon the people Obser Obser little hope of children ill educated Obser Obser When judgements are abroad let the children of whoredoms not the children of the Bride-chamber feare Revel 9. 21. Chap. 16 9. 11. Obser succession for siâ—ne iâ— dreadfull Qui peccat coram puero his peccat pudef aciens The Saints must take heed they be not a shame to Christ Wicked parents are a shame to their children Lect. 4. Obs Every one should have such an affection towards
thâ— Church and State as children towards the mother Obser Sin causeth shame False worship 〈◊〉 shamefull thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The more full of beauty Gods Ordinances are the more shamefull it is to decline to waves of false worship Obser Omnes libros tam veteris tam novi testamenti nec non traditionis ipsas pari pietatis affectâ— ac reverentio suscipit ac veneratur Idem honor debetur imagini exemplari Governers and parents must take heed of putting their servants 〈◊〉 children to too much 〈◊〉 Obser 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser Aelianus variar historâ— Bodily and spirituall whoredom makes men very wilful in their uncleannesses Obser Ego in ea opinioâ—e sum Monarchias longe diutius duraâ—uras sâ— Monarchae hoc unum pronomen Ego omisissens Luther in Psal 127. Tolle voluntatem non erit infernus Bern. It s a fearefull iudgement for a man to hee given up to ones owne will Professed wickedness is shamefull wickedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adaras Iovis aut Veneris adorare ac sub Aâ—tichristo fidem occul tare Zuin. ep 3. It is not enough to have goodnesse at the heart but we must professe it Ans 1. Association with those of a different Religion is dangerous Obser Wee must keepe good thoughts of God Obser If we prize Christs love hee will prize ours Obser 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser The enâ—es of false worshippers are very low and meane A true child of Abraham hath a high spirit Obs Men love that Religion that brings them most corne and wine c. Fac me pontificem et Christi anus â—ro Novi hominâ—m non ex vna canoni catu nebilem commonstrantem digito delicatiorem penem vin m quod prestan iâ—simum erat oppositum haec in quit sunt quae faciunt ut hoc vitae genus dejerere non libeat Triobojare Beneficium Magis soliciti de meroquam de vero 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 magis amantmâ—n di delitiâ—s quam Christi divitias Obser It is a shamefull thing to subiect Religion to corn wine and flaxe and wool â—ermâ—ns illa bestia non curaâ— aurum Quasi vero deus nolit darelanem ecclesiae suae aut satius sit asathana peâ—era Obsre Prosperâ—ty in evill wayes hardens Obs God reserveth propriety in all that he giveth unto us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vadam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 persequa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sâ—udiose quaâ—rensâ— Summae conatuam bulatione pedibuâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser Isa 27. 4 ver 9. The difference of Gods aims in afflicting his Saints from his aims in afflicting the wicked Obs 1. There remains much of slaviâ—h disposition in the godly Obser God studies what may do his people good Obs A mercy to have stumbling blocks laied in the way of sin O inâ—aelices et miseros quando relinquit Deus homiones sibi ipsis nec resistiâ— eorum fureri et cupiditatibus sed vae illis ad quorum peccata conniveâ— Deus Luther Obser Much brutishness remains in the hâ—arts even of the godly Obser 2. Obser 3. Afflictions are â—ods hedges If our way be Gods wee must breake through all difficulties Obser Wicked men will suffer much for their lusts Obs God keeps many from thit sins in a way of violence whether they wil or no. Obser Obser God strikes wicked men with blindnesse It is a good blindnes not to find the paths of sinne Obs Obser Obs Obs Obser When wee cannot enjoy all ordinances vet our hearts must be working after them Obs Obs Cum ne mi ni ob trvdi po test itur da me Obs God accepts of us when we come to him in our affliction Obser Rom. 6. 21. Nothing got by departing from Christ Obs Object Answ Humiliation must go before reformation Obs Lect. 6. In vaine to be humbled except we reform Obs The reasonings of heart in a repenting Apostate Obser Obser Pro. 14. 14. Lect. 6. Apostates seeming mercy must observe three things Examination whether times before were better then they are now The weakness of the argument taken from the opinions and practises of learned godly men Creâ—o vera purfecta fide quod Deus creator gubernator susteu ator sit omnium creaturarum quod idem ipse operatus siâ— omnia operetur adhuc inaeternam operaturus sit Buxtorf synag Iudaic. c. 1. Benedictus sis Domine Deus noster rex mundi quod fructum vitis condidisti Synag Iud. c. 7. Benedictus esto Deus qui dulcia bene volentia crearis c. Buxtsynag Iud. cap. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What Baal was Obs God provideth for the bodies of his people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Si opus est corni paâ—e si opus est aqua si open est vinâ— si opus est nummo si opus est jumento a Deo petere debet nan a daemoniis idolis qui Deo sitiunt undi que debent sitire anima carne Nunquid animam tuam Deus fecit carnem damonia fecerunt qui fecit ambas res ipse pascet amlias Aug. in 〈…〉 longeth for thee 〈…〉 Obj. The greatest man in the world must beg his bread at Gods gate every day Obs The sweetnesse of a comfort is that it comes from God Obs Many and great are Gods unknown mercies Scire tuum nihil est nisi te scire hoc sciat alter Obser We know no more then we lay to heart philosophi sumus factis noâ— verbis nec magna loquimur sed vivimus Cypr. de patientiâ— Mat. 11. 27. Hoc morbo didici quid sit peccatum quanta majestas Dei Gasper Olevianus Verbâ— sensus denotant affectus Obs Affected ignorance is no excuse Graviter O homo peccas si divitias dei longanimitatis contemnis gravissime si ignoras Ambroâ— Obser Obs Obser Prosperity makes men grow wanton Obser Obs An evill thing to fight against God with his own creatures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obs Obs Lect 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser 1 Obs 2. Abuse of mercies causes God to take them away Obser 4 Gratiarum actio ipsa confessio donum est acceptum quanto magis ipsa dona Luther postquam locuplitati sumus bane â—idesam particulam addimus ego geci Obs 5. When God takes away a mercy then conscience troubles foâ— the abuse of that mercy Obser 6 Obs 7. wrath from God when wiked men least think of it Obs 8. how far wicked men have right to the creature Obs 9. Substantiâ— caro nostra incorporetur Sanctis nt in â—is ad gloriam resurgat non peccatoribus in illis enim resurgâ—t ad â—ehenam Obser 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser Prosperity hides much filth Obser Lect. 6. Reâ—taining some good covers much evill Obser Obser Lewdnes of men must be discovered