say therefore do I keep them but therefore doth my soul keep them Oh my very soul is in this in keeping thy Testimonies for I look upon them as wonderful things It 's a good sign of the Spirit of the great God in a man when it doth raise him above other things to look upon the things of his Word as the only great things that are in the world All flesh is grass saith the Scripture but the Word of God endures for ever there is a vanity in all things of the world but in that which the Word reveals Oh! there is an eternity there we should therefore admire at nothing so as at the Word and we should greatly delight in Gods Commandements an ordinary admiration is not sufficient for the Commands of God for the Law of God nor an ordinary delight is not sufficient but great admiration and great de-delight there should be in the Law of God And all things that are taken from Gods Law should be great arguments to prevail with you It may be there comes such and such temptations to draw you to such and such evils and you say they are strong temptations But that which is in the Law that should be a greater argument there is that which is greater in Gods Law than there can be in any temptation whatsoever Therefore know it is a dangerous thing for men and women to look at any thing in Gods Law as a little thing so as to despise it and to think it is no great matter though we do such and such things though we should go from the rule of the Word a little what great matter is it are we not all sinners Prov. 13. 13. Who so despiseth the Word shall be destroyed That is looks upon any thing in Gods Word as a light thing It was a speech of one that should say when he was convinc'd of a thing that was evil That he must make bold with God Almighty sometimes Do not you make bold with Gods Word and secretly jeer at those that are so nice they cannot venture a little remember this text in Prov. 13. 13. Who so despiseth the Word shall be destroyed take the least thing that you think so despicable in Gods Law and you will veture upon it but God will make it a great matter for when you have broke the Law in the least thing all the Angels in Heaven and Men in the World cannot satisfie God for that wrong if they should come and say Lord here 's a poor creature that hath broken thy Law but in this one thing that he thought to be a little matter we are content to be ten thousand yeers in torments to satisfie for thy Law Nay saith God this will not do it Therefore take heed of despising Gods Law or despising any thing that is reveal'd by him for certainly it will prove a great matter and when the Law hath been broken let us not think it is a little matter that it is but a Lord have mercy upon me at the last Again The Prophet is convincing them of false worship and upon this ground Because they would venture to make Altars to worship God in another way than God revealed in his Law from thence note That the Worship of God is a great matter every thing in Gods Worship is to be look'd at as a great matter They may think it a matter of indifferency whether they do it or no at least in some things My Brethren let us learn to know that every thing in the Worship of God is a great matter God looks much upon it God doth not say that he is jealous for any thing but for his Worship Vzzah he thought it a little matter for him to go and catch the Ark and especially having a good intention It 's true the Law of God is that it should be carried upon mens shoulders but may it not as well be carried in a cart he thought it but a little matter but it proved a great matter So that which we think little in Gods Worship is a great matter So Vzziah in 2 Chron 26. No question he thought it no great matter to go into the Temple and offer sacrifice Is it not as good that a King offer it as a Priest it was in the Temple and the true Worship and Vzziah because he was a great man he thought he might venture for there you find that he had an Army of three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred Soldiers A great Captain And Nadab and Abihu no question they thought it no great matter to go and offer strange fire and it hath not been forbidden in Gods Word this fire but it was a great matter before God for God came with fire from Heaven to destroy them Hence it is that God in his Word would set out the glory of his Worship to that end that he might take off mens hearts from all false worship he would have them to think the matters of his Worship great things that so they might not have their hearts taken with any false worship Ezek. 7. 20. The beauty of his Ornament he set in Majestie and hereby God aggravates their sin of Idolatry Oh my Worship and Service I made it as beautiful and glorious as could be but they worshiped their Images their detestable things So in Jer. 17. 12. A glorious high Throne from the beginning of our Sanctuary Mark what follows All that forsake thee shall be ashamed and they that depart from thee shall be written in the Earth because they have forsaken the Lord the Fountain of living Waters As if God should say Oh vile hearts of men when there is such a glorious Worship of mine that I present unto them yet they turn even to their own vile Inventions and not regard that glorious Worship of mine I beseech you Brethren labor to look upon Gods Worship as a glorious thing But now the Reprehension that follows But they were accounted as a strange thing Here 's the wickedness of people that though God shews forth his Glory in his Word yet they look upon it as a strange thing as a thing that they shall get little good by if they do obey or little hurt by if they do disobey We should now have shewed wherein this people did account Gods Worship a strange thing and what particulars of Gods Law they accounted strange things But especially this one among the rest they did count strange viz. That God should so stand upon it that He must needs be worshiped Jerusalem at the Temple and at no other Altar whatsoever came of it Now because they thought that if the people went to Jerusalem to worship it would be very prejudicial to the State this was a strange thing that which we can see no reason for So people are ready to think if any thing be propounded for the Worship of God out of the Word Yea but
universal Secondly Suppose he should not be saved then it were better that he should be taken away than to live to sin more against God he might have lived to have done a great deal of mischief in the world if he were one that God did not intend to save and therefore quiet thy self However God sees further than thou doest either when he denies theâ— Children or takes them away in such times as these are Further In times when publick evils are threatned they are good times to die in If better not to be born in evil time then certainly it is no great evil to die in evil times Good men are taken away from the evil to come As if a woman had her breast to be launc'd or cut off would not the tender Father take the Children out of the room in the mean time Who knows but God may have the breast of his his Church our Mother even to be cut off for a time yet may suffer heavier things than ever she hath done and if God shall take away his tender Children that will not be able to bear such a sight as that what great evil is it As we reade of God towards Moses when Gods Glory was to pass by he puts Moses into the hole of a Rock and truly the graves of the Saints are but as the holes of the Rock til the Glory of Gods Justice passes by a people And thirdly If the sins of Parents may be the cause of such things to Children as better they had not been born let those that have Children take heed that they lay not up such wrath for an Inheritance for their Children as that their Children afterwards should even wish they never had been born of such Parents especially if Parents be careless in the education of their Children not to bring them up in the fear of the Lord hereafter their Children may curse the time that ever they were born of them and say Oh! that I rather had been of the off-spring of Vipers or the generation of Dragons than that I had come of such Parents Oh! that my Mother had had a miscarrying womb or that she never had had breasts to give me suck Certainly this will be the voice of many children against their Parents one day Look to it that there be never a Father nor Mother in this place that may give cause to their Children thus to wish they had never been born of such Parents And certainly if the enduring of sorrows and misery in this world may put them into such a condition what then wil sin and being the authors of miseries to others do Those Children that are abominable and wicked in their lives and are causes of mischief to others how much cause is it that it had been said that it had been been better his Mothers womb had miscarried as it was said of Judas that it had been better that he had never been born And so it may be said of abundance at this day what abundance of evil are some at this day the cause of unto others What woful disturbances distractions and calamities do some men bring upon a nation had it not been better that their Mothers wombs to have miscarried and their breasts not to have given them such And again What horrible wickedness are some guilty of How many Mother 's this day have cause â—o say Oh! that my womb had miscarried of such a Child Oh that my breasts had never given such a Child suck Oh that ever one should come out of my womb to do so much mischief to take up Arms to fight against his COUNTRY to fight against the Saints to bring in Slavery and Tyranny that ever any out of my womb should have a hand in such a mischievous way as this is Oh! these breasts of mine every time I look upon them I wish they had never given such a one suck for it may be they wil suck my blood too Certainly if ever there were a time to wish their wombs had miscarried and their breasts never given suck these are the times many may do so And this seems to have allusion to that which Christ saith in Luke 23. 19. Blessed are the wombs that never bear and the paps that never gave suck I say concerning many particulars in the Kingdom in this time it might have been said Oh! blessed had the womb been that such men were in had they never been born and the paps that they suckt that they had never given suck This would not have been an interpretation but a good prayer if it could have been foreseen if any Prophet could have forseen this that thou shouldst have been a Child and he should have been an Actor in so much mischief as hath been done in this Kingdom of late if any Prophet could have forseen this thou wouldst have said Amen to his prayer Lord give this woman a miscarrying womb and dry breasts that she might never have born nor given suck to such an one It follows VER 15. All their wickedness is in Gilgal for there I hated them WHAT this Gilgal was I opened in the 4 th Chapter at the 15. Verse it was a very famous place for many remarkable things Stones were set up in remembrance of so great a mercy in coming over Jordan and there was the first Passeover that ever they had and there they were circumcised and the Lord said unto Joshua This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you from whence it had the name they were not circumcised in all that time in the Wilderness from whence it was called Gilgal because the reproach was rolled away I shewed abundance of mercy to them in Gilgal there they eat the fruit of the Land and there the reproach was rol'd away and the monument of my great mercy in bringing them over Jordan but now they have turned this place to the most abominable place in the Country for because there were such great things done in Gilgal they thought that it was a holy place and therefore they might justifie their superstitious waies though God afterwards did chuse another place for his Worship yet they thought to sacrifice and worship in Gilgal they thought it might be justified because it was a place where such great things were done Now saith God I never intended that all their wickedness is in Gilgal Superstitious men are proud to put holiness upon places that have had remarkable things done in them in reference to Religion This phrase we have had occasion to meet with before and therefore I pass it All their wickedness That is Their chief wickedness as if God should say there is a great deal of wickedness among them there are Murders and Thefts and abundance of other evils the breaches of the second Table but yet above all their wickedness is at Gilgal they think to make use of that
if they have not mercy if they have not a Righteousness beyond their own If mercy comes not in to plead for them wo to Abraham Isaac and Jacob if mercy comes not in to plead for them if at the great day if they have nothing to tender up to God but their own righteousness they are certainly lost and undone for ever Al that we can do is infinitely unworthy of the Majesty of God Oh! the text that you have in 1 Chron. 29. 14. when the people did offer so much to God for the building of his Tabernacle Mark how David was affected with it Who am I saith David and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort for all things came of thee and of thine own have we given thee And when David in 1 Chron. 22. 14. when David had provided a thousand thousand Talents of silver and an hundred thousand talents of gold for the building of the Temple of God besides brass and iron without weight yet when all comes to all Out of my poverty have I offered this so Arias Montanus turns it In your books it is In my trouble have I done this but the same word that signifies trouble and affliction signifies poverty likewise and saith David after al this yet in my poverty have I done this whereas this was a mighty thing that was offered I remember Sir Walter Rawleghâ— it is in the 17. Chap. of his 2 d Part and 9 th Sect. he reckons up the sum of what David did there prepare for the Temple of the Lord he makes it more than any King in the world is worth he makes it to come to three thousand three hundred and thirty and three Cart-load of Silver allowing two thousand weight of Silver or six thousand pound sterling to every Cartload besides threescore and seventeen Millions of French Crowns and yet when he had done all Out of my poverty have I done this As if he should say Lord what is this in respect of thee who art the great God If thou wilt but accept of this I shall be infinitly bound to thee Oh my brethren let us learn for ever after all our duties not to be proud keep your hearts low and humble before God Hath God enabled thee to sow in Righteousness our hearts are puft up presently Oh no thou must keep thy heart still under Alas such is the proudness of our spirits if we be but enlarged a little in Prayer we are ready to be puft up presently Oh! what 's this to the service that a creature owes to the blessed and eternal God hadst thou spent all thy daies since thou hadst any understanding night and day in the work and service of God hadst thou been the greatest Instrument of Gods service that ever was in the world yet thou hast cause to lie down at Gods Mercy-seat and cry Mercy Lord Mercy for a poor wretched vile Creature after thou hast done al we are so unable to do any thing our selves It 's an expression of Luther The very Act of Thanksgiving is from God And therefore be humbled and cry Grace grace to al that hath been And let all Publick Instruments not take too much upon them but lie low And there 's a man that 's worth his weight in Gold that can be an Instrument of great and publick work and yet lie low before the Lord. Oh! did we but know God we would be so after our duties we would be low There 's a notable story I find concerning Cyprian when he came to suffer martyrdom and you will say that was a great service to lay down his life for God In his last prayer he had these two expressions which are remarkable in it The first expression was this Lord saith he I am prepared to powr forth the very sacrifice of my blood for thy Name sake yea Lord I am prepared here to suffer any torment whatsoever These two expressions he had You will say Now surely this man might stand upon his terms with God But he goes on But when thou doest lift up thy self to shake the Earth Lord saith he under what clift of the rock shall I hide my self to what mountain shall I speak even to fall upon me As if he should say Lord though I be here ready to give up my body to be massacred for thee to give up my blood to be an offering and to suffer any torment yet when I consider what a God I have to do withal if thou shouldest deal with me as I am in my self Oh! I must cry to the Rocks to cover me and the Hils to fall upon me Oh! this should teach us to keep our hearts low and humble after we have done the greatest work whatsoever I remember one of the Germane Devines when he was full of fears and doubts when he was to die say some to him You have been so imployed and have been so faithful why should you fear Oh! he gives this Answer The Judgements of man and the Judgments of God are different I am to go before the great and Al-seeing God though it 's true God would not have us daunted with any terrible apprehensions of him but yet he would have us be possest with reverence so as to be humbled when we think what a God it is we have to do withal you must reap in mercy Oh! this shall be the song of the Saints to all eternity Mercy Mercy Not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thy Name be the praise And then the other Note from that expression that we have there is That God will give abundantly above our works Oh! it 's a point that hath very much encouragement to poor troubled sinners that are low raise up thy faith it 's not what thy work is though it be low and mean and though there be many failings in thy work yet is there uprightness are they seeds of Righteousness that thou hast sown thou shalt reap according to what shall honor the mercy of an infinite God at last I remember Alexander when he was giving a gift to a poor man Oh! the poor man dar'd not receive it it was too great yea but saith he though that be too great for thee to receive yet it is not too great for me to give So I may say to poor souls when they hear of the glorious promises to poor people Oh! their hearts are ready to think this is too good news to be true it is too great a mercy for thee to receive as thou art in thy self but if God will give according to the proportion of his mercy it is not too great for him to give Now that 's the way that God will deal with those that are in Covenant with him that have all their fruit to come from the seed of righteousness Christ in the heart I say there the Lord will
the Apostle saith Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling and it follows for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do What a connexion is there If God work the will and the deed what need I work at all Nay the connexion is thus Do you work out your salvation with fear and trembling take all opportunities you can let the fear of God be upon you so as to omit no opportunity for you do absolutely depend upon God that if he doth withdraw himself from you you are undone for ever for you can do nothing of your selves for it is God that worketh the Will and the Deed. As if we should say to a Marriner Be careful take your wind and sail for al your Voyage depends upon God if you neglect your opportunity you are gone It is time for the youngest of all to seek the Lord As soon as ever you begin to have the dawning of reason it is time for you then to seek the Lord Oh! that you did but know your time Oh! but what time is it for old ones for those that have neglected seeking the Lord the most part of their lives Is it not high time for you to seek the Lord who have spent so much of the time of your lives in vanity and folly as you have done The remainer of the time you have is uncertain and yet suppose you should have so long a time as in the course of nature you are like to live yet many of you cannot have so much time to seek the Lord as you have had in departing from God you cannot have so much time to honor God as you have had to dishonor him and therefore is it not time for you to seek the Lord I remember it is said of Themistocles that he died about an hundred and seven years of age and when he was to die he was grieved upon this ground Now I am to die saith he when I begin to be wise And certainly it cannot but be a grief to a man or woman though they should be godly to think Why through Gods mercy the Lord hath begun to work Grace I hope in my heart yea but assoon as I begin to know God and have any heart to serve him in this world I must be taken out of this world It was a proverbial speech once Weighty things to morrow you shall find it in Plutarchs lives Oh! take heed this proverb be not fulfill'd concerning you Weighty things to morrow take weighty things things of infinite consequence while you have time Let weighty things be regarded then It is time to seek the Lord. Time Certainly our time is now for the publick as much as ever to seek the Lord for never did God give us such an opportunity for honoring him as of late Never any Nation in the world had a greater opportunity for seeking God and honoring of him than we have had we were like to have been befool'd of our opportunity of getting mercy from God but the Lord hath given it us again and betrusted us with an opportunity again after it was got even out of our hands Oh! let us then catch hold of it now and bless God that we have it even restor'd to us again and let it be a strong argument upon us now to seek the Lord seeing we have an opportunity yet to do it we have the liberty of his Ordinances more fully than ever let us not be befool'd of it And certainly it is time in a more special manner now for us because that things are in so great a confusion that every body is at their wits end almost alas our wise Counsel that is at the stern yet they are fain to depend upon meer providences and casualties and the truth is there is such a confusion of things that if God should say to the wisest man in the Land Well do you contrive which way you think things should be best and I 'le do according to your contrivance they could scarce tell what to say or what to determine of if God should leave it to them such a confusion there is that in a rational way you could not tell how to determine of things Is it not time to seek the Lord then We thought it was time to seek the Lord when we were in great danger of the Adversaries that they would come to our gates Surely it is as great time to seek the Lord now to seek the Lord that when he hath delivered us from our enemies that we may not devour one another And when God hath given us some rest from them and said Well all that before you were afraid of was That the Enemies would prevail and then you could do nothing but I have queld their power in a great measure and now set upon the work of Reformation Oh! we are now at a stand and know not what to do and we go on in such craftie waies one against another that every one is at a stand Oh then it is time for us to fall down upon our faces to seek God to direct us to regard the great opportunity that God hath put into our hands We only now want light to know what to do and therefore whereas heretofore we have sought God for power that we might be able now we are to seek God for light that we may know how to improve our ability seeking God To labor to put our selves into such a disposition as God doth use to communicate mercy to his People in besides praying to God There 's those two things in seeking God Praying to him and laboring to put our selves into such a way and disposition wherein God doth use to meet with his people and communicate himself to his People Till I come and rain Righteousness upon you The word that is here translated Rain it doth sometime signifie to Teach it is of the same root and the Scripture makes use of that similitude of Rain for Doctrine because of the likeness of Doctrines distilling as the Rain therefore one word in the Hebrew is used for both And therefore I find divers in Interpreters go that way Ply the work until he teaches Righteousness and so it is a Prophesie of the Messias do you Sow Righteousness and plow up your fallow ground for it is time to seek the Lord till the Messias shall come and teach you the Righteousness of God So they carry it But take it is it is here Vntil he rain Righteousnes And then there is these things in it First I 'le open what is meant by Righteousness and then Rain By Righteousness is meant First That God will deliver them from oppression that though they have unrighteous dealing with men yet they shall have righteous dealing with him And this is a great mercy to a people that God shall undertake that there shall be nothing but righteous dealings betwixt them and himself Secondly By
JEREMIAH BVRROUGHES Gospell-Preacher To two of the greatest Congregations in England Viz. Stepney and Cripplegate London Aetatis Suae 45. Câ—â—ss sculpt Iune 1. 1646 AN EXPOSITION WITH Practical Observations CONTINUED Upon the Eighth Ninth and Tenth Chapters of the PROPHESY OF HOSEA Being First delivered in several LECTURES at Michaels Cornhil LONDON By Jeremiah Burroughs Being the Sixth Book published by Thomas Goodwin William Greenhil Sydrach Simpson William Bridge John Yates Will. Adderly LONDON Printed by Peter Cole at the sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil near the Royal Exchange 1650. To the READER VVHAT We have by way of Preface set before the Edition of the Fourth Fifth Sixth and Seventh Chapters may sufficiently serve for a Premise to these Eighth Ninth and Tenth Chapters as holding forth the Use and Scope of the whol Prophesie and the Authors Intentions in his Comment theron So as We shall only need now to give LETTERS of CREDENCE before the World to the passing of These as the best and most authentick Notes that could any way be obtained both as the Extracts of the best Notes of Sermons taken from his Mouth and chiefly his own Writings which were more brief Exspect shortly the Eleventh Twelfth and Thirteenth Chapters from the same hand We commit Them and the Reader to the blessing of God Thomas Goodwyn Sydrach Simpson William Greenhil William Bridge John Yates Will. Adderly THE CONTENTS Hosea Chap. VIII VERSE I Observation 1 MInisters must not only be trumpeters of Mercy and Peace but also of Judgment Page 2 Obs 2 Ministers must not be weary of their work though little good come of it 3 Obs 3 The denunciation of threatning in the Name of God is a terrible sound ibid. Obs 4 Men flatter themselves when danger is at a distance 4 Obs 5 All the swiftness of an enemy is from God 5 Obs 6. God doth not presently cast away a Church though it be guilty of many sins ibid Obs 7. It is an high expression of the Priviledge of a Church That it is the house of the Lord. 6 Obs 8 Though we be Gods house yet enemies may come upon us 7 VERSE II. Opened 8 Obs 1 In affliction men see their need of God 9 Obs 2 The vilest wretches in time of distress will call for help of God ibid Obs 3. Acknowledgment of God in a formal way is that Hypocrites think will comend them to God 10 Obs 4 Degenerate children look for favor for their godly parents sakes 11 Obs 5 They will think to have the same mercies their fathers had ib. VERSE III. Obs 1 The true Worship of God is the Good thing by way of Excellencie 12 Obs 2 Gods Worship is repelled by carnal hearts ib. Obs 3 Though at first men only leave God yet at last they cast him off with abomination ib. Obs 4 When the good of Duty is cast off the evil of punishment will come in 14 VERSE IV. Expounded 15 Obs 1 We may do the thing God would have done and yet sin highly against God 17 Obs 2 To go about great businesses without consulting with God is sin 18 Obs 3 Alteration in Civil Government is a great matter ib. Obs 4 When we are about great businesses we must look at Gods ends ib. Obs 5 We can have no comfort of Gods mercies if we stay not Gods time 19 Obs 6 When we have a mercy promised we must take it by lawful means ib. Obs 7 When we have a mercy we must improve it for God 20 Obs 8 God knows how to make use of mens sins 22 Obs 9 God many times suffers sinners to prosper a long time ib. VERSE V. Obs 1 Though Idolaters promise themselves safety by their Idols yet they will leave them at last 26 Obs 2 Take heed of Engagements in what is evil 28 Obs 3 If by custom in evil we have no power to get out this will be no excuse ib. VERSE VI. Obs 1 None are so soâ—â—ish in wicked waies as Apostats 30 Obs 2 To he devisers of evil in Gods Worship is a great aggravation of sin ib. Obs 3 Men stick close to their own inventions in Gods Worship ib. Obs 4 There is no sin more hereditary then Idolatry ib. Obs 5 Idols must be broken in pieces 34 Obs 6 Whatsoever may be broken in pieces we may not make our God ib. Obs 7 Deifying a Creature makes way for the destruction of the Creature 35 VERSE VII Obs 1 Idolaters are willing to take pains for their false worship 35 Use Let us take pains for the the true Worship ib. Obs 2 Idolaters sow in hope 36 Obs 3 Idolaters lay a ground for succession ib. Obs 4 Idolaters observe their season ib. Obs 5 Many sow the wind 37 Who sow the wind 1 Some Students ib. 2 Idolaters ib. 3 Formalists 38 4 Vain glorious ib. 5 Carnal Polititians 39 6 Such as serve themselves of sin ib. Use 1. Comfort for the Church that al their enemies do but sow the wind 39 Use 2. Ministers must beware of sowing the wind 1 If they bring empty words 2 Their own fancies to the people 41 Obs 6 They that sow the wind it is just with God they should reap the whirlwind 42 Obs 7 Sometimes wicked actions may seem to prosper though the curse of God be upon them 44 Obs 8 To have our desires satisfied for a while and then destroyed is a great judgment 45 VERSE VIII Expounded 46 VERSE IX Expounded 50 Object Why doth God compare the ten Tribes to a wild Ass Answ 1. To shew their stubbornness 52 2 To shew their contemptibleness 53 Obj Why doth he say Alone Answ 1. To shew they would be under no Government 54 2 That they were fit for no society 55 Obs 1 Where we place our confidence there our love should be placed ib. Obs 2 Idolaters wil not stand upon terms if they may have their Idols any way 56 Obs 3 It is an evil thing to be drawn to false worship 57 VERSE X. Obs 1. It is a great evil when wicked men seem to prosper more than Gods people in outward estate 59 Obs 2 Many times when men think they provide most for their peace they provide most for their ruin 61 Obs 3 People many times run headily on in evil waies that will destroy them 62 Text opened in diverse Particulars 63 Obs 1. When sinners have brought trouble upon themselves then they complain much 66 Admonition to England ib. Obs 2. Taxes upon mens estates is but a little burden in respect of being brought under the power of the enemy 67 Obs 3 Taxes are but little burden in comparison to the carrying of our brethren into captivity 67 Obs 4 It is Gods mercy to bring lesser evils upon us thereby to prevent greater ib. Obs 5. The consideration of little burdens upon us should move us to turn to God 68 Obs 6. Gods judgments against wicked men are the beginings of further judgments ib. VERSE XI Opened 69 Object Why
God would have but one Altar 74 Answ 1. These Altars did typifie two things 1 That Christ was to be the only sacrifice 74 2 That all our services are accepted only in him ib. 2. That it might be the bond of the Church Other Objections Answered 76 Obs 1 Mans inventions in Gods Worship are rejected of God 77 Obs 2 There is no stop in superstitious worship 78 Obs 3 We are ready to imitate our forefathers in what is evil but not in what is good 79 Obs 4. Take heed distance of time make us not to fear the threatning the less 80 Obs 5 Every age ads something to Idolatry and false worship 81 Obs 6 What ever names we give to things it may be God will give other names and titles 83 Obs 7 When mens hearts are set upon fals waies of worship it is just with God to let them have their desires to the full ib. VERSE XII Obs 1 Whatsoever is urged or practised in matter of worship it must have warrant out of the written Word of God 85 Obs 2 We should look upon the Scriptures as concerning our selves 92 Obs 3 The things of Gods Worship are to be looked upon as great things 96 1 Because they are from a great God ib. 2 The lustre of the great God shines in them ib. 3 They are the mysteries of Gods will 97 4 They are of great concernment 98 5 They have great power on the heart of man ib. 6 They make all those great that receive them 99 7 They are great in Gods account ib. Obs 4 The word is matter for the greatest spirits to exercise themselves about 101 Obs 5 It is a special means to obedience to have high thoughts of Gods Law 102 Obs 6. The worship of God is a great matter 103 The Word of God accounted strange 1 As not concerning them 105 2 Strange in their apprehensions 106 3 There is no sutableness between their hearts and the Doctrine 107 4 They use the Word as a stranger viz. for their own ends 108 Obs 7 Superstitious people that are very zealous in their own way of worship are very negligent in Gods way 108 Obs 8 It is a dangerous thing for men to have their hearts estranged from Gods Law 110 The Degrees of the hearts estrangement from God 1 His delight in God abates 111 2 They are less frequent together ib. 3 He hath hard thoughts of Gods Word ib 4 He wisheth the things in the Word were otherwise ib. 5 He begins to listen to things that are against the Word 112 6 He will not search throughly into truths ib. 7 An engagement in some unlawful practice ib. 8 Weighty arguments now become weak ib. 9 He violently rejects the Word ib. Obs 8 That which mens corrupt hearts will not close withal they put it upon Christ as if Christ had delivered them from it 113 VERS XIII Obs 1 Men may continue in outward profession and yet the great things of Gods Law may be strange to them 115 Obs 2 Most men offer up nothing to God in sacrifice but flesh 116 Obs 3 To aim at Self in serving God eats out true devotion 117 Obs 4 If Self be regarded all is rejected 119 Obs 5 Men may be much in holy services and yet their sins stand upon the score nevertheless 120 Obs 6 Howsoever God may forbear wicked men a time yet he hath a time to remember all ib. Obs 7 God remembers the sins of wicked people especially in the performance of holy duties 122 1 Because we come into Gods presence ib. 2 Holy Duties are aggravations of sin ib. Obs 8 God visits mens sins when they think he neglects them most 123 Obs 9 Carnal hearts when God visits their sins plot which way to shift for themselves 124 Obs 10 It is one of the most dreadful judgments of God upon a Nation when he hath delivered them from one bondage to deliver them into the same again 125 Obs 11 It is just with God that those that inherit their fathers sins should inherit their fathers judgments ib. Obs 12 All places are places of misery when God forsakes a People ib. VERSE XIV Obs 1 God punisheth for sin when men are most secure 126 Obs 2 It is Gods favor that makes a man 127 Obs 3 The greater excellency God raiseth a man to the viler is his sin to forget God 128 Obs 4 When mens hearts are farthest off from God then are they forwardest in superstition 128 Objections answered 129 Obs 5 Men are more subject to secure themselves from outward things than from Gods wrath 132 Obs 6 When men bless themselves in their own thoughts they should consider what are Gods thoughts 133 Obs 7 Brave things are subject to Gods devouring fire 134 CHAP. IX VERS I. Obs 1 That 's a sad war where the Conqueror hath cause to be sad at the Conquest 137 Vse for England ib. Obs 2 Leagues wherein we much rejoyce may prove occasions of sorrow 138 Use Be not greedy of peace before the time ib. Obs 3 Carnal hearts bless themselves in in outward prosperity 139 Obs 4 When men be jolly and merry they should consider whether it be from God or not 140 Obs 5 We may prosper and yet have no cause of joy ib. Obs 6 Carnal hearts are immoderate in joy 141 Exhortations 1 Be not taken with the worlds jollity 142 2 Imitate them not in their waies of rejoycing ib. 3 Do not rejoyce as a People 143 4 Rejoyce not profanely ib. 5 Rejoyce not as having so much cause as others 144 Obs 7 Many that scorn mean men may not be in so good a case as they ib. Obs 8 Although we enjoy the same blessings that othess do yet we may not have the same cause to rejoyce that they have 144 Obs 9 It is a great argument of mens misery that others rejoyce when they cannot 145 Obs 10 That which we call little matter in corrupting Gods Worship God calls a going a whoring from him 147 Obs 11 A People may be free from the gross evils of another people and yet be in a worse condition than they 147 Proved 148 Obs 12 To be constant to evil principles is not so great an evil as to be false in good principles ib. Obs 13 The sins of Gods People are the greatest sins of all 149 Obs 14 Idolaters love outward prosperity because it is a reward of their service to their Idols 153 VERSE II. Obs 1 God often lets wicked men come near a mercy and then cuts them off 154 Obs 2 God strikes wicked men in those things their hearts are mâ—st set upon ib. Obs 3. The promises of the creature will lye the promises of the world will not 155 Obs 4 Men shall fail at last in what they think they to get in a way of sin ib. VERSE III. Obs 1 It is a great judgment of God to drive men out of a Land for sin 159 Obs 2 The state of the Church of God
Inconveniences and Mischiefs and therefore for particulars they are rather to suffer though they should be tyrannized over against the Law of Nature But certainly for the State or Country they may judg when the Law of Nature is to be maintained and Right of a Kingdom that the Law of Nature gives besides that which is given by Positive Laws the Right of the Law of Nature is never taken away by Positive Laws It follows They made Princes and I knew it not They made some very desperately and God might well say I knew not them but God speaks of them all not only of those but even of Jeroboam himself and Jehu though they were in some regard set up by God yet saith God I knew it not that is I approve it not I approved it not in that way they did it I let them alone in their way and let them go on as if God should say I neither did nor will take Cognizance of what they do to bless them in it When we seek not God for a mercy when we enjoy it God will not so much as own it to be His. The Seventy translate the words They have not made it known to me When we ask not Gods mind and seek not a mercy from God we do as if we would get it without Gods knowledg we must tell God what we would have before we presume to take it and by this means we may go to God with more comfort if we meet with straights for help and direction whereas otherwise whatsoever straights we meet with if we should seek to God to help us in such a business God would say I knew nothing of it you undertook it without me and you must shift in it but now look to it as you can sink or swim I will have nothing to do with it We use to put off men in this manner that have any reference to us if they will go and undertake a business of their own heads and if they come to any straights and then they should come for our help Nay as you underrook it without me so go on without me So now I make no question but many thousands of the Servants of God in this great business of the State where they meet with so many difficulties they can go to God and say Lord we did advise with thee and we undertook this in obedience to thee and now Lord help us in our straights Oh! it is a comfortable thing for to have the use of our seeking God when we meet with straights in a business And I knew it not Further there are these two Notes from this First God knows how to make use of mens sins they sin'd and yet God brought about His own ends by it Secondly Many things are done in a sinful way and yet God suffers them to prosper a long time even this Kingdom of Israel that was thus set up without God did prosper outwardly for 200. yeers together therefore this is no argument of Gods owning a business because it prospers it is but as a Cipher ad a figure to it indeed then it will make somewhat if you can warrant it is Gods Work then you may when it prospers have comfort It follows Of their silver and gold have they made them Idols See the ill success of it so great an evil is it to do any thing and not call upon God and all because God was not sought whatsoever we do to satisfie our passions and lusts for our own ends without seeking God we cannot think but very il fruit wil come of it though God suffered this Kingdom to prosper outwardly yet woful mischievous fruit did come upon the alteration of their Government without God for this Kingdom these two hundred years continued in Idolatrous worship and it came upon this We had need take heed to our hearts that we be upright and seek God in setting up any new form of Government lest though it be very specious to our eye we may think that we are delivered from many yokes and burdens yet such effects may come of it that we may be brought hereby under many yokes and burdens They cast off the house of David because of the burdens that were upon them but yet they castiug it off from them in a passionate way now they have brought a greater yoke upon them for now Jeroboam and his successors he laies a very heavy yoke upon their very consciences the yoke of Idolatry it was a burden that before was upon their backs and shoulders but now it comes to be a burden upon their consciences and that 's a great deal heavier than upon their backs and shoulders They have made them Idols of their silver and gold God doth instance in this as indeed the ground of all for the setting up of false worship is the foundation and ground of all kind of mischief in a Common-wealth they were content to contribute their silver and gold for their Idols they had rather be without that than without their Idols drossie vile spirits had rather be without God and Christ and his Ordinances than without their silver and gold let them have their silver and gold and let God and Christ and His Ordinances go yet these Idolaters say Let us have our Idols and let our silver and gold go Yea they parted with their gold and silver to make them gods but many of you keep your gold and silver and make them Gods too The Sun saith Austin is a more beautiful thing than thy money but it is not thy god That which brings in silver and gold to drossie carnal spirits that they love but if it brings not this in they care not for it whatsoever it be Chrysostom hath another expression A Covetous man saith he is not delighted with the beauty of Heaven nor with the motion of the Sun why because the Sun doth not send forth golden beams into his house That they may be cut off The word translated Idols signifies those things that bring them much labor And then follows That they may be cut off as if he should say they are at a great deal of charge to undoe themselves many men make their own damnation to be chargable to them saith God They made Idols of silver and gold that they might be cut off My end was that they might be cut off whatsoever their end was When we are busied to attain plots God he may be working even by those very things we bless our selves in and expect great advantage by God may in the mean time be working our ruin in them Oh consider of this while I am plotting for my self in this and the other thing and I am blessing my self in hope of advantage but Gods Thoughts and Counsels and Workings and Ends may be now cross to mine even intending my ruin my eternal ruine where am I then Whatsoever we do which evil doth necessarily
deliver you from that I will not assist you So though we have strong walls yet we must look for a cover from Heaven which is our peace with God through Jesus Christ Again They have multiplied fenced Cities For outward safety men think they have never enough to secure themselves from poverty and from their enemies but to secure themselves from Gods wrath they think they have enough In spiritual things we are content with a little but when it comes to our outward security we think we can never be too safe and indeed this will be an argument what it is that your hearts are most upon that that you endeavor to secure your selves most in that 's your chiefest good that that you would make most sure of and if any thing in the world could make you more sure you endeavor to do it a gracious heart will never say May I not go to Heaven though I do no more but can there any thing more be done doth God require any thing more of his creature God that knows all things knows my heart is ready to do all thingt that he hath reveal'd to me and if there were any thing more to do Oh that I knew it that I might fulfill even all righteousness But I 'le send a fire Saith the text They multiplied Cities but I will send a fire When we bless our selves most in our own thoughts we should consider but what are Gods thoughts we think we will do thus and thus and I 'le save my self this way or the other way poor wretch thou saiest thou wilt do thus and thus yea but think what if Gods thoughts be otherwise at the same time thou art plotting to save thy self but God is plotting to destroy thee What if there prove to be a disjunction between Gods thoughts and my thoughts Wicked men have plots and devices for themselves but God comes with his disjunctions I 'le do thus and thus And this we are to hope that God will deal graciously with us in regard our enemies they are full of plots but God hath been pleased to come in with his disjunctions Gods thoughts hath not been as their thoughts blessed be his Name But I 'le send a fire it may be that they think that their Forts are so strong that they cannot be beaten down but I 'le send a fire to burn them down But I rather think this fire is meant metaphorically I 'le send their enemies which shall be as a fire and so enemies are call'd a fire many times in Scripture And I 'le send a fire By whatsoever means fire comes Gods hand is to be look'd upon in all 〈◊〉 If there hath been a fire in your streets or houses you will enquire by what means it came look up to God whatsoever the means was it is God that sends the fire And it shall devour their Palaces Brave things they are subject to Gods devouring fire Oh let us as when the Disciples look'd upon the fair buildings of the Temple and wept saith Christ There shall not be a stone left upon a stone so when we look upon our brave Palaces Oh let us consider how quickly the fire of Gods wrath may come and not leave a stone upon a stone Let us look up to that place where Christ is gone to prepare mantions for us and to that building that is eternal in the Heavens made without hands And thus through Gods mercy and assistance we have gone through this Eighth Chapter CHAP. IX VERS 1. Rejoyce not O Israel for joy as other people for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God thou hast loved a reward upon every corn-flour HERE begins another Sermon of the Prophets Gualter thinks this to be the sixt Sermon that the Prophet HOSEA preached to these ten Tribes wherein he yet goes on in the way as he did before convincing of sin and threatning of wrath against Israel and this Sermon was preached in a prosperous time when Israel the ten Tribes seemed to be in their greatest ruff of pride jolity It refers according to Interpreters to one of these two times Either to some special time when when they prevailed against their Enemies or to the time when they made their League with the Assyrians The time when they prevailed against their Enemies and so it 's thought to refer either to the time thâ—â— we reade of in 2 King 13. 15. the time of Jehoash when he beat Benhadad three times and recovered the Cities of Israel Or that time in 1 King 14. 13. And Jehoash King of Israel took Amaziah King of Judah and came to Jerusalem and brake down the wall of Jerusalem and took all the Gold and Silver and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord and in the treasures of the Kings house and hostages and returned to Samaria This certainly was a time of great jolity and mirth among the ten Tribes or in the time of Jeroboam 2 King 14. 28. and so in the time of Pekah 2 of Chronicles the 28. that was a time of great jolity and mirth to the ten Tribes because of their prevailing the text saith They slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day all valiant men and the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand women sons and daughters and took also away much spoil from them and brought the spoil to Samaria Now in this time their hearts did swell much for in vers 10. the Prophet Obed came to them and saith Behold because the Lord God of your fathers was wrath with Judah he hath delivered them into your bands and ye have slain him in a rage that reached up unto Heaven And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bond-men and bond women unto you But are there not with you even with you sins against the Lord your God It seems to be almost the same expression as we have here in the text as if he should say Now you purpose to keep the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bond men and bond-women and you insult and rejoyce and you think you have gotten the day and you have prevailed but are there not sins among you just as he saith here Rejoyce not O Israel for you are gone a whoring from the Lord as if he should have said though God hath given you a victory and you think you have matter of much joy yet rejoyce not O Israel as other people As other people Why First Because the conquest you have gotten it is over your Brethren therefore rejoyce not as other people do not rejoyce in your slaying your Brethren as other people the Nations about you would rejoyce in the slaying of them That 's a sad War when the Conquerer hath cause to be sad at the very Conquest It were no great matter though if other people had gotten the victory
prosperity because it is a reward of their service to their Idols So the sweetness of our comfort should be in this because they come from God as a reward of our faithfulness Shall Idolaters when they look upon their plenty and attribute it to their Idol gods shall it be so much the sweeter to them let all our comforts be so much the sweeter to us when we look upon them as coming from God as a reward of our faithfulness In Psal 119. 56. saith David This I had because I kept thy Statutes You will say Can we look upon any thing as a reward of our righteousness Free-Grace and the Gospel-reward may stand together God may reward according to our works though not for our works and God is pleased to call it so for the encouragement of his people It is very sweet to those that keep close with God when they prosper outwardly that outward prosperity if it follow our keeping close with God is very sweet as the Cypher when it doth follow the figure it doth ad to the Number though it be nothing in its self But now we come to the second Verse VER 2. The flour and the wine press shall not feed them and the new Wine shall fail in her AS when a Father sees his admonitions not regarded by a stubborn Child he doth withdraw his allowance from him and sometimes you will deal so with your little children as they shall go to bed without their suppers to shew your displeasure against them so God deals here you have had many admonitions now I will withdraw your allowance The flour and the Wine-press He doth not say the Field but the Flour I will let them bring their Corn to the flour and he doth not say the Vine but the Wine-press the Notes are these God often lets wicked men come neer the enjoyment of a mercy and them cuts it off as many times the Saints comes neer afflictions and when they are at the very brink of afflictions then deliverance comes to them Secondly God doth use to strike wicked men in those things that their hearts are most set upon They would have their flour and Wine-press to afford unto them plenty in that thing God strikes them Now observe it whether in Gods waies that are against you God doth not strike you especially in that which your hearts are most set upon if he doth know there 's the finger of God and God would have you take special notice of it The new Wine shall fail The words are in the Hebrew It shall â—e unto them The like word we have in Hab. 3. 17. The labor of the Olive shall fail in the Hebrew shall lie that is it shall not perform what it seems to promise to you We are ready to promise to our selves great matters from the creature or rather think that the creature promises much to us but we shall find all but a lye let us learn to promise nothing to us but from the Word that will never lye Whatsoever you promise to your selves I say let it be grounded upon the Word but if you promise to your selves great matters from any creature you will find a lye in the Conclusion We often lye to God in not answering our good beginnings and it 's just with God that the creature should even lye to us and not accomplish what they seem to promise to us Lastly That which men think to get in a way of sin they shall fail in at last The way of the wicked shall deceive them they shall not find what they expected in the waies of sin The Saints they shall find more than ever they expected from God but the wicked shall find less than that which they expected from the Creature But there is not much difficulty in this Verse therefore we pass it over briefly VER 3. They shall not dwell in the Lords Land BEfore God was to them as a father taking maintainance away from them leaving them to suffer want but here his anger encreases here he puts them out of his house as a Father first he withdraws allowance from his stout Son and when that will not do then he thrusts him out of his house So doth God here The wine-press the flour shall not feed them And not only so saith God but They shall not dwell in the Lords Land I will cast them out of my house cast them out of my Land I will not suffer Ephraim to dwell any longer there First God would make them to know that it was his Land and that they were but Tenants at will and that they did enjoy the Land upon conditions of obedience as appears in Levit. 18. 26. as if he had said you are Tenants and hold the Land by this Tenure we reade in Levit. 25. 23. of an Ordinance that God made there that no Land in Canaan should be sold for ever but only to the yeer of Jubile the richest man that was that bought never so much Land they could not buy it for ever he could not have such a Tenure as runs amongst us To have and to hold for ever But you will say what is the reason it is given in the 23. vers The Land shall not be sold for ever Why For the Land is mine for ye are strangers and sojourners with me I have brought you to the Land and ye are but sojourners with me in my Land God may dispose of all as he pleases It 's a good meditation for us to work upon our hearts thus That we are Gods Stewards the Lord is the great Land-Lord of all the world When you go abroad into the fields now you that are godly you may see more Land than is your own but you cannot see more Land than is your Fathers The Lords Land It may be said of all the Land in the world he that is thy Father is the great Land-Lord of the world howsoever men respect their Land-Lords and are afraid to displease them but how little respect is given to this great Land-Lord of the world The earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof well but though all the world be the Lords Land yet this Land was the Lords Land in a peculiar manner the Land of Canaan it was the Lords Land more peculiarly in many respects First It was a Land that God had espied out for his People In Ezek. 20. 6. as a special place God was over looking all the world where should I have a good Land or Country to set my People and the text saith God had espied it out Secondly It was the Land of Promise therefore the Lords Land in Heb. 11. 9. By faith he sojourned in the Land of Promise as in a strange Country No Land in Scripture is called the Land of Promise but only this Thirdly The Lords Land it was a Land given by Oath in Gen. 24. 7. Fourthly It was a Land
people to the sacrifices of their gods So They were abominable as they loved that is they being inticed to bodily uncleanness by the Moabitish women these drew them likewise to the worship of their Idols And so their loves to their Whores was that which drew them to this wickedness They were abominable as they loved that is they setting their love upon these wicked women that did intice them to uncleanness according to that love of theirs were they brought unto the love of Idolatry Solomons wives drew him to Idolatry And it 's usuall for people to be of that Religion that those are that they love if so be that their hearts be taken with any if they love any it's usual for them to be of that Religion that those are of that they love according to their kindred according to their friends according to the stock that they marry in so is their Religion Many that have been forward in waies of Religion and yet marry into a carnal stock that hath no savour of Religion you shall find they will grow cold according to what their wives dispositions are according to what they love so their Religion either burns hotter or grows cooler as it was usually laid upon Ahab for his wickedness such a one was his wife and so other Kings the daughter of Ahab was his wife his Religion was according as he loved And my Brethren if those who are in a false way can draw whom they love to it then certainly those that are in the Truth should as wel labor to draw those who they love to the imbracement of the Truth Wives that are naught wil draw their Husbands to that which they love to Idolatry to false worship Popish wives have drawn more husbands to their Popery than Godly wives I fear have drawn husbands to the Truth Why should not gracious Wives labor to draw their Husbands to good by love as well as wicked Wives to draw them to wickedness by their love And indeed those who would gain others to good must first gain their love The women of Moab gained the love of the people of Israel and so gained them to themselves in the matters of Religion So if you would do any good to people first labor to gain their love let women that have evil husbands that they would â—ain gain how would you gain them not by reproachful speeches but do you though they be never so evil walk lovingly towards them that they may be convinced that your souls do love them and so do you by your loving carriage gain their love and that 's the way to gain them to your God by that means So divers of the women in the primitive times that had Heathenish Husbands we have many stories of them that by their gracious loving carriage to their Heathen Husbands they gained them to the Truth of Religion And so Ministers if they would gain people to God they must gain their love so walk before them in such a gracious holy loving way towards them as they may gain their love and then they will gain their souls if there be wrangling between Minister and People there 's little hope that they will gain and do any good among that people for people wil do as they love very much And so your neighbors and friends if you would gain them to God any way gain their loves to you for it 's a mighty motive in matters of Religion for people to do as they love And thus much for this tenth Verse VER 11. As for Ephraim their glory shall fly away like a bird from the birth and from the womb and from the conception AS for Ephraim A Pathetical expression he makes a stop at Ephraim Oh Ephraim how sad how much to be lamented is thy condition As for Ephraim their Glory c. By it is meant all their pomp riches strength prosperity but especially by Glory here is meant their numerous progeny in which they did so much glory Ephraim the ten Tribes did prosper very much and were a very great multitude more than Judah This Scripture hath reference unto the prosperous estate especially in the time of Jeroboam the second of which you reade in 2 King 14. Ephraim was in a very prosperous condition and had prospered very much Their Glory Children and numerous progeny is accounted a glory unto people That in which they do much glory in Prov. 17. 6. Childrens children are the Crown of old men the Seventy are the Glory of old men Parents use to glory and pride themselves much in their children saith one Oh! lovely pride of the Mother so it may be said of many sons and daughters of children Oh! the delightful pride of the Father and the Mother in such and such children They accounted it their Glory For 1. By their children themselves are multiplied And 2. They see what excellency soever there is in the child they look upon it as their own as themselves the cause of it and men and women love themselves much and because they are pieces of themselves therefore they glory in them And 3. They have some hope of continuation from Generation to Generation in their children and this is their Glory But let Parents learn to give God the glory of their children and to bring them up to the glory of God then they may rejoyce in them indeed as a great mercy of God In Prov. 10. 1. A wise Son maketh a glad Father but a foolish Son is heaviness to his Mother Why is a wise Son said to be the gladness of the Father Why Doth not a Mother rejoyce in a wise Son too And why is a foolish Son said to be the sorrow of the Mother Why Doth not the Father sorrow and mourn for a foolish Son The holy Ghost not without reason doth express himself thus A wise Son makes the Father glad First because the Father usually hath a more strict hand over his Son in his education to bring him to wisdom more than the Mother ordinarily Mothers are tender over their children and they coâ—ker them and so make them fools some they cannot endure that they should suffer any hardship and hence their children proves foolish and fit for nothing and great sorrows to them And secondly A wise Son is fit for imployment abroad in the world therfore rejoyces the heart of his Father but a foolish Son is fit for nothing but to be at home in the Chimney corner with his Mother and as he grows up grows stout and stubborn against her there And if children be a glory to their Parents they should labor to be such as they may be a glory and not a shame to them indeed There are many which instead a glory to their parents are a great shame to them as it was said of Augustus Caesar he had three daughters that were wicked and
he used to call them his three Impostumes and his three â—ankers upon his body And so children that should be the glory of their Parents and the glory of a family many times they are but the very Impostumes and Cankers of it and the shame to their Parents every time they come abroad in the world And if you expect that your children should be a glory to you must not be a shame to them sometimes children are a shame to their Parents and sometimes Parents are a shame to their Children It follows Their glory shall fly away like a bird Men glory in their outward pomp and prosperity and their children but both these shall fly away like a bird That is 1. Suddenly 2. Swiftly 3. Irrecoverably A Bird that you have in a Cage you have kept it perhaps many months and upon some advantage gets out and in a moment she is gone suddenly and then she goes away swiftly that you cannot follow her and then Irrecoverably that you can never take her All outward glory is uncertain in Prov. 23. 5. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not Certainly riches they make to themselves wings and fly away as an Eagle into Heaven fly away like a Bird and that Bird the Eagle that flies so swiftly that there is no getting her again How many lately in Ireland and in our own Land that have had estates in the evening and all hath been gone away swiftly like a bird before the morning They have been rich in the morning and have been even beggars in the evening Let us take our hearts off from glorying in all outward excellencies and seek that glory that is abiding that is constant that is everlasting We should look upon all outward comforts now as upon the wing if ever you had cause to look upon all the outward comforts in the world as upon the wing you are to do it now never make account of any settlement in any comforts in the world at this day they are all upon the wing we cannot reason thus We have enjoyed such prosperity thus long and therefore we shall still enjoy it longer No all outward comforts slies away like the bird that comes in one moment that before came not in many years In Jer. 9. 23. Thus saith the LORD Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom neither let the mighty man glory in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches But let him that glorieth glory in this That he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness judgment and righteousness in the earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord. Your delights are in other vain things in estates in bravery but in these things I delight saith the Lord God and if you will glory do you glory in those things that I my self delight in your glory in the midst of your prosperity which flies from you like a bird but the Lord that is the glory of his in the midst of their adversities flies to them like a bird I say the glory of the wicked in the midst of their prosperity flies from them like a bird and the Lord God who is the glory of the Saints flies to them in their afflictions like a bird Thus you have this very phrase in Isa 31. 5. As birds flying so will the Lord of host defend Jerusalem defending also he will deliver it and passing over he will preserve it As birds flying it 's a metaphor taken from the bird when she sees the yong ones in any danger of the Kite she flies with speed to save them As birds flying so will I defend Jerusalem Your glory gets away and flies from you in your prosperity but the glory of the Saints flies to them in their adversity Secondly The Glory of their posterity shall flee away like a bird that is The Lord will cut off their numerous posteritie their yong men that there shall be few enough left among them They gloried in their number The blessing of God upon Abrahams seed came very swiftly after it began to come and now God threatens it shall go away as swiftly As you may find it if you observe the story of the encrease of the Seed of Abraham if you reckon it from the time of their going into Egypt there was you know but threescore and ten souls that went into Egypt of Abraham's seed but when they came out of Egypt which was but two hundred and fifteen years after they went in for the four hundred and thirty is to be reckoned from the Promise to Abraham until their coming out of Egypt and it is cleer that there were two hundred and fifteen years from the Promise to their going into Egypt so that there were but two hundred and fifteen years from their going in to their coming out and see how swiftly they did encrease from three score and ten souls for there was no more then but there came out from twenty years old and upwards men of war six hundred thousand three thousand five hundred and fiftie there were encreased of Abrahams seed in two hundred and fifteen years six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty as you may see in the book of Numbers besides the Levites with the number of the males from a month old and upwards was twenty and two thousand besides the women and al the other children and this was in that time when they were in bondage Thus the Glory of Abrahams seed came very swiftly And now it shall fly away like a bird they shall decrease more than they did encrease Godliness brings blessings swiftly and Wickedness it causes blessings to depart away swiftly again like a bird It follows From the birth and from the womb and from the conception Gods Curse follows the wicked close sometimes in their birth sometimes in the womb and sometimes hindering the conception You see how God hath us at advantage how he hath us in his hand at every turn he might if he had pleased smit us in our conception if he had spar'd there stifled us in the womb if spar'd there made us stick in the birth Wherefore learn we to acknowledg Gods mercie in the general that he is patient and long suffering and gracious to us let us consider at the several passages of his mercy to bless God not only for our general preservation but how he did preserve us in the very conception preserves us in our mothers womb and then in the birth and then in the cradle and in our childhood in our youth and in our middle age in our old age for we lie at his mercy at every point of time Their glorie shall flie away like a bird from the birth and from the womb and from the conception of some I 'le hinder the conception some others in the womb shall die others when
upon the place as Hierom goes somewhat too legal so Luther because his heart was much in the Gospel and he brings all Scriptures to the uttermost he can for expressing the Grace of the Gospel he goes somewhat at the furthest the other way Sow in Righteousness what 's the seeds of Righteousness that is saith he The Doctrine of the Gospel tendering the Righteousness of Jesus Christ the attending unto this Doctrine of the Gospel and imbracing this that there is Righteousness in Jesus Christ alone this is sowing in Righteousness for saith he what other Righteousness is there but this When Reason would come to the highest degree of Righteousness what is it that it doth only this to conclude Righteousness to be to depart from evil and do things that are good but what Righteousness is this But the Scripture Righteousness is this for a man to know that he hath no good at all in himself that all his evil is pardoned in Jesus Christ this is the Righteousness of the Gospel and this is the seed the seed of all good works I name this though I can hardly think that this is the scope of the Prophet at this time yet there is a very good meditation from this which I see that useful man in the Church of God Luther goes on in saith he What madness and blindness in the Adversary is there that will urge people to sow and yet they do reject and cast off this seed that they should sow That is the Doctrine of the imputation of the Righteousness of Christ by faith why saith he in all Pulpits there 's crying out to men for good works that they would sow in Righteousness but saith he where have they their seed The thing certainly is an excellent truth that he hath upon the place how vain is it for men to be taught to sow good works till they have got the seed And the seed of all good works is The Righteousness that we have by Jesus Christ and therefore he falls a rebuking those that shall blame the Doctrine of the Gospel as the means of licentiousness saith he there 's a great many when we preach of the Righteousness of Jesus Christ think that we preach licentiousness and that men may live as they list it 's quite contrary when we preach the Righteousness of Jesu Christ we preach the seed of all good works and those that have this seed good works will come out of them But saith he further They would have Righteousness but what they slight the Righteousness of God making the Righteousness of his Son but they must have Righteousness of their own to tender up to God then when they come to good works they wil slight Gods good works and they will be giving to God of their good works the world doth neglect those as light things that is the works of mercy to receive the Saints c. No but they will have other brave works to build Churches and Temples and Monastries and to lavish out gold about them and they are the chief good works they will not come to do the work as it were of a Servant but rather the work of a Benefactor to God for in relieving thy poor brother when none but thy self and God knows it thou dost the work of a servant then but to build brave Temples and Monastries and lavish out Gold upon them this is for you to be a Benefactor to God But thus much for his speech Sow in Righteousness We know that the Prophet though he would lead the People to Christ yet his preaching was most in a Legal way Sow Righteousness that is Go on in the works of Righteousness those works that are right and just and equal such as you may give a good accompt of them before God and man as if he should say Do not you think to put me off meerly with outward services with offering sacrifices and with this kind of pompous worship in this superstitious way I will never accept of these things but let me have Righteousness let there be the works of Righteousness according to the Rules of Righteousness so work And the Jews if they did but perform the the external works of Righteousness they might have external Mercies if so be there were a proportion between one work and another If indeed they did some works of Righteousness and not the other then they could not expect mercy from God but though there were no saving Grace in them yet if they did but perform external works of Righteousness and there was a proportion between one and another there doth seem to be an external Covenant that they were under for outward Mercies that they should have for their outward Righteousness Not but that I think for Heaven there they must have true Grace and Godliness as the Saints must have now but external Mercies were more annexed to external Duties than now among us You will say We have external Promises too Yea but that 's made to Godliness in Christ Jesus Now from the words we may note First That the Actions of men they are Seeds such seeds as wil certainly come up other seeds may die in the ground rot and never come up but there is never an Action that thou performest but it will come up one way or other it will come up to something And secondly It will come up in the same kind the seeds of Tares will not come up to Wheat but it will be a Tare and so the Wheat a Wheat all our actions will come up in the same kind Men neglect their actions and think that when they have done it 's over they forget what they did yesterday or the day before but though you may forget it yet it will come up in the same kind though you think not of it I remember Pliny reports of some parts in Affrica that when they sow their seeds they go away and never look after it for many months together So â—t is in many men they sow but they never mind what they have done and quite forget what they have done till they must come to reap But certainly thy actions there they lie and will grow up to something Thirdly The seed lies in the ground rotting a while but afterwards comes up so it is in our actions they seem as if they were quite forgotten but they will come up yea and good actions they seem as if they were wholly lost many times well though the seed doth rot rot in the ground for a time yet it will come up afterwards Fourthly The seed when it is sown it comes up through the blessing of God upon it it 's no endeavor of the Husbandman can make the seed come up but he must leave it to the blessing of God So the seeds of our Actions must be left to God Gods Justice will make the seeds of the wicked come up and his goodness and mercy
will make the seeds of the Saints to come up leave thy actions to the blessing of God Fiftly The better the seed is for the most part the longer it lies under ground When you sow Wheat and Rye you sow it at this time of the year but when you sow Barly and Oats you sow them in the Spring time but that endures not frost and snow as the Wheat doth And so the best of our actions lies longest under ground The Minister of God they are Sowers of the Seed of the Word and the Hearers they should be Sowers too The Ministers sows the Word in thy ears and then thou shouldest take it from thence and sow it in thy heart thy life and conversation If our actions be seeds that we sow then large opportunities of doing much service for God should be our riches like a large field that is sown with good grain if thou hast a heart to improve those opportunities Oh! that we would but consider of this That when the Lord gives to men and women a large opportunity for service God lets them out so much Land Go saith God you must husband so much Land and sow it for mine advantage Many of you that are poor people you have not a foot of Land in the world and you think that those that are Landed-men they are happy men Doth God give you opportunity of service to honor him Oh! thou hast got a great deal of Land the meanest of you that have opportunities of Service God lets you out his Land you have abundance of Land and Ground that God gives to you and a man should account himself rich according to the opportunity of his Service As men in the Country account themselves rich according to the Land that they have to plow and sow in Levit. 27. 16. If a man shall sanctifie unto the Lord some part of a field of his possession then thy estemation shall be according to the seed thereof The meaning is That if a man will sanctifie a piece of Land to God well what is this Land worth Why saith the holy Ghost you shall prize it according to the seed thereof if it be a great piece of Land yet if it be not fit to bear so much seed you must account it worth but little but if it be a less piece of Land yet if it be fit to receive so much seed then it 's worth so much thou shalt prize it according to the seed thereof so the opportunities that are fit to receive much seed Oh! those opportunities should be rich opportunities and we should account the price of our lives to be according to the seed thereof Thou livest such a year what 's thy life worth it's according to the seed thereof And so for these four or five last yeers Oh! what opportunities have we had for service for God Now they are to be prized according to the seed thereof that is as we might do service and work in these yeers Then certainly if we must make the estimation of our lives according to the advantage of service that we might do for God then these last five years we may reckon for fifty It 's a great blessing to have a good seed time the Lord hath blest us with this good seed-time Oh now what a folly were it for a man out of base penuriousness to save his seed that he will not sow his ground because he is loth to venture it or through love of his ease he is loth to go abroad it 's somewhat cold and he will keep by the fire side and wil not go abroad to sow his seed Oh! thus it is with us we through our base unbelief we will venture nothing for God we are loth to put our selves upon any difficultie Oh this is our folly Well It is not every seed will serve the turn Be sowers but sow in Righteousness let it be Righteousness let it be precious seed In Psalm 126. 6. They shall bear precious seed with them Oh! there 's many that sow venemous seed that will bring forth poysonful fruit all their daies they have been sowing nothing but seed of unrighteousness yea this field that God hath given to us of opportunity of service for him What have many done what have they sown they have sown salt in it that is They have sown their Passions they have sown Contention and they have sown the seeds of Discord for that hath been the cause that our field that we have had those opportunities that we have enjoyed for God hath bin so barren there hath been so much salt the salt spirits of men and women have been so manifested in their Passion and Frowardness and their Contentions one against another that it hath made us barren In Prov. 6. 14. Frowardness is in his heart he deviseth mischief continually he soweth discord And vers 19. it is made one of the things that the Soul of God doth hate That a man should sow Discord And so in Prov. 16. 28. Froward men sow strife Oh! how many are there amongst us that go from one place to another and tell you such a tale and such a report and sow nothing but strife and discord Oh! it 's that that the Lord hates What! in such a time as this is to sow Discord there could never have been a time wherein the sowing of Discord could have been so abominable as in such a time as this is Oh! let men take heed of sowing Discord God calls for the seed of Righteousness And reap in Mercy For the opening of this I find many carry it Mercy to men that is Do you sow the seeds of Righteousness and let the fruits of Mercy be abundant amongst you But to carry it according to that that is more like to be the scope of the holy Ghost By Mercy we are to understand the Mercy of God Now there 's Two things that is to be observed in this phrase First That it is in the Imparative Mood Reap in Mercy not Ye shall reap in Mercy Secondly In the Original it is The Mouth of Mercy Now for the opening of the words according to these phrases For the First That it is in the Imparative Mood Reap in Mercy not Ye shall reap in Mercy This signifies these two things 1. The certainty of the Mercy they shall have And 2. The readiness of the mercy that it is ready at hand for them to possess just as if one should say to you in your shops Let me have this commodity and here take your money that is here 's your money readie and certain And then from the other word In the mouth of Mercie Now if the Translators had translated it thus Sow in Righteousness and reap in the mouth of Mercy it would have been obscure but those that understand the Hebrew tongue know the meaning of this Phrase to be nothing but thus
is not as rain from Heaven to bring up the fruits of Righteousness in your hearts and in your lives And then seventhly Gods coming with blessings upon those that seek him it is Righteousness that is The good that they have as a fruit of seeking of him it is The fulfilling of Gods Word it is but Gods Faithfulness that was engaged for it Jesus Christ had purchased it by his blood and they had a bond for it before what ever good they have from God It is an excellent Note to help us both in our seeking God and in the comforts that we have When we are seeking God we are not seeking God meerly as a gratuity Though in reference to us it is only free Grace but to Christ it is Righteousness it is that which Christ hath purchased therefore saith Saint John If you confess your sins he doth not say it is mercy for God to forgive them but it is Just with God And so when you receive a mercy from God you are not to look upon it as a meer Alms though in reference to your selves indeed it is so but in reference to Christ your head it is Righteousness it is that which Christ hath purchased and that which God gives you as a fruit of his faithfulness as wel as of his free Grace when thou art seeking of God let not only the eye of thy faith be upon the Grace and Mercy of God but upon the very Righteousness of God And then another Note may be Though the good we do is our own good yet God rewards it as if he got by it God makes Promises to us that if we do thus and thus we shall enjoy such and such mercies Sow to your selves When we sow God gives us leave to aim at our selves but yet when God comes to reward us he doth reward us as if it were only for him and not for our selves he rewards us in waies of Righteousness And thus much for this Verse of raining Righteousness God hath another rain for the wicked and ungodly in Psalm 11. he rains snares and fire and brimstone upon them VER 13. Ye have Plowed wickedness ye have reaped iniquity ye have eaten the fruit of Lyes NOtwithstanding all exhortations and all offers of mercy yet you have gone quite contrary saith the Prophet Instead of breaking from your iniquities you have plowed your iniquities The meaning is this You have taken pains to propagate that which is evil you have taken pains to prepare for wicked things and to do all you can for the propagation of that which is evil both in your selves and others That is the plowing of wickedness The plowing of the wicked is sin their endeavors that is the meaning their labor it is especially for the furtherance of sin the very strength of their spirits is let out for the furtherance of their sin In Job 4. 8. Even as I have seen they that plow iniquity and sow wickedness reap the same to plow it is to endeavor and labor for iniquity for so the word that is here translated Plow it signifies to Frame things to Work things to Endeavor any thing with all our might that is the signification of the word You have set your hearts altogether upon this work for the furthering of wickedness in thinking of it in plodding about it in stirring of one another and doing all you can in your endeavors for the furtherance of wickedness Yea You have been willing to go through all difficulties to accomplish your wicked intentions As we reade in Micah 7. 3. it is a notable Scripture it shews the strong endeavors of wicked men after their sin They do evil saith the text with both hands earnestly It is a very strange text they are willing to take pains and plow for their sin Oh! how many are there that take more pains to go to Hell than others do that go to Heaven they will so struggle and suffer for their sin willing to break with their friends to accomplish their sinful lusts willing to venture their estates to hazard their healths willing to do any thing in the world they are willing to go through all difficulties that they may have their sin Yet they will not plow for God Oh! they complain of any little difficultie in the waies of God but complain of no difficultie in the waies of sin Oh! what a wicked and wretched heart is this to be offended with any hardness in Gods waies and yet be content to endure any hardness at al in the waies of sin Oh! that we were but as instrumental for God and willing to plow as hard as others do for that which is sin And Oh! when you shall come to die to reap the fruit of your labor what terror do you think will this be to your consciences when it must tell you that you have taken more pains in the waies of wickedness than ever you did in the waies of God As it was said of Cardinal Wolsey when he was to die Oh! saith he Had I but served God as diligently as I have served the King he would not have given me over in my gray hairs So when you shall come to die and your consciences shall say Oh! that I had but broken as much sleep to prayer and seeking God Oh! that I had but ventur'd my estate and name as much in the waies of God as in the waies of sin it had been happy for me Is it possible that any of you can die in peace of conscience and yet your consciences shall tell you that you never took that pains for God as you have done for sin In a good motion that is for God if others do it you will agree and go on with them I but you will not plow hard for it but in things that are sutable to your lusts you will not only move such a thing and joyn with others but you will plow hard for it Oh! what pity is it that mens parts and strength should be laid out so much upon that which is evil Men that have active spirits Oh! how instrumental might they be for God if their necks were but in Gods yoke but they all the daies of their lives have their necks in the Devils yoke and are plowing for the Devil all their daies and they will reap accordingly Now this plowing wickedness was especially their way of false worship Oh! they endeavored there they plowed hard to get up their false worship their worship at Dan and Bethel and not to go to Jerusalem to worship It follows You have plowed wickedness ye have reaped iniquity You do not hear of any sowing for the truth is there need no sowing for wickednss there need be but the preparation do but plow that is do but prepare the ground and wickedness will come up alone When you plow Righteousness you must sow the seeds of Righteousness
them to maintain that way of theirs they had countenance from men of Power they had strength enough to crush any that should oppose them That 's the Note that lies plainly before us When the outward strength of a Kingdom goes along with a way of Religion then men think it must needs be right and that all men are but weak men that appears against it Mark the connexion They trusted in their way that is as I find generally Interpreters go The way of Religion And then their Mighty Men these two are put together so that you see the Note is very evident before you that 's the way that generally men will trust in and men will go that way were the scale turn'd and the strength of the mighty men went another way As now Suppose that the strength of the Kingdom of the ten Tribes had been bent to go up to Jerusalem to worship and not to worship at Dan Bethel Do you think there would have been almost any considerable party that would not have gone up to Jerusalem but worshiped at Dan Bethel but when the strength of the Kingdom held the other way when the mighty Men and the way of Religion went both in one the generality of the people went that way that the mighty men went This is the vanity and the exceeding evil of mens hearts that which way soever the mighty men go that way they will trust in There are very few that will deliberatly say so I will go that way that I see the mightie men go in But this is a secret byass poise upon the spirits of men w ch inclins them to harken to what may be said for that way not willingly to what may be said for another And secondly It is such a poise upon their spirits as makes them to be willing and ready to let in any probability if there be but the least probability for the way that the mighty men go on in they take in that and when they have taken in one probability that makes way for another and another and so they drink in more and more so com to be strengthned for that way so as to put off the strength of any thing that can be said against the way except it be so apparent as whether they will nor no they must be forced to sin against their consciences directly if they go another way I say when the spirits of men are byassed by seeing the strength of the Kingdom go in a way though perhaps they may have some good lie at their hearts yet there is that corruption in mans heart that except we can make the other way so cleer that notwithstanding all shifts and all kind af reasonings that may be they shal be self-condemned in their own consciences that their consciences shall tell them they go directly against their light I say except we can come thus we cannot prevail with mens hearts when the sway of a Kingdom goes another way And there are many Truths of God that concerns his Worship that cannot be made so cleer but that a man may have such a diversion to satisfie his conscience in this That I in going another way do not go against my conscience God would have us that what is most likely to be his mind that way to go without any consideration of any outward respects Now if there be a temptation for outward respects that they will come into the ballance do but turn the ballance and suppose in your own heart that all outward respects were in the other ballance that all the mightie men were of the other way what would your hearts think In Revel 13. 3. That when Power and Authority was given unto Antichrist The whol World wondred after her So it is ordinary that way that the mighty men go that way mens hearts will generally go Oh! the little honor that Jesus Christ hath by us Our hearts are swayed for the most part by carnal Arguments and carnal Motives Again They trust in their way and in the multitude of their Mighty Men. Great Armies are the things that are the Confidence of Carnal hearts when they can get a great Army up of a multitude of Mighty Men let there be never such threats in the Word yet if they think they have strength enough to bear them out they bless themselves in that Oh! let us take heed of this Carnal Confidence Through Gods Mercie the Lord hath given us now that we have the multitude of Mightie Men on our side let us take heed that our Faith do not eb and flow as our Armies do and I wil give you one Scripture that shews how far a gracious heart is from making flesh his Arm Cursed is that man you know the Scripture that maketh flesh his Arm. But an example of a godly man to shew how far he was from trusting in an Armie of mighty men in 2 Chron. 14. 11. It is nothing saith Asa with thee to help with many or with them that have no power Why Lord though we have no power yet thou canst help us Why did Asa speak thus Had he no power You shall find in the Chapter a little before that Asa had five hundred and fourscore thousand valiant fighting men Almost six hundred thousand valiant men that he had at that time when he is pleading with God Lord thou canst save where there is no power We account it a great Army if we have twentie or thirtie or fourty thousand men he hath almost six hundred thousand men and yet goes to God and praies Lord thou canst help where there is no power And yet further from the connexion of these two Their way in which they trusted That is The way of Religion they thought that was good But had they had nothing else to trust in but that their trust would not have been very sure From thence the Note is this That those who trust to any way of their own had need of creature strengths to uphold them It 's a Note of very great use they had need of bladders to be under their arm-holes if they trust in a way of their own But now if the Way be the Way of God that a man hath confidence in why then though all outward helps should fail him though all encouragements should fail in this world though we should see the creatures at never so great a distance yet the heart that hath confidence in Gods way hath enough to uphold it here 's the difference between men trusting in their own way and in Gods way Indeed when men trust in their own way so long as the Sun shines upon their way that they have external helps they can go on confident but let outward helps fail and their hearts sink within them But now when the heart is upright with God and trusts in the Word and Promises then it is able to say with Habakkuk in Chap. 3. 17.
then it were another matter but now considering they have enough in them to make them subjects of Gods wrath God may take advantage the rather because of thy sin and therefore take heed ane especially take heed to Gods Worship for we do not find in Scripture where any children are so threatned as the children of Idolaters are And then a further Note is this That the Judgments of God neer to us should awaken us we should think Why may it not be upon our selves This was a heavy Judgment of God upon some City neer and God would awaken them Oh! what have we heard hath been upon our Brethren in other parts and we have been sottish and not sensible of it because iâ— hath not just come upon our Gates the Lord expects when we hear of any dreadful evil upon others that we should tremble and fear before him And then one thing further note from hence As Shalman spoiled Beth-arbel The word that is here Shalman it signifies the name of one that is peaceable one that is peaceable and yet he shall exercise his cruelty so as to dash the Mother upon her Children this is not one that bears cruelty in his name not a Tyger but a Shalman a peaceable man as his name carries it and yet thus cruel when he comes to have power Oh! men who have peace in their names and peace in their mouths and peace in 〈◊〉 yet when they come to have power often times are very cruel We were like to have found it so if our adversaries should have prevailed especially this Citie might have been made a Beth-arbel Mothers dashed upon their Children It 's true when the adversaries did prevail in any place they did not do so but it was not through any ingenuity or pity but out of fear but had they gotten the day then we might have expected even dashing of the Mother against the children VER 15. So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickedness SO shall Bethel What shall Bethel rise up against the rest of the ten Tribes and come and destroy Mother and Children together That 's not the meaning But Bethel shall do it that is Bethel is the Cause of this that dreadful slaughter that is like to be among you it shall come from Bethel Who would ever have thought that Oh my Brethren Miserable Judgments do many times arise from causes we 〈◊〉 think of that 's the Note from thence I say miserable Judgments do many times arise from causes we little think of From Bethel there should come this slaughter and dreadful blood-shed And as that Note more generally so more particularly this That from places of Idolatry comes the greatest evils to Kingdoms As 't is very observable on the contrary from the places of Gods Worship comes the greatest good so from places of Idolatry the greatest evil In Psal 76. 2 3. In Salem is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place iâ— Zion There brake he the Arrows of the Bâ—◠〈◊〉 Shield and the Sword and the Battel Did God break them there Was there a Fight in Zion and in Salem No that 's not the meaning but in Zion and Salem where Gods Tabernacle was those Servants of God that were worshiping of God in Jerusalem and in Zion and praying to God they got the Victory so we may say that such a place that was fasting and praying in the time of our battels there God brake the Arrow and the Bow in that place where they were praying and seeking God it was in Salem and Zion Where the true worship of God is from thence comes the good of a Kingdom And so in Isa 31. 9. Whose fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem The Lord is there threatning the Enemies of his people and he saith That his fire is in Zion and his furnace is in Jerusalem there God hath his furnace and from thence it shall go to destroy the adversaries And so on the contrary where Idolatry is set up and false worship maintained from thence comes evils and miseries upon us Because of your great wickedness The word is Because of the wickedness of your wickedness so the Hebrews express the suparlative degree by a genetive case the evil of the evil the wickedness of the wickedness From whence observe Other sins are great sins but this of false worship indeed is THE great sin that God is provoked against a people for Whence let us not make light account of the Worship of God for how little soever Gods Worship is in our eyes yet it is a great matter in Gods eyes and though you think that the sins against God in the matter of his Worship be but small yet God saith it is the great wickedness it is the wickedness of wickedness And great wickedness it may be call'd not only in respect of the nature of it but from many aggravations and long continuance in it notwithstanding all their means You may Note further from hence God takes notice not only of mens sins but of the aggravation of their sins Oh! let us do thus do not only look upon your sins and acknowledg your selves to be sinners but look upon the Aggravations of your sins Oh! this sin committed against so many Mercies so many Prayers and Resolutions and Vows and Covenants and so many Deliverances that I have had labor to lay the Aggravations of your sins upon your hearts and this is the way to humble your hearts before the Lord. Indeed the Saints of God they need not seek to excuse their sins be not afraid to lay the aggravations of sin upon your own hearts according to what great aggravations there may be Greaten your wickedness before the Lord do not so as ordinarily people do to extenuate your sins for if there be any extenuation that possibly can be Jesus Christ will find out that in his pleading Christ is your advocate who sits at the right hand of the Father and it is his work to plead your cause and therefore if there can be any thing to extenuate a sin he will do it you know that when he was here in this world when his Disciples did offend very much in that sleepiness of theirs that when Christ was to suffer they could not watch with him one hour that sin might have been aggravated with abundance of circumstances but saith Christ The flesh is weak but the spirit is willing he falls to extenuate and excuse Now that which Christ did there he wil be ready to do in Heaven for thou that art a Saint And then further According to greatness of sins so is the greatness of wrath great wickedness and great wrath they go together and therefore according to the greatness of sins should the greatness of our humiliation be For so it is said of Manasses That he humbled himself greatly and in Lament 1. 20. where the