are under condemnation for if the least sin be not pardoned there is condemnation but this cannot be I do not say the sin is pardoned before it is comitted for that is a harsh improper speech for when we speake of pardoning sin we speak of a work applyed to the creature not of that which is in God a pardon is laid up to be applyed by God when ever the sin is commited so that there shal be no instant of time wherein the sinner is unpardoned so under condemnation Then surely he can never fall off from Christ for what doth endanger the falling off from Christ but commission of sin Christ hath as well merited at the hand of God pardon for any sin that is to come as he hath merited pardon for sin past do not say this opens a gap to licentiousnesse then we need not care No the grace of Christ hath no such malignity in it in saying thus thou speakest against thy life The second soul-staying argument for perseverance is that perseverance is a spiritual mercy purchased by Christ as well as any grace Ephes 1. 3. Blessed be God who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Jesus Christ Now you will say Faith is a blessing and Humility is a blessing and Joy is a blessing we have in Christ why is not Perseverance a blessing a spirituall blessing too Christ hath as truely and as really layd down his bloud to purchase the perseverance as to purchase thy pardon as to purchase any thing he hath purchased for thee That which Christ hath laid down his blood to purchase surely must be had the purchase of Christs blood shall not be frustrate Is there any thing thou hast by vertue that purchase Thou mayest be as sure of perseverance for Chrst hath laid down his blood to purchase that also Christian then satisfie thy soul in this God gives the comforts in this world but he gives them not for ever but when he betrotheth thee unto his Son he betrotheth thee for ever Perhaps the Lord in mercy hath made thy life here in this thy pilgrimage very comfortable in giving thee a comfortable meet yoke-fellow in this thy betrothing thou art happy but this happinesse is not for ever thou canst looke upon thy yoke-fellow as a mercy of God unto thee that makes thy pilgrimage sweet but there must be a dissolution between thee and her but thy union with thy Husband Christ is for ever there shall never be dissolution of that Perhaps some of you have lost comfortable yoke-fellowes death hath come and snapt asunder the union between you and you complain never woman lost such a husband never man lost such a wife as I have if you be godly you have a husband that you shall never lose it is he that will fill up relations he saith Thy maker is thy husband Esay 54. 5. And further this is mutuall I will betroth thee unto me for ever I will give thee a heart that thou shalt cleave unto me for ever This will afford unto us another usefull meditation viz. When the Lord chooseth any soule to himselfe as he setteth his own heart for ever upon thar soul so he gives unto that soul a principle of grace to cleave unto him for ever too to give up himselfe unto him in an everlasting covenant Psal 119. 112. I have inclyned my heart to performe thy statutes alwayes Is not that enough No he must have another word to expresse the thing alwayes even to the end Davids heart was much taken with the statutes of God O Lord through thy mercy my heart is inclined to keep thy staâ—utes yea and it is so alwayes yea and it shall be unto the end It is a kinde of pleonasme or rather the expression of the fulnesse of his heart in his resolutions never to depart from God But what are those riches Christ bestoweth upon his people whom he betrotheth to himself the bracelets and ornaments hee putteth upon their necks and upon their hands are these I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse and in judgement in loving kindnesse and in mercies I will ever betroth thee unto me in faithfulnesse aud thou shalt know the Lord. There is much of the Gospel in this In righteousnesse This according to some is understood as opposed to dissimulation Sine fuco without any dissembling in this he assures his people that they shall finde his dealings with them altogether right and equall and so I expect from you and will cause it in you that in your dealings towards me you be right and equall there shall be nothing feigned betwixt us all shall be plain right and just You know there is often a great deale of dissimulation in marriages great prâ—ffers and promises and overtures of what one should enjoy in the other and when they meet not with what they expect it causes great dissention between them and makes their lives exceeding uncomfortable But now saith God there shall be no dissimulation betwixt you and me I will deale with you in the plainnesse of my heart and you shall deale with mee in the plainnesse of your hearts So the word righteousnesse is taken in Scripture Isa 48. 1. They make mention of the God of Israel but not in truth nor in righteousnesse one expounds the other I will receive you againe though you have departed from me in the very integrity of my soule doe not feare me doe not suspect me doe not thinke though he make a shew of love unto mee and of great favour yet hee intendeth to cast mee off at last These are the jealous thoughts of many troubled consciences Indeed I heare of mercy and God is working toward me as if he intended mercy to me but I am afraid he will cast me off in the conclusion No saith God do not feare do not suspect me this mercy I offer is bona fide it is in the very truth of my heart therefore let there not be such suspitious thoughts betwixt you and me you may be sure that what is fit and right for you to have from such a husband as I am that doth belong to such a Spouse as I professe to take you to be you shall certainly have it you need not be afraid for you shall have plain and upright dealing with me This I take to bee one part though not all of the meaning of the holy Ghost here I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse that love I professe to you I do not do it to mock you saith God but I do it in truth From whence the notes which are very usefull may be First guilty hearts are full of suspitions of Gods reall meaning in all his expressions of love and mercy They judge God by themselves As they first slight sinne because they judg of God by themselves they see not such a dreadful evill in sinne they think God sees it not so after they have sinned they judge of
I will sow thee there shall come a blessing upon thee and though thou beest scattered up and down in the earth yet in all places thou shalt be as seed from whence my Church shall spring Hence the notes are First that Gods people are the seed of the earth But of that before in the latter end of the first Chapter onely I will adde a note of Ribera about it The seed saith he lies under the clods and at length fructifies so should the Saints be content to lie under the clods and though they may seem in regard of their afflicted condition to be dead to be rotten yet they shall be glorious and fructifie afterward Before the time of the Churches glory times of great calamity and distresse come which this rotting of the seed before the fructifying sets out unto us Secondly every godly man should so live as either in life or death hee should be as a seed from whence many may spring he should be a meanes that many should be begotten to God It is reported of Cicilia in the history of the Church a poore Virgin that by her gracious behaviour in her mattyrdome she was the means of converting four hundred to Christ As in the Indies one corn bringeth forth divers hundreds so we should labour to convert as many as wee can that some that live after may continue to beare up the name of Christ and the profession of his truth Especially be carefull of your children leave them as seed to hold up the name of God in thy family when thou art dead and gone And further I will sow her to my selfe The Saints are sowen unto Christ they are seed for Christ therefore all their fruit must be given up unto Christ Christ must have all the fruit we bear who should have the fruit but he that soweth it Therefore Cant. 7. 13. All manner of pleasant fruits new old which I have laid up for thee O my beloved Are we able to bear any fruit Let us lay it up all for Jesus Christ for it is he that soweth us unto himselfe we must not sow to our selves not to the flesh for then wee shall reap corruption but all for Christ And I will shew mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy Divers things about Gods shewing mercy after rejection were spoken of in the first Chap. Only these notes for the present There are none so rejected as that they can conclude that they shall never have mercy those that have committed the sinne against the holy Ghost excepted though Israel had not obtained mercy though they were cast out yea cast out to the beasts to be devoured yea saith God I will shew mercy upon her 2. Children of wicked parents may at length obtain mercy from God Though Israel be cast off yet her children shall have mercy A comfort to us in regard of the Idolatry of our fore fathers yea a comfort in the regard of the children that are to come Our fore fathers have broken the Covenant why may not we obtaine mercy But suppose we should be the generation of Gods wrath and not obtaine mercy yet we may have hope that the posterity following shall have mercy Thirdly Mercy after it is thought to be past if then it come Oh it is sweet mercy indeed when she seemed to be utterly rejected then to have mercy shewed this is sweet Fourthly Mercy is the cause of all the good the Saints have One Scripture for it Psal 57. 3. Send from heaven saith David David was in the Cave in a poor condition hunted for his life persecuted by Saul I see little hope from earth saith he therefore O Lord send from heaven What shall God send Angels from heaven to deliver thee David No but mark what followeth God shal send forth his mercy his truth as if he should say Lord though I have no help in earth though I see no Angels from heaven to helpe me yet let me have thy mercy and truth and that is enough This satisfies a gracous heart if he may have Gods mercy and his truth that is Gods mercy revealed in a promise Lastly God hath a speciall day of mercy for his people for his Churches I will have mercy upon her that hath not obtained mercy Let us cry to God for the hastening of this day let us open the miseries of our own Kingdome and of Ireland Oh when shall this day come that thou wilt shew mercy to thy owne people which thou hast told us of Oh that that day may hasten Come Lord Jesus come quickly And I will say to them which were not my people This is that we had in the first Chapter onely with some differences there it is In the place where it was said yee are not my people And I shewed you when I opened that place both out of the Romanes and out of Peter how the Apostle makes use both of that in the first Chapter and this here in the second onely take a hint of the truths in it First God hath a special interest in his people they are his people they are called his peculiar people Tit. 2. 14. The word hath this emphasis in it God lookes upon all other things as accidents in comparison and his substance is his people they are his very portion as Deut. 33. 19. and Exod. 19. 5. they are his peculiar treasure above all people in the world and Esay 19. 25. Assyria the worke of my hands and Israel mine inheritance I have made all people but Israel is mine inheritance This is the happines of the Saints therefore they are not as other people are Num. 23. 9. This people shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned among the Nations this is a great ground of prayer Lord leave us not we are thy people called by thy name we have an interest in thee Againe This is an argument to walke so as God may not be dishonored by us for we are his people If those in a mans family walke disorderly it is a dishonour to the Master of the family it is no dishonour to him for a stranger or one who hath little reference to him to walke disorderly It is not so much dishonour to God for the wicked to walke disorderly as for the Saints in regard of their neerenesse to God And besides their light is as I told you three story high and if they sin they sin against a greater light then others doe their sin is greater then the sinne of the wicked in that regard Further I will say to them which were not my people thou art my people I will own them before all the world It is a great mercy for God to make it knowne to the world that his people are his people The world will not beleeve it they think they are a poor contemptible people but there shall come a day that I will make it knowne they are
time for the decree to come forth against a kingdome when God will not be intreated a time when though Noah Job and Daniel should stand before him yet he will not be intreated though they cry cry â—arly cry aloud cry with teares cry with fasting yet God will not be intreated Gods mercy is precious and he will not let it run out to waste he will not be prodigal of it a time wherein God will say Now I have done I have done with this people mercy hath had her turn It is true except we had that immediate revelation that the Prophets had we cannot now determine of the particular time yet by examining Gods way toward his people in former times the truth is that those that laboured most to search Gods minde in his word they were even afraid that this decree had been gone out upon us in England It is true God hath seemed for the present to tell us that hee hath a prerogative and he will have mercy upon whom he will have mercy But yet neither are those altogether to be blamed that even in their own hearts determined as it were that mercy was gone except they did wholly limit God and left nothing of prerogative at all to him but because it was Gods ordinary way and except God had wrought with us in a way of prerogative otherwise than ever he did with any nation before they did then conclude that the decree was gone forth and so it might be true and what God may do with us yet we do not know But this we can say if the decree be not gone forth if there be mercy for us God hath shewed his prerogative that he will now goe on in such a way otherwise than formerly he hath done in the world and if God will do so who can say against it A time there is likewise for God to say against particular persons he wil not have mercy upon them a time when God will say those men that were bidden shall not tast of my Supper he that will be filthy let him be filthy still my spirit shall no longer strive with them God hath no need my brethren that we should receive or entertain his mercy we had need that God should grant it God many times is quick in the offer of his mercy Goc and preach the Gospel he that believeth shall be saved he that believeth not shall be damned A quick worke God makes many times in the effects of mercy Yet 3. I will not have mercy This is pronounced as the most dreadfull judgment What not have mercy upon them then indeed is a State or a Kingdom in a dreadful condition when God shall say of them that he will not hve mercy Wo to you saith the Lord when I depart from you wo then to you when my mercy is for ever gon then all judgments miseries must needs flow in upon a nation or a particular soul when the Sea-bank is broken up then the waves will all flow in Isa 56. 9. All you beasts of the field come to devour yea all you beasts in the forrest why what is the matter His watchmen are blind c. I argue thus from thence if the prudence of the watch-men being taken away which should stop misery then all evils come flowing in upon a Nation What then if the mercy of God that should stop misery be taken away whither should the poore creature goe if mercy be gone to what creature should it look for help if it cryes to any creature the creature saith I can afford no comfort because God affordeth no mercy what shall uphold the heart then when it hath no hope at all It must needs sink I will not add mercy saith God shewing that what good they had received before it was from his mercy though they would take no notice of it well saith God you shall have no more you have taken no notice that it was my mercy that helped you before but when my mercy is gone then you will know it but then I will not add more Men best know what the worth of mercy is when mercy is taken away from them when God addeth no more Again I will not adde mercy God doth not use to take away his mercy fully from a people or from a soul but when mercy hath been shewed and abused after much mercy hath been received and that being abused then God saith hee will not adde more You have a parallel place to this Iudg. 10. 16. I will deliver you no more saith God I have delivered you many times my mercy hath been abused I will deliver you no more It is just with God when mercy is abused that wee should never know farther what mercy meaneth Mercy as it is a precious thing so it is a tender thing and a dangerous thing to abuse it There is nothing that more quickly works the ruine of a people or of a soule then abused mercy But further I will utterly take them away Before it was only that they should be scattered the name of the first child before was but Iezreel that they should be the scattered of the Lord but the 2. is Loruhamah that they shall have no more mercy from the Lord. Gods 2. strokes usually are more dreadfull then the first God beginneth first with the house of Correction before he bringeth to the gallows There is branding first before hanging there are warning pieces before murthering peeces God makes way for his wrath by lesser afflictions before hee cometh with destroying judgments I remember Mr. Knox in his History of Scotland hath this story of one Sir Iames Hamilton that having been murthered by the Ks. means there he appeared to him in a vision with a naked sword drawn and strikes off both his arms with these words Take this before thou receive a finall payment for all thy impieties and within 24. hours 2. of the Ks. sons dyed God cometh to nations particular persons with a sword cutteth off arms before he takes their lives he commeth by degrees upon them As the Lord when he cometh in a way of abundance of mercy lesser mercies make way for greater mercies When Manna was rained down the dew ever came before it So lesser judgments to the wicked are forerunners of and makers way for greater judgments first they are parboild before they come to be rosted in the fire Further I will not adde mercy to the house of Israel He doth not say I will not adde mercy to this or that particular man of Israel but to the house of Israel A Multitude of sinners with God is no argument for their escape of judgment It is a rule indeed with man Multitudo peccantium tollit peccatum Multitude of offenders take away their offences Men know not how to execute the offenders when they are in Multitudes here and there some of the ring-leaders may be taken for example sake But it is no
rule with God though it be the whole house of Israel God hath no mercy for the whole house of all the people of Israel Let no man presume to sin against the Lord because there are Multitudes that do offend think that he shal escape with the Multitude No all the nations of the world with the Lord are but as the drop of a bucket as the small dust of the ballance nothing even lesse then nothing And yet further No mercy upon the house of Israel Though it be the house of Israel yet no mercy upon her If it were the house of Pharaoh it were not so much but what no mercy to the house of Israel The neareness of any to God exempts them not from the wrath of God God hateth sin and hateth sin most when it is nearest him You have I knowne of all the families of the earth therfore wil I punish you for your iniquities saith the Lord. As we hate a Toad in our bosoms more then when it is at a further distance so God hateth sin in those that are nearest to him more than in those that are further off for God will be sanctified in all those that draw neer unto him But wherefore is all this that God wil have no more mercy upon the house of Israel what hath the house of Israel done that God should be so angry with it It is worth our searching and enquiring after why the Lord will at this time have no mercy upon the house of Israel It concerns our selves neerly The first and main reason is because of their continuance in their false way of worship notwithstanding all the means that God had used to bring them off not only by his Prophets sending them again and again to shew them the evill of their false worship in those 2. Calves in Dan and Bethel but by most remarkable works of his providence against them As for example The work of God against Jeroboam when hee was but stretching out his hand against the Prophet that came to denounce judgement against that Altar upon which he was offering Sacrifice his hand that he put forth against him dryed up so that he could not pull it in again to him and upon the prayer of the Prophet it was restored became as was before Again the remarkable work of God in anointing Iehu to destroy the house of Ahab and his seed for their Idolatry Yet notwithstanding these Prophets and these works of God with many other they still persisted in their way of Idolatry And this caused the Lord now not to have mercy upon the house of Israel Let us take heed of this God hath used and still doth use means to bring us off fully from all wayes of false worship not only by sending his Ministers from time to time to declaim against such things but by wonderful and remarkable works of his providence towards England especially at this day Never had any Nation never had England heretofore more remarkable works of God to draw them off from all wayes of false worship to bring them to worship God in the right way according to his will Now let us tremble at this sentence I will not add mercy I will have no more mercy God hath added mercy to us again and againe from time to time And now me thinks in this work of Gods mercy that he is about concerning us he speaks to us as he did to the people Come and put off thy ornaments that I may know what to do with thee Come now and humble your selves that I may know what to do As if God should say Come give in your last answer Certainly in that way that God is now in with us he calleth England to give its last answer as if he should say Now I am sheing mercy once more take heed of rejecting it lest you have a Loruhamah upon you I will adde no more mercy consider not onely what wee have done but what we do how we have abused mercy and how wee doe now abuse present mercy how opposite the spirits of most are against the work of reformation now in hand who even say to the Lord Christ depart from us we desire not the knowledg of thy ways When the people of Israel were offered Canaan and God bade them go in and possesse it they were then neer unto it but when they then refused Canaan God sware in in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest If ever a people were offered Canaan were offered the Ordinances of God in his owne way certainly wee are at this time Let us tremble lest God if wee reject this mercy should swear in his wrath I will have no more mercy upon you and so we prove to be a Loruhamah indeed But a second reason why this people could have no mercy might be because of their forsaking God even in the civill State For you are to know that this people of Israel had not only left God in their Church State and defiled themselves with false worship but they had in their civill government wickedly departed from that that God had appointed over them They had departed from the house of David and rent themselves from it It is true this was of Gods permission but yet it was the wickednes of their hearts no excuse at all for them Hence Chap. 8. 4. God chargeth them that they had set up Kings but not by him From whence this may bee observable That it is a most dangerous thing for a people to forsake that government to rebell against that civill government that God doth set over them When the people in 1 Sam. 8. 7. had required a King and would not be ruled by Judges any more saith the Lord to Samuel They have not rejected you but rejected me that I should not reigne over them A most dreadfull place And I confesse freely to you this one Text of Scripture was the first Scripture that took impression upon my thoughts and heart about fearing to goe on in a way of Church-government that God had not appointed For thus my thoughts reasoned What is God so provoked against a people that will reject but a Civill government a government that hee hath appointed that specially concernes but the outward man Then if it proves that God hath appointed any government in a Church that is Divine Institution that concerns the good of the soule and is immediately to work upon that surely God will be much more provoked there for rejecting it And going yet further upon search finding that though we have not a civill government appointed by God as the Jewes had yet for the Church state wee have one appointed even by God himself And reason there must be for it for whatsoever hath a speciall efficacy upon the heart must have a spirituall rule for the warrant and direction Indeed prudence and reason is enough for the ordering of things that
day Therefore as we read of Jeremiah Chap. 37. 18. Let my supplication saith he to the King I pray thee be accept able before thee that thou cause me not to returne to the house of Jonathan the Scribe lest I dye there So let us present our supplications to the King of heaven that wee may not be sent back to that condition we were once in that God may not strip us and leave us naked Wee have many blessings Lord do not strip us doe not strip us of all the ornaments thou hast put upon us And would you not have God strip you of your ornaments be you willing to strip your selves of your ornaments Ezod 33. 5. God calleth upon the people there Put off your Ornaments from you that I may know what to doe unto you This is true and seasonable at this time in the literall sense you are called now to strip you of your Ornaments Strip from your fingers your gold-rings now when there is neede of them perhaps one gold-ring that you have upon your finger would serve to maintain a souldier a month or five weeks or more and yet you may have the benefit of it againe afterward Strip your Cup-boards from that pompous shew of plate that was wont to be upon them It is much if you should not be willing to have your fingers stripped naked when we are in danger to have the State stript naked of all our comforts and ornaments Is it such a great matter to have your cup-board naked of plate now what if a white cloath were upon it and all that glistering shew taken away were that such a great matter now when God is about to strip us naked and set us as in the day wherein wee were borue certainly all of you that shall keep your plate now for the pompous decking and adorning of your cup-boards you cannot but be ashamed of it in these times surely you must rather keep it up in your trunkes and hutches it cannot but be both a sin and a shame to see such glistering pomp and glory in such times as these are Strip your selves of your ornaments that God strip you not and not only outwardly but strip your selves of your ornaments by your humiliation for that is the meaning of that place in Exodus Oh come and humble your selves and come now with naked hearts before the Lord open your hearts before God bring them naked and sincere before him lest he strip you and the Kingdom naked Crie unto God for mercie O Lord thou knowest what a vile heart I have had a base time-serving heart yet Lord I desire to take away all those clokes now and to rend and bring this heart naked before thee though it be a filthy heart yet open it Lord thou knowest those vile things those innovasions those superstitions those horrible wickednesses that were in danger to be let into the Church and Comman-wealth yet they were things that could goe down very well with me I could make shifts to swallow them and I had distinctions to colour them but Lord it was my base heart that I could not trust thee but now here I open it naked before thoe O Lord for these Ordinances of thine in the purity and power of them that others spake so much of they have bin things unsavory to me I had no skill in such things Thou knowest I had a neutrelizing spirit I looked which way the wind blew how just were it for thee to give me upto be of a desperate malignant spirit Now Lord I come as a naked wretched creature before thee in the shame and guilt of my sin and here I acknowledge thou maiest justly strip me naked of all the comforts of my estate and leave me in the most miserable condition that ever poor creature was left in And now my heart is open before thee doe but shew me what I shall doe and if thou doest reserve any of my estate and comforts which I have forfeited in testimony of my humiliation for my former sinnes I bring it before thee and am willing to give it up for the publique good and to prevent that evill and mischiefe that I am sure my sinnes call for for my sins cry for wrath against the Land that thou shouldst strip it naked and if all had beene such base spirits as I have beene what would have become of the Land by this time In testimonie therefore of my humiliation for my sins here I bring in this of my estate though indeed if I had not been guilty of such sins yet out of common prudence and respect to my own security I might bring some part in but here is so much the more of my estate because my conscience tells me of my former guilt And Lord for the time to come I am resolved to doe the uttermost I can for Thee and thy Cause And those Worthies that carry their lives in their hands for me God forbid that I should have the least hand in betraying them in withdrawing my hand and assistance from them Lord here I give up my self to thee and my estate I surrender it to thee in an everlasting Covenant This is to come with a naked heart indeed before the Lord. Were it not better that we should be willing to strip our selves naked then that God should doe it by violenee that God should send Souldiers into our houses to strip us naked as they have dealt with our brethren in Ireland they took not away their estates onely but all their clothes and sent them in droves as naked as ever they were borne VVee know wee have deserved the like If you will not strip your selves of your super â—â—uities God may justly by them strip you naked as ever you were born and not onely bring you into the same condition you were in but into a far worse for so he threatneth in that 28. Deut. You shall not onely be carryed backe againe into Egypt but there you shall be sold for bondâ—men and no man shall buy you they should be in a worse condition the when they were first in Egypt So if there be any of you that are willing to sell your consciences in hope of preferment Oh the other side may get power and prevaile and so out of hope to be preferred to sell your consciences you may be disappointed not only be brought into as ill but into a far worse condition perhaps though you would have sold your selves yet no bodie will buy you if the Papists corne to have the power of your bodies and estates you may misse of that preferment that you thinke of So saith Ezra Chap. 9. 14. after he had spoken of Gods mercie in giving them liberty and remitting their captivitie Shall we saith he yet continue in sin break the commandements of the Lord would he not be angry with us till we were utterly destroyed And certainly if God do not awaken the hearts of people now if God do
men from their sins God usually cometh with greater and sorer I see some of them will break through the hedge I will make a wall therefore that is I will come with stronger and greater afflictions and so keep them off Levit. 26. 18. If you will not for all this saith God turne unto mee I will punish you seven times more and I will breake the pride of your power you thinke there is a power in your hand and there is pride in your power for power raiseth the heart up to pride I will break it I will never leave till I have broke your hearts in spight of you and you shall find ein that Chapter four or five times mention of seven times more This is after the hedge then there cometh a wall And they shall not find their paths Hence God is able to strike men with blindness that they shall not see their way Though there be an evill way of mischief before them yet God knows how to strike them with blindness though there be nothing to hinder them in it God can strike men with blindness one way or other that they shall not bee able to see their way before them We have this this day exceedingly fulfilled in our eyes how doth God blind and befot our adversaries that they cannot see their way the truth of that Scripture Job 5. 13. is this day before our eyes He taketh the wise in their owne craft inesse and the counsel of the froward is carried head long How hath God taken wise men in their own craftinesse the counsell of froward men their spirits are froward because they are crost they are vexed their counsell is carried headlong God takes away their understanding and doth baffle them in their own counsels A notable Text we have in Psal 75. 6. The stout-hearted are spoiled they have slept their sleep and none of the men of might have found their hands They are cast into a slumber and know not what in the world to doe they know not how to make use of that power they have in their hands It followeth further in that Psalme At thy rebuke O God of Iacob both the charet and horse are cast into a dead sleep A strange expression that a Charet should be cast into a deepe sleepe the meaning is they can no more tell how to make use of them then if they all lay for dead or asleepe Let us not be afraid of the power of adversaries suppose they had power in their hand God can strike them with blindnesse they shall grope to find the door they shall be baffled in their own waies they shall not tell how to make use of their own power Isa 29. 14. Behold saith God I will proceed to doe a marvailous worke even a marvailous work and a wonder What is it The wisedome of their wise men shall perish the understanding of their prudent men shal be hid This is a wonderfull thing that God will doe yea and he will mingle a perverse spirit in the midst of them so you have it Isa 19. 11. Surely the Princes of Zoan are fooles the counsell of the wise counsellours of Phaâ—aoh is become bruitiâ— and verse 12. Where are they where are thy wise men And againe verse 13. The Princes of Zoan are become fooles the Princes of Noph are deceived and verse 14. The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit it in the midst therof they have caused Egypt to erre in his worke as a drunken man that staggereth in his vomit Here is the judgement of God upon Men when he list he can blind them in their way that they shall erre in their worke and they shall stagger in their own counsels and designes as a drunken man in his vorâ—it they shall not finde their paths they shall not know in the world what to doe VVell Thus God dealeth with wicked men But now let us consider this in reference to the Saints to Gods own people they shall not finde their paths then the Observation is It is a good blindnesse for men not to see the way of sinne It is promised here in a way of mercy that they shall not finde their paths this darkeness it is not the shadow of death but the way of life It is rich mercy I have read of one Maris a Bishop of Calcedon a blinde man to whom Julius the Apostate giving some opproptious words and calling him blinde foole because he had rebuked Julian for his Apostacy the good man answered thus I blesse God that I have not my sight to see such an ungracious face as thine So many may blesse God for their bodily blindnesse because it may be it hath prevented abundance of sinne that might have beene let in at the casements of their eyes But especially for blindnesse not to see the way of sinne if we may call that blindnesse It is a mercy that God doth not grant to all it is a singular mercy to the Saints For you shall finde there are abundance of people exceedingly quick-sighted in the way of sinne that can finde the path there and yet are exceedingly blinded in the way of God and cannot find the path there On the other side that Saints are blinded in the way of sinne but are quick-sighted in the wayes of God How many men are wise to do evill as the Scripture saith they are able to see into the depths of Satan they are profound to damn themselves they can finde out such objections against the 〈…〉 answer such things that are said against 〈…〉 devises contrivances how to get to their sinfull wayes but when they come to the wayes of God as blind as Moles they cannot see such necessity of such strictnesse they cannot understand men of great parts great Rabbies of great understanding otherwise they have no skill in the wayes of God I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth saith Christ that thou hast hid these things from the wise and learned and hast revealed them unto babes Whereas on the other side you shall find that the Saints are able when they come to Gods waies to see farre into the excellency and glory of them they have understanding there though they be but weake otherwise they can see into the great mysteries of God into the beauty of his wayes so that it dazeleth all the glory of the world in their eies they are not easily catched with temptations but can see into the subtilties of the devill that would draw them out of Gods waies but when they come to the wayes of sin there they want understanding and it is Gods mercy to them to doe so there they are but bunglers they do but grope as blinde men they are not their crafts masters they are not cunning artists in those waies but as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 1. 1â— Wee have not received the spirit af the world wee cannot shift for our selves as the men of the
world can we cannot be so cunning to contrive such plots tricks and devices for our owne ends as the men of the world can but wee have received the Spirit of God we can understand things there through Gods mercy to eternal life There are many men cunning for their own destruction they can find every secret path of sin though sin be a labyrinth they can goe up and down in it finde out ever by-path in that way When the waies of God are propounded to wicked men there is a mist before their eyes they cannot see when the wayes of sin are propunded to the Saints God in mercy cafteth a mist before their eies that they cannot see Eccles 10. 15. The foole knoweth not how to goe to the City wicked men they know not the path to the Church of God to the Ordinances of God they talke much about such and such Ordinances and setting up of Christ in the way of his Ordinances but they doe not see the way of it they know not what the true worship of God meaneth No a foole doth not understand the way to the City of God he cannot finde out that path But the Saints though they know not the wayes of sinne yet they can finde out the paths of God they know the way to the City Possidonius tells us a Austin that when there was wait laid for his life thorough Gods providence he mist his way and so his life was preserved and his enemies disappointed So many times when you are going on in such a way of sin perhaps you little thinke what danger there is in it God in mercy therefore casteth a mist before your eies and you misse that way and save your lives Ver. 7. She shall follow after her lovers but she shall not overtake them c. The Observation is Untill God subdues the hearto himselfe men will grow worse and worse in their sinnes yea even Gods Elect ones to whom hee intendeth mercy at last yet till God commeth with his grace to subdue their hearts they may grow worse and worse they would before goe after their lovers and now here commeth afflictions upon them yet still they will follow their lovers and that with more eagernesse of affection and with more violence then before Afflictions in themselves are part of the curse of God and there is no healing vertue in them but an inraging quality to stir up sinne till God sanctifie them by his grace God may suspend for a time the sanctifying worke of his grace to those he intended good to at last Isa 51. 20. The Text speakes of some whose afflictions were not sanctified That they lye as a wild bull in a net in the streets and they were full of the fury of the Lord They were full of the fury of the Lord and yet lay like a wild Bull in a net in a raging manner This distemper of heart proceeds from two grounds 1. When outward comforts are taken away by affliction the sinner having no comfort in God he knows not where to have comfort but in his sin if conscience be not strong enough to keep from it he runs madly upon it 2. Because he thinks that others looke upon him as one opposed by God for his sin therefore that he may declare to all the world that he is not daunted at all nor that he hath no misgiving thoughts though perhaps hee hath nipping gripes within yet he will put a good face upon it and follow his wayes more eagerly then formerly A second observations She shall follow but she shall not overtake A man may follow after the devises of his owne heart and may be disappointed he may not overtake them There is a great deale of difference betwixt following Gods wayes and our owne wayes there was never any in the world that was disappointed if he knew all in following Gods wayes but he got either the very thing he would have or something that was as good if not better for him but in the wayes of sinne in our owne wayes we may meet with disappointment why should we not then rather follow God then follow our own desires The desires after sin as they are Desideria futilia so they are Desideria inutilia as one speakes as they are foolish so they are fruitlesse desires they doe not attaine what they would have How hath God disappointed men in our dayesâ— they have not overtaken what they greedily sought after Our adversaries blessed themselvs in their designes they thought to have their day they propounded such an end and thought to have it but how hath God disappointed them But whether God hath done this in mercy to them as it is spoken of here that we know not we hope God hath crost some of them in a way of mercy though perhaps he may deale in another way with other of them But further Disappointment in the way of sinne is a great mercy As satisfaction in sin is a judgement of God and a fearfull judgement so disappointment in sin is a mercy and a great mercy Prov. 14. 14. there you shall find That the back-slyder in heart shall be filled with his own wayes A dreadfull threatning to back-slyders and apostates when God hath no intention of love and mercy for backsliders God will give them their owne devices they shall have their fill in their owne wayes you would have such a lust you shall have it you shall be satisfied to the full and blesse your selves in your owne wayes This is the judgment of God upon backsliders but for the Saints when they would have such a way of sin God will disappoint them they shall not have it We account it ordinarily very grievous to be disappointed of any thing and many times I have had this meditation upon it What doth it trouble the hearts of men to be disappointed almost in any thing Oh what a dreadfull vexation and horror will it be for a man to see himself disappointed of his half hopes Remember when you are troubled at any disappointment what will be the terrour then and anguish of spirit if it should prove that any of you should be disappointed of your hopes for eternity But those whom God doth often disappoint in the way of sin they may have hope that God will deliver them from that great disappointment And againe yet further Shee would have her Idols but God will take them away shee shall not have them saith God though shee follow after them and have a great mind to them yet they shal not overtake them God will remove them from their Idols or their Idols from them that is the meaning they should not come to their Dan or Bethel they should either be removed far enough from their calves or the calves from them Thus it should be with Governours they should take such a course as to take away Idols and superstitious vanities from those that will be worshipping of them
and is able to set out the several parts distinctly to you in such a Climate in such a Countrey but yet when he hath done all he leaveth a great space for a Terra incognita for an unknown world and that unknowne world for ought we know may be five times bigger then the known world So they that have the most observant eye of Gods mercies and take the most notice of them that can best set out the mercies he bestoweth spiritual mercies temporall mercies preventing mercies past mercies present mercies delivering mercies c. yet when they have done all they must leave a great space for the Terra incognita for the unknowne mercies of God The truth is those mercies of God that are obvious to our knowledge every day one would thinke they were enough to melt our hearts to breake them in pieces but besides these mercies we take notice of there are thousands and thousands of mercies that we know not of As we daily commit many sins that we know not of so daily we receive many mercies that we know not of likewise And as in our confession of sins we should pray to God first to pardon our sins we know and so to name them in particular and when we have done then Lord forgive us our unknown our secret sins So in our thanksgiving first blesse God for the mercies before us and when we have done Lord blessed be thy name for all thy unknown mercies that I have little taken notice of We soone grow cold and dead if we doe good and men take no notice of us neither what we know nor what we doe is any thing to us except others know it too but this is the vanity and pride of mens hearts it is Gods prerogative above his creatures to doe all for himselfe for his owne glory and yet he doth much good in the world that none knows of we are bound to deny our selves in that we doe not to seeke our own glory The most excellent peece in the most excellent of our workes is our selfe-denyal in it why should we not then doe all the good we can doe cheerefully though it be not known we should doe good out of love to goodnesse it selfe and if we would doe so we should be encouraged in doing good secretly Fifthly and which commeth yet more fully up to the words They did not know c. In Gods account men know no more then they lay to heart and make good use of The Schooles distinguish of want of knowledge there is Nescientia and Ignoratia Nescience is of such things as we are not bound to know it is not our sinne not to know them but Ignorance is of such things as we are bound to know and that ignorance is two-fold there is an invincible ignorance let us take what paines we can wee can never know all we are bound to know and there is an affected ignorance when we do not know because out of carelesnesse we doe not minde what is before us and when we have minded it so farre as to conceive it yet if we lay it not to heart as we ought still in Gods account we know it not if we digest not what we know into practise God accepteth it not As God is said not to know when hee doth not approve I know yee not saith he so when any man hath a truth in notion and it doth not get into the heart when it is not imbraced there God accounts that that man knowes it not Therefore you have in Scripture such an expression as the Seer is blinde It is a strange expression it seemes to be a contradiction such a thing as we call a Bull The Seer is blinde But it is not so here because God accounts those that have never so much knowledge yet if it doe not sanctifie the heart so as to give him the glory they are blinde blinde as a Beetle The knowledge of the Saints is another kinde of knowledge then other men have We have saith Cyprian no such notions as many of your Phylosophers have but we are Phylosophers in our deeds we doe not speake great things but we doe great things in our lives 1 Thes 4. 9. You have an excellent expression for this you are taught of God to love one another what followeth And indeed so you do That is an evidence that you are taught of God when it pâ—evay leth with your hearts when it may be â—aid indeed so you doe VVho is there in the world but knowes that wee should love one another but men are not taught of God to love one another untill it may be said of them that indeed so they doe There is nothing more obvious to the understanding of a man then the notion of a Deity that there is a God we may as it were grope after him as the holy Ghost speakes but yet 1 Iohn 2. 4. He that saith he knowes him and keepes not his commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him Any man who ever he be though the greatest Schollar in the world if he saith he knowes God and keepes not his commandements he hath the lie told him to his teeth hee doth not know God at all though this of God be the most obvious thing to be understood that possibly can be and yet Christ saith no man knoweth the Father but the Sonne and to whom the Sonne shall reveale him Hence it is when a soul is converted you shall heare these expressions I never knew before I never knew what an infinite Deity meant I never understood the infinite soveraignty and Majesty of the great God I never knew what sinne meant before yet if you had asked him afore he would say I know God is a Spirit that he is infinite and eternall I know that sinne is the transgression of the law I never knew that Christ was before yet before hee would have told you that Christ was the sonne of Mary and came into the world to dye for sinners I remember an expression of a Germane Divine when he was upon his sick bed In this disease saith he I have learned what sin is and how great the Majesty of God is This man though a Preacher and doubtlesse he could preach of sinne and of the Majesty of God yet hee professeth he knew not these things untill God came powerfully upon his heart to teach him what they were The Hebrews say words of sense carry with them the affections or else they be to no purpose when men have notionall knowledge onely that comes not down into the heart they are like men that have weak stomacks and weake heads when they drink wine all flyeth up to the head it makes them giddy but if the wine went to the heart it would cheare warme it so all this mans knowledg flyeth up to his head makes him giddy whereas if it were digested got to the heart
we were mourning before him There was amongst our brethren in other parts a kind of trumpet of Iubile blown the Lord was then working for us what great deliverance did God grant that very day at Chichester God shews that the mourning of his people doth make way for joy Yea further then indeed is the sound of the trumpet of Iubile sweetest when we are most afflicted for our sins When we are most apprehensive and sensible of the evill of sin then the joy of God the comforts of the Gospel are sweetest to the soul When the trumpet of Iubile is blown in congregations if it meets not with hearts afflicted sensible of sinne they are not delighted with the sweet sound of this trumpet it is not melody in their ears it rejoy ceth not their hearts But let a poore soul be brought down and made sensible of the evill of sinne and Gods wrath then let but one promise of the Gospel be sounded forth how sweet how joyfull is it Again pardon of sin is the only foundation of all Jubiles For this tenth day of the seventh month wherein the trumpet of Jubile was to be sounded was a day of Atonement What is that A day of covering for so the word is of pardon of sin to the people of God Many men keep a continuall Jubile live merrily and bravely doe nothing but eate and drink and play and dance and laugh and cannot endure these fadde melancholy people What is the foundation of this thy Jubile Art thou sure there is an Atonement made between God and thy soule Art thou sure thy sin is pardoned Is this the foundation of thy rejoycing Know it will not last it is not Gods but the Devils Jubile except there be an atonement made between God and thee as the foundation of it Yet further in that the sound of the Jubile was at that time when the day of Atonement was Note this When God hath pardoned us then our hearts are in a fit frame to pardon others Now comes the Jubile and now you must release your lands your debts and forgive those that owe you any thing This is the day wherein God testifieth his mercy in pardoning your sinnes and they might well say Now Lord command us what thou wilt in shewing mercy to our brethren we are ready to pardon to release them to extend the bowels of our compassion towards them for thou hast pardoned our sins The reason of the rigidnesse of the cruelty the hardness of the hearts of men and straitnesse of their spirits to their brethren is this because God hath not witnessed to their souls the pardon of their own sinns an atonement between God and them Their solemn feasts Among their feasts they had three that were especially very solemn feasts more then others And they were The Feast of The Passeover Pentecost Tabernacles These three were very solemn especially in this one regard wherein they are all three united in one thing that is upon these three Feasts all the Males were to ascend up to Jerusalem to worship to the place which God did choose and so you have it Deut. 16. 16. Three times in a yeere shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shal choose in the feast of unleavened bread that was the Passeover and in the feast weeks that was Pentecost and in the feast of Tabernacles But how could the ten Tribes then keep these Feasts for they went not to the Temple You may as well say how had they an Ephod of which Chap. 3. Jeroboam was wise enough to keep the feasts though not in that way God appointed he could tell them the going to the Temple was but circumstance of place From this connection of these three together in this solemnity upon which these three were especially called their solemn feasts there are divers things to be noted First we may see a reason why there were sometimes so many beleevers at Ierusalem An argument is brought by some from that place Acts 21. 20. to prove that there may be in one Church more then can possibly assemble together in one Congregation for the Text saith there Thou seest how many thousands of Iews there are which beleeve how many millions it is in the Originall now say they there could not be so many millions to joyn in one Congregation The answer to this is cleare that the time of which this place speaketh was when the people of the Jews were all assembled together at Jerusalem to keep the feast of Pentecost for Chap. 20. vers 16. the Text saith that the Apostle hastned if it were possible for him to be at Ierusalem the day of Pentecost now reading the story on it plainely appears that in that journey in which he did so hasten he did get to Ierusalem at the day of Pentecost and being there at that time no marvail that they said Dost thou not see how many thousands of Iews there are that beleeve For all the males of the people of the Iewes were got together at Ierusalem according to the institution so that they were there by reason of that Law that as yet they submitted to they were not in a Church state at Ierusalem therefore there is no strength in that objection against congregationall Churches Secondly where there is a nationall Church there must be an uniting of them in some way of Nationall worship There is this Nationall worship that the Iews by institution from God were united in three times in a yeare to go up to the Temple to worship And except there shonld be some such kind of individuall worship not in the same species that is as others are praying so are we and as others are hearing so are we for so all the Churches in the world may be joyned but to joyne in one act of worship together as that was of going up to the Temple there must be such a thing And that made the Iews a Nationall Church because we have no such institution now no Nation in the world can in a proper sense be said to be a Nationall Church as theirs was in some figurative sense we may so call it but not in that proper sense as it was among the Iews Thirdly there are some Ordinances that cannot be enjoyed but in the way of Church-fellowship The Iews could not enjoy these feasts as they ought indeed it may be Israel the ten Tribes would make a kind of patched up feast but they could not feast so as they ought unlesse they went to Ierusalem in that way God appointed As among the Iews there were some Ordinances they might enjoy in their Synagogues and private houses but some which they could not enjoy but in the Temple so there are some Ordinances we may enjoy in our families but others wee cannot enjoy but in Church-communion which Ierusalem is a type of A fourth thing observable is these three times wherein they were to go up to Ierusalem
of God and hence are put to it so much to make a connection betweene that that went before and this therefore but wee need not go so farre the right knowledg of the fulnesse and the riches of the grace of the Covenant will help us out of this difficulty and tell us how these two the greatnesse of mans sin and the riches of Gods grace may have a connection one to another and that by an Illative therefore I confesse the Hebrew word is sometimes conjunctio ordinis rather then causalis a conjunction that only sets out the order of a thing one thing following another rather then any way implying any cause but the reading here by way of inference I take to be according unto the scope of the Spirit of God and it gives us this excellent note Such is the grace of God unto those who are in Covenant with him as to take occasion from the greatnesse of their sinns to shew the greatnesse of his mercy from the vilenesse of their sins to declare the riches of his grace And the Scripture hath divers such kind of expressions as these as Gen. 8. 21. The Lord said in his heart I will not again curse the ground any more for mans sake VVhy For the immagination of mans heart is evill from his youth A strange reasoning I will not curse the ground for mans sake for the imagination of mans heart is evill from his youth One would have thought it should have been rather I will therefore curse the ground for mans sake because the imagination of mans heart is evill from his youth but the grace of God knowes how to make another manner of inference then we could have imagined So likewise Isa 57. 17 18. For the iniquity of his covetousnesse was I wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart I have seen his wayes saith God Now one would have thought that the next word should have been I will therefore plague him I wil destroy him I will curse him but mark the words that follow I will heale him I will 〈◊〉 him also and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners I will create the fruit of the lips peace to him This is a consequence at least if not an inference David understood this reasoning to be indeed the true reasoning of the Covenant of grace and therefore he pleadeth thus with God Psal 25. 11. Pardon my iniquity for it is great Lord my iniquity is great therefore pardon it Hearken you Saints hearken I say this is the great blessing of God unto you who are in Covenant with him whereas otherwise your sins should have made you objects of Gods hatred your sins now render you objects of his pitty and compassion this is the glorious fruit of the covenant of grace I would only the Saints heard me in this thing but why doe I say so I will recall my word let all sinners heare me let the vilest the worst sinners in the world heare of the riches of the grace of God in this his Covenant that if they belong to Gods election they may see the fulnesse the glory of Gods grace to be inamoured with it their hearts ravished with it that they may never be at rest till they get evidence to their soules that God indeed hath actually received them into this his Covenant If then God be pleased in the riches of free grace to make such an inference therefore let us take heed that wee make not a quite crosse inference from the greatnesse of our sins nor on the other side from Gods grace As thus You have followed your lovers you have forgot me therefore will I allure you An unbelieving heart would make this inference I have followed my lovers I have followed after vanity and folly and therefore God hath rejected mee therefore God will have no mercy upon me therefore I am undone therefore the gates of mercy are shut against me unbelieving heart do not sin against the grace of God he saith you have forgotten me therefore will I allure and speake comfortably to you doe not you say I have forgot the Lord and therefore the Lord will for ever reject me these discouraging determining despairing therefores are very grievous to the Spirit of God God would have us have all good thoughts of him It is a maine thing that God intendeth through the whole Scripture that his people should have good thoughts of him and that they should not think him a hard master It is an excellent expression of Luther saith he the whole Scripure doth principally aime at this thing that we should not doubt but that wee should hope that we should trust that we should believe that God is a merciful a bountifull a gracious and a patient God to his people It is an excellent expression that I have read of Master Bradford in one of his Epistles saith he O Lord sometimes me thinks I feel it so with me as if there were no difference between my heart and the wicked a blind mind as they a stout stubborn rebellions spirit a hard heart as they and so he goes on shall I therefore conclude thou art my Father nay I will rather reason otherwise saith he because I do believe thou art my Father I will come unto thee that thou mightest enlighten this blind minde of mine that thou mightest soften this hard heart of mine that thou mightest sanctifie this unclean spirit of mine I this is a good reasoning indeed and is worthy of one that professes the gospel of Jesus Christ Again as the inference of this unbelieving heart is grievous to Gods spirit so the inference of a prophane heart an unbelieving heart makes his therefore from the greatnesse of sin against Gods mercy and the prophane heart makes his therefore from the greatnesse of Gods mercy to the hardening of his heart in his sins what shall God make his therefore from our sin to his mercy and shall we make our therefore from his mercy back again to our sins where sin abounds grace abounds but where grace abounds sin must not abound because God is mercifull to us who are very sinfull let not us be very sinfull against him who is so mercifull God takes occasion from the greatnesse of our sins to shew the greatnesse of his mercy let not us take occasion from the greatnesse of his mercy to be emboldened in greatnesse of our sins Therefore behold Behold Here is a wonder to take up the thoughts of men and Angels to all eternity even that that we have in this inference behold notwithstanding all this yet you men and Angels behold the fulnesse the riches of Gods grace I will allure her what will not God cast us away notwithstanding the greatnesse of our sins let not us reject Gods ways notwithstanding the greatnesse of any sufferings we meet with in them there is a great deale of reason in
condition that God hath brought us to to have these liberties and ordinances according to his own way but within a while we may say as the Apostle to the Galatians Where is the blessednesse you spake of They would have pulled out their eyes for Paul What is become of all now All their beauty glory is quite damped let us take heed that when our hearts seem to be raised and mightily affected with mercies we do not soon loose our vigour heat It hath been so with England when they have had fresh mercies at first they rejoyced in them exceedingly I have read of the City of Berne when they were first delivered from Antichrist they wrote the day of their deliverance upon pillars with letters of gold Was it not so with us here in England I will only instance in that deliverance upon the fifth of November how mightily was both King and Parliament affected with it their hearts were exceedingly up then there was blessing God for their deliverance from Papists then there were prayers and thanksgivings set forth and in them this expression against Popery Whose faith is faction whose Religion is rebellion whose practice is murthering of soules and bodyes When the mercy was fresh how did their spirits worke then they profest against all kinde of Popery Reade but the Proclamation about the solemnity of that time and the expressions of the prayers then set forth and one would have thought verily then that Popery should never have prevailed in England again who would ever have thought it possible that a Popish Army should ever have had any countenance in England more Certainly if a Popish Army had been raised at that time when mens hearts were so up all the people of the land if it had been but with clubs would have risen and beaten them to pieces It is so with many young people when God first beginneth to worke upon their hearts O how are they for God! then their spirts are mightily up for Christ Psal 90. 14. O satisfie us early with thy mercies and then we shall be glad and rejoyce all the dayes of our lives It is a sweet thing when the latter part of that prayer followeth when God satisfieth young people with his mercy and that satisfaction abideth so as they rejoyce all the dayes of their lives afterward The Lord doth many times satisfie young ones with his mercy but they quickly grow dead and cold and their hearts are soone hardned and polluted and they doe not rejoyce all the dayes of their lives Another Observation that restored and recovered mercies are very sweet and precious mercies They shall sing as in the dayes of their youth They were once in a blessed sweet singing condition they had lost it but now God promiseth to recover them Iob 29. 2. O that I were as in months past as in the dayes when God preserved me when his candle shined upon my head and when by his light I warlked thorough darknesse as I was in the dayes of my youth when the secret of God was upon my Tabernacle Iob desireth this earnestly that he might have restored recovered mercies What a happy condition should I be in then saith he if it were now with me as in the dayes of my youth May not many in this place say so God hath been gracious to them in former dayes he hath given many sweet manifestations of his love many soule-ravishing communications of himself unto them but how have they lost them They may well say O that it were with us as in the dayes of our youth Oh that God would restore to us what mercy we once had what a blessed condition should we be in then But God here giveth a gracious promise that he will restore them that he will give them that which is the petition of David Psa 51. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation Lord I have lost it O that I might have it againe How happy should I be So Ps 132. 1. By the Rivers of Babylon there we sat down yea we wept there when we remembred Zion we hanged our harps upon the willowes They were in this sad condition but if one should have come to them and have said what will you say if you shall be restored againe and goe to Zion to Jerusalem againe and have songs there as much and as delightfull as before their hearts could not have held in them This mercy would be like that wine mentioned Cant. 7. 9. that is so sweet that it causeth the lips of those that are asleepe to speake If there be any life left such a mercy will raise and actuate it Psal 126. 1. 2. When the Lord turned againe the captivity of Zion our mouthes were filled with laughter and our tongues with singing when God granted them a recovered mercy As a poore prodigal that hath left his fathers house and afterward is come to beggery and misery and is under bondage is almost starved he sitteth down under a hedg wringing his hands falleth a lamenting the losse of his Fathers house and considering what comfort he had in his Fathers presence cryeth out of his folly and madnesse but if one should come and say to him what will you say if your Father should be reconciled to you and send for you home and promise to put you in as comfortable a condition as ever O how would this cause singing in his heart Thus God promiseth to his people that he would restore them to that singing condition they had lost They shall sing as in the dayes of their youth That which made this mercy so sweet was because it was a promised mercy Hence this Note Promised mercies are sweet mercies Luke 16. 61. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised up a home of salvation to us in the house of his servant David as he spake by the mouth of all his Prophets And ver 77. To performe the mercy promised there is the cause of singing Blessed be the Lord God of Israel that hath performed the mercy promised Giving out of a promise is sweet to a gracious heart it can sing then much more sweet is the promise when it cometh to be fulfilled 2 Chron. 20. 17. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord there is the promise Mark now how Jehosaphat and the people were affected with the promise And Jehosaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground and all Iudah and the Inhabitants of Ierusalem fell before the Lord worshipped the Lord. And the Levites and the child en of the Koathites the children of the Korhites shall stand up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voyce on high And ver 21. He appointed singers unto the Lord that should praise the beauty of holinesse and to say Praise the Lord for his mercy endureth for ever Jehosâ—phat had not got the promise fulfilled it was only
made they had not got the victory over their enemies but onely a promise that God would be with them presently Jehosaphat all the people fell a singing A gracious heart seeth cause enough to sing if he have got but a promise but much more when he hath got the performance If the promise of a mercy hath such sweetnesse in it what sweetnesse then hath the mercy of the promise But the promise was not only barely fulfilled but fulfilled with a high hand and that made them sing This may be another Observation When God appeareth remarkably with a high hand in delivering his people then the mercy is to be accounted a precious mercy indeed and all the people of the Lord should sing and praise him Esay 43. 19. 20. mark there when God had told of an extraordinary hand of his in a way of mercy saith he I will plant them in the wildernesse and so goeth on Then saith he shal this be that they may see and know understand consider that the hand of the Lord hath done this and the Holy One of Israel hath created it When Gods imediate hand doth a thing when it helps a people in an extraordinary way he expects that they should see and know and consider and understand together All these expressions are heaped one upon another And if any people be called to this we are at this day God hath appeared extraordinarily to us Oh that we had eyes to see Oh that we had hearts to consider and understand that we might give God the glory that is due to him The Fifteenth Lecture HOSEA 2. 15. 16. And she shall sing there as in the dayes of her youth and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt And it shall be at that day saith the Lord that thou shalt call me Ishi and shalt call me no more Baali SOme few Observations are to be added to the 15. verse Mercies that have been much sought for that have had many cryes sent up to God to obtaine when once they are granted should cause singing forth the praises of God The people of Israel cryed much before God granted them deliverance from Egypt Exodus 3. 7. I have heard their cryes saith God And God sayes here They shall sing as they did when they came out of Egypt Psal 22. 26. They shall praise the Lord that seek him The more we seek God for any mercy the more we shall praise God when we have obtained that mercy Psal 28. 6. 7. Blessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voyce of my supplication my heart trusted in him and I am helped What followeth Therefore my heart greatly rejoyceth and with my song will I praise him Because God had heard the voyce of his supplication therefore with his song he would praise him Those mercies that we get by crying unto God those are singing mercies indeed Such mercies as come to us only through a generall providence without seeking to God they are not such sweet mercies as Hannah said to Eli concerning her son whom she had got by prayer and therefore named him Samuel Sought of God As thy soul liveth this is the son this is the child that I was here praying for and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him This she spake triumphing in Gods goodnesse Mercies got by prayer may be triumphed in When you want a mercy pray much for it the more you pray for it the more you will sing when you have it and the lesse prayer went before the lesse singing will follow after Further Mercies that make way for the enjoyment of Ordinances are very sweet mercies singing mercies They shall sing as they did when they came up out of the land of Egypt Why did they sing when they came up out of the land of Egypt Because that mercy that deliverance from Egypt made way to that rich mercy of the injoyment of Gods worship in his Ordinances How doth that appear Thus Exod. 15. where they sung when they came out of Egypt ver 2. I will build him an habitation saith Moses together with the people they rejoyced in that that now they were going on in the way to build God an habitation but more ver 13. Thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation as if Moses and the Israeliâ—es should say this indeed is a great deliverance that we are delivered out of bondage but what is this but in order to a higher mercy that we looke at yet further that is guiding of thy people in thy strength to thy habitation we looke upon this present mercy of our deliverance for which we doe now sing and give thee praise but in order to the guiding of thy people to thy habitation and that in thy strength as if Moses should say Lord there will be a great many difficulties between this and our comming to enjoy thy habitation but thou wilt guide us in thy strength thy strength shall carry thy people along till it bring them to thy habitation this was that which made them sing so chearfully as they did And again v. 17. Thou shalt bring them in and plant them in the mountaine of thine inheritance in the place O Lord which thou hast made for thee to dwell in in the sanctuary O Lord which thy hands have established This was that that made them so sing So David Psa 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that I will seeke after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord to enquire in his Temple That is a choice mercy therefore all mercies that make way for that mercy are indeed sweet mercies So we should looke upon all our deliverances from outward troubles and whatsoever peace God giveth us to enjoy as sweet and comfortable in order to this mercy of enjoying Gods mountaine of living in Godâ— habitation that we may dwell there all the dayes of our life A third Observation is New mercies should renew the memory of old They shall sing as in the day when they came up out of the land of Egypt that is I will grant to them yet further mercies and that mercy that I shall grant shall renew the memory of all the former mercies they have enjoyed from me As new guilt renews the memory of former guilt so new mercies the memory of former Hath God delivered you from any danger now were you never delivered before if but when you were a childe those deliverances you now have should bring into your memory what then were So in a nation doth God grant to a nation any new mercy this new mercy should bring into the memory of that nation all the former mercies that ever that nation hath received Psal 68. 26. Blesse ye God in the congregatations even the Lord from the fountaine of Israel Not only
Gods mercy by their own they think thus if any had offended us so as we have offended God though we might say wee would be reconciled to him yet wee could not bring our hearts fully to come off to it something would remain in our hearts they therefore think so of God they suspect God that he doth not mean really in his expressions of love and mercy to them But take heed of this doe not judge of God by your selves though you have a base and cruell heart and cannot be reconciled to those that provoke you it is not therefore so with God There are these two evils in sin first in the nature of it there is a departing from God secondly it causeth jealousies and suspitions of God and so hinders the soul from coming unto God again Secondly God is very carefull to prevent all these suspitions in the hearts of his people God desires that you should have good thoughts of him and this is that we plead with you for and do often open the riches of Gods grace to this end that you may have good thoughts of God and to take off your jealousies and suspitions of him as if there were no reall intention in all the proffers of mercy he makes to you doe not thinke that all those riches of Gods grace are meer words they are certaine intentions of Gods heart towards you I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness And for your parts I will give you a heart you shall return to mee bona fide you shal do it in the plainnesse of your hearts There was a time indeed as Psal 78. 34 35 36. God complained of his people that they sought him and returned unto him neverthelesse they did flatter with their mouth and lyed unto him with their tongues there was no reality in their returning unto him they made great promises that whatsoever God should say unto them they would do it but there was no reality in it yea but saith God there shall come a time that you shall have righteous hearts and that which you promise to me you shall promise really there shall not be that falsenesse in your hearts those shews and overtures that were heretofore but you shall return to me with all your hearts in righteousness God hath made adoe at first with us to make us believe that he is in good earnest with us in his proffers oâ— mercy and much adoe there is before our hearts can be gotten to work towards God in good earnest Further note this is one reason why God doth betroth for ever because he doth it in the plainnesse of his heart and this is also a good reason why the Saints continue for ever because what they do to God is in the plainness of their hearts Those who return to God in an hypocriticall way will fall off but they that return in uprightenesse will hold constant with him Prov. 8. 18. it is said of Wisdome that with her are durable riches and righteousnesse they are put together where there is true righteousnesse in the heart there is durable riches But yet there is another thing in this betrothing in righteousnesse and that I thinke hath more in it then the former God will be so reconciled to his Church as yet he will manifest himself to be a righteous God In the works of the riches of his grace he will manifest the glory of his justice too I will doe it in righteousnesse though indeed the Lord intendeth to glorifie rich grace yet so as he will declare his righteousnesse to men and Angels that in this very work of his he shall be acknowledged by them unto all eternity to bee a righteous God GOD will make such a way for this his love and goodnesse as that hee will have satisfaction to his justice in it That place Rom. 3. 25 26. is remarkable for our purpose Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood How To declare his righteousness for the remission of sinnes Marke it it is not that he had set forth Christ to be a propitiation to declare his mercy in the forgivenesse of sins you will say What is there in the forgivenesse of sins but only the mercy of God Yes there is somewhat else there is righteousnesse too and the Lord doth declare his righteousnesse in the forgivenesse of sins and therefore it is that he hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation that hee might declare his righteousnesse If the Lord should have said but thus Well you are great and grievous sinners I will be content freely to forgive you all your sins this would have declared Gods mercy but not his righteousnesse but now when the Lord hath set forth Christ as a propitiation and forgiveth sins through the blood of his Son in this God declareth as much righteousnesse as grace This text Luther had a great deale of do to understand and he prayed much before he could get the right meaning of it yea it is repeated again To declare I say his righteousnesse that he might be just the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus not that he might be mercifull in justifying him that believeth in Jesus but that he might be just in justifying him that believeth in Jesus And this is the great mystery of the Gospel this is that which the Angels pry into the Saints and Angels shal admire blesse God to all eternity for the reconciling riches of mercy and infinite justice both in one This was that which set the infinite wisdome of God on worke from all eternity how to find a way to save sinners and to be infinitely righteous notwithstanding If all the Angels in heaven and all the men in the world had been put to it to find out a way to answer this question How shall sin be pardoned the sinner reconciled unto God and God glorifie his justice they could never have done it but God in his infinite wisdome hath found out a way to doe it This cost God dear it cost him the heart blood of his own Son and that was a sign that Gods heart was much in it and indeed we are not Christians untill in some measure we see and have our hearts taken with the glory of God in this mystery We must looke at righteousnesse in our reconciliation as well as to loving kindnesse and mercy When God is reconciled unto a sinner there is not only his mercy glorified but in that way that God hath found out to save a sinner hee hath the glory of his justice as much yea more then if the sinner were eternally damned in hell How is that you will say I make that good three ways First when God appointed a surety his Son and charged his debt upon him to satisfie his justice in that God would not spare this Sonne of his the least farthing token I mean not the least degree of punishment he would not remit any thing to
of God VVould you be so Learne then to exercise faith much about the infinite riches of the mercy of God in Christ this will fill you with all the fulness of God you complain of barrennes and emptines in your hearts and lives it is because you exercise so little Faith in these mercies of God in Christ God betrotheth his Church unto himselfe in mercies in bowels Let us learne to pleade these mercies before the Lord to pleade them when we are in any strait to pleade with God for bowels Esay 63. 15. Looke downe from heaven and behold from the habitation of thy holi esse and thy glory where is thy zeale and thy strength the sounding of the bowels and of thy mercies towards us are they restrained Lord hast thou not said that thou wilt betroth thy Church unto thy self in bowels Where is the sounding of thy bowels Lord let us have these bowels of thine in which thou hast betrothed us through Christ Oh what confusion will there be one day unto those that shall misse of all these mercies of God in which the Lord hath betrothed himselfe unto his Church VVhat will you content your selves now with crums that God casteth to dogs with the fruits of Gods generall bounty and patience when you heare of such glorious mercies as are in Jesus Christ These things should so raise our hearts that wee should protest as Luther did I protest saith hee God shall not put mee off with these things of the world with my portion here Oh no the Lord hath shewed me greater riches though I be unworthy of any yet I know his mercy is free why then should not I have my portion in these glorious things Come in then come in oh sinfull soule be in love with Jesus Christ the ways of godlinesse know that all these mercies are tendred unto thy soule this day to break thy heart even that hard heart of thine and they are as free for thee as for any There is nothing more pleasing unto God then for thee to be taken with the glory of the riches of his mercy Thou canst perform no duty so acceptable unto God as this to have thy heart break upon the codsideration of his bowels to have thy bowels yern again and to come in and close with this infinite rich and glorious grace of his Which if thou dost know that the first moment thou art united to Christ thou dost lanch into the infinite Ocean of mercy now thou breathest in the element of mercy now thou livest upon nothing but mercy Is it so Then know God expects a mercifull disposition from thee too God betrotheth thee in righteousnesse and putteth righteousnesse into thee in judgment and gives thee judgment too in loving kindnesse and makes thee loving and kind likewise in mercies and putteth mercies into thee bowels into thee also First toward himself Why can we be mercifull unto God what good can wee doe to God God expects you should have bowels toward him How Thus Dost thou see the name of this blessed God thy husband to be dishonoured in the world Oh thy bowels should yern thou shouldst have bowels working now What doth God look upon thee in thy blood in thy misery and doth his bowels yern toward thee Canst thou look upon God in his dishonour and his cause trampled under foot and do not thy bowels yern toward him It should pitie thy soule to see this blessed God to be so much dishonoured in the world as he is to see that there are so few in the world that love and feare this God who is thy God and hath done thee so much good VVhat is there any good cause up wherein the name of God should be honoured Thy bowels should work presently toward it Cant. 5. 4. My beloved put his hand by the hole of the doore and my bowels were moved for him VVhen Christ did but begin to open a door put but in his hand when there was any good but beginning to be done Oh my bowels were moved saith the Church and I could never be at quiet untill I had enquired after yea and found my beloved Is there any beginning to let in Christ into the Kingdome in his government amongst us Dowe feele him putting in his hand at the door certainly if we be skilled in the way of Christ we may seele him putting his hand in at the door Oh that our bowels would yern and cause our hearts to flow to the boâ—ntisulnesse of the Lord and joyn with Christ in that blessed work of his that he is about Our bowels must also be toward the Saints It is extreamely against the spirit of Christ for a Christian to be hard-hearted toward his brethren Christ expects bowels And as you would account it â—grievous misery to have your bowels rotten to have diseases in your bowels know it is as great an evill to have your hearts unmercifull that is to have a disease in your bowels so the Scripture phrase is Amos 1. 11. He cast off all pitie his anger did tear perpetually so it is in your bookes but the words in the Originall are And corrupted his bowels their bowels were corrupted when they were not pittiful toward their brethren in misery It was a grievous condition that Iehoram was in 2 Chron. 21. 15. when his bowels came forth by reason of his disease An unmercifull heart is a worse disease then this What are wee and who are we that Gods mercies should be shewen towards us why not our mercies toward our brethren then The Scripture calleth exceedingly for mercy in the Saints toward one another Col. 3. 17. Put on as the Elect of God bowels of mercy and kindness VVould you have an argument unto your selves that you are Gods Elect put on bowels then Never was there time since you lived or your forefathers lived wherein God called for bowels more then now Do you hear of the miseries of your brethren their goods spoiled houses burnt wives children ravished themselves imprisoned their bodies wounded and yet no bowels all this while what you hard-hearted in the meane time Are you the elect of God why I pray you what is your flesh more then the flesh of others what are your comforts more then the comforts of others why should you lie soft and safe more then others Is there any such difference betwixt you and your brethren that they should be in misery and you must be pampered and scarce feele the very wind to blow on you and yet in the meane time your hearts hardned towards them It is true God it is that hath made the difference you will say and God may make a difference where he pleaseth I grant it and it would not grieve God to make such a difference betweene you and them if he saw your bowels yern towards them But if God layes such afflictions upon your brethren who are better then you and have done more for him then
Gods care saith Bernard which is beyond providence such as is out of faithfulnes as well as out of love Christ here condescends to his Spouse as a man is willing to give satisfaction to his wife her friends though the truth is he would doe any thing in the world out of love to his wife yet in regard of her weaknesse and to satisfie some friends he is content to enter into bond to do any thing that is fitting it is good to make all things sure before-hand say her friends he presently yeilds for it is no other but what he is willing to doe without bonds onely to satisfie her and their minds Thus it is between Christ and his Spouse The truth is the love of Christ is enough to make a supply of any of our wants but wee are weake and would faine have things made sure therefore saith Christ to helpe our weakeness I will even enter into bond and you may be sure I will be faithfull then I will binde my faithfulnes to you for all the good you would have And this faithfulnesse of Christ is either in regard of the great Marriage-Covenant there hee will be sure to be faithfull to his Spouse Or in regard of all particular promises that are under things as it were There is the great marriage-covenant about reconciling God and paying all debts that are owing and satisfying Gods justice and bringing to eternall life but there are many under-promises and Christ will be faithfull in them all Ps 25. 10. you have a promise worth a kingdome All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth not onely mercy but mercy and truth mercy ingaged VVicked men may have mercy from God from the generall bounty and goodnesse and mercifull disposition of God but what the Saints have is from â—ruth as well as from mercy it is bound to them God stands much upon this that the hearts of his Saints should confide in him He accounts not himselfe honoured except we confide in him therefore marke how Christ suiteth himselfe unto our weaknesse that wee may confide in his faithfulnesse What is it saith he that you poore creatures do one to another when you would make things sure betweene you Wee answer thus Lord we ingage our selves by promise one to another I will do so saith Christ you shall have my promise my faithfull promise Acts 2. 39. Peter invites to Baptisme upon this ground because the promise is made to you and to your children and to as many as the Lord our God shal call The first he speakes to the Jews the other to the Gentiles As if he should say Come in and receive Baptisme for to you and to your children the promise is made to you that are Jews and to your children and to the Gentiles they have the promise that you have they come under the same Covenant for the maine the promise is to them and to their children too And this promise that Christ hatâ—ing aged himself in is no other then a draught of that which was before the world began from all eternity and therefore it is so much the more sure Tit. 1. 2. the Gospell is called a promise before the world began All promises in the Scripture are but a draught of that grand promise that God the Father made to his Son before the world began As if Christ should say Will you have engagement by promise This is past long agoe my Father hath engaged himself to me from all eternity if you have any promise it is but a draught of that first copie of that great promise my Father hath made me from all eternity VVhat doe you doe more when you would make things sure one to another VVe answer we doe not onely make a verball promise by word of mouth but we write it God hath therefore given us his Scripture and the chiefe thing in Scripture is the promise God hath set to his hand to his promise in Scripture Hence Luther hath a notable expression The whole Scripture doth especially aim at this that we should not doubt but believe confide hope that God is mercifull kind patient VVhat do you more Here you have my promise and my hand is there any thing else you use to do to make things sure VVe answer Lord wee take witnesses I will do so too saith God VVhen we would make things sure indeed we take not only two but three or four but half a dozen witnesses sometimes You shall have witnesses saith God as many as you will witnesses of all sorts witnesses in heaven witnesses in earth In heaven I Iohn 5. 7. The Father the Word and the holy Ghost witnesses authenticall of credit enough the three Persons in the Trinity upon earth the spirit the water and the blood What do you more to make a thing sure Lord we set to our seales too you shall have that too saith God you shall have seals of all sorts you shall have the broad seale of Heaven the Sacraments the seals of the Covenant and you shall have my privie seale I will take my Ring off my finger I will give you even the seale of the spirit and do but shew this seale it is authenticall enough Is there any thing more Yes we answer there is one thing more we take an oath I will do that too saith God that you may be sure and confide in my faithfulnesse Heb. 6. 17. God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his councell consirmed it by his oath As if he should say there is no such need of an oath but I will be abundant to you because I would have you trust mee And mark this is for the sake of the heirs of promise God would never have done this for other men it is for your sakes onely who are the heirs of promise in regard of your weaknesse he conrfims all with an oath And if wee would have things sure wee will not have the oath of such as are of no great credit Mark therefore it is that God sweareth and that by the greatest oath ver 13. Because he could sweare by no greater saith the text he sware by himselfe Is there any thing more saith God that you use to do among your selves to make things sure Yes Lord we use to take a pawn too You shall have that too saith he I will give you a pawn and such a pawn as if you never had any thing more you would be happie what is that 2 Cor. 1. 22. Who hath sealed us and given us the earnest of his spirit in our hearts I will send my spirit to be an earnest of all the good that I intend to do for you everlastingly Is there any thing else you would require of me that you may confide in me Yes if God would doe some great notable work as a beginning as an ingagement of that which is to come after this is yet more then a
with his mercy and think Oh we are in covenant with God and God hath pardoned our sins what need we care take heed of growing want on thou maist suffer fearfull things in this world Though God may save your souls yet you may be brought into as wofull a condition in your ovvn apprehensions as ever any creature was upon the earth And for England though it is true we have as many arguments of the love of God to 〈◊〉 as ever any nation had but yet who knows what this generation may suffer that hath so sullied it self with superstitious vanities We may be brought into vvefullslavery and then God may raise up unto himself another generation upon whom he will be stow the mercy intended Fourthly Those who will take their fill of delight to the flesh in a sensual use of the creature it is just with God they should be cut short be made to live meanly and basely to be made to feed with course fare with barley The Jews had their delicates before they fared deliciously now they must be sed worse then their servants and eare that which was meate for beasts How many hath God thus dealt withall who not long since had their tables furnished with the choysest sare with variety of dishes now perhaps are glad of a harley loafe for themselves and their children Again If God will not utterly destroy a people as he might but reserve mercy for them at last though they have never such a meane subsistence for the present yet they have cause to blesse God Though this here be a threatning yet there is a promise in it The people of Israel if they knew all had no cause to murmur at Gods dealing but to admire at his mercy though they had but a little barley to sustaine them And suppose God should bring us in England into a low condition so as we may be glad of a barley loafe we know famine commonly followes warre it was wont to be a phrase browne bread and the gospell is good fare and God may bring that upon us in another way then ever yet we or our fore-fathers were acquainted with but yet if the Lord do not cast us off utterly from being his people though he feed us with brown bread though we have never so mean a subsistance for the present we shall have cause to blesse his name Lastly It is the way of God to humble those he intendeth good unto to prepare them for mercy by cutting them short of these outward comforts If the Lord hath dealt so with any of you you have lived full-handed perhaps wives have brought good portions to their husbands and now they are broke and all is lost perhaps you had good friends in the Countrey many of them are plundered in their estates now you are faine to fare meanly and if you have bread for your children you think it well but consider this Is not God now humbling me and thereby preparing my heart for himself Oh blessed be God for this my condition this bread is sweeter to me then all the dishes I have had in my life VVhen you sit in your houses with your wives and children and have nothing but barley bread to feed upon have these thoughts I hope God doth this in love mercy he is making this my condition the best condition I was ever in the greatest blessing to me Verse 3. And I said unto her thou halt abide for me many dayes thou shalt not play the harlot and thou shalt not be for another man so will I also be for thee You shall not only be in such a low condition as a slave and worse then a maid servant and be sed with barley but you shall abide thus abide thus many dayes Thus they have abode these sixteene hundred yeares since Christs time besides their former captivity The Lord would have a full experience of Israel that their hearts were throroughly humbled before he would take them to mercy again There was never any people dealt more falsely with God in their humiliations then they had done before How often when they were in misery did they come with their seeming humiliation cryed for mercy and God â—â—â—wed them mercy and assoone as they were delivered they fell off againe and went after their Idols and then being in misery again they cryed to God and he delivered them and then presently to their Idols again Well saith God I will not deale so with you hereafter I will not trust you so as I have done you have beene in misery and I have delivered you when you cryed to me and then you have fallen to your sins againe but now you shall be humbled to purpose you shâ—l be â—ow many yeers in this low and meane condition and then your hearts â—â—ll be thâ—rowly broken so that when you shall returne to me againe you shall never fall from me God hath dealt so with many of you you have been in affliction God hath delivered you you have gone to your sinnes again you have been in affliction againe and he hath delivered you you have fell to your sins again and thus you have dallyed with the great God God may bring a fore long affliction upon you that you shall be so thorowly humbled that you shall never goe back againe to your sins as you have done This is the meaning abide many dayes When we would scoure purge a filthy garment thorowly we do not onely wash it but wee lay it a soaking a great while and a frosting many nights the Jews have lyne a soaking frostning many hundred yeeres this is the hardnesse of mans heart afflictions wil not work presently though many wedges be put into many blows struck upon knotty wood it stirs not some metals are long in melting yea though the fire be very hot Againe Here we see it is Gods ordinary way when he promiseth mercy to seeme to goe quite contrary to a people to seem as if he would quite destory them I will marry my self unto them in loving kindness and in mercies but yet I will let this people be above sixteen hundred yeers in this forlorne condition And so it hath been in all Gods administrations since the beginning of the world When God comes to humble sinners they must be content to be humbled Gods own time they must not out of a sudden furious humor say Lord how long I have been thus long in a sad condition I have prayed thus long Is your sadness affliction eternal Oh no a yeer or two perhaps but you have deserved eternity of misery Thou shalt abide for me many dayes thou shalt not play the harlot thou shalt not be for another man so will I also be for thee That is in all this time you must have a care of your self that you do not seek after other lovers let me have experience that you will now worship the
have no time nor no ability to recompence him but he must suffer and suffer for ever it would be a shame to you to owne him So God is pleased to speake here because I have prepared for them such a City though they be in present persecution I am not ashamed to own them for my people and I doe not account it any dishonour to me for there is a time coming that will answer all objections whatsoever This is the goodness of God They shall feare his goodnesse Feare it how In these severall regards First They shall admire at his goodnesse and in their admirations even stand amazed at it the feare of amazement 2 Thes 1. 10. When Christ shall come he shall come to be admired of his Saints Luke 5. 26. The text saith they were all amazed and glorified God and were filled with feare saying We have seene strange things to day VVhen this goodnesse of God shall come all the Saints shall stand admiring it with amazement say one unto another we did heretofore heare of Prophesies and promises and we thought when they were opened to us our hearts did burn within us O they were blessed things but now here is goodness we never thought of this is higher and more glorious then ever we imagined Thus they shall feare the Lord his goodness You have such a place Jer. 23. 9. It shal be to me a name of joy apraise and an honour before all the Nations of the earth When people shal heare of all the good that I do unto them they shal fear tremble for all the goodnes for all the prosperity that I procure unto it Secondly Feare this goodness they shall upon this fall down and worship this God with feare Oh how shall their hearts adore this God because of this his goodnesse As we reade of Moses Exod. 34. 8. God had told him that he would make all his goodnesse passe before him now when God came and passed by before him and proclaimed his goodness The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sinne The Text saith When Moses heard this he made haste and bowed his head and worshipped before the Lord. There is nothing will cause a gracious heart to make more haste to worship God then the beholding the glory and lustre of Gods grace and goodnesse then the heart will not stand dallying and triffling any longer but will make haste to worship before the Lord. Many times God shews his greatness unto you and that convinceth your consciences a little and you think you must leave your sinfull wayes then temptation prevailes over you againe but when God comes and makes known his goodnes then the heart stands out against the Lord no more but it gives up it selfe to the Lord in an everlasting covenant Thirdly They shall feare his goodness they shall feare to offend this goodness of God It shal be a mighty ingagement upon their hearts to walke close with God because of his goodness This is a sweet disposition indeed Then it is a sweet disposition when the heart hath been likewise humbled before God and his justice and now feares God and his goodness Mark a note in this by the way Whereas many will say O the goodnes of God will breake our hearts if Ministers did preach onely his goodnes◠but when they preach the Law when we heare of terrour that hardneth our hearts Take heed of this there is more evil in this then you are aware A heart that is truly gracious will fall down before the Lord any way and it is not a good signe to be wrought upon only by the goodness of God it may come through much stubbornness of heart for one to be of such a disposition to be onely wrought upon by kindness Did you never know a stour servant or a stout child that so long as you are dispeased with him he would stand out against you still but perhaps if you yeeld to him a little he would yeeld to you Is this a good disposition is not this stoutness and pride in a child or in a servant or in a neighbour that will never yeeld to you till you yeeld to him This is just for all the world the disposition of many people so long as they heare of Gods greatness and terrours of the Law and Gods justice they are hardned what is that that is they stand it out stoutly against God notwithstanding his wrath is revealed from heaven But say they when Gods goodnes is preached then they yeeld that is as much as to say except God yeeld to them they will not yeeld to God But when I can yeeld hoth ways fear his goodnes his justice then it is as a signe of a gracious disposion indeed They shal feare his goodness so as they shall be no longer wanton upon the goodnes of God they shal not slight Gods goodness they shal not do evil because God is good but they shall fear his goodness We have a generation of men who doe extreamely abuse the goodness of God at this day even Gods goodness in the Gospell in those blessed things revealed to us in JESUS CHRIST As thus VVe finde this revealed in the Gospel that it is God that must worke the will and the deed the Covenant of grace is such as that God doth not only require but work all for us how is this goodness mis-interpreted and abused Therefore say they what need we do any thing Why doe Ministers urge people to duties Your principle is good the truth is good that it is God that works all in the Covenant of grace but this distinction is very absurd and vile and an abuse of Gods goodnesse and therefore you must not work together with the Lord as rational creatures Again The Gospel reveales to us the righteousness of God in Christ that we must not stand before God in our own righteousnesse but it must be in the righteousness of Christ this principle is good O but what abuse of this goodness is there 〈◊〉 false doctrines and absurd consequences drawn from it therefore to make conscience of duties what is it but legall they are but duty whore-mongers such kinde of bold and absurd expressions come from them Oh wanton wanton spirits who do not feare God and his goodness but abuse God his goodness Agaiu The Scripture tells us in the Gospel that all sins unto believers are pardoned in Christ all sins both great and smal there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ no not one moment of an houre after they are once justified this is Gods goodnesse and thou shouldest feare it here is the principle right but the deductions consequences are vile therefore to preach that we must be humbled for sin this is legall preaching neither will these men ever confesse their sins because of this goodness
is the deep preaching when it is from the heart And so Augustine sayes of Hosea because that which he spake was so deep it wrought more strongly Hoseas Prophesie must needs be deep for God spake in him before he spake out to the people We say that which commeth from the heart will go to the heart Surely that which commeth from the voyce of God in the heart will goe beyond the ears to the hearts of people And blessed are the people that have such Ministers that shal speak nothing to them but what hath first been spoken by God in them Againe in this second verse he comes twice with the same expression The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea and againe The Lord said to Hosea and yet in the beginning of the first verse The word of the Lord came to Hosea Why all this three times All this upon good reason for Hosea was to come with a terrible message to the people and to reprehend them with much sharpnesse to tell them that they were the children of whoredomes and that they had departed from the Lord and he would have no more mercy upon them but would utterly take them away He had need therefore have an expresse command for what he did and to have much evidence of the Spirit that what he said was from God and not any thing of his owne spirit When a Minister of God shall come and reprehend a people severely for their sins and threaten Gods judgement let him then if ever look to it that he hath a good ground for what he saith that what he shall deliver may be nothing but the word of God in him the sheer word of God without any mixture of his owne It is an ordinary thing in Ministers in reprehending of sinne and denouncing of threatnings to mingle much of their own spirit and wrath But if at any time Ministers should take heed of mixing their own wrath then especially when they are to denounce Gods wrath then they should bring nothing but the word of the Lord for it being a hard message the spirits of men will rise up against it if they once see the spirit of the Minister in it they will be ready to say as the devill in the possessed man Iesus I know Paul I know but who are you So they the word of the Lord I know but what are you here is your own passion your own humour c. O let not any think to oppose sin with sin the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God You that are Ministers would you have a sentence I wil give you one and I have done When you are called to reveale Gods wrath conceals your owne The Second Lecture Hosea 1. the middle of the second verse and so on Go take unto thee a wife of whoredomes and children of whoredomes for the land hath committed great whoredome departing from the Lord. 3. So he went and tooke Gomer the daughter of Diblaim which conceived and bare him a son 4. And the Lord said unto him Call his name Iezreel for yet a little while and I will avenge the blood of Iezreel upon the house of Iehu will cease the Kingdome of the house of Israel 5. And it shall come to passe in that day that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Iesreel THE Preface to the work and to the whole prophesie you heard the last time The scope of the prophesie is the very same that the scope of this Chapter is to declare first The evill condition that Israel the ten Tribes were in in regard of their sins and punishment that was to be executed for their sins Secondly Gracious promises of mercy to a remnant to Iudah in the 7. ver and to Judah Israel both from the 10. ver to the end of the Chapter First God beginneth with conviction to shew them their sin and the dreadfulnesse of it Conviction should goe before correction You must not presently fly in the faces of those that are under you when they crosse you first instruct them and then correct them do as God did here God would first convince them of the greatnesse of their sinnes not by verball but by reall expressions Those things that come but to the eare they doe more slowly stirre and work upon the heart but things that are presented before the eye are more operative and therefore Hosea must not tell them onely that they had committed whoredome but must tell them in this way he must goe and take a wife of whoredomes and beget children of whoredomes In the very threshold in the entrance of the prophesie you see we meete with a difficulty a great difficulty First a command from God from the holy God unto a Prophet a holy Prophet to goe and take a wife of whoredomes not an ordinary whore but a most prostitute whore for so the word signifieth of whoredomes as in the Scripture phrase a man of bloods is a man that hath shed much blood and a man of sorrowes is a man that hath been exercised with many sorrows and so a wife of whoredomes is one that hath committed notorious whoredomes vile whoredomes Yet such a wife must the Prophet take to himselfe and his children must be children of whoredomes too How can this be S. Austin who had been a Manichee having to deale much with Macichees met with this object on from one Faustas a Manichee against the Old Testament for they denyed it saith Faustas that Old Testament of yours Moses and the Prophets is that of God doe you not finde there a command to take a wife of whoredomes and can this be from God Austin answereth it thus Though shee had been a prostitute whore before yet she might be reclaymed and so shee might be called a wife of whoredomes from that whoredome that heretofore she was guilty of and now reclaymed And so he thinketh that it was a reality indeed that Hosea did take to himselfe a wife of whoredomes and think to salve it up thus Theodoret is somewhat angry with those that thinke it was not really done but done only in away of vision I find many of our later men that are of the same minde that thinke there was a reality in it that God did command Hosea to take to himselfe a wife of whoredoms and that he did take such a wise one that was a notorious harlot so Arius Montanus Piscator Pareus Tarnovius and others they go that way and they thinke to salve it only thus that it is a command of God and therefore though it had not been lawfull for Hosea to have done it yet God commanding it he might do it As they instance in other cases that seeme to be somewhat of the like nature as the children of Israels robbing the Egyptians Abrahams killing his sonne and the like If this should be so as many
concern the outward man except God will come in with his owne institution But when it cometh to the ordering of the heart and there is a spirituall efficacy expected as in all Church ordinances there must be and that authority by which they are executed giveth a great influence into them now nothing can goe beyond its principle therefore it must have a divine institution to give it its efficacy It may here be demanded whether hat not God appointed over us a particular civill government as he did over the Jews That our government and all lawfull government of other Nations is appointed by God we must conclude is a certain truth But not so appointed by God as the government of the Jewes was And the reason is this because the Church and Common-wealth of the Jewes was involved in one and therefore the Apostle speaking of the Church hee saith they were Aliens and strangers from the Common-wealth of Israel It was meant of the Church state There was such a kind of Paedagogy under the Law that the Church and State were involved in one for Christ would be the head of the Church and Common-wealth too and appoint them lawes And so their government was imediately from heaven Now for us That we should have a government according to the rules of wisdome and justice that indeed is appointed by God God would have us have a government But he leaveth the ordering of that government to generall rules of prudence and justice So that now it is lawfull for any Kingdome or Country to agree together and according to the rules of wisdom and justice to appoint what government they wil as vvhether it shall be a Monarchy or an Aristocracy or a Democracy and to limit this according to Covenant of agreement as whether that the fundamentall povver shall be vvholly put out or any part reserved hovv farre this or that Man or society of Men shall have the Managing of it and the like then so farre as it is agreed upon vvee are bound in conscience to obey either actively or passively but no further are vvee bound to obey any Man though he be in authority yet vvee are not bound to obey him either actively or passively conscience is not tyed Though those men be in authority yet it is no resisting of authority at all not to do what they would have Yea though the thing be lawfull they would have yet if it be not according to the law of the kingdom to the first agreement I may be bound by the rules of prudence to save my selfe but it is not authority that binds me to obey out of conscience For we must of necessity distinguish between men in authority and the authority of those men Wherefore so long as wee seeke but to keepe authority in the right channell that it flows not over the banks we cannot be charged for resisting the government God hath set over us though we do not obey the wills of those who are set over us and therefore there is no cause that we should fear that God should say to England upon this ground Loruhamah hee will have no mercy To proceed But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah The people of Israel they might say Hosea thou art a Preacher indeed what preach nothing but judgment nothing but wrath to be utterly taken away Is there no mercy at all Is not God a mercifull God Yes saith the Prophet though you be taken away God knoweth how to glorifie his mercy he hath others that he can make to be objects of his mercy though you be destroyed From whence first you see that though God utterly reject some yet in the mean time he hath others to shew mercy unto Therefore it is no plea for any sinner to say thus well I have sinned indeed but God is mercifull What if God be mercifull so he may be though thou be damned and perish everlastingly Yea whole kingdoms nations may perish yet God may be mercifull God hath stil infinite ways to glorifie his mercy Many people in desperate moods lay violent hands upon themselves certainly there is a kind of spirit of revenge in it as if they thought there would be some trouble about it and so God should lose some honour But if you will have your will in this or in any thing else though you be dead and rotten and your souls perhaps in chains of darkness God will have wayes to be glorious in his mercy whatsoever come of you But 2. I will have mercy upon the house of Judah God will alwayes have a Church he will never destroy his Church at once the Lord loveth publique worship in the world Though he will utterly take away the house of Israel yet he will have mercy upon the house of Judah Again Israel might say what will not God be mercifull to us why I pray you what doth Judah get by her worshipping of God in that which you say is the only right way Judah indeed keepeth her selfe to Ierusalem keepeth her selfe to worship in the Temple but what doth she get by it for ought we see Iudah is in as hard an estate and in as low a condition as we nay as we shall see afterward Iudah was in a lower condition than Israel and certainly such kind of expressions as these they would be ready to have against the Prophet Well saith God let Iudah be what she will I will have mercy upon her Though carnal hearts when they look upon the low condition of the true worshippers of God think that there is no difference between those that are in a good way and themselves that are in the ways of sin yet God will make a difference I will have mercy upon Iudah but not upon Israel Many carnal men please themselves with this I see others that are strict that pray in their families that run to Sermons and wil not do thus and thus as others do yet they are as poor in as mean a condition as any others what do they get by their forwardness in religion Are not we in as good a condition as they Well friend though thy carnal heart think there is no difference between him that serveth God him that serveth him not God hath a time to manifest a difference There shall a time come saith God Mal. 3. 18. that you shall returne and discerne between the righteous and the wicked between him that feareth God and him that feareth him not I will not have mercy upon Israel but I will have mercy upon Iudah Fourthly Judah had at this time many grosse and fearful evils amongst them yea scarcely delivered from Sodomy it will aske a great deale of time to shew you the state of Judah in regard of the horrible wickednesse that was in it yet God saith I will have mercy upon the house of Iudah What is the reason of this Because though Iudah had many grosse evils yet Iudah kept
to the right way of worshipping God kept to Ierusalem to the Temple so farre they kept the worship of God pure Hence we see God will favour a people exceeding much though there be many weaknesses yea many wickednesses among them if they keep the worship of God pure It is true there are many spirits that are most bitter against those that seek to worship God in the right way if they can but get them tripping in any small thing they follow it against them with all their might with all the bitternesse that they can possibly This is not like unto God God will favour those that worship him in a right way though for other respects hee may have many advantages against them But this you will say seemes to contradict what you said before for you said the nearer any are to God the more he hates their sinnes and the sins of those that make a shew of worshipping God in a pure manner are worse than the sins of others It is true But as their relation to God in the nearnesse of his worship is an aggravation of their sins so their relation to God is a foundation of their hope of mercy from God How is this It makes their sin indeed worse so as to provoke God to punish them sooner and perhaps bitterer yet their relation to God keepeth this ground of faith that God is their God still and will have mercy upon them at last But the wicked though God spare them longer than his own people yet when he cometh against them he rejecteth them utterly so he did Israel Iudah indeed was punished but yet Iudah had mercy at last but saith God I will have no more mercy upon the house of Israel but will utterly take them away Fiftly Israel had prevailed a little before against Iudah for if you read in 2 King 14. 12. you shall finde that Iudah was put to the worst before Israel the Text saith They fled every man to their Tents and Iehoash the King of Israel took amaziah King of Iudah and came to Ierusalem and brake down the walls of Ierusalem from the gates of Ephraim to the corner gate four hundered cubits And he took al the gold and silver and all the vessels that were in the house of the Lord and in the treasures of the Kings house and hostages and returned to Samariah And this was but a little before this time Israel had thus prevailed against Iudah and brought Iudah under yet now saith God I will have mercy upon Iudah but not upon Israel What should we note from hence God sometimes sheweth mercy to poor afflicted ones and yet rejecteth those that are greater enjoy more prosperity in the world Many that are poor people poor souls that are in a low afflicted condition God looks upno them and sheweth mercy unto them when brave ones that carry it out and thrive and live gallantly in the world are many times rejected of God Mark what God saith Zeph 3. 12. I will leave in the middest of thee an afflicted and poor people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. God lookes not at the brave and gallant ones of the world but at the poor and afflicted ones and they shal trust in the name of the Lord. We must not then judge at the happiness of men according to their successe in the world For you may now be delivered and others kept under affliction yet afterwards you may be rejected and the others received unto mercy Further Hosea was the Prophet of Israel he was sent to the ten Tribes yet Hosea tells them whose Prophet especially he was and God would have no more mercy upon them And he speaks to Judah he was not sent to them and he tells them that God would have mercy upon them Here we may learn how impartial the Ministers of God ought to be in their work they must not goe according to their particular private engagements though they are engaged more to such a people in divers regards yet if they be wicked they must deale faithfully and plainly and denounce the judgements of God And if others though strangers to them be godly they are to give to them that comfort that belongs unto them My brethren partiality in those in publick places especially of the Ministery is a great evil It was for this that God said he had made the Priest and the Levite contemptible and base before all the people Why because they were partial in the Law Malac. 2. 9. 7. It is a great aggravation of the misery of some that God sheweth mercy to others For it is here set down as a part of the threatning against Israel I wil have no more mercy upon Israel but I wil shew mercy to Judah To aggravate the misery of Israel God manifesteth his mercy to Judah Mark how God in Esay 65. 13. makes it a part of his threatning against the wicked that he will shew mercy to his servants Behold my servants shall eate but you shall be hungry my servants shall drink but ye shall be thirstie Behold my servants shall rejoyce but ye shall be ashamed Behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart but yee shal crie for sorrow of heart howle for vexation of spirit These Buts are cutting ones to the heart of the wicked And observe it here is the word Behold three times used in setting out the difference that God will make between his servants and the wicked and how God will aggravate the misery of the wicked by shewing mercy to people because it is a thing much to be considered A like place you have Mat. 8. 11. Many shal come from the East West and shal sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob but the children of the Kingdom shal be cast out into utter darkness there shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth Mark they shall gnash their teeth when they shal see how they are rejected and others received gnash their teeth for envie and vexation of spirit for it is a great aggravation of mens misery And is it not fulfilled this day How do many bite their nailes and gnash their very teeth to see the mercy that God sheweth to his people in giving them liberty and encouragement in his service while he casteth shame contempt upon their faces bringeth them forth to answer for their wickedness and to suffer condigne punishment Wicked mens spirits vex at this it is that which they cannot possibly beare it is that which galleth and fretteth the very gaul of their heart to see the mercie of God to his people now in these dayes to see such an opportunity as this to meet together with this liberty to exercise our selves in the word when they are caged up This they gnash and grind their teeth at It is observeable that which you have in Acts 22. 21. Paul was speaking there a great while to the Jews they
as usual when we are in adversity to forget all promises When wee hear of mercy to Gods people we are taken up and never thinke of Gods wrath and on the other side when we heare of his wrath on unbeleeving hearts are taken up as wel and never think of his grace and mercy We ought to sanctifie the name of God in both when God is in away of justice look up to his grace and when he is in a way of grace look upon his justice and sanctifie that name of his likewise And for that end I shall give you two notable Texts of Scripture there are many of this kinde but two I shall give you that are as famous as any I know in the book of God the one that declareth to you that when God expresseth the greatest mercy yet then hee doth expresse greatest wrath and the other when God expresseth greatest wrath he then expresseth greatest mercy And I shall shew you the name of God oughto be sanctified in both The first is in that 34. of Exod. 6. 7. The Lord there when he passed by before Moses proclaimed The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands for giving iniquity transgression and sinne What abundance of mercy is here exprest Now it followes And that will by no meanes cleare the guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the childrens children unto the third and fourth generation Here is an expression of great wrath And then for our sanctifying of Gods name in this it followes ver 8. And when Moses heard this he made hast and bowed his head toward the earth and worshipped before the Lord. Thus we must bow and worship before God in our sanctifying his Name in both together both his mercy and justice On the other side Nahum 1. 2. and soon God is jealous and the Lâ—rd revengeth the Lord revengeth and is furious the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries and he reserveth wrath for his enemies dreadful expressions yet ver 8. The Lord is slow to anger there is a mittigation at first Then he goeth on still in expressions of wrath But he is great in power and will not at all acquit the wicked and ver 5. The mountains quake at him and the hills melt and the earth is burnt at his presence yea the world and all that dwel therein who can stand before his indignation and who can abide the feircenesse of his anger his fury is powred out like fire and the Rocks are throwne downe by him What more terrible expressions of wrath then these that come from God here Now marke ver 7. The Lord is good and a strong hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth those that trust in him What a strong expression of grace is here observe it my brethren that in the middest of Gods anger yet God is good still a gracious heart must acknowledge God though he be provoked to anger yet to be a good God still and it is a good signe for the soul to fall downe before God when he is in the way of his wrath and to say the Lord is good As that good old man Eli did after the denuntiation of that dreadful sentence against him and his house by Samuel The word of the Lord is good let him doe what seemes him best All of you will say when God bestoweth avours upon you The Lord is good oh blessed be God he is a good God but when God revealeth his greatest wrath truely then the Lord is good Luther saith he will acknowledge God to be a good God though he should destroy all men in the world much more then is he to be acknowledged in a day of trouble when indeed he appears most graciously to his Saints The Lord is good and a strong hold in the day of trouble Is God a strong hold now when such wrath is revealed yea and specially now a strong hold to his Saints in the day of trouble and he knoweth those that trust in him for all his wrath is abroad in the world he knoweth those that trust in him Many men when they are angry they scarce know the difference betweene their foes and their friends Many when they go abroad if any displease them they come home and are angry with their wives with their servants with their children with their friends with every one about them they know not then who is a friend and who is not when they are in their passion their wives and children and servants wonder what the matter is with them Sure some body or other hath displeased my master abroad to day he is so touchie so angry upon every little thing My brethren It is a dishonour to you in the eyes of your servants and it layes low your authority in your families for them to see you come home in such a per that you know not how to be pleased though they have done nothing to displease you God doth not so though he be never so angry yet hee knowes those that trust in him Let Gods anger be never so publick and general abroad in the world if there be but a poor soul in the world that lies in a poor cottage in a hole that is gracious the Lord knowes it and takes notice of it and that soul shal know too that God doth know it It is true when the wrath of God is revealed abroad in the world seemes as if it would swallow up all those of the Saints whose spirits are weake and fearfull they are then afraid of Gods wrath that they shall be swallowed up in the common calamity be of good comfort God knowes those that trust in him even when his wrath is never so dreadful and general abroad in the world It is in this case with Gods children as it is with a childe in the mothers Armes if the father violently layes hold upon his servant and beates him and thrust him out of doores for his demerits there is such a terrible reflection from the fathers anger against the servant upon the childe that the poor childe falls a crying So it is with the children of God when they see God in a terrible way â—aying hold upon wicked men to execute wrath upon them they cry out they are afraid lest some evil should befall them too Oh no be of good comfort The Lord is good and a strong hold in the day of trouble and knoweth them that trust in him when his anger is never so great and general So it is here though this Israel be not my people yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the Sea for all that so you shall find it in the 15. ver of that first of Nahum Behold saith the Text upon the mountains the feete of him that bringeth good tidings What at this time though Gods way be in the whirl-winde
should see the thicker skin bubble he might thinke t is harder to be broke then the thinner skin but if a Cannon should be shot off nay if it be but a Fillip it makes no difference Now the afflictions of Gods people they are to this right hand of Gods power and the arme of his strength but as a bubble of water before a mighty Cannon Yea if there be not help at all to deliver Gods people in time of affliction yet God can create helpe He will create Jerusalem a rejoycing and their people a joy Yea suppose their condition be such as yet never was the like since the beginning of the world yet Isa 64. 4. Since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the care â—either hath the eye seene what God hath prepared for them that waite for him And as the greatnesse of the Churches deliverance is no hinderance of Gods power in delivering them so it should be no hinderance to the work of our faith Common prudence and reason will go a great way to uphold us under some affliction but when the affliction comes to be sore and grievous and long prudence reason then sinketh under the burthen but then should faith lift up it selfe and cast an eye upon this right hand of Gods power this arme of his strength that he hath sworne by and exercise it self in the glorious acts of it For certainly faith is appointed for such a time as this when the Church is under grievous extremities The ordinary afflictions of the Church do not call for such a work of faith but when they come to extraordinary that requires such a power of God for their deliverance then there is called for a worke of faith proportionable as Alexander when he was in great danger Now saith he there is a danger fit for the spirit of Alexander to incounter withall So when the Church comes to be in any great danger all the members of it should say here is a danger here is a trouble fit for the spirit of Christians fit for the spirits of those that are able to exercise the most noble and glorious acts of faith This glorious exercise of faith I may even say we are scarce yet for the present put to it for reason and sense sees much help they see that the cause of God at this day hath the better of the adversary reason I say and prudence may see far this way Let us not look upon every difficulty as a thing that calleth for such a mighty glorious worke of faith whereas men by reason and prudence and may carry themselves under such difficulties much better then most of us doe But we do not know but the Lord may call us unto such difficulties and dangers as requires such a faith as hath such a kinde of work as I have spoken of Let us therefore lay up this Instruction for the time to come Again for great shall be the day of Jezreel If the words be read thus as they are in your Bibles and yet have reference to the calamitous time and grievous extremities of the day of Jezreel then there will be these two excellent meditations from thence The first is That Gods bowels of compassion do work toward his Church because of the greatnesse of their affliction When their afflictions shall be very great and the greater they are the more do Gods bowels of compassion work toward them We know the misery of Gods people in Exo. 3. was a marvailous quickning argument to the compassion of God as I may so speake I have seene I have seene saith he the affliction of my people and their sorrowes and therefore am come down to deliver them If the greatness of the affliction of the Church move the bowels of Gods compassion then let not the greatnesse of affliction hinder our faith Let not the greatnesse of trouble reason down our faith but rather let it reason up our faith for so indeed it should and so the Saints of God heretofore have done by the greatness of the trouble we must reason up our faith as thus It is â—â—me for thee O Lord to work for men have almost destroyed thy law yea the high time is come for thee to have mercy upon Zion for thy people begin to favour the dust thereof What was this a good argument Have mercy upon me and pardon my sin for it is very great to move God withall Surely then this is a good argument Deliver us in our afflictions for they are very great for sin makes a great deale more distance betweene God and us then afflictions yet if the greatness of sin shall come to be put as an argument for Gods mercy and compassion to work much more the greatness of afflictions Yet this is the grace of God in the second Covenant that even the sins that before made the creature the object of hatred those sins come now to make it an object of compassion So afflictions that before were part of the curse they come now to be arguments for the moving of the bowels of Gods tender compassion toward his people Another note if you read it so for great is their affliction is this the promise is the only support of the soul and that which carrieth it thorow the greatest affliction Afflictions are as leade to the net the promise is as the corke the promise keepes above water when the lead pulls down But I leave these meditations though I finde many interpreters run this way And I rather take it as a further expression of Gods wonderfull mercy unto his Church For great shall be the day of Jezreel That is God hath a great day of mercy for Jezreel That is the meaning they shall appoint themselves one head they shall be gathered together and be made one they shall come up out of the land why for God hath yet to come a great day of mercy to his pepole A grâ—â—â— day of Jezreel And herein therefore God makes use of the name of Jezreel in a good sense They that carry it the other way would carry the signification of the name thus for great is the day of scattering of the scattered people so Iezreel signifieth as you heard in the beginning of the Chapter But Jezreel signifieth likewise the seed of God Before God made use of their name in the worse sense that he would scatter them according to their name now he makes use of their name in the best sense they are the seed of God and there is great mercy from God for them When God is reconciled unto a people he takes all in the best sense and makes the best acception of every thing as he doth here of the name Jezreel We have onely these two things to consider of in this expression 1. That the Saints of God and the Church they are Gods Jezreel That is they are the seed of God 2. That there is for this
of the Church that shall be marke what the Text saith The Lord shall regard the prayer of the destitute and shall not despise their prayer speaking of those that shall live in those times a little before this day of Iezreel shall be The Lord shall regard the prayer of the destitute the word that is translated destitute it signifieth in the Hebrew a poor shrub in the wildernesse a poor shrub that the foot of every beast is ready to tread downe and that poore shrub that perhaps is despicable in the eyes of the world and despicable in his own eyes yet saith the Text the Lord shal regard the prayer of that poor shrub Is there ever a poor shrub though never so destitute so despicable in the eyes of the world or in thine owne eyes yet be thou a praying Christian a praying soul praying for those things and God will regard thy prayer he will not despise thy prayer Perhaps thou art ready to despise thy prayers thy self but God will not despise them let all our hearts be lifted up and let us all cry with the Church Come Lord Jesus Come quickly O let this day come for great shall be the day of Jezreel HOSEA CHAP. 2. The First Lecture CHAP. 2. VER 1. 2. Say 〈◊〉 your brethren Ammi and to your sisters Ruhamah Pled with your mother plead for she is not my Wife neither am I her husband c. SOme joyne the first verse of this Chapter to the end of the former and according to a sense that may be given of the words agreeable to the scope of the latter part of the former Chapter it may seem more fit to be made the end of that then the beginning of this In the latter end of the former God was in a way of promising mercy to his people that those that were not his people should be his people and those that had not received mercy should receive mercy Now he calleth upon all whose hearts were with God to speake to one another of this great favour of God to his people foâ— their mutuall encouragement and for the praise of his Name As if he should say Well you have been under dreadfull threats of God your sins have called for dreadfull things but my grace is free and it is rich powerfull therefore you that were not my people and have deserved to be for ever cast off from being my people you that had not obtained mercy shall obtaine mercy Say to your brethren Ammi and to your sisters Ruhamah that is O you that are godly speak one to another and telâ— one another for the quickning of one anothers hearts of this great favour of God of his free grace Oh say Ammi Ammi the people of God Ruhamah Gods mercy We were not his people but now Ammi again God hath promised to make us to be his people we were rejected from mercy but mercy is come again now Ruhamah O the mercy of God O that free grace of our God that wee that have beene so vile so provoked the eyes of his glory we that have so sinned against mercy it self yet mercy should thus follow us to make us his people and to save us from his wrath It is a good thing to speake of the loving kindnesse of our God Psal 92. 1. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and to be telling of the goodnesse of God in the morning and his faithfulnesse every night That Psalme is appointed for the Sabbath It is a work of the Sabbath to be speaking one to another of the goodnesse of God Especially in this case when a people were afraid that they should have been for ever rejected that now God should call them againe Ammi my people and say now againe that he will have mercy upon them Psal 145. 4. 5. One generation shall praiss thy name to another and shall declare thy mighty acts I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty and of thy wondrous works Mark what the wayes of God are toward his Church when he commeth in the wayes of mercy they are wondrous works of God they are the mighty acts of God they are such wherein the honor of God appears yea they are the honour of his Maâ—esty yea they are the glorious honour of his Majestyâ— There is Majesty honour of Majesty glorious honour of Majesty mighty works of God wonderfull works of God When these appeare these are to be declared indeed And for them to be able to say to one another Ammi and Ruhamah it was to declare the wonderfull works of God and the glorious honour of his Majesty Yea it followeth further in that Psalme verse 6. Men shal speake of the might of thy terrible acts and I will declaâ—e thy greatnesse And verse 7. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodnesse Eâ—uctaâ—uâ—t so Arias Mâ—ntanus renders it they shall not be able to keep it in but break â—orth in the memory of thy goodnesse Happy are those people that God gâ—ants such subjects of discourses unto that they may say one to another to their brethren and sisters Ammi and Ruhamah It was not long since that when we met with our brethren we could not have such a subject of discourse as this is but usually when Christians met together after their Salutations their first question was Oh! what shall we do what shall we doe what course shall we take All the Newes almost that was in the Kingdome and the subject of discourses specially among the Saints was this Such a Minister silenced in such a place such a one banished in another place such a one imprisoned in another place such a one High-Commissioned in another place such signes of the wrath of God upon us we are afraid that God is going if he be not quite gone already we are afraid that he will not onely reject us from being his people but reject us from being a people upon the facâ— of the earth But blessed be God he hath changed the subject of our dâ—scourses Now Gods wayes have begun to be towards us as if he intended to make us again to be his people Now we may when we meet together have plentifull subjects of discourses about Gods grace mercy to say Ammi Ruhamah O the Lord manifesteth goodnes to an unworthy Nation we have hope that yet he will owne us to be his people we have hope that yet he will shew mercy to us though never so unworthy Who would have thought ever to have seene and heard of such things as we have seene heard who would have thought ever to have seene the hearts of the adversaries so daunted their power so curbed their rage so quelled the wicked in their own workes so ensnared their hopes so disappointed who would ever have thought to have seene the Saints so rejoycing their liberties so inlarged their hearts and expectations so raised This is the free grace of God
from the guilt of the generall corruptions of the place where they live For so this Ammi and Ruhamah were a remainder that God did deliver thorough his grace from the generall corruptions of the place where they were for otherwise they had not beene fit to have said to their brethren or to have spoken to their sisters in this sense Secondly those whom God delivers from the guilt of generall corruptions are to be acknowledged the people of God such as have receivâ—â— mercy from God in a speciall manner It is free grace that hath made this difference between you and others Augustin in his second book concerning preservation has a good note upon that Scripture 1 King 19. 18. I have left me seven thousand in Israel God sayes not there are left 7000 or they have left themselves but I have left It is the speciall work of God to preserve any for himselfe in evil times Thirdly the Lord takes speciall notice of such who are thus by his grace preserved in evill times Ammi Ruhamah There are a people amongst these that are Ammi my people that have obtained mercy from me mine eyes are upon them my heart is toward them there are a number that have kept their garments undefiled even in Sardis and I will remember this for ever for their good Noah was a just man prefect in his generation Gen. 6. 9. and what then Chap. 7. 1. Come thou and all thy house into the Ark for thee have I seene righteous before me in this generation Fourthly Such as keep themselves from the corruptions of the times wherin they live they and onely they are fit to exhort and reprove others Those that are not guilty themselves as others are are fit to speak to others to say to their brethren and to their sisters They are fit to exhort who performe the duties themselves that they exhort unto We say it is a shamefull thing for one to be teaching if he be guilty himself he cannot with freedom of spirit say to his brethren and sisters Fifthly It is the duty of those whom God hath delivered from the corruptions of the times to seeke to draw all others to God to seeke to convince others of their evil wayes and so bring them in to the truth We â—eade Levit. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour not suffer sin to lye upon him Surely those who have obtained mercy have the impression of Gods mercy upon their spirits they are farre from having hatefull hearts now it is hatred for any to suffer sinne to lye upon his brother and not to doe what in him lyeth to help him It is desperate pride for men to triumph over others in their falls and it is wicked cruelty to suffer others to lye down when they are fallen if they can raise them 〈◊〉 faring men who are delivered themselves from shipvvrack and all is 〈◊〉 with them if they see another ship ready to sink in the sea and those on ship-board shoot out to have them come to helpe to save them though they be never so farre remote yet if it should be knowne that they decline to goe out to help them all the sea-men would cry out shame on such and be ready to stone them for etting a Ship sinke when they might have helped Certainly the same case-it is with those to whom God hath shew ed mercy if others lye in their sins they do not what they can for their help 6. Say to your brethren and to your sisters The neerer the relation of any is to us the more should our compassion be towards them in seeking to deliver them from their sins There is more likelihood of prevailing with your brethren and sisters Hath God converted you and have you a brother or a sister not converted or any of your kindred goe and say to them tell them of the danger of their evil wayes tell them of the excellency of the wayes of God exhort them to come in to make tryall of the blessed wayes of God When a brother speaks to a brother or a sister to a sister it is the bringing a hammer of gold to work upon gold and of silver to work upon silver Lastly Say to your brethren and sisters Exhortations unto and reprehensions of others should be with much love and meekenesse Say to your brethren and sisters yet look upon them as brethren and sisters though they have not yet obtained the like mercy that you have Saint Paul 2 Thes 3. 15. speaking of one that walketh inordinately from whom we are to withdraw in respect of any private familiar society yet saith he admonish him as a brother Those who reprove and admonish others with bitternesse of spirit and evill speaking are like a foolish fowler who seekes to get the fowle but he goes on boysterously and makes a noise the way if he would get it is to goe on quietly softly and gently so the way to gaine a brother is not by boisterousnesse and violence but sofness and gentleness It is observed by some of the Jews out of that 25. Exod. ver 3. where the matter of the Tabernacle is said to be gold and silver and brasse you doe not see nor hear of iron to be required for the building of it No iron rigid severe hard dispositions are not fit either to be matter of the Tabernacle themselves or to draw others to be the matter of it Yea but if saying will not be enough to doe the deed then there followes pleading That is the second Say to them admonish them exhort them but what if that will not doe doe not leave presently but Plead yea and Plead with your mother too not onely with your brethren and with your sisters but with your mother Plead with your mother plead for she is not my wife c. Pleade Litigate so some Contendite strive the old Latine hath Iudicate Iudge your mother It may seeme to be a hard and harsh phrase at first but we shall labour to acquaint you with the minde of God in it Here is an exhortation even to the private members of the Church to all one oâ— other to plead even with their mother to plead even with the Church of which they are members and so to plead as to deale plainly and to tell her that she is not the wife of God Pleade with her First here we see Gods condescension that he will have us pleade the ease betwixt others and himselfe as Esay 5. 3. Iudge between me and my Vineyard faith God This sheweth the equity of Gods dealing Pleade the case perhaps some of you might thinke I deale hardly with your mother in so rejecting of her in bringing such judgements upon her No not so but plead you the case plead rather with her then complaine of me for my dealing with her Secondly Plead with her When exhortations and
Lord and I will receive you againe Gods mercies are beyond mans It is a most excellent and usefull observation that we have from hence There is no such dreadfull threatning against any in the word of God for any of their sins only we except that sin against the holy Ghost but there is a dore of hope left for those sinners Here seemeth to be the greatest sin of Idolatry and forsaking of God as could be the most dreadfull threatning she is not my wife shee is divorced from mee Yet here is insinuated a hope of mercy I will give you one Text which is as notable for this as any I know in the booke of God that is in Judges 10. 13. 14. compared with ver 16 In the 13. and 14. verses saith God You have for saken me served other gods What then I will deliver you no more I am resolved against you now I have delivered you often but now I will deliver you no more Go your wayes Cry unto the gods you have chosen let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation One would thinke this people to be in an ill case of whom God saith thus much For observe these foure things here First God chargeth them with the greatest sinne that could be they had forsaken God and turned themselves idols Secondly This great sin is aggravated with the most aggravating circumstance almost that could bee implyed here this they had done notwithstanding God was wonderfull mercifull to them and had often delivered them yet they had still forsaken him served other Gods Thirdly Here is one of the most peremptory resolutions against shewing mercy that we can imagine saith God I will deliver you no more now I have delivered you so oft Fourthly Here is a most bitter Sarcasme a biting upbrayding taunting speech for their serving other gods As if he should say what doe you come now Now do you cry howle to me now you are in trouble in your prosperity I was no God for you you leâ—t me then for other gods and now I will be no God to you to other gods I leave you go now and cry to those other gods and see whether they will help you Put these together and one would thinke this people were in a hopeless condition Is there any help for this people yet Are they not a lost people Is not repentance too late for this people No for all this repentance is not too late for such a people as this for mark the Text saith in the 15. ver And the children of Israel said unto the Lord we have sinned do thou unto us what seemeth good unto thee and ver 16. They put away their strange gods from among them and served the Lord. They do not now lye downe sullenly in their sinnes and say there is no help therefore we were as good go on in our sinfull wayes but they venture to put away their strange gods and crye unto the Lord and tell him that they had sinned What then the Text saith The soul of the Lord was grieved for the misery of Israel Though he had thus pronounced against them yet his soule was grieved for them they were not the same they were before It is true I will deliver you no more you impenitent ones I will deliver you no more but God did not say he would not give them repentance but when they had put away their strange gods though they had grieved Gods Spirit with their sinnes yet God was grieved for their affliction now and though God had thus threatned them yet his bowells now do yerne towards them and hee comes in again with mercie and subdues their enemies under them the children of Ammon were conquered and God gives them twenty of their Cities as Chap. 11. 33. God never threatneth any people but the condition of mercie upon repentance it is either expressed or implyed It is therefore the frowardness and the fulness of the hearts of sinners to give over all upon the thought of the greatness of their sins or the severity of Gods threatning against them O no you great sinners that have beene guilty of many horrible sins come in and repent I may say to you as Secaniah did to the people in another case of a grievous sin Ezra 10. 2. There is hope in Israel concerning this thing It is the cavill of many carnal hearts against many faithfull and Zealons Ministers that they do nothing but preach judgement and they threaten damnation and say people shall be damned and go to hell aud the like This they speak against them not mentioning at all the conditions upon which damnation and hell is threatned Certainly there can scarce a Minister in the world be found that threatneth damnation or hell absolutely but upon those termes of impenitency I will give you one Scripture to shew you the most absurd perverse spirits of men in this kinde how they will take a piece of the words of the Prophets and separate the threatning from the condition on purpose that they may cavill at the word it is in Jer. 26. 4. saith God to the Prophet there Thou shalt say to them Thus saith the Lord If you will not hearken to me to walke in my Law which I have set before you â—o hearken to the words of my servants the Prophets whom I sent unto you then will I make this house like Shiloh and will make their Citie a curse to all the nations of the earth See how fairely the words of the Prophet go If you will not hearken to me to walke in my lawes and the words of my Prophets whom I sent unto you then I will do so and so The Prophet delivers his message as faire as can be But see now their perversnesse in the 8. ver It came to passe that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the Lord commanded him to speake unto all the people that the Priests and the Prophets and all the people tooke him saying Thou shalt surely dye What is the matter Why hast thou Prophecyed in the name of the Lord saying This house shall be like Shiloh They leave out if whereas he said If you will not return and heare the words of the Lord this house shall be as Shiloh They come and lay hold upon him with violence Why hast thou said this house shall be like Shiloh and leave out the other This is the perverseness of the hearts of men Well then the conclusion of this Observation is this that the worst pleading against any for their sinnes it is not to sinke the hearts in despaire but to turne their hearts towards God that they may receive mercy Let her put away her whoredomes Secondly Let her put away her whoredomes After such a kinde of pleading that included a most dreadfull threatning in it She is not my wife yet God exhorteth Hence the Observation is this While God is pleased to speak to a
every thing and prize every little mercie Oh the tenth the hundreth part of that will not serve your turne now you vvould have been glad of then and blessed God if you had had it But now you know not your selves your hearts are raised up as your estates are VVell it is good for you to looke to the condition that once you were in vvhen you were low As vve reade of Agathâ—cles that King that was a Potters sonne and after advanced to a kingdom he vvould alwayes be served at his table in earthen vessels to put him in mind of that condition he was in before certainly if in any place in England it be seasonable to speake of this it is here in London where many that have been Potters children and in a low degree have been raised up high and have gotten great estates Let them remember in what condition once they were that they may be humbled and so may prevent that danger of being brought thither again Many put others in mind of it in a taunting vvay I know vvhat you were not long agoe I know vvhat your father vvas c. But doe you put your own soules in mind of this in an humbling way This is the vvay to continue mercies But now apply vve it a little to our selves for the generall and then vve shal conclude all Let us vvork this upon our hearts Look vve back to vvhat we vvere lately and let us check our hearts for any discontent in our present estate Not long since vvould not many of us have beene willing to have laid dovvn our lives to have purchased that mercy we have had this yeer or two God hath granted to us our former mercies raised us from our low condition of free cost hitherto God hath been afore hand with us and what if those mercies that are to come will be at some vvhat a dearer rate then those vvee have had already Those mercies vve have had already have been very precious and sweet but surely they that are to come are more precious and sweet and therefore vve may be content though they cost us deare Yet hovv vile are the spirits of men in forgetting the condition the sad condition they lately were in forgetting the Taxes and Monopolies and uncertainty of enjoying an thing that was your own and now if there be but a little charge comming you presently fall a murmuring and repining Oh these are heavy burthens the Parliament burthens the kingdome and the Couutrey and as good have ship-money and other taxes as these burthens Oh unworthy unworthy are you to live to see the goodnesse of the Lord in these dayes unworthy to have thine eyes open to see what God hath done and thus to murmur Thou shouldest magnifie Gods mercies and not murmur at his proceedings VVe have a notable parallel to this Numb 16. in the story of Corah Dathan and Abiram those murmurers when they were but in a little strait they come to Moses and say ver 13. Why hast thou brought us up out of a land that floweth with milks and honey What land was that that Moses brought them up out of that they said flowed with milke and honey It was the land of Egypt the land of their bondageâ— indeed they were promised a land of Canaan that should flowe with milke and honey and they put that upon the land of Egypt though they had been in bondage and slavery in Egypt and were now going to Canaan yet when they did but indure some trouble in the vvay and had but some opposition and were put to some straits then Egypt was the Land that flowed vvith milke and honey and who would come out of Egypt So though God be bringing us to Canaan to a blessed Land that floweth with milke and honey yet because there are some straits in the way some difficulties some oppositions that may cost us somewhat now how doe men cry out we vvere better before you talke of Reformation and such and such things but for our parts would vve might have but vvhat we had before and be as quiet as vve were then why will you bring us out of a Land that floweth with milke and honey Oh base murmuring and discontented spirits that forget what once they vvere and rather prize the bondage they were in before then are thankfull for Gods present mercies For us not to look back to Gods former mercies it goeth to the very heart of God God hath an expression that it frets him to the very heart You have it in Ezek. 16. 43. Because thou hast not remembred the dayes of thy youth but hast fretâ—ed me in all these things It is a thing that frets God at his heart to see a people so unworthy of mercie when God commeth in such wayes of mercie to them as he doth My brethren God hath done great things for us whatsoever others say and thinke Let them murmure and repine and say what they will let us say God hath done great things for us Let us lay to heart the condition we lately vvere in that so we may be stirred up now to seeke after God that wee may never be brought into that condition any more if they would have it again much good may it do them but for us let it be our care to seeke God and to use all lawfull meanes to prevent our bringing back to it again For even the very straits we now are in are an aggravation of our former misery and present mercie it should not therefore make our former misery or present mercie seeme lesse but greater How is that you will say Thus If now wee have so much helpe and power to hinder a malignant party that seeke our ruine yet they have so much strength and resolution what would have become of us if this had been before when we had no way nor no meanes to help us If men complaine now what vvould they have done then Therefore whereas we make use of our straits to make us thinke that our former misery was lesse and we are now in a sadder condition then before rather let us make it an aggravation of Gods mercie towards us and if wee be in such straits now when God hath raised up such meanes beyond all our thought to resist the flowing in of misery upon us Lord whether were wee a going what would have become of us if the streame which hath been so long a swelling had broke in upon us when there was no meanes to have resisted it VVe may well see now that if their intentions and resolutions be so strong for mischiefe as will not be hindered notwithstanding the present strength God hath granted us to oppose them surely they had most vile intentions and dreadfull things were determined against us which would have brought us low indeed and have made us the most miserable people upon the earth if God had not come in so mira culously for our help as he hath done at this
upon them when it shall be seasonable for them but when they come upon the wicked it shal be when they are most unseasonable for them As a husband-man if he would cut his Tree so as onely to lop it that it may grow and flourish again he will be sure to do it in due time as in January or February but if he would cut it that so it may dye hee will lop it when it flourisheth most at Midsummer God indeed letteth wicked men grow up and flourish to the height of their prosperity and then he commeth and loppeth them because then hee knowes they must die and perish It were better to be lopped in January in winter time before you flourish then you may live for your good but if you stay till the summer you die for it You have an excellent Scripture Zeph. 2. 4. They shall drive out Ashdod at noon day In those Countries that were exceeding hot and scorching she pheards and others that had their businesse abroad used to keep their houses at noon day or get into some shady places and sleepe Now when God threatneth a judgement in wrath and denyeth mercie saith hee they shall drive out Ashdod at noone day in the worst time that possibly Ashdod can be driven out in the middest of scorching Because God intended to destroy them he drives them out at noone day Again thirdly When God commeth upon the wicked and denyeth mercie he regardeth not the proportion of any affliction or any evill whether it be enough or not enough for them what is that to him When hee cometh upon his own people he weigheth out his wrath Never did any skilfull Physitian or Apothecary more carefully weigh out to every dram what the potion should be that is to be given to a child then God doth weigh out every affliction that he sendeth upon his children The difference is just as if you should goe to the Apothecaries to take ratsbane to poyson or kill vermine you doe not weigh out how much you should take but give them it at adventure and let them take as much as they will and let them burst but if you take any thing for your child if it have any strong vertue in iâ— or without composition it may be poison you will take heed you will not take a dram a graine too much but will be sure to weigh it out exactly Thus though when God commeth to his children hee weigheth out their afflictions yet when he cometh with judgements upon the wicked he cares not how much how many or great they be whether sutable to their conditions or no whether they can beare them or no whether their backes breake or no he cometh with judgements upon them to destroy them Fourthly When afflictions commeth without mercie upon the wicked God stoppeth his ears at all their cryes If they cry when God cometh with judgements against them he calleth their cryings howling Hee tells them though they cry aloud yea cry with teares he will not heare them Fifthly God commandeth all creatures that they should deny help to them They may stand and be amazed but help them they cannot They all say how can we help seeing God helpes not Sixthly There is the curse of God mixed with every judgement to drive them further from God and to harden them more in their sinnes Lastly One judgement is but the making way for another yea all judgments in this world are but the fore-runners and makers-way for eternall judgements This is the portion of the cup of the wicked when God saith he will shew them no mercie The afflictions of the Saints may seeme to be more grievous outwardly but thus God never afflicteth them there is mercie alwayes for them VVherefore all yee Saints of God who are under any affliction at any time be patient and quiet be contented under it for though your afflictions before and grievous yet God delivereth you from such afflictions as these wherein he saith he will shew no mercie But further I will not have mercy upon her children Her children The judgement of God in punishing the sin of the fathers upon the children we spake somewhat of in the Chapter before wee will wholly let that passe now and onely consider children in another way then we did before in a politicall consideration for certainly that is the meaning of the Text I will not have mercy upon her children that is I will not have mercie upon the particular people that belong to Iezreel Private and particular people are called the daughters of Jerusalem the daughters of such a Country So that the whole community together with the officers Governours they are as the Mother and the private and particular people they are as the children So that when God saith he will have no mercy upon her children hee doth not onely threaten the State and the Church the Governours and the whole Community thus but he threatneth every particular person of them though you that are in the multitude perhaps thinke you may escape in the crowde No saith God I will looke to every one of you of the multitude of the private and particular persons of Israel and my wrath shalâ— not onely come out against those that are in higher places but it shall come out against you also I will slay her children It is true indeed the heads and governours of places are usually most invelved in the guilt of the sins of nations and their judgements are usually most dreadfull when God commeth with nationall judgements As Num. 35. 3. 4. The Text saith there that Israel joyned themselves to Baal Peor and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel and the Lord said unto Moses take all the heads of the people and hang them up before the sunne The Lords anger was kindled against the people but he bade Moses especially look to the heads and take them and hang them up beâ—â—re the Lord that the fierce anger of the Lord might be turned away from Israel Certainly execution of wrath upon great ones upon such as have beene heads in evill is a Sacrifice exceeding well pleasing to God But though God ayâ—â—e at them especially in nationall judgements yet the multitude and private people must not thinke to escape and that upon these grounds First Because many times it is for their sins that God suffereth their Governours to doe so much evill as they doe As Israel had sinned and God was wrath with Israel therefore David did what he did in numbring the people When you see your Governours doe that which is naught lament for your own sins doe not spend your time onely in crying out against them but look to yourselves it is for your sinnes that God hath left them to do as they have done Secondly It may be the reason why Governours do not reforme is in the perversenesse of people that they are not in a preparation to receive that good which
will not see it they shall not see it because God intendeth to destroy them though judgments are out against them yet they will not repent You shall finde it divers times in the book of the Revelation that those that followed Antichrist though they were tormented all the judgments of God were against them yet they repented not This I say is the curse of God upon such God will not give them repentance unto life for they are the children of whoredoms whom God intendeth to have no mercy upon therefore the higher their rage riseth the higher your hearts should rise against them But we must go on to the 5. verse For their mother hath played the harlot Their mother that is the State and the Church for they were both involved in one hath played the harlot This For hath reference two ways either it may have reference to those words I will not have mercy upon them for not only they are but their mother is defiled with whoredomes she hath played the harlot or secondly it hath reference onely to the latter part they are the children of whoredomes for their mother hath played the harlot either it referreth to the reason why God will not have mercy upon them because their mother hath played the harlot or secondly to the reason why they are the children of whoredomes for their mother hath played the harlot And from both these references we have very usefull observations for us The first God cannot endure a succession in wickednesse I will not have mercy upon them their mother hath played the harlot they are children of whoredoms themselves and their mother hath plaid the harlot there is a succession of wickednesse among them and that I cannot beare The ground is because those that keep up a succession of wickednesse from the mother to the children and so goe on downeward they are guilty of all the wickednesses that went before them in that line Else how can that be understood where Christ saith he will require all the blood from Abel to Zacharias upon that generation but because they continuing in that way of sin kept up the succession of that sin and so that generation was guilty of all the sins of that kind that went before even unto Abel So the father is a whore-master and the child he proveth to be one too and so goeth on the child is not only guilty of that sinne of his owne but of his fathers and of his grandfathers and hee is guilty of all that kind of sinne that is gone before even up to the beginning of the world why because hee keepeth up the succession of that sinne in the world This is a most terrible thing to consider of enough to wound the strongest heart in the world especially of those that know they have had wicked Parents Again For their mother hath plaid the harlot consider this word For as having reference to the reason why they are children of whoredomes for their mother hath plaid the harlot The observation is Children usually goe according to their parents which way their parents goe commonly the children goe It is a usuall thing where there are prophane parents to have prophane children if the parents sweare to have swearing children if the parents be superstitious to have superstitious children if parents be scorners of Religion to have children scorners too we find it true in experience in that new nick-name that is brought up on the godly in roome of the former it is as frequent in the mouths of children as in others because children go according to what their fathers formerly did I will give you one notable Text of Scripture for this it is 2 King 2. 23. When Elisha the Prophet was going up to Bethel there came forth little children out of the City and said unto him Goe up thou bald-head goe up thou bald-head The thing that I note it for is this that not only the children did it and so were destroyed for two she-beares came out of the wildernesse and tare 42. of them but what children were they that did this If you observe the Text you shall finde that they were the children of Bethel and what place was that That was one of the places where the calves were set up and it was a place of much superstition and the children were as superstitious as their parents A place that had the name the house of God but a place exceedingly abused and no place did more degenerate from the name then it it was a Bethaven a house of vanity and wickednesse It was the place that was most superstitious and those were the children that scorned at the Prophet But we need no other proof but only experience yet there is one notable Scripture further for it Jer. 7. 18. The children saith the Text gather wood their fathers kindle the fire and their mothers kneaded the dough the children joyned you see Pelagius thought that there was no sinne came into the world but only by imitation children imitating their parents Certainly imitation is of great power and force to prevaile with the hearts of children You that are wicked parents had need to looke to it what you doe before your children He that sinneth before a child specially a parent sinneth doubly for a child will be ready to imitate it What will you not only sin against God and be enemies unto him but will you leave a succession that when you are dead and gone some must out of your loynes and from your bowels blaspheme God after you are rotten in your graves Suppose you that are parents had a plague sore upon you would you goe among your children and breath upon them this cruelty is much worse will you goe into your families and breath infection into your children and so make them like you and guilty of your sins and of the plagues of God together with you oh cruell parents On the otherside as therefore children of whoredomes because their mother hath plaid the harlot why then should not children be gracious and godly who have gracious and godly parents Why should it not be said This childe is a godly childe for his mother was a gracious woman and his father a godly man You that have godly parents let this be your Encomium You are godly and gracious children and you had godly and gracious parents this will be your honour before the Saints But how vile is it when it may be said Here is a wicked wretch yet he had a godly father and a godly mother here is an uncleane and filthy liver yet hee had gracious parents It is no wonder to say thus This man is filthy for his father was filthy and his mother was a harlot but to look upon one and say Here is a whoremaster yet his father was a godly gracious man Here is a harlot yet her mother was a holy woman O how vile is that I remember a speech of that reverend Master
person sometimes in another And indeed the Lord here speaks after the manner of men as if his Spirit were troubled at the perversenesse of his people Besides the change of the person here is to expresse some indignation of God against their perversenesse therefore he speakes as if he would turn from them and rather speake to some body else as if hee should say I speake to these yet they are stubborn and stout well I will speake to all that are about them to all the beholders take notice of their stubbornesse and perversnesse and judge between them and me And she shall follow after her lovers but shee shall not over take them and she shall seeke them but she shall not finde them In the 5. ver it was but I will goe after my lovers Vadam but here it is shee will follow from that root which signifieth persequor to follow with eagernesse it is not only sectari but insectari the word is the very same that is used for persecutors who eagerly pursue those that they doe persecute Psal 7. 5. David speaking of his enemies following of him the same word is used that is here save me saith he Lest the enemy persecute my soule It is the same and so the Seventy turn it Yea and beside the form of the word it being in Piel that signifieth to do a thing auxiously and diligently carefully whereas in Cal. it signifieth onely a bare doing of a thing but when it commeth into forme as those that are skilfull in the Hebrew tongue know that fignifieth to doe a thing with care that solicitiousnesse and diligence so therefore it is turned by Polanus anxie prosecutus est She hath prosecuted or followed with a great deale of care So that this is more then the other for it seems that after she had some affliction she grew worse for a while and was more eager upon her Idols then she was before But she shall not over take them Though she be never so much set upon that way of evill yet I will take a course to keep her from it she shall not overtake them Yea She shall seeke them but shall not finde them The word signifieth to seeke with a great deale of endeavour not onely to seeke in ones thought and minde but to goe on to walke up and downe that wee may finde it is by the Seventy turned by divers words that signifie a seeking more then ordinary But shall not find them Let them be never so set upon their ways of Idolatry yet I will keep them from them Then shall she say I will goe c. This shall be the effect of it One would think all this were nothing but threatning oh no it is mercy for it is for this end that she might at length say I will goe and returne to my first husband c. You may take them in the meaning of these versus and the scope of them in this short paraphrase As if God should say Oh you Israelites all you have grievously sinned against me in forsaking me and following of your lovers sore and heavy evills are ready to befall you even you my elect ones upon whom my heart is for good you have involved your selves in the common guilt of this wickednesse therefore even you must expect to be involved in the common calamity that shall come upon the nation and when you are under those calamities know that I know how to make a difference between sinner and sinner though guilty of the same sin though under the same affliction that what shall be for the destruction of some shall be in mercy to others it shall be but to hedg up your ways to keep you from further sinning to make your wayes of sinne difficult that so your soules might be saved and although your hearts will be a long time perverse and will not come in and submit to me yet I will so order things in the way of my providence that at length I will so worke upon your hearts that you shall come in and return unto me you shal bethink your selves and remember what sweetnesse once you had in my wayes and you shall take shame to your selves and acknowledge that it was then farre better with you then it is now and so I will remain to be your God and you shall give up your selves to worship and serve me for ever This is the meaning and scope of the words Now then having the words thus opened and paraphrased take the severall observations for they are exceeding full and very sweet and sutable First from the generall the observation is Though such as are in covenant with God may for their sins be involved in the same judgement with others yet God will make difference between them and others that are not in covenant with him God will have other ends in his afflictions towards his people then hee hath towards others though the difference be not in the things that they suffer yet the difference is very broad and wide in the ends for which they suffer When the bryars and thornes are set before God it is that they may be destroyed the fire of Gods anger passeth through them to destroy them but when God cometh to his people though some anger be stirred up for a while yet all the fruit thereof it is to take away their sinne See what difference God makes between some and some even under the same affliction in that 24. of Jer. ver 5. I do not know a more remarkable place in the Scripture for this purpose saith God there speaking of the basket of good figges I will acknowledge them that are carried captive of Iudah whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Caldeans for their good Though they be carried into the Land of the Caldeans I will acknowledg them there to be my people and it shall be for their good Well now there was likewise a basket that had very naughty figs and they were carried away captive too both went into captivity what doth he say of them I will deliver them saith he vers 9. to be removed into all the kingdomes of the earth for their hurt I will 〈◊〉 at their hurt when I deliver them into captivity This should be a mighty support unto the Saints under all their afflictions though the affliction be the same to sence and view with that of the wicked yet you see the difference is broad It is true may the troubled heart say there may be different ends of Gods afflicting some others hee may afflict some for tryall and others for their sins but what will you say if an affliction come upon us for our sins Is there a difference here Yes my brethren though your afflictions come upon you from your sins if you be in covenant with God the difference still may hold for so it is here those afflictions that here are spoken of God
calleth the hedge and the wall they were fore afflictions and they were for their sins for their perversness and yet God intendeth good and mercy to them in those afflictions Here is the vertue of the Covenant of grace it takes out the sting and venome and curse even of afflictions that are not onely for tryal but for sin they are to keepe you from greater misery if God bring some misery upon you it so appeareth unto you yet being in covenant with him this is the blessing of God upon you that those troubles are to keep you from greater misery that would befall you That for the general Now for the particulars as the words lye Therefore behold This inference therefore I told you it was as if God should say thou wilt still goe on notwithstanding all admonitions and meanes that I shall use by my Prophets therefore behold I will doe thus and thus From hence we may observe first There is even in the Saints such a slavish disposition remaining that they will stand out against God along time even against admonitions exhortations convictions and threatnings of his word Not only the reprobate will doe so but such is the perversnesse of the hearts of men that even the elect of God will many times do so this is a sore and grievous evill that it should be said so of them for if there be ingenuity in the spirit of men the very notice of the minde of God is enough to cause the heart to yeeld and surely grace doth make the heart of a man ingenuous and God expects that there should be melting of spirit at the very notice given of his displeasure yet behold even in the hearts of the godly many times there remaineth so much slavishnesse that they will not come in but upon Gods dealing very hardly with them they must have many afflictions they must be whipped home before they will returne home God must send the dog many times to worry his sheepe before they will come in This God complains of Jer. 2. 14. Is Israel a servant is he a homs-borne-slave why is he spoiled ver 17. Hast thou not procured this unto thy selfe So it may be said of many even of the Saints when we see how the wayes and dealings of God are toward them yea even God himselfe speakes thus What is such a one a servant is he a slave is not such a one my child how is it then that hee must be dealt with like a slave like a servant Secondly Therefore because one meanes will not do it namely my Prophets admonishing and threatning therfore I will do thus thus therefore I will consider of some other way to deale with you The observation is VVhen one means will not keepe from sinne either those that wee have to deale with or our selves we must not rest there but set even our braines on work to look after other meanes What will not this do it Is there any things else that possibly may doe it That means then shall be used Thus God as we may speak with reverence even studyes his administrations towards his people when he is frustrated in one and if that do not do it he bethinks with himselfe is there any thing else will do it if there be any thing in the world can do it it shal not be left unattempted God doth not presently cast off his people because they stand out against him in the use of one meanes It is true for others that are not in covenant with him God is quick with them and if they come not in presently he cuts them off and will have â—o more to do with them but for his own people though they stand out long yet God tryeth one meanes after another and after that another This is the grace of God towards his own It should be our care to imitate God in this when you are to deale with others that are under you with your children or servants do not satisfie your selves in this I have admonished them and threatned them and perswaded them What then yet they will not come in What will you have no more to do with them then Will you cast them off presently You should study what further course may be taken study their dispositions What do I think will work upon them if this do not will faire meanes will foule meanes vvill any thing do it if any thing will you should labour to deale with them that way So for your own hearts when you are convinced of the evill of your own hearts it is true your consciences will not be quiet unlesse you use some meanes against that sinne that is in your heart well but I have used meanes I have layed the word to my heart the threatnings the promises to my heart and I have followed Gods ordinances will it not doe will not my heart come off Is there no other meanes to be used what doe you say to the afflicting of your soule Try that you have layed the word to your heart and you finde it doth not work try the afflicting of your soules in humilliations fasting and prayer for the overcoming of your sinnes Thus God doth when admonitions and exhortations of the Prophets vvill not doe yet saith God I will try another way I will bethinke me of some other course I will hedge up their way with thorns I will see whether I can bring them in that way These two from the inference Therefore From the note of attention Behold we have an excellent usefull observation that naturally springeth up For God to make the way of sin to be difficult to sinners is a most singular mercy Howsoever alwaies it doth not prove so but take it at the worst yet it is better for the way of sin to be hedged with thorns to be made difficult to us then to have the smoothest way that possibly can bee As it is one of the greatest judgements of God upon wicked men to lay stumbling blocks before them in the way of righteousnesse so it is one of the greatest mercies of God to his children to lay stumbling blocks â—â—d difficulties before them in the way of sin It is an 〈◊〉 way of Gods dealing even with reprobates with those he hoth no love unto that in the wayes of godlinesse in the way to life he in his just judgement layeth stumbling blocks before them and they appeare very difficult to them the hedge of thornes compasses about the way of righteousnesse to the wicked therefore you shall finde it in Pro. 15. 19. that the way of the slothfull man is said to be as an hedge of thornes that is a slothfull man who is a wicked man there hee lookes upon any duty that he should perform as compast about with an hedge of thornes God in his just judgement suffereth difficulties at least to appeare to him in the way of his duties that makes him to have no mind to
them Now this is a grievous judgement of God to cause the way of his feare to appeare so difficult and so scare them from it What should I medling with such such wayes I see I must suffer thus and thus there are these and these stumbling blocks that I must go over these and these troubles that I must meete withall I were better sit still and be quiet I shall never be able to goe through Such stumbling blocks God layes in the way of godlinesse before the wicked and they stumble at them fall and break their necks On the other side God in abundance of mercy casteth stumbling blocks in the way of sin before his people that they cannot get over if they stumble it is but to break their shins and to save their soules But when the wicked stumble they breake their necks and damn their soules But now the wayes of God are plaine to the righteous Prov. 8. 9. They are all plain to him that understandeth and right to him that findeth knowledge Gods wayes are very plain to the godly and sins wayes are very difficult but on the other side to the wicked Gods wayes are very difficult and the wayes of sin are very plain Oh unhappy men sayes Luther when God leaveth them to themselves and doth not resist them in their lusts woe woe to them at whose sinnes God doth wink when God lets the way to hell be a smooth and pleasant way That is a heavy judgement and a signe of Gods indignation against men a token of his rejection of them that he doth not intend good unto them You blesse your selves many times that in the way of sinne you finde no difficulty if a whore-master or a malicious man who would accomplish his owne ends find all things goe on as he desires so that he hath not any rub in his way no not so much as a prick he blesseth himselfe Blesse thy self If thou knewest all thou hast cause to howle and wring thy hands for the curse of God is upon thee a dreadfull curse to make the way of sinne pleasant On the other side perhaps many of Gods Saints when they find the wayes of sinne somewhat difficult to them they are troubled at it that they cannot have their will Troubled thou hast cause to blesse God who hath thus crossed thee for it is an argument of much love to thee There is a Behold put to this that God should be so mercifull to them to make their wayes of idolatry and supersition difficult to them From hence these three observations I will hedg up her way with thorns First there is much bruitishness in the hearts of Gods people Not onely slayishnesse that was before but bruitishness too That is thus they must not only be dealt withall as slaves hardly and so be brought home but as brute beasts they must have some present evill upon them or otherwise they will not return out of their evill way except their sin be for the present grievous and troublesome to them It is not enough you know to threaten brute beasts but they must have some present evill upon them if wee would keep them from such a place we would not have them goe unto A man that hath some understanding though he hath a slavish spirit yet he may be kept for feare of future evils but when a man comes to this that nothing but present evils will keep him off hee is worse then a slave in this he cannot be kept from sinne by the exercise of his reason God must also deale with him as a brute beast God must come and let some present evill be upon him to prick him or else he will goe on in an evill way This is brutishness even in the hearts of the Saints Secondly hence we may see the pronenesse of mens natures to Idolatry the way must be hedged up to keep men from it It is not enough to forewarn men of it but all means that can be used is little enough to keep off men How wicked then is the way of many amonst us who seeke to make the way of Idolatry too smooth and plain and open as they can yea in stead of stopping such as have inclinations to it they lay before them the inciting and intifing occasions which adde to their owne propension such delectation as putteth them on forward with a swift facility Thirdly Afflictions to the people of God are Gods hedges to keep them from sinne The command of God is one hedge and affliction is another Therefore sinne is called by the name of Transgression Transgression what is that That is going beyond their bounds going over the hedge a man that sinneth goes over the hedge And wee finde Eccles 10. 8. Hee that breaks the hedge a serpent shall bite him It is true in regard of the hedge of Gods command he that will venture to break that hedge must expect a serpent to bite him must expect the biting of Conscience the anguish and horrour of that But when that hedge is broke God cometh with another hedge to keep his people from sinne so you have it exprest in Job 33. 17 18. speaking of afflictions By them saith hee hee withdraweth man from his purpose and he keepeth back his soule from the pit As suppose a beast be running to such a pasture perhaps he doth not see the hedge and it may be if he should run a little further he would be plunged in a pit and there destroyed but now the husbandman setteth a hedge there and when the beast commeth just to the hedge to the thornes then it is withdrawn from what it was about and so the life of it preserved so it may be with a man that is running to such a place when hee meeteth with something that hinders him he is drawn from his purpose and his soul is kept back from death You use to deale thus with your children if you live in the Countrey neer ditches and pits of water you will hedge about the pits for feare your children should fall into them and so the hedge keepeth the Children aâ—ive As afflictions keep the Saints from sinne as a hedge to them so the difficulties in Gods wayes keepes the wicked from God VVhen difficulties therefore do fall out it should teach us to consider what way we are in why for God useth to compasse about sinfull wayes with difficulties on purpose to keep his people from them Well I am in a way going on in it I am sure I am compast about with difficulties it may be these difficulties are but Gods hedges to keepe me from sinne how shall I know that for sometimes difficulties are but tryals of our graces and they may be such as call for the stirring up of our graces to breake through the hedge so Pro. 8. 19. difficulties are said to be a hedge of thornes they lye in the wayes of Gods people that are blessed wayes then
it would warme and refresh yea 〈…〉 The Text saith of Elies sonnes 1 Sam. 2. 12. that they knew not the Lord they were Priests of God yet they were sonnes of Belial and know not the Lord. Be not offended at great Schollars who have skill in the tongues Arts and Sciences do not you say these men that are great and knowing men would they do thus and thus if things were so as you speake they are not knowing men God saith that Elies sonnes did not know the Lord the things of God are hid from them I thanke thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid thess things from the wise and prudent c. Sixthly They did not know that I gave them c. Affected ignorance comming thorough distemper of heart is no excuse but rather an aggravation It is a high degree of ingratitude not to prize Gods mercy but not to take notice of Gods mercies Oh what a high ingratitude is this That which shall be part of Gods charge against sinners can be no excuse of their sinne it is a part of Gods charge that they did not know therefore their ignorance cannot be their excuse God threatneth to cut people off to have no mercy upon them for want of knowing as well as for not doing They are a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will have no mercy upon them and he that formed them will shew them no favour Esay 27. 11. Ambrose hath this expression Thou doest sinne greatly if thou doest contemne the riches of Gods long suffering but thou sinnest most of all if thou doest not know it From the word for as depending upon the 5. ver for so it doth The Observation is The not taking notice and considering of Gods mercies and laying them to heart is the cause of vile and shamefull evils in mens lives Therefore they did shamefully therefore they went after their lovers because they did not know the cause of almost all the evill in the world it is from hence They that know thy name will trust in thee those who know the Lord will feare him and his goodnesse Esay 1. 4. Ah sinfull nation saith God God fetcheth a sigh under the burthen of it his spirit is laden and troubled with it Ah sinfull people c What was the matter The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider they were more stupid then the brute creatures Oh sinfull soul this is the cause of all thy inordinate walking of all thy profanenesse of all the ungodliness in thy wayes because thou dost not know thou dost not consider thou dost not lay to heart the wayes of God towards thee Ier. 2. 5. God chargeth his people that they were gone from him and ver 7. that they had made his heritage an abomination What is the reason that is given of both these It is in the 6. ver They did not say Where is the Lord that brought us up out of the land of Egypt c. They did not take notice of what the Lord had done for them therefore they were gone far from him c. If thou hadst but a heart to lay to heart what God hath done for thee it is impossible that thou shouldst goe so farre off from God as thou dost For these deductions are easie and obvious to any from such a principle 1. Justice common equity requires living to God seeing we live by and upon God 2. Common ingenuity calls for requiring good with good the Publicans and Heathens will do good to those that do good to them 3. If all be from God then all still depends upon God 4. How much good is there in God from whence all this good and mercy comes when God shall shew another day to men and Angels how hee was the fountaine of all good it will confound those who have not laid it to heart 8. She did not know that I gave her corne and wine and oyle and multiplyed her silver and her gold God is more bountifull to his people then the Idols can be The Idols by their owne confession gave them but their bread water and flax and oyle c. but God giveth them wine silver gold God gives them better pay a great deale then the Devill doth yet the Devill usually hath more servants to follow him then God hath though his wages bee lesse and worse It is usuall for men to get souldiers from adversaries by givâ—ng them more pay This is the way God takes he offereth a great deale better pay to those that will follow him then they have that follow the Devill yet God can get few to follow him This shews the vilenesse of mans heart against God 9. She did not know that I gave her c. which she prepared for Baal When men get abundance then they soon grow wanton When I gave them corn and wine and oyle and multiplyed their silver and their gold then they followed Baal This is the reason of so many solemne charges of God Take heed when thou art full that thou dost not forget the Lord. As they that are neerest the sun are the blackest so those to whom God is neerest in regard of outward mercies are many times blacker then others It is observed that the fatter mens bodies are the lesse blood and the fewer spirits they have so the fatter mens estates are many times the lesse spirit they have to any thing that is good God hath lesse spirit from them sinne hath much more We read of the sunne melting the Manna that fell downe but the same Manna was able to bear the fire so many a mans heart is able to beare affliction and the affliction doth good prepareth for much good as Manna was prepared to be eaten by fire but prosperity melteth them makes them useless Many men when they were poor and in a low condition were very usefull but when they grow high and rich they are of very little use in the places where they dwell Trajan the Emperour was wont to liken a man growing to a great estate to the Spleene in the body for as the Sâ—leene grows big the body growes lesse so when mens estates grow bigger they grow lesse usefull Euagrius noteth it as a speciall commendation of Mauritius the Emperor but notwithstanding his prosperity he retained his ancyent piety it is a very rare thing to see men advanced to high places do so 10. I gave her corne and wine and oyle and I multiplyed her silver and gold which they sacrificed to Baal Even those creatures that wicked men abuse to their lusts God gives them Though he doth not give them for that end yet those creatures that they use for such an end are given of God If thou beest a drunkard that wine or drinke that thou dost sacrifice to that lust of thine who giveth it thee Is it
and all to Baal but of that before The Seventh Lecture HOSEA 2. 9. 10. Therefore will I returne and take away my corne in the time thereof and my wine in the season thereof and will recover my wooll and my flaxe given to cover their nakednesse And now I will discover her lewdnesse in the sight of her lovers and none shall deliver her out of mine hand IN the former verse Israel is accused for abusing her silver and gold c. in the service of Baal now it followes Therefore I will take away my corne in the time thereof c. if there be a therefore we must enquire wherefore it was because they did prepare their corne c. for Baal Therefore I will returne 1. What is the meaning of returning 2. What the meaning of the time and season thereof I will take away my corne in the time thereof and my wine in the season thereof 3. What that phrase imports I will recover my wooll For the first therefore I will returne that is I will change the way of my administrations toward them I will goe out of my way of mercy and turne into my way of judgement I will goe back againe I was in a way of judgement toward them and they cryed to me and I turned into a way of mercy but I will goe back againe into a way of judgement I will returne Arias Montanus hath a good note upon the place Whereas God hath heretofore bid them not to be afraid of all the tokens of the Southsayers that is when they say by Astrology some signes of death that might follow they were afraid be not afraid saith the Lord but know your corne and wine and oyle depends on me not on the second causes though second causes make against yet feare not for I will give you come and wine and oyle but now it is quite contrary though second causes promise all kind of pleâ—ty whatsoever that there shall be abundance of corne and wine and oyle yet I will take away your plenty there shall be a dearth of all things amongst you I will take away my corne in the time thereof that is first in the times of harvest just when their corne is to be taken in and in the time of their vintage I will then take it away whereas I might take it away in the seed I will let it grow till the harvest and then take it away 2. In the time when they have most need of it when they are in the greatest straits and know not what to doe without these creatures 3. In tempore suo so some In the time I have appointed though I have let them goe on and enjoy the creatures in abundance yet my time is come that I will take away all And will recover the word signifieth I will snatch it away I wil spoyle you of it and it hath reference to two things First I will recover it as out of the hands of usurpers you have my corne and woâ—l and flaxe as usurpers but I will recover them out of your hands as a man that hath his goods taken away from him usurped hee by some meanes or other recovers his goods againe so saith God you have my corne and wine and as you have carryed the matter you are but usurpers I will sue you for them you shall not enjoy them long Secondly I will recover it hath a reference to prisoners and bondslaves when the enemy shall get any of ours into their power and make them bond-slaves a greater power goes against the enemy and recovers them out of his hands and gets them again As Abraham recovered Lot and his goods Gen. 46. 14. Or as if marriners should get those gally-slaves the Turks have gotten and recover them out of their hands as if he should say these creatures of corne and wine c. they are in bondage and I will recover them out of your hands you know the creatures groane under their bondage while they are in the possession of wicked men 8. Rom. my creatures are in bondage to you and they cry to me and I will recover them out of your hands There are many precious and choice truths to be presented to you out of the words First Therefore I will c. Whence observe Though God gives mercy out of free grace without cause in our selves yet he takes not away mercy without cause there is a therefore for taking away mercy but we have many mercies given without a therefore When God takes away mercy we have cause to look into our selves to finde out a therefore but you may find out thousands of mercies that God gives to us and you shall finde never a therefore for them It is not so great a wonder that thousand thousands are in misery as that any one enjoyes mercy for misery hatha therefore in our selves for mercy there is reason only in the breast of God Secondly I will returne Sinne causeth God to change the way of his administrations towards his people Though God be in wayes of mercy yet sinne may put him out of those wayes and make him returne and go in a way of judgement agnine how much better were it for sinners to returne then that sinnne should cause God to returne Oh sinner returne out of thy evill wayes if God returne it will be a sad returne Not long since God was in wayes of judgement against us and lately he hath come into wayes of mercy and now he seemes to returne againe to his former wayes of judgement Ier. 14. 9. Why art thou as a man astonished A man astonished stands still or if he moves it is up and down as if he knew not which way to goe though we have suffered hard things wee cannot yet say God is returned but he seemes as a man astonished and knowes not which way to go Thus God is pleased of himselfe after the manner of men to speake let us cry to him that he may not turne out of his way of mercy into those sad wayes of wrath that he seems to be looking towards I will take away my corne and my wine Abuse of mercy causeth the removing of mercy 11 Zach. 17. Woe to the idoll shepheard that leaveth the flocke the sword shall be upon his arme upon his right eye his arme shall be dryed up and his right eye shall be utterly darkned Hath God given any a right hand any abilities take heed God doth not strike that right hand or right eye any quickness of parts let them take heed that thorough abuse it be not put out how many shepherds when they were young had many excellent parts great abilities but having abused them to their lusts God hath taken them away So in children there is no such way to lose your children as to abuse them if your hearts be inordinately set upon them God takes them away I will tell you of a speciall passage of providence concerning this
I speak it the rather because I was an eye and eare witnesse of it living not far from the place A godly man desiring his friends to meete to blesse God for his blessings in a plentifull Harvest after dinner was done comes in a little child who was indeed a very lovely child Oh saith the father I am afraid I shal make a God of this child by and by the child was missing and presently they went to looke him and hee was found sprawling drowned in a pond Consider this ye parents who have your hearts inordinately set on your children Againe I will take away my corne and my wine and my wool and my flaxe Marke before they made them their own in the former verse they said they are theirs now God challenges them for his here we have My My My repeated on Gods side as frequent as before it was on theirs Fourthly God keepes the propriety of all that we have though God gives all yet he keepes the propriety of all in his own hand God hath another propriety in our estates then any Prince in the world hath Subjects have propriety in their estates and enjoy them with as true a right as their Soveraignes but no creature hath any propriety in what it hath in reference to God this great Soveraign of all the world holds the propriety of all his hands not onely what we have but what we doe and what we are is all Gods yea sayes Luther even our thanksgiving to God for gifts is a gift of God It is therefore a very vile thing to attribute to our selves what is Gods when God hath enriched us we adde this odious particle sayes Luther I have done it yea sayes he men do so often say Feci Feci I have done I have done it that Fiunt faeces they are as dregs before the Lord By this you may see they are not your goods that you abuse it is a great argument to be bountifull and free for good uses because what wee have is Gods I will give you a notable Text for this 1 Chron. 29. 14. For all things come of thee and of thine own we have given thee David thought not much of his bounty towards the Temple because all was Gods Therefore I will take away This Therefore hath not onely reference to the abuse of them but to that in the 7. ver and she shall follow after her lâ—vers but shall not overtake them c. then shall she say I will goe and return to my first husband for then it was better then now God makes this to be a meanes of working that frame of spirit in them of returning to their first husband And from hence the note is Fifthly The taking away those good things we enjoy is a meanes of making us returne to God it is a speciall meanes of conviction to convince us of sinne when God comes with some speciall worke of his against us it workes more upon us when we see some reall expression of Gods displeasure when God takes his mercies from us then when we heare the threat now wee come to be sensible of our sinnes You that are tradesmen and runne into debt and your Creditors tell you they will come upon you yet you goe on till the Bailife comes into your shop and seizeth upon all and goes into your house and takes away your bed from under you and all your goods when you see all goe out then you thinke of your negligence and then the husband and wife wring their hands So though God threaten you for the abuse of the creature that hee will take it away yet you are not sensible of it till God indeed takes away all and then conscience begins to be awakened and fly in your faces VVhen David saw God taking away his people then his heart smote him for numbring them hee was told of the evill of that way of his before by Ioab but he goes on in it VVhen Samuel prayed for raine in wheat harvest and there came thundring and lightning then the people feared exceedingly and acknowledged their sin in asking a King Those who have abused their estates in these times when the enemy comes what gratings of conscience will they have Then these thoughts will arise Have I used my estate for God have I done that I might doe have I not satisfied my lusts with those things God hath now taken from me There is usually a grating of conscience for the abuse of any thing when God takes it away When God takes away a wife if the husband hath a tenderness of conscience his first thoughts are Have I performed the duties of my relation to my wife as I ought have I not neglected my duty towards her and this causeth sad thoughts And when God taketh away a child Have I done my duty towards this child have I prayed for it and instructed it as I ought Againe I will take away your corne in the time thereof and your wine in the season thereof This presents this truth to you That there is an uncertainty in all things in the world Though they promise faire yet they are ready to faile us when they promise most A husbandman that hath a good seed time promiseth much to himselfe it comes up and thrives and yet at harvest it is all blasted Habak 3. 17. Though the labour of the olive faile The phrase is Though the Labour of the olive lye that is the olive promised faire it grew up and looked very faire and ripened but it did lye that is it did not performe what it seemed to promise for in the time thereof it vanished and came to naught I had certain information from a reverend Minister of a strange work of God this way The thing was in his owne Towne there was a worldling who had a great crop of corne a good honest neighbour of his walking by his corne saith he Neighbour you have a very fine crop of corne if God blesse it Yea saith he I will have a good crop speaking contemptuously and before he could come to get it into the barne it was blasted that the corn of the whole crop was not worth six pence Here we see the uncertainty of the creature in the time thereof when it seemes to promise never so faire when wee are ready to take it into the barne it depends on God as well as when it is under the clods Oh the blessednesse of Gods servants who are sure of their good for time to come We may promise our selves certainty even for the future in the things of Christ but for outwards they are never sure no not when men have them in their hands Many things fall out betweene the cup and lip as we have it in the proverb I will take away my corne in the time thereof and wine in the season thereof Hence Observe God lets out his displeasure many times to those that provoke him when they make
and desperately inflameth wicked resolutions of ungodly men When a company of ungodly men met together in a Tavern and there have drunk and eat liberally how desperately are they set against the ways of godlines then they scorn and jeer godly Ministers and Parliament and Christians they are then as if they were above God their tongues are their owne and who shall controule them and all when their lusts are heated with wine and good cheer Mark that Scripture Ps 35. 16. With hypocriticall mockers at feasts they gnashed upon me with their teeth Here is scorning and violence gnashing upon the Psalmist with their teeth and this at their feasts Hos 7. 5. In the daye of our King the Princes have made him sick with bottles of wine he stretched out his hand with scorners They brought bottles of wine and when his lusts were heated with wine and good cheere then hee joyned with them in scorning the wayes and worship of GOD they scorned at all those that would goe up to Jerusalem to worship according to the institution these must be so precise that they will not joyne with us as if wee had not the worship of GOD among us they tel tales to Jeroboam and the other Princes of the godly who would not yeeld to their idolatrous wayes of worship they scorned at their precisenesse Now saith the Text The King stretched out his hand with scorners takes them by the hand and encourageth them in that way and tells them he will take a course with them not one of them shall be suffered to live in his dominions Their hearts were put all agog with their feasts but God hath a time to take away feasting times from a people a time when those who have delighted themselves so in the use of the creatures shall have all those merry meetings and brave times cease never feast more never meet with such merry company more As that Pope Adrian said when he was a dying O my soule whither art thou going thou shalt never be more merry For Kingdomes also though there be times for feasting yet there is a time of mourning and God seems this day to be comming to us to take away our feasts to call upon us to spend our times in another way It were good for us to do what we can to prevent God by humbling our selves in a voluntary way to take away our owne Feasts and to change our Festivities into Humiliations The times call for fasting now rather then feasting and it is a most dreadfull sin then for men to give liberty to themselves for feasting when God calls for mourning and fasting It is not at your liberty to feast when you will Isa 22. 12. is a most dreadfull place that might make the hearts of those who are guilty in this kinde tremble Vers 12. And in that day did the Lord of hosts call to mourning and to girding with sackcloath and behold joy and gladness slaying oxen killing sheep drinking wine Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till you die saith the Lord God of Hosts While the bread is taken away from our brethren and the land is so miserably spoyled and when such a black cloud hangeth over our heads here is no time for Festivities Whatsoever your customes have been at this time now coming I mean that which you call your Christmas Festivity you are certainely bound now to turne it into a time of mourning For if wee should grant it lawfull for men to appoint Holy-days that way for feasting of which more by and by yet certainly it cannot be but a sinfull thing so to set those dayes apart as whatsoever providence of God falls out yet they will continue what they themselves have set You will all grant this that if it be lawfull to keep this time of Festivity yet this not that that God himselfe hath set apart and enjoyned We never have it required by Christ or by his Apostles that at such a time just when the yeer cometh about that wee should have solemn dayes of Festivity Well then at the most if we suppose it lawfull it is but the institution of man if it be mans institution then certainly it must give way to Gods work to providence For man to put so much upon his institution because hee hath appointed such a day when the yeer cometh about to rejoyce in that whatsoever worke of God falls out in the mean time that calls for humiliation and fasting yet hee will hold to his own institution what is this my brethren but to make the commandements of God to be of none effect through mans tradition It is apparent breach of that Scripture For this is certaine now that it is the commandement of God that you should mourne and fast if then because of mans institution you will put by the command of God and now spend time in feasting and rejoycing which ought not to be but in such times when God shines upon a Kingdom in wayes of mercy know this is sin unto you If you can say that God shines upon us now in present extraordinary mercies then we may feast I confess they are extraordinary mercies in regard of what wee may hope to be the event and effect of them but for the administrations of God towards us they are such as if ever they called for fasting they call for it at this day Therefore here by Gods works amongst us wee know we have Gods will revealed to us namely to fast the other at most is but mans institution and tradition Now the traditions of man must yeeld to the commandements of God With what conscience now can you take such a plentifull use of the creature and suffer your brethren to want cloaths and bread If God have yet granted to you such a comfortable estate that you have so much to spare as to feast know you are bound in conscience then to lay out that in relieving your brethren who have been so cruelly used therefore God brings them to you to be objects of your compassion It would be very acceptable to God if so much as any of you have usually spent in feastings or intended to spend in these twelve dayes you would set it now apart for the reliefe of those who want bread and set the time apart also for mourning in your families that God would pardon the sinne of these times formerly committed And now not only feasts in private Families should cease but the feasts of Companies in your publique Halls likewise What abundance of poor plundered people might be relieved if all that were spent in one yeere in the feasts of your companies were laid aside for their use These are times for mercy not for festivity if wee will not cease our feastings let us know God hath thousands of wayes to take away feasts from a kingdome and to bring cleanness of teeth among us I will take away their feasts saith the Lord. The main thing in
weeke the first of Sabbaths so the words 5. This Sabbath is called an everlasting Covenant by way of eminency as if nothing of Gods Covenant were kept if this were not Exod. 31. 16. Ye shall keepe the Sabbath for a perpetuall Covenant Yea 6. God puts a remembrance upon this day and not upon any other sabbath If a friend who would faine converse with you send to you three or four dayes or a wecke beforehand I pray think of that day I will come to you then and converse with you wee will enjoy communion together now if when he doth come he shall finde you emplyed in unnecessary businesses will he take it well God doth so with you saith God I desire to converse with your soules and I appoint you such a day think of it remember that day that you and I may be together and converse sweetly one with another if God finde you then occupied in unnecessary businesses he will not take it well This Sabbath the Jewes rejoyced much in and blessed God for it Nehem. 9. 14. as a great mercy And Philo Iudaeus speaking of the fourth Commandement saith It is a famous precept and profitable to excite all kinde of vertue and piety And the Hebrews say we must sanctifie the Sabbath at the comming in and going out and blesse God that hath given us this Sabbath Yea it is called by some of the Hebrews the very desire of dayes And Drusius telleth of a Jew who when the Sabbath dâ—y approached was wontto put on his best cloathes saying Come my Spouse c. as being glad of tharday as a Bride-groome of his Spouse It is not my worke to handle the point of the Sabbath-day or Lords-day now but to open it as we have it here in the Text to shew what kinde of Sabbath the Jews had onely observe this one thing about this Sabbath If you compare Numb 28. 9. with Ezek. 46. 4. you shall finde that the offerings in the time of the Gospel prophesied of were more then those were in the time of the Law In Numb you finde but two Lambes but in Ezekiel you finde six Lambs and a Ram for the Sabbath This by way of type shewes that in the setled times of the Gospell Gods worship upon the Christian Sabbath should be solemnized more fully then it was in the time of the Law The next is the Sabbath of yeeres and they were of two sorts There was one to be kept every seven yeeres and another every seven times seven every fiftieth yeere Every seventh yeer there was a rest of the land as every seventh day there was a rest of the labour of their bodies so every seventh yeere there was a rest of the land Exod. 23 10. Six yeeres thou shalt sow thy land and gather in the fruits thereof but in the seventh yeere thou shalt let it rest analye still rhey must not prune their Vines nor gather their vintage one yeere in seven The Sabbath of dayes signified that they themselves were the Lords therefore they ceast from their own labours But the Sabbath of yeeres the resting of the land signified that the land was the Lords at Gods dispose and that they were to depend upon the providence of God for their food in the land God would dispose of the land when they should plow and when they should sow and gather in the fruits thereof as he pleased We must acknowledge that is the morall of it to our selves that all lands are the Lords the fruit that we enjoy from the land it is at his disposing If any man should aske what should we eate that seventh yeere seeing they might not plow nor sow nor reape neither have vintage nor harvest The Lord answers them Levit. 25. 20. 21. I will command my blessing upon thee in the sixth yeere and it shall bring forth fruit for three yeeres God you see will not have any to be losers by his service Let us trust God then though perhaps you have now one yeer in which you have no trading People cry out Oh this twelve-month we have had no trading in the City we can get no rent out of the Country neither Do not murmure trust God It may be God hath beene beforehand with many of you you have had full trading formerly that may preserve you comfortably now If not before trust God for the next the Jews were faine to trust God every seventh yeer they had nothing comming in for one yeere in seven If once in all your life time God take away your trading upon extraordinary occasion do not murmure do not give lesse to the poore now I speak to those whom God hath blessed in former yeers so as that they are not only able to subsist but to give too See for this Deut 5. 9. Beware thou sayest not in thine heart the seventh yeere is at hand and thine eye be evill against thy poor brother and thou givest him â—ought and he cry unto the Lord against thee and it be sinne unto thee If now because you have not such a full Income as you were wont to have in your trading if a company of poore distressed plundered people come among you and desire your helpe if you deny to relieve them if they cry unto God against you it will be sin unto you Now this rest of the land was to put them in minde that there was a time comming when God will free them from labour Now they were faine to eate their bread in the sweat of their browes but God would supply them once in seven yeeres without the sweat of their browes in â—illing the land shewing that there was a time where in God would bring his people to such a rest that they should have full supply of all things without labour But further besides this there was a second thing in this seventh yeere all debts that their brethren owed to them were to be released Deut. 7. 15. it is called there the Lords release the Lord is mercifull to those that are in debt God knowes what a grievous burthen it is for his people to bee in debt it is indeed an inconceivable burthen rich men who are full-handed do not understand what a burthen it is for men to hang upon every bush to be in debt to every man they deale with they cannot sleep quietly they can have but a little joy and comfort in their lives the burthen is so grievous Now God in mercy to his people that they might not all their dayes goe under such a burthen and so have little joy of their lives therefore he granted this favour to them that once in seven yeeres their debts were to be released But it was the debt of an Hebrew Deut. 15. 30. Forraigners debts they were not bound to release By that wee are to learne this instruction that there should be more pity and commiseration shewen to those that are our brethren in the flesh or our brethren in
cleansed that God may be pacified in regard of the filth and uncleanness that hath cleaved even to them You are not in the day of a Fast onely to confesse your notorious sins to God those that in their own nature are sinfull but you are then to examine all your holy duties and to humble your selves before God and to seek to make peace with God in regard of the uncleannesse that hath been in them This few thinke of they 〈◊〉 the day of a Fast confesse such sins as are vile in themselves but to be made sensible of the uncleannesse of holy duties that is little thought of in the day of their Fasts 4. In their day of Atonement the Priest was to lay the sins of the congregation upon the scape goat The story of the scape goat was this The Priest must come and confesse the sins of the congregation laying his hand upon the head of the goat and then he must send this goat into the wildernesse The meaning is of great use to us Jesus Christ he is the scape goat and we are in the dayes of our humiliations to come and lay our hands upon Iesus Christ and to confesse all our sins over him and look upon all our sins as laid upon him Now the scape goat was to be sent into the wildernesse What is that That is sent into a land of forgetfulness so as the Iews should never come to see that goat again that their sins were laid upon it signified to them that their sins were now so forgiven them that they should never hear of their sins againe Thus are our sins upon Christ as we shall never come to see nor heare more of them In the day of our Fasts we should thus exercise our Faith upon Christ A fift thing that was to be done was to sprinkle the blood of the slaine goat upon the mercie-seat and before it It is the blood of Christ that is upon and before Gods mercie-seat that procures mercy from thence for us The sixt thing In the 16 of Leviticus ver 12. the Priest must take a censer full of burning coales of fire from off the Altar and his hanfull of sweet incense beaten small This he must doe in the day of Atonement to teach us That in the day of our solemne Fasts we must be sure to get our hearts full of burning coales from the Altar full of affection and zeale full of mighty workings of spirit to God although you that are godly and so are Priests to God at other times come with few coales from the Altar a little affection your affections are scarce heated but in a day of Atonement you must come with your hearts full of coales and be sure it be fire from the Altar doe not satisfie your selves in naturall affections then but be sure you be full of spirituall affections and then full of incense VVhat was that it typically represented our prayer you must be sure to have your hearts full of prayer to send up abundance of incense before God the incense must be of spiceâ— beatou small what is that the prayerâ— that we are to send up to God in the day of Atonement must come from much contrition of spirit our hearts must be beaten small to powder when the hearts of men are beaten to powder then they are able to send forth such incense as is a sweet favour in the nostrills of God Many of you in the day of a fast seem to be full of prayer but is this prayer a sweet incense to God or no how shall I know that by this God hath appointed the incense upon the day of atonement to be that that must come from spices beaten if thy heart be beaten to powder and thy prayers be but the savour and the odour of thy graces that are as spices and heated by the fire of Gods spirit then here is the incense that pleases God First graces which are the spices the contrition that is the beating small then the fire of Gods Spirit to cause the incense to rise up in the nostrills of God as a sweet savour Further a seventh thing in the day of atonement was the cloud of the incense must cover the Mercy seate ver 13. and then the blood both of the bullocke and the goate must be sprinkled upon the Mercy seate and that seven times and ver 15. the blood of the goat must be sprinkled not onely â—pon the Mercy seate but before the Mercy seate what is the meaning of this must our mercy seat be clouded in the day of atonement wee had need have it appear to us and not be clouded yes in the day of atonement it must be clouded but clouded with incense the incense that was sent up was a type of the sweet perfume of the merit of Jesus Christ Now in the day of atonement we must look up to the mercy seate as clouded with the merit of Christ clouded that is the merit of Jesus Christ round about it as a cloud and covering the Mercy Seat to teach us that no man must dare to look upon the Mercy Seat of God as it is in it selfe but he must have the incense of the merit of Christ round about it the reason was given why the Lord must have the incense as a cloud to cover the Mercy Seat lest hee die if he had entered into the holy place and there looked upon the Mercy Seat and not clouded by the incense he must have died for it those men that think to come into Gods presence and look upon God out of Christ and think to receive mercy from God out of Christ they die for it this is the damnation of mens soules to look upon God as mercifull out of Christ mercy is an attribute of God but if we dare who are sinfull creatures to looke upon this attribute of mercy and not have the incense of Christ merit it is the way to destroy our souls O how many thousands are in hell for this many who are afflicted for their sins and cry to God to forgive their sins and believe he is mercifull and think to exercise their faith upon God as mercifull and yet not looking upon the mercy seat as clouded with the merit of Christ it proves the destruction of their soules In a fast when you come to look upon God you must not look upon God as the Creator of heaven and earth or as mercifull in himself barely but look upon Gods mercy in his Sonne and so exercise your faith or else you can never make an atonement but rather will procure Gods wrath It is not only dangerous but horrible once to think of God without Christ sayes 〈◊〉 Again the blood of the Bullocke and the Goate must be sprinkled seven time 〈◊〉 the mercy seate when wee come to make our atonement with God we must exercise our faith in the blood of Christ and sprinkle it seven times again and again upon the mercy seat wee
power going along with them so lately bringing them over Jordan so wonderfully and given them Jericho so miraculously yet now at the losse of 36. men their hearts begin even to faile Ioshua falls with his face upon the earth and Josephus in his hystory of the Jewish Antiquities sets down Ioshuahs prayer at large these are some expressions Beyond all expectation having received an overthrow being terrified by this accident and suspitious of thy promises to Moses we both abstaine from war and after so many enterprises we cannot hope for any successfull proceedings by thy mercy relieve our present sorrow and take from us the thought of despaire wherein we are too farre plunged Now God comes to him and askes him Why he lay upon his face and bad him get him up for Israel had sinned in the accursed thing upon search made Achan was found out whereupon Joshua tells him that he had troubled the Hoast of Israel and God would trouble him upon which they stoned him and from thence it was called the valley of Achor vers 26. that is Vaâ—â—is tribulation is the valley of trouble The third thing is the principall why this valley is called a doore of hope Herein two things First how it was a doore of hope to Israel then when they first came into Canaan Secondly how it is promised to be a doore of hope to repenting Israel in after-times For the first It was a doore of hope to them in two respects First because it was the first place wherein they tooke the possession of Canaan when they began to have outward means of substance to eate of the corne of the land all the while they were in the wilderness although God provided wonderfully for them by sending them Manna from Heaven yet because they had no way of substance by ordinary means they always feared lest they should want upon any strait they were brought into their hearts began to sinke Now in this valley God gives them outward means this raises hope in them that their danger was over and that they should do well enough This is our nature when ordinary means fayle our hearts fayle yea though in regard of Gods extraordinary workings we have never so many gracious encouragements and when God grants means againe then we hope Secondly God made their great trouble there a means of much good unto them for by that they were brought to purge their Campe they learned to feare the Lord and were prepared more then before for so great a mercy as the further possession of that good land The Septuagint instead of those words a doore of hope have these to open their understanding for there indeed they learned the dreadfulnesse of God who for one mans sin was so sorely displeased there they understood to purpose that the God that was amongst them was a holy God and that he would have them to be a holy people But how should this valley of Achor be a doone of hope to Israel in after times First the Jews think that Israel shall return into their own country againe yea and the same way they shall come again into Canaan by that valley which shall be a door of hope to them Secondly but rather by way of Analogy as God turned this valley of trouble to much good unto them so he would turn all the sore afflictions of Israel in after dayes to their great advantage grievous afflictions should make way for glorious mercies Thirdly But especially thus in this expression God followes the Allegory of marriage now it was the custome of the Jewes in their marriages that the Husband gave his Spouse according to his quality as a dowry some peece of ground rich as he was able and this he gave as a pledge of his love to her to assure her that whatsoever was his she should have the benefit of it so saith the Lord although you have gone a whoring from me and may justly expect that I should for ever reject you yet I will marry you to my selfe and I will fully perform all marriage rights for the expression of my love towards you to the uttermost you shall know that you are marryed to a Husband who is rich I will give you a rich and plentifull dovvry and this but as a token and pledg of further love mercy riches that you shall enjoy by me it shall be that valley of Achor that rich delightfull fruitfull valley By this he means he would bestow some speciall choise mercy upon them at his first taking them into his favour again and that should be a pledg of and making way to much more mercy that he intended for them a doore of hope to let in greater things as the first fruits of all those glorious things that he had treasured up for them From this valley of Achor as it concerned Israel before First Sometimes when God gives men their hearts desires when they think themselves happy as if all trouble were past then he comes in upon them with great and sore afflictions Secondly although God hath been humbling mens hearts with sore and long afflictions yet just before he bestows great mercies he afflicts againe to humble and break their hearts yet more Thirdly sin will make the pleasantest place in the world a place of trouble Fourthly the afflictions of the Saints do not only go before mercies but are doors of hope to let in to mercies means to further the way for mercies God commands light to shine not only after darknesse but out of darkness Josephs prison Davids persecution Daniels den made way for glorious mercy God had in store for them that which once The mistocles said to his children and friends the Saints may much more say to theirs I had beene undone if I had not been undone had it not been for such a grieyous affliction I had never come to the enjoyment of such a mercy Hence we must learn not only to be patient in tribulation but joyfull But the especiall thing intended in this expression is this When God is reconciled to his people then present mercies are doors of hope to let in future mercies the Saints may look upon all mercies received as in-lets to further mercies to be received Every mercy a door to another mercy and all mercies here put together are a door to eternall mercy When Rachel had a sonne she called his name Joseph Gen. 30. 24. saying The Lord shall add to me another sonn Every mercy the Saints have may well be called Ioseph it brings assurance of mercy to be added this is the high priviledge of the Saints every mercy that a wicked man hath he may look upon as his utmost as his all he may write a ne plus ultra upon it one misery one judgment upon a wicked man makes way toanother but not one mercy howsoever God in his bounty may lengthen out mercies to him
Secondly that which is translated comming up out of the land of Aegypt For the word singing the Septuagint have it thus She shall be â—â—mbled A strange translation you will say how much different is it from this in our books She shall sing I find divers translate the word so she shall be humbled Cyril Theodoret and he caryeth it thus that she shall be humbled by the Assyrians as she was before humbled by the Egypâ—ians But certainly the words cannot be carryed so for it is spoken of ascending of coming up out of the land of Egypt But they might easily mistake in translating the words because the Hebrew word signifieth both humiliavit and it signifieth likewise ceâ—init and contavit both to be humble and to sing The Hebrews divers times by the same word set forth contrary things As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth both to blesse and to curse many there might be named in the same kind This word likewise that is translated singing signifieth and so it is translated by some Respondebit she shall answer and I finde a very excellent note from it in Cyril and some others Shee shall answer as in the dayes of her youth What answer did shee make Thus God in the dayes of her youth when she came out of Egypt did bring her to his Covenant and gave his land to her as Exod. 19. 5 6. Now therefore saith God if you 〈◊〉 obey my voyce indeed and keepe my Covenant then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people A sweet promise to all in Covenant with God that they shall be a peculiar treasure unto him above all people Now vers 8. All the people answered to gether and said all that the Lord hath spoken we will doe Thus they answered him in the days of their youth so some would carry it they should answer as in the dayes of their youth when they came up out of the land of Egypt as if the meaning should be thus whereas God in the dayes of their youth did tell them that if they woulâ— keepe his Covenant they should be a peculiar treasure unto him above all people of the earth they all with one consent answered All that the Lord hath spoken that will we doe So saith God when I shall againe convert them to my selfe I will renew my Covenant with them and upon the declaration of my Covenant to them they shall freely readily and wilâ—ingly answer Lord we accept of thy Covenant Thus it is carryed by some and the exposition is very sweet But we shall joyne both the significations of this word together both â—â—ing and to answer And that I take indeed to be the meaning of the Spirit of God they shal sing by way of answering Thus they were wont to sing â—lternis choris they were wont in their joyfull songs to answer one another his praecinentibus aliis succinentibus some singing before and some answering So that it was not a bare singing but a singing of a Canticum dramaticum or such a kind of song as they did answer one another in their singing And thus saith God shall be the melody of my people when I am again reconciled to them upon their repentance there shall be mutuall singing one singing to another and the others answering in a joyfull way The other word to be opened is that which is translated coming up out of the land of Egypt The word you have in your books came up it is ascended as in the day when they ascended up out of the land of Egypt And wee are to take notice of the manner of the expression because it will afford to us a profitable note anon They ascended out of the land of Egypt partly because Egypt was a Countrey that lay very low and in that respect they may be said to ascend But that is not the chiefe they were in a low condition they were in a state of bondage and in that regard they were said to ascend The second thing to be shewed is the scope what the Spirit of God aymeth at They shall sing as in the dayes of their youth when they ascended out of the land of Egypt Read it so and It is a further expression of the nuptiall solemnity that there should be between God and his people in the time of their reconciliation for so I have told you formerly that God goeth along in this second part of the Chapter in that continued Allegory to shew his bringing of his people to him in a way of marriage in a betrothing way which afterward is exprest more fully and all the way God expresseth it is in the manner of Nuptiall solemnities As if he should say Marriage is an ordinance I have appointed for mutuall joy and delight that the man and wife should have one in the other so I will bring you and marry you to my self and there shall be a great deale of joy that I will have in you and you shall have in me there shall be the singing of the Epithilamium the Nuptiall long between us there shall be a time of abundance of rejoycing between us when I shall take you again to my selfe Doe you think with your selves when was the greatest time of joy that ever you had in your lives Know I will bring you to as much joy as ever yet you had Looke what mercy you had when you came out of the land of Egypt and rejoyced in it you shall hereafter have mercies as great as that Did I then appear in a miraculous way to you I will do so again Had you mercies that were promised long before and rejoyced in them you shall have the like again Had you mercies that you a long time prayed for before you shall have the like againe Did Moses and Miriam goe before you in singing and you followed after there shall be the like time again when both Governours and people shall joyne together in singing and praysing the name of the Lord. This is the scope The third thing is what is meant by the dayes of their youth The dayes of their youth is the same that after wards is exprest and the day when they came up out of the land of Egypt that is the time when they were delivered out of bondage after they had passed through the Red-sea and had seen the great works of God in their deliverance then was the day of their youth Jer. 2. 2. I will remember the kindnesse of thy youth when thou followedst me in the wildernesse The time that this people were delivered from Pharoah and saw the great works of God in the wildernesse is the time of their youth in the time of their bondage they did not outwardly appear to be the Lords but when God manifested himself so gloriously in their deliverance then God did as it were take them again to be his people and they did seem as it were then to be born againe and the time of their
shall be much more glorious The last time this prophesie aymeth at is the great calling of the Jewes then the Scripture saith Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads they shall obtain gladnesse and joy and all sorrow and mourning shall flee away They shall so sing as never mourn more in this world in regard of any malice and rage of their adversaries This was not fulfilled at their return out of the Babylonish captivity therefore there is yet a time for the fulfilling of it and the Scripture is clear about the fulfilling it even in this world that place Rev. 21. 4. is a repetition of that prophecy he saith there God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and there shall be no more sorrow nor crying When Jews and Gentiles shall joyne together then they shall siug indeed to purpose as they did in the dayes of their youth when they came up out of the land of Egypt First it is a great mercy for people to be delivered from outward bondage It will be found a great mercy when the world shall be delivered from their outward bondage when men shall see they were born free-men and not slaves though Subjects yet not slaves when men shall see that the world was not made for twenty or thirty to doe what they list and they to account all the rest as beasts yea dogs as if it were not so much for the lives of thousands of them to goe as for their humours and lusts not to be satisfied but when men shall know that they are men and not beasts and so shall live like men and not like beasts to be at the will of others this will be a great mercy But to be delivered from Antichristian bondage is a greater mercy then it was for the children of Israel to be delivered from their Egyptian bondage For First when they were in the Egyptian bondage we reade not that their consciences were forced that they were forced at all to any false worship Pharaoh did not this but Antichrist forced to Idolatry Secondly Though Pharaoh layed heavy taskes and burthens upon them yet he did not kill them indeed at length they killed their first borne but the people of Israel themselves might have their lives still though with hardship But Antichrist thirsts for blood Papists are bloody men Thirdly It was the affliction of Gods people to be in bondage in Egypt but it was not their sin But to be in bondage under Antichrist is not onely an affliction but it is sin and that of a high nature too 4. Though they were under Egyptian bondage yet they were delivered from Egyptian plagues but those that are under Antichristian bondage shall come under Antichristian plagues Come out of her my people lest you be partaker of her plagues You must not think to escape so as they escaped out of Egypt if you stay in that bondage you will be involved in their plagues With what an eye therefore should we look upon those who would bring us into this bondage againe when God hath begun to give us a little reviving Jer. 37. 20. O my Lord the King saith Jeremy let my supplication I pray thee be accepted before thee that thou cause me not to returne to the house of Ionathan the Scribe lest I die there So let us ery to the King of heaven and earth O Lord our King let our supplication be accepted before thee since wee are begun to be delivered from that bondage doe not cause us to returne to that house againe The second is A reconciled condition is a singing condition When there is a harmony between heaven and the soul between God and a sinner there is a sweet melody indeed there may well be singing Esay 35. 10. The raâ—somed of the Lord shall returne and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads And Esay 44. 23. Sing Oye heavens for the Lord hath dâ—ne it sâ—out yee lower parts of the earth break forth into singing ye mountains We being justified by faith having peace with God saith the Apostle we not only rejoyce in hope of glory but we even rejoyce and boast in tribulation Having peace with God though war withall the world we rejoyce Thirdly It is a great mercy when Magistrates and people shall generally joyne together in praising God when they shall sing as they did in the dayes of their youth for that is the promise How is that Moses beginneth and Miriam followeth the leaders of Israel and then all the people joyne together and answer one another in their singing When that day shall come that God shall stirr up the hearts of Magistrates and great ones that there shall be singing Hallelujahs to him that sitteth upon the throne and the Lamb for evermore and when God shall generally move the hearts of the people that they shall answer one another in their singing and so joyne in a sweet melody this will be a blessed time indeed Now perhaps in one place there is singing and blessing God for what is done in another place there is cursing and cursing those that do sing Some mens hearts are rejoycing in the great things God doth other mens hearts fret and rage when they heare of the great works of the Lord this makes no melody in heaven Perhaps now in the family the Husband singeth and the wife frets perhaps the wife singeth and the malignant husband is inraged the servant rejoyceth and the master chafeth the children sing and the parents vex this is harsh musique This is our condition at this day there are better times coming when Moses Aaron and Miriam and all the people shall joyn in singing praise to our God 4. Thankfulnesse to God for mercy cannot be without joyfulnesse A grumbling pensive sadde dumpish disposition cannot be a true thankfull heart as it ought God will not accept in this sense of the bread of mourners It is grievous to the Spirit of God that we should be pensive and sad in the midst of abundance of mercies 5. They shall sing there There where at the door of hope in the valley of Achor You may remember in the opening of that valley of Achor I gave you what might be understood by it according to the most that is that God would make the greatest trouble and affliction of his Church to be a door of hope to bring mercy to them And if you take it in that sense here rises an excellent observation When God brings into straits yet if he shall sanctifie our straits making them means of good to us we have cause to rejoyce You have an excellent Text Isa 35. 6 7. For in the wildernesse shall waters breake out and streams in the desart and the paâ—ched ground shall become a poole and the thirsty land springs of water Those things that seem to goe most contrary to you I will work good unto you out of them saith God VVell what
his Son the Lord did hereby shew a stronger intense love unto justice then if he had damned tenne thousand thousand creatures Suppose a malefactor comes before a Judg the Judg will not spare the malefactor but requireth satisfaction to the law this shews that the Judg loves justice but if the Iudges own son be a delinquent and it appears before all the Country that the Iudg will not spare him but he must satisfie the law to the uttermost you will say the Iudge doth honour unto justice more in this then in condemning many other malefactors So when the Lord shall cast many thousands into hell there to be tormented for ever this sheweth that God loveth justice but when his own Son shall take our sins upon him but by imputation God will not spare him that is the very word of the Scripture He spared not his own Sonn saith the Text this declareth Gods love to righteousness more then if all the world had been damned Secondly suppose the sinner that is reconciled had been damned then the justice of God had been but in satisfying and never had fully been satisfied but in that way that God hath found out to save a sinner his justice is not only satisfying but it comes to be fully satisfied to have enough Now it is a greater honour to justice to be fully satisfied then to be in satisfying As for instance suppose a man be a Creditor to one who owes him five thousand pounds this man is poore and the utmost he can pay is but sixe pence or twelve pence a weeke suppose the Creditor should lay him in the Jayle untill he had payed all this man would be paying but would never be payed so long as the Debtor liveth but if another rich man should come and lay downe five thousand pound at once the man is presently satisfied Here is the difference between Gods satisfying his justice upon sinners and upon Jesus Christ God cometh upon the sinner he requireth the debt of punishment because he did not pay the debt of obedience God cast him into prison the uttermost he can pay is but twelve pence a week as it were that is but a little and thereforefore he must be still paying and paying eternally which is the very ground of their eternall punishment in hell because they cannot pay enough in any finite time Now commeth Christ and he fully payes the debt so that justice saith it hath enough it is satisfied this is the greater glory to the justice of God Thirdly If the sinner had been sent down to hell God had had the glory of his justice passively upon him hee should be for ever under the power and stroke of justice but in the mean time the sinner would have hated God for his justice and hated justice but when justice is honoured actively the sinner falleth down and acknowledgeth himselfe guilty putteth himselfe under the stroake of Gods justice and accepteth of the punishment of his iniquity now God is delighted more abundantly in this active way of glorifying his justice then if the sinner should have beene eternally in hell to have satisfied And now Devils and all wicked men must needs have their mouths stâ—pped for ever they cannot cry out of God becanse he will marry himselfe to such sinners this is mercy but where is his righteousness where is the glory of his justice here is an answer to them all though the Lord setteth his love upon vile sinners yet so as hee doth it in righteousnesse And this is a great encouragement to come in and believe as thus if the sinner be terrified with the apprehension of his sinne I see by them the wrath of God is incensed and infinite justice comes upon mee and I heare that crying for satisfaction this bids the sinner know likewise that God hath a way to satisfie infinite justice and yet to save thy soul he will marry thee unto himself and yet he will do it in righteousnesse And this is a mighty helpe unto a sinner against all faylings afterward a mighty establishment against a thousand objections the sinner may make against himself Thus we must seek to God when wee seek for reconciliation to be received againe when wee have departed from him whatsoever GOD doth for us hee must doe it in the way of righteousnesse as well as in the way of mercy Take this with you sinners if ever you have a pardon sealed unto you it must be sealed in the Court of justice as well as in the Court of mercy therefore thou needest not appeale from the Court of justice to the Mercy-seat for in that way of the mystery of godliness that there is in God reconciling himselfe unto a sinner there may be as much comfort in standing before the bar of justice as at the Mercy-seat that is by standing there in and through Christ for he hath made justice propitious to us and now it pleadeth to mercy for us And indeed this is the very work of Faith to go unto God this way when by Faith the sinner shall tender up unto God the Father the righteousness of JESUS CHRIST for an atonement and satisfaction for sins It brings the comfort of justification this way When you come to God in any other way but this it is but in a natural way not in a true evangelicall way A man by nature may know thus much that when he hath sinned he must seek unto God for mercy to pardon his sin or else he is miserable but to seek unto God for pardon with a price in our hand to tender up the merits of Christ for a satisfaction to Divine justice here is the mystery of faith faith is not onely to rely upon Gods mercy for pardon but this I see riches of grace in Christ and Christ my surety hath made an atonement hath laid down a price now by faith I tender up this unto God the Father and by this way I believe my soul shall be accepted in him What a mighty ingagement is this for us to be righteous with God the Lord betrotheth us unto himself in righteousnesse we should give up our selves to him in righteousnesse too O my brethren take this away with you what ever you forget If the Lord hath thus ingaged himselfe unto us in a way of righteousnesse and if it hath cost him so deare to shew himself righteous unto us what an infinite ingagement is this unto us to be righteous before him to glorifie Gods righteousnesse in our conversations I will doe it in righteousnesse and you shall have such a righteous heart as you shall never be a dishonour unto me before the people neither devils nor wicked men shal ever be able to upbraid me that I set my love upon such creatures as you because whatsoever you were you shall be now righteous When ever we expresse our selves to be the Spouse of Christ and be unrighteous in our conversations we upbraid Jesus Christ wee
are a dishonor unto him before Men and Angels what you the Spouse of Christ where is this ornament this bracelet of righteousnesse then whosoever Christ maryeth he putteth upon them this Jewel of righteousnesse Hee blasphems Religion which he seems to honour sayes Cyprian who makes not good in his life what he professes The Eighteenth Lecture HOSEA 2. 19. And in judgement and in loving kindnesse and in mercies IN Judgement Some Interpreters we finde make this and righteousnesse to be all one according to that Psal 33. 6. He loveth righteousnesse and judgement and so passe it over but we must not do so for wee shall finde much of Gods minde in this Others take judgement as divers times it is taken in Scripture for sanctification so they would make this promise sutable to that of Christ John 16. 10. 11. I will send the Comforter and he shall convince the world of sin of righteousnesse and of judgement that righteousnesse there is the same with that here judgement there by many Interpreters is understood of sanctification because the Prince of this world is judged the power of Satan is already broken he is already cast out of your hearts And they thinke to strengthen that by that place in Mat. 12. 20. He will not quench the smoaking flaxe nor breake the bruised reed till he send forth judgement unto victory that is untill he perfect the work of sanctification that it shall overcome corruption This text in Matthew is quoted out of Esay 42. 3. but there we have the words somewhat different there it is He shall bring forth judgement unto truth Now if that should be the meaning that by judgement is meant sanctification then we may learne an excellent note from the comparing these two Texts together that it is all one to bring judgement sanctification unto truth and to bring it unto victory when it is in truth it will certainly be in victory But we shall a little more examine this interpretation of Judgement presently for my part I do not think that it is meant either in this Text or in any of the Texts named Thirdly I finde others make this in judgement to be Gods judgement against the adversaries of the Church I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse I will deale with you in a way of righteousnesse and for your adversaries I will deale with them in a way of judgement you shall have judgement against them So I finde Luther carries it and he saith that judgement here is the second pearle of the Husbands ring he gives to his Spouse God promiseth to exercise judgement vengeance against the adversaries of the Church and so he applyeth it unto those times wherein he lived in Germany saith he for these many years wicked Magistrates have oppressed the Church and prophane Doctors have corrupted the doctrine of it but Germany hath seene God judging his adversaries And if we should understand it in this sense we have a sutable place Esay 54. 5. where God telleth his Church that He that is her maker is her husband even the Lord of hosts and her Redeemer the God of the whole earth the word there is Vindex the avenger he that will avenge thee of thine enemies is the God of the whole earth he is thy husband This might afford a sweet meditation that the Lord will defend his Church from the rage of adversaries as the husband will defend his Spouse being betrothed unto her the Lord certainly will take a valuable consideration at the hands of the adversaries who wrong his Church But this I thinke not to be the scope of the place Another is In Judgement Though things be now out of order all things seeme to be in confusion yet the time is coming when all things shal be ordered in the Church according to equity and right These two I thinke are meant in the former Texts I will convince the world of judgement that is the world shall be convinced that Christ hath all judgement committed unto him and he shews it in this that the Prince of this world is judged so that place before in Matthew I will cause judgment to returne unto victory that is though the adversaries of the Church be many yet he will cause them all to be vanquished judgement shal conquer over them all though there be much opposition and confusion in the Church yet I will bring all things in the Church to be ordered composed in a right way according unto equity That place likewise Esay 4. 4. where the Lord saith he will purge his Church by the spirit of judgeâ—ent and by the spirit of burning I know some carry it as if it were meant of the spirit of sanctification that is as fire to consume lusts but rather thus whereas there were such as did oppresse the Church by false judgement the Lord would cleanse the Church from wrong and oppression by giving a spirit of judgement unto those that should be the Officers of it and consuming the adversaries But yet I thinke we have not the full scope of this place I rather would pitch upon this as that which is more principally intended though the other may be in some degree included viz. I will betroth thee unto me in judgment that is there shall be a good reason for what I doe that which I will now do in betrothing thee unto my selfe shall not be out of rashnesse it shal not be done unadvisedly but with understanding with good deliberation I know what I do in it and I know what glory I shall have by it I will do it in judgement So I finde the word judgement taken in scripture Jer. 4. 2. Thou shalt sweare in truth in judgement and in righteousnesse In judgement that is when you sweare know it is a worship of God and you must doe it in judgement you must not only sweare in truth that is sweare to that which is true and in righteousnesse that is not to the wrong or prejudice of your neighbour for you may sinne in swearing though you sweare in truth if you have an intent to wrong any but thirdly you must sweare in judgment too you must understand what you doe that is when you take an oath you must know that it is not as the Ex Officio was to sweare to answer to every thing that shall be asked you but you must understand beforehand what you are to sweare to and so sweare out of judgement So saith God I will betroth thee unto me in judgement that is I have considered what I am to doe in this thing and I doe it out of judgement And for your parts when you shal come and close with me in this blessed conjugall union and communion you shall doe it out of jndgement too I will betroth you in judgement so as to make it appeare before the world that I had good reason so to do and you shall likewise close with me as you shall be able
depth swallowing up the greatest evill of sin or affliction If you should poure a paile of water upon the planchers in your chamber it seems a great deale of water like a little sea but take a paile of water and poure it into the deep Ocean and it is there swallowed up and appears nothing Our afflictions that are upon us and our sinnes in themselves appear great but when they come to be swallowed up in these bowels in these depths of Gods mercies in which he betrotheth himself unto us they are as nothing in comparison Therefore the Scripture hath such strange expressions of the wonderfulness of Gods mercies to his people in Christ The Scripture hath three notable words to expresse the fulnesse of Gods mercies in Christ The first is Ephes 2. 7. the abundant riches of his grace the riches that are cast in over and above The second word is in Rom. 5. 20. The grace of God hath been more then exceeding there is a second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And a third is 1 Tim. 1. 14. The grace of God was exceeding abundant it had a pleonasme asore yea but here is a super-pleonasme Here are three 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put upon Gods mercy to note the riches of the glory and depth of the mercy of God in Christ Secondly consider these mercies in the effects They set on worke all that is in God for the good of his people If there be any thing that Gods wisedome or power that all that blessednesse that is in GOD can doe for the bowels of mercy yerne toward thee and they will set all on worke for thy good if thou beest in Christ Yea further know that it is such mercy as it is the great designe yea the greatest designe that ever God had from all eternity to honour this his mercy to set out the infinite glory and the riches of this his mercy in Christ Certainly God had great designs in doing such great things as he hath done but above all the designs that ever God had in all his works that is the chief to glorifie the riches of his mercy in Christ They are indeed bowels of mercy when they are such as in the glory of which God attaineth his great designe in making the world he would never have made the world had it not been for that Fourthly They are the heart-blood mercies of JESUS CHRIST they are such mercies as are worth all the blood of Christ and his blood was certainely most precious blood when Christ sees any converted and brought home to him to be made a subject of Gods mercy hee thinks his blood well bestowed The text saith he shall see his seed and his soule shall be satisfied I have enough for all the blood I shedde Indeed I came from my Father and was made a servant a curse I suffered the wrath of my Father my blood was shed but if this be the fruit of it that such and such a soule shall have this mercy I have enough for all my blood I am glad that ever I shed it Yea God the Father is well pleased with it he thinks the blood of Christ but a valuable price to purchase such mercies as these As for all the glory of the world God can give that unto men that he hates to reprobates as Luther saith of the whole Turkish Empire it is but a crum of bread that the Master of the house throws to his dogs but when it cometh to his mercies in Christ they are such as are worth the blood of his Sonne that must goe to be the price for the purchasing of them 6. They are such mercies as God bestows on purpose that hee may declare to all eternity before Angels and all his Saints what God is able to doe for a creature to what a height of excellency and glory these infinite mercies are able to raise a poor creature unto These must needs be great Yea they are such as must be the object for Angels and Saints to admire at adore and magnifie the name of God for everlastingly What shall I say more in naming any fruits of these mercies Such mercies as whereas before sin made thee to be the object of Gods hatred it makes thee now to be an object of his pity God takes the rise from thy sin to shew his mercy Take heed of abusing it it is childrens bread that which I now speak let us not sinne that grace may abound God sorbid seeing thy sin cannot overcome Gods goodnesse let Gods goodness overcome thy sin Only let us learn to admire at these riches of mercy in Christ and let us exercise much faith about them Certainely wee should thrive in godlinesse much more if we did exercise faith in the bowels of God in Christ Those kind of fruits as your Apricocks and your May-cherries that grow up by a wall in the open sun-shine and have the hot reflection of the sun come to be sooner ripe have more sweetness then those that grow in shady places your grasse you know that is shaded by the trees in Orchards is sowre So that fruit that Christians bring forth under discouragements and dispairing thoughts is very sowre some things they do conscience hales them to duties but alas it is sowre fruit though it be better to doe what conscience requires then not for we must not go against conscience but to doe it meerly because conscience hales to it it is but sowre grasse But when a Christian can by Faith set himselfe before the Sun-shine of these mercies of God in Christ and continually live in the midst of the lustre of the grace of God in Christ he groweth ripe sooner and his fruit is sweeter You may know whether it be the Sun of righteousnesse or no that you are set in Doth your fruit grow ripe and is it sweet fruit Those who talke of mercy and of Christ who have the name of Christ in their mouths but is their fruit sowr does nothing come from them but crabbed fruit these men are not in the Sun they are blinde they cannot see the Sun they are but in a light of their own fancy and in a heat of their own making Ephes 3. 18. 19. The Apostle prayes for the Ephesians that they may be able to comprehend what is the bredth and length and depth height of the riches of God in Christ Marke the Phylosophers tells us but of three demensions but here are foure but what is the fruit of this And that you may know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fulnesse of God Here is the effect of it when we come to know the bredth and length and depth and height of Gods love and have that knowledge by the Spirit of God that passeth all naturall knowledg then we come to be filled with all the fulnesse of God Here now is a glorious Christian a Christian filled with all the fulnesse
being the universall good he must be worshipped alone without mixture There are two things wherein we must take heed of mingling The one is in Divine worship the other is in that great point of Justification It is as much as our lives are worth to mingle in either of these we must keep to the Rule very close and strict in these two rather then in any thing These people had both and God threatens they should be without both seeing they would not keep themselves fully to his institutions they should have none at all they should have neither Gods institutions nor their own VVe are this day much like to Israel In regard of our Civill state much confusion there is in that though not altogether so much as was in theirs And in our Church state wee are very like them we have neither the right way of worship nor the false in regard of the Government of the Church The false is cast away and profest against yet we have not the true Onely here is the mercy of God that we are inquiring after the true seeking the Lord and David our King The Lord give us hearts to inquire to purpose Those who understand the Septuagint shal finde that they translate these foure here Sacrifice Image Ephod and Teraphim by words that onely signifie the true worship and therefore for Image they put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Altar and for the Teraphim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Priesthood and for the Ephod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manifestation a word used for the Vrim and Thummim But the Hebrew is other wayes Sâ—crafice Image Ephod and Teraphim as in your bookes First then to enquire after that which was right the true worship Sacrifice and Ephod what that was and then the other Image and Teraphim Sacrifice They should have no sacrifice at all for since their Temple was destroyed they could never have any That is the reason that they pray with that mighty fervency of spirit that God would build the Temple again as I remember I formerly shewed you out of Buxtorfius Aedifica aedifica aedifica cito cito cito Lord build build build thy Temple in our dayes c. Because they knew they could have no sacrifice so long as their Temple was downe And this was a sad condition they were in this is their lamentable estate to this day they have not the legall sacrifices nor that which was typed out by them There were these three things in their sacrifices 1. Their tendring up of themselves to God the shewing their respect to him in that way he required that was in their Burnt-Offering 2. Seeking the expiation of sinne that was in their Sinne-Offering 3. Seeking for mercy and thanksgiving that was in their Peace-offering Now to have no sacrifice in either of these three kinds that is to have nothing to tender up to the high and blessed God to shew our respect to him to have no means to expiate our sins when we have offended him to have no way to seeke to God for mercy when we need nor to returne praise this must needs be a sad thing This the Jews have not for the present we have Christ who is to us all these the tendring up of him to God is the tendring the greatest respect to God that possibly can be the tendring of him is the expiation for our sins it is the seeking of whatsoever mercy we would have and it is our Eucharisticall sacrifice too for all our mercies But those who are without Christ are to this day without sacrifice they have nothing to tender up to God If thou wilt tender up thy estate thy body or thy liberty or thy name this is no sacrifice acceptable unto God except thou hast Christ to tender up to him and canst tender up all in him and through him then indeed God accepts of these When thou hast sinned what sacrifice wilt thou offer to God to explate thy sin all thy prayers thy teares are nothing except they come with this sacrifice Jesus Christ in him indeed a contrite heart is a sacrifice very acceptable to God But so long as thou art without Christ the judgement of the Iews is upon thee thou art without a sacrifice And without an Ephod By this he meaneth first that they should be without the Priesthood They should not have any Church Officers And secondly they should have no meanes to know the mind of God That is the scope which appeares thus First That by the Ephod is meant the Priests is cleare by that expression 1 Sam. 22. 18. where it is said that Doeg slew four-score five persons that did we are a limen Ephod that is four-score and five Priests Secondly Without the meanes of knowing Gods minde for the Vrim and the Thummim was upon the pectorall upon the breast-plate thas was fastned upon the Ephod So that when they were without the Ephod they must needs be without their breast-plate for the breast-plate was annexed to the Ephod and could not be used for the knowing the minde of God but onely by applying it to the Ephod 1 Sam. 30. 7. David said to the Priest Bring me hither the Ephod and David inquired at the Lord saying shall I pursue after this troope It was by the presence of the Ephod that he did enquire vvhat the minde of God was what he should do in this businesse that he was now about whether he should follow the troope yea or no. And the Text is very observable in the sixt verse you may see at what time it was that David was so carefull to make use of the Ephod to know the minde of God what he should doe he was in an exceeding distressed condition for Ziglag his owne City that he had the charge of was burnt and the men of the City were all in a fretting mood and talked of stoning him because the Amalekites had come in his absence taken away their goods their wives and children and burnt the Towne This is the condition of men in publique places if any thing fall out unsuccesfully the people are ready in rage to fall upon them this makes men in publicke places to be in a hard condition very dangerous and troublesome We had need pray much for them we are ready to envy those that are above us employed in publique services but considering what danger they are in how every thing that falleth out amisse otherwise then we desire the blame is presently laid upon them their condition is not so happy as we imagine This was Davids condition nay the Text saith that being in this condition he and the men that were with him wept so as they had no more power to weep their hearts were so broken yet in this sad and grievous condition he encourageth himself in the Lord his God and he calleth for the Ephod to enquire and know the mind of God what he should do in it You shall observe that
and make us look up to free grace not take us off from the practise of any but from relying upon any onely to rely upon free grace in Christ As this is the supernaturall seeking God so it is the most powerfull way of seeking him It is not enough to seeke God by vertue of a promise except vve seek him by vertue of Christ who is the foundation of all the promises VVe seek him because he is mercifull that is one way yea we seek him because he hath promised mercy this is a higher degree but we must go higher yet we must look to his Son in whom all the promises are Yea Amen otherwise though we seek him never so earnestly though we chalenge his promises and cry to him to remember his promises yet if we do not act our faith upon his Son wee may misse in all And herein we sanctifie that great name of God in that which is the great work of his his master-piece as we may say or the great designe hee hath to honour himself in the world here and everlastingly hereafter Certainely though God hath made the creature for his own glory expects we should honour him in beholding him in the creature yet the great design God hath to honour himselfe in and by is in that glory of his that is manifested in his Son to have the children of men behold this his glory and reflect it upon his own face except you give God his glory in this he cares not much for what soever glory you can give him otherwise You must not therfore expect when you seek God that you must have good things from him meerly because he is mercifull you must not thinke that the mercy of God serveth to eike out our righteousnesse Perhaps some will say it is true we are poor sinfull creatures and what can wee expect from God being fin full but we hope that God will pardon our sin and so will accept of the poor services that we perform This is the way that most goe they do as it were imploy Gods mercy in such a worke that God never intended it for that is they would make the mercy of God to eike out their owne righteousnesse and so both put together they think they will serve to be a means of atonement No you mistake Gods mercy the worke of Gods mercy is not this but it is to shew us our unrighteousnesse our misery our unclearnesse to shew us Jesus Christ to draw our hearts to him to emptie us of our selves that wee may wholly rely upon that righteousnesse that is by faith in him and tender up that to the Father for sanctification and attonement that is the work of Gods mercy when it hath this work then it hath the true genuine work indeed The fifth is why here added King True wee must seeke the Lord and Christ but why Christ the King The reason is because Christ in the latter dayes shall be fully honoured in his Kingly power they shall looke upon him not only as Prophet and Priest but as King Hitherto Christ hath bin much honoured in his Propheticall and Priestly office but not so much in his Kingly but in the latter dayes when God shall call home his people the Jewes then Christ shall be fully honoured in his Kingly office The Tabernacle of Christ was raised in the Primitive times according to that speech of St. James we had before Acts 15. 16. God shall raise the tabernacle of David hee puts it as fulfilled then but there is a time when God shall not only raife the tabernacle of David but the throne of David Christ the King shall appeare in glory Ezek. 37 24 25. And David my servant shall be King over them It was spoken upon the union that there should be between Judah and Israel then David my servant shall be King over them David was dead a great while before there is a time that David must again be King that is Christ upon the union of all the Tribes together And againe David shall be Prince for ever when they are brought againe into their owne land David shall be Prince over them for ever saith the Text surely this prophesie is yet to be fulfilled And Luke 1. 32. The Lord shall give him the throne of his father David and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever and of his kingdome there shall be no end I know we usually think that this is meant only of his spirituall reign but there is a mistake in it certainly there is to be a fulfilling of this prophesie in a reign that shall outwardly appeare before the children of men which will appea more in comparing this with other Scriptures Revel 11. 15. The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of the Lord his Christ and so he shall reign for ever and ever VVhy in a spirituall sense the kingdoms of this world are always the kingdomes of the Lord and of Christ but there is spoken of some famous notable time when the kingdomes of this world shall appeare to be the Lord and his Christs and then he shall reigne for ever and ever after another manner then now he doth Revel 3. 21. To him that overcometh will I give to sit with me in my throne as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne Mark this Text as one of the most notable of any wee have That kingly rule that Christ hath for the present is upon his Fathers throne he is not yet upon his own in comparison of what he shall be the kingdome that Christ hath now is the joynt reigne of him with the Father but there is a time for Christ to have a Throne himselfe Now that Throne of Christ it may be you will thinke it is in heaven at the day of judgement but we finde 1 Cor. 15. 24. that at that day he comes to refigne the kingdome the words do not seeme to import as if hee came to take it but that then hee doth give up the kingdome unto God the Father therefore there is a time for Christ himself to have a Throne with whom the Saints shall reign Matth. 21. 9. The children cryed out Hosanna to the sonne of David because they looked upon the sonne of David as one who was to reign In these latter dayes CHRIST shall breake the Kings of the earth who stand against him as indeed many yea most of the Kings of the earth have ever stood out to hinder this kingdome of his There will be a mighty shaking of the kingdoms of the earth when this shall be Heb. 12. 26. Whose voyce then shook the earth but now he hath promised saying yet once more I shake not the earth onely but also the heaven quoted out of Hag. 2. 6. 7. God in giving the law shooke the earth but he will shake the earth and the heavenâ— which some Interpreters expounds thus not only the meaner power of
people but the powers of Kings and Emperours the highest powers in the world whatsoever is lofty in the world shall be shaken when Christ comes to take the kingdom to himself the Father will set him King upon his holy hill Though the Kings of the earth set themselves and the Rulers take counsell together against the Lord against his Anoynted saying Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us he that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision then shall he speake to them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion yet have I done it though the kings of the earth and great ones of the world fret vex and rage and gather power together though they blaspheme and say he shall not raigne the Lord sitteth in heaven and laugheth at them let them do what they can and gather what strength they can oppose to the uttermost they can Yet will I set my King upon my holy hill This is acceptable news it is the joyfull voyce of the Gospel to tell you of Christs comming to raigne in the world Esay 52. 7. How beautifull upon the mountaines are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings What are those good tidings this tidings that saith unto Zion Thy Godraigneth This is the triumph of the Church Esay 33. 22. The Lord is our judge the Lord is our law-giver the Lord is our King for then shall the Churches be delivered from the oppression of all Tyrants in the world And this Kingdom of Christs shall indeed be like Davids kingdome Christ shal be David the King I might shew you the parallels in many things but I will only parallel the kingdome of Christ and of David in these two particulars First David of all the Princes that ever were was one of the most gentle he was exceeding loving and sweet unto his subjects that you shal finde 1 Chron. 28. 2. Then David the King stood up upon his feet said he are me my brethren and my people Marke how a King speaks speaking to his people he stood upon his feet and said heare me my brethren and my people Thus the kingdome of Christ is set out to us Psal 45. 4. In thy Majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meeknesse Christ shall be a most meeke King hee shall not be a bloody King to his people he shall not be a King â—â—â—ing in viòlence and harshness so as not to care for the love of his people his singer shall not be heavier then the loynes of others but he shall rule his people with all gentleness Therefore the government of Christ is set out 〈◊〉 a sheâ—he 〈…〉 leading those that are with young 〈◊〉 â—his David David and CHRIST are parallel Psal 78. 70. 71. He chose David his servant tooke him from the sheep-folds from following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people and Israel his inheritance So the Kingdome of Christ Esay 40. having spoken ver 9. of the glad tidings of the Kingdome it followeth He shall feed his flocke like a shepheard he shall gather the lambs with his arme and carry them in his bosome and shall gently leade those that are with young When Christ shal raigne he shal have great respect to the good and comfort of his people over whom heraigneth he shall not raigne over them without regard to their liberties and what may be for the comfort of their lives the good of his people and his own glory shall be put both in one Secondly David their King in regard of faithfulnesse David was exceeding faithfull to his people and therefore the mercies of God in Christ are called the sure mercies of David because David was found faithfull before the Lord. Psal 45. 4. is the Prophesie of Christs Kingdom the Text saith In thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousnesse there shall be righteousness in the Kingdome of Christ This is a blessed thing when we may confide and fully venture our estates liberties and our lives upon the promises of those who are above us VVe know how many there are about great personages to take them off from those things that they have promised though never so seriously and with never such solemne protestations to performe them I will give you a story or two remarkable for this to shew what danger people have been in when they have confided upon the promises of Princes when there have beene those about them that endeavoured to take of their hearts from performing what they had ingaged themselves to You shall finde in the life of Edward the sixth this story The King sends his Letters to London in the behalfe of the Duke of Somerset the then Protector there were divers of the Lords rose up against him thinking he did oppresse the people and they sent the same time their Letters to London for their aide and assistance hereupon there was a Common Counsell called in the City and amongst them there was one that the story saith was a wise and an honest man one George Stadlowe and he speakes thus to the Counsell I remember saith he a story written in Fabians Chronicle of the wars between Henry the third and his Barons at which time the Baronsdemanded aide of the City of London as our Lords do now and that in a rightfull cause for the good of the Common-wealth for the execution of divers good lawes against the King who would not suffer those lawes to be put in execution and the City did aide them and it came unto an open bartell and the Lords prevailed against the King and tooke the King and his sonne prisoners and upon certaine conditions the Lords restored the King his son again to their liberties amongst other conditions this was one that the King should not only grant his pardon to the Lords but also to the Citizens of London which was granted and the condition of their accommodation of peace were ratifâ—ed by act of Parliament but saith the story what followed of it was it forgotten no surely nor forgiven neither during the Kingslife the libeties of the Cities were taken away strangers were appointed to be our head governours the Citizens their bodies and goods were given away and so from one persecution to another they were most miserably afflicted Again in the history of Queen Maries time we find that Qeene Mary because there was some dispute about her comming to the Crowne at that time she went down into Suffolke to the place where the Duke that then rose up for another was most hated and she being at Framingham Castle the Suffolke men came to her and promised their â—ide upon condition that she would not attemp the alteration of Religion which her brother King Edward before had established she promised them there should be no innovation of
deliverance of it Iam periculuâ— paâ— animo Alexitiri Obser Afflictions should raise our hearts Obser Obser The godly are pretious seed Filibatur nomen ejus The wicked are corrupt seed 1. 2 3. That place Dan. 12. 2. opened not understood of the generall resurrection at the last day and why 6. 7. 8. Ego autem qui sunt per omnia orthodoxae sententiae Christiani c. Vt jam nostra haec tempora quibus iniquitas malitia usque ad summum gradiâ—m crevit soe licia prope aurea possint judicari Si tum forte suâ—rint boni undeque practae sint scelâ—ratis ac divexentur soli autem mali opulenti sint boni vero in omnibus contumeliis atqùe in egestate confundetur omne jus leges peribunt nihiltunc quispiam habebit vi omnia possialebunt Lactant. l. 7. c. 15. 2. Romannm nomen horet animus dict re sed dicamqâ—ia futurum est tollâ—tur de terra Lactant. l. 7. c. 15 .3 Lect. 7 Terra aperiet fâ—cunditatâ—m suam ubâ—rrimas fruges sua spontâ— generabit rupes montium meâ—â—e sudabunt perrivos vina decurrent fâ—umina lacte inundabunt ominù natura Letabitur erepta liberata a dominio mali impietatis eroris non hestia per hoc tempus sanguine alentur non aves praeda sed quieta placid a crunt omnia Lactant. l. 7. c. 4. Tunâ— qui erunt in corporibus vivi non morientur sed per mille annes infinitam multitudinem generabunt evit sâ—boles eorum sancta Deo charre Lactant. ibid. In the evening time it shal be light Exhorâ—at to come in to embrace godliness to joyâ—e with the Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser A good thing to speak of Gods loving kindneâ—â—â—â— 1 〈◊〉 ct So disconâ—se of Gods mercies as our hearts may be sanctified by that discourse Chap. 2. Esa 9. 8 Obser Obser Obser Leâ—ct i Obs 1. Obs 2. Reliqui mihi septem milliaonon ait relicta sunt vel reliquerâ—nt se sed reliqui reliquiae per electionem gratiae August de bono perfev l. 2. c. 18. Obs 3. Obs 4. Turpe est doctori cum culpa redarguit ipsum Obs 5. Obs 6. Obs 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obs 1. Obs 2. Idolaters hardly convinced Obs 4. Obser 5 Obser 6 Obser 7 Children may plead with parents Amandus Generator sed praeponendus Creator Obs 9. We must endeavour the good of the publique Obs 10. Obs 11. private members may in some cases plead with the whole Church One man may prevail against many Hactonus verba audivi verba rededi sed cum divina virtâ—â— accessit ultra râ—spondore non potui * Conteâ—â— neretur ecclâ—siae Christi sivel vnum puellum ejus divino Spiritu lequentem non audiremus etiamsi totus orbis illi reclamet Orcolam padius Object Ans Quest Ans No pride but selfedenyal to plead against the sinnes of others Obj. Ans The truth is not alwayes seen best where there is greatest natural abilities no nor alwayes where there is most 〈◊〉 Mit. 11. 25 1 Iohn 5 16. 1. Rules to be observed by private Christians who plead with the Church 2. 3. No Officer in a Church member be he never so great but he may be pleaded against by a private member 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Private people must take heed they abuse not their liberty Obj. Ans When a Church comes to be unchurched A Chuch may continue a true Church though with much mixture A Church may remain a true Church yet so corrupt as in some cases we cannot have communion with it 3 Cases In a cases though I may have communion yet I may noâ—â—oyne as a constant member Obser Pleading must not befor contention but for reformation Quest This may be known 1 Cor. 54. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioshus 22. 33. Obser Lect. 2. Hope for mercy even when God seems most to reject Peoples perversness against Ministers threatning Gods wrath against sin Obser While exhortation continues there is hope Geminatio apud Hebraos auget Ibiveâ—ae viae quibus ab utero ad mamillas accessio fit Ille cultus scilicet vtl ornatus in auro argento gemmis vestibus deputatur iste in curae eapilli cutis earum parâ—ium corporis quae oculos trahunt alteri ambitioni crimen intendimus alteri prostitutionis Tertul. de hab mul. c. 4. Iudicabunt vos Arabia soeminae Ethnica qua non caput sed facâ—em quoque ita totam tegunt ut uno ocuâ—loâ—liberato contentae sint luce frui dimidia potius quam totam facienâ— prostituerâ— Tertul. de vel virgin cap. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Cyril in Hol. c. 2. In what sense Israels father is an Amirite and mother an Hittite Obser Obser Lect. 1. Thy navil was not cut what is the meaning of that Strabo l. 15. AElian variar Hist li. 11. Ne cui Thebano licâ—at infontem expouere Nunquam apud eos infans natus exponitur Lect. 2. Portenta diabolica pâ—nenumero Egyptiaâ—â— vincâ—ntia Lect. 1. Obs 2. Obs 3. Obs 4. Lect. 2. Gifts of hypocrites will vanish Obs 5. Who they are that bring evill upon the nation Lect. 1. Obser 6. It is time for every one to appeare in times of danger Obs 7. Lect. 2 GODS works will convince when his word will not Obs 8. Obs 9. A sad condition for one advanced high to bee brought down low Obser Wee must lay to heart our low coudition wee once were in Asperius nihil est humilicum surgit in altum Lect. 1. Lect. 2. Lect. 3 Psal 133. 3 Anima Idololatriae dedita nullos profert fructus est que inutilis prorsus ut desertum in quo nihil noscitur Vatab. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psalm 1. 3. Obser Sin layes wast Countryes Cum in fu ga aquam turbidam cadaveribus inquinatam bibisset negavit unquam se bibisse ju cundius â—unquam scilicet ut Cicero lib. 1. Tuso aiit sitiens bibisset Obser God brings wicked men into straits and there leavs them destitute of all succour Obser Wrath upon the wiâ—ed is pure wrath with out mixture of mercie Iudgments upon the wicked at times most unseasonable for them God proportions afflictions to his childdren but not to the wicked Hos 7. 14. Ezek. 8. 18 Lect. 3. Gods judgments against people as well as against Governors and why 2 Sam. 24. 1. Much depends now upon the people Obser Obser little hope of children ill educated Obser Obser When judgements are abroad let the children of whoredoms not the children of the Bride-chamber feare Revel 9. 21. Chap. 16 9. 11. Obser succession for siâ—ne iâ— dreadfull Qui peccat coram puero his peccat pudef aciens The Saints must take heed they be not a shame to Christ Wicked parents are a shame to their children Lect. 4. Obs Every one should have such an affection towards
thâ— Church and State as children towards the mother Obser Sin causeth shame False worship 〈◊〉 shamefull thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The more full of beauty Gods Ordinances are the more shamefull it is to decline to waves of false worship Obser Omnes libros tam veteris tam novi testamenti nec non traditionis ipsas pari pietatis affectâ— ac reverentio suscipit ac veneratur Idem honor debetur imagini exemplari Governers and parents must take heed of putting their servants 〈◊〉 children to too much 〈◊〉 Obser 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser Aelianus variar historâ— Bodily and spirituall whoredom makes men very wilful in their uncleannesses Obser Ego in ea opinioâ—e sum Monarchias longe diutius duraâ—uras sâ— Monarchae hoc unum pronomen Ego omisissens Luther in Psal 127. Tolle voluntatem non erit infernus Bern. It s a fearefull iudgement for a man to hee given up to ones owne will Professed wickedness is shamefull wickedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adaras Iovis aut Veneris adorare ac sub Aâ—tichristo fidem occul tare Zuin. ep 3. It is not enough to have goodnesse at the heart but we must professe it Ans 1. Association with those of a different Religion is dangerous Obser Wee must keepe good thoughts of God Obser If we prize Christs love hee will prize ours Obser 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser The enâ—es of false worshippers are very low and meane A true child of Abraham hath a high spirit Obs Men love that Religion that brings them most corne and wine c. Fac me pontificem et Christi anus â—ro Novi hominâ—m non ex vna canoni catu nebilem commonstrantem digito delicatiorem penem vin m quod prestan iâ—simum erat oppositum haec in quit sunt quae faciunt ut hoc vitae genus dejerere non libeat Triobojare Beneficium Magis soliciti de meroquam de vero 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 magis amantmâ—n di delitiâ—s quam Christi divitias Obser It is a shamefull thing to subiect Religion to corn wine and flaxe and wool â—ermâ—ns illa bestia non curaâ— aurum Quasi vero deus nolit darelanem ecclesiae suae aut satius sit asathana peâ—era Obsre Prosperâ—ty in evill wayes hardens Obs God reserveth propriety in all that he giveth unto us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vadam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 persequa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sâ—udiose quaâ—rensâ— Summae conatuam bulatione pedibuâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser Isa 27. 4 ver 9. The difference of Gods aims in afflicting his Saints from his aims in afflicting the wicked Obs 1. There remains much of slaviâ—h disposition in the godly Obser God studies what may do his people good Obs A mercy to have stumbling blocks laied in the way of sin O inâ—aelices et miseros quando relinquit Deus homiones sibi ipsis nec resistiâ— eorum fureri et cupiditatibus sed vae illis ad quorum peccata conniveâ— Deus Luther Obser Much brutishness remains in the hâ—arts even of the godly Obser 2. Obser 3. Afflictions are â—ods hedges If our way be Gods wee must breake through all difficulties Obser Wicked men will suffer much for their lusts Obs God keeps many from thit sins in a way of violence whether they wil or no. Obser Obser God strikes wicked men with blindnesse It is a good blindnes not to find the paths of sinne Obs Obser Obs Obs Obser When wee cannot enjoy all ordinances vet our hearts must be working after them Obs Obs Cum ne mi ni ob trvdi po test itur da me Obs God accepts of us when we come to him in our affliction Obser Rom. 6. 21. Nothing got by departing from Christ Obs Object Answ Humiliation must go before reformation Obs Lect. 6. In vaine to be humbled except we reform Obs The reasonings of heart in a repenting Apostate Obser Obser Pro. 14. 14. Lect. 6. Apostates seeming mercy must observe three things Examination whether times before were better then they are now The weakness of the argument taken from the opinions and practises of learned godly men Creâ—o vera purfecta fide quod Deus creator gubernator susteu ator sit omnium creaturarum quod idem ipse operatus siâ— omnia operetur adhuc inaeternam operaturus sit Buxtorf synag Iudaic. c. 1. Benedictus sis Domine Deus noster rex mundi quod fructum vitis condidisti Synag Iud. c. 7. Benedictus esto Deus qui dulcia bene volentia crearis c. Buxtsynag Iud. cap. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What Baal was Obs God provideth for the bodies of his people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Si opus est corni paâ—e si opus est aqua si open est vinâ— si opus est nummo si opus est jumento a Deo petere debet nan a daemoniis idolis qui Deo sitiunt undi que debent sitire anima carne Nunquid animam tuam Deus fecit carnem damonia fecerunt qui fecit ambas res ipse pascet amlias Aug. in 〈…〉 longeth for thee 〈…〉 Obj. The greatest man in the world must beg his bread at Gods gate every day Obs The sweetnesse of a comfort is that it comes from God Obs Many and great are Gods unknown mercies Scire tuum nihil est nisi te scire hoc sciat alter Obser We know no more then we lay to heart philosophi sumus factis noâ— verbis nec magna loquimur sed vivimus Cypr. de patientiâ— Mat. 11. 27. Hoc morbo didici quid sit peccatum quanta majestas Dei Gasper Olevianus Verbâ— sensus denotant affectus Obs Affected ignorance is no excuse Graviter O homo peccas si divitias dei longanimitatis contemnis gravissime si ignoras Ambroâ— Obser Obs Obser Prosperity makes men grow wanton Obser Obs An evill thing to fight against God with his own creatures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obs Obs Lect 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser 1 Obs 2. Abuse of mercies causes God to take them away Obser 4 Gratiarum actio ipsa confessio donum est acceptum quanto magis ipsa dona Luther postquam locuplitati sumus bane â—idesam particulam addimus ego geci Obs 5. When God takes away a mercy then conscience troubles foâ— the abuse of that mercy Obser 6 Obs 7. wrath from God when wiked men least think of it Obs 8. how far wicked men have right to the creature Obs 9. Substantiâ— caro nostra incorporetur Sanctis nt in â—is ad gloriam resurgat non peccatoribus in illis enim resurgâ—t ad â—ehenam Obser 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser Prosperity hides much filth Obser Lect. 6. Reâ—taining some good covers much evill Obser Obser Lewdnes of men must be discovered
the worke of the Saints should be to stirre up their graces and to breake thorough the hedge though they be pricked and their flesh torne that is their excellency that they can breake thorough those difficulties faith will carry through all difficulties in Gods wayes Therefore here is the triall when I meet with difficulties I must not forbeare because there are difficulties but I must examine Is it the way of God or not If it be the way of God then lay aside the thought of difficulties if I have a rule for it let the difficulties be never so many and the hedge never so thicke yet I must breake through and God is so much the more honoured by it but on the otherside if upon examination I finde the way I am in is not warrantable by God then I must know that Gods end in laying difficulties in the way is to stop my going on in it and it is desperatenesse in me to seeke to breake thorow in seeking to break thorow I may break my neck therefore I must look to it that I have warrant from God for those waies I am in Oh that men would think of this when they meet with difficulties in their wayes I might shew how the Saints have many times met with difficulties in their wayes and yet have gone on with strength That of Jacob is one of the most famous examples we have in the Book of God the difficulties he met withall and that in the way that God himselfe bad him go in God bade him returne to his Father Isaac and yet he met with sixe or seven prodigious difficulties that one would have thought should have made him doubted whether he was in Gods way or not and have caused him to returne back againe First Laban pursueth him and intends mischiefe gainst him and Esau he in that journey comes to meet him with a purpose to destroy him his wives nurse dyed and Rachell her selfe dyed in that journey he had his daughter Diana defloured his two sonnes committed that horrible wickednesse in murthering the Sechemites All these fell out in Jacobs journey he might have said Am I in the way that God would have me Yes Jacob was in his way hee had an expresse warrant from God to goe that journey Difficulties therefore must not discourage us but we must breake through them especially in these times It were a low and poor spirit to be kept from a good way because of â—â—ew thorns because of some difficulties that we meet withall in the way If we know it be Gods way goe through it in the name of God let the difficulties be what they will But if they be not warrantable by God let the difficulties we meet withall stop us for God intendeth them to be a hedge to keepe us from sin Againe it should make us be content when any affliction befalls us why because it is more then we know that God intends abundance of good to us It may be if this affliction had not befallen thee thou hadst undone thy self If this affliction that thou doest sor riggle to get out of and thinkest thy selfe so miserable under it if it had not befalne thee thou mightest have faln into the pit and beene lost therefore be not troubled so much at the affliction but examine whether it be not a hedge that God hath set to keepe thee from a further misery But it seemes that this will not serve there must be a wall as well as this hedge Hence the observation is this The perversnesse of mans heart is such that he will breake through many difficulties to get unto sin We reade of Idolaters who would cause their children to passe through the fire to their Idols that was more then a hedge of thorns We see it often that mens hearts are so strongly bent upon their sins that though it were to passe through a great deale of trouble though they prick and tare themselves yet they will have their sin As that notable story that Ambrose tells us of of one Philotimus who brought his body to grievous diseases by uncleannesse and drunkennesse and the Physitians told him that if he did not abstain he would certainly lose his eyes there was no help for him as soone as ever he heareth this he answereth thus Valeat lumen amicum Farewell O pleasant light rather then I will deny my self in this I will never see light more he would venture the losse of his eyes rather then lose the satisfaction of his lusts Thus it is with many O what do they venture for their lusts What an argument should that be to us to venture much for God to indure hard things for the blessed God though there be some hardship between us and our duty breake through all to get to that duty wicked men will break through great difficulties to get to their sins There need be a wall as well as a hedge VVell if there be need of a wall I will have a wall saith God I will wall up her way though she may make a shift to breake downe the hedge she shall not breake down the wall it is too strong and too high Hence the Observation is God when he pleaseth will keepe men from their sinnes in spight of their hearts they shall not have their way they shall not have their desire do what they can VVhen God sees Men set upon their wicked desires if they be those that belong not to him perhaps God may damne them for their wicked desires and yet they shall not have them neither they shall goe to hell for them and never come to accomplish them Saul how desperately set was he to mischiefâ— David but God made a wall that he could not get to have his desire doe 〈…〉 Many especially great Men how strongly are they set upon their desires they must have it and they will have it and they must and must nothing commeth from them but must and will well they may be deceived God knoweth how to crosse the most stubborn and stout hearts that live upon the earth that they shall not have what they would have in this world I will make a wall God doth thus make a wall about mens sinnes by sending sore and heavy afflictions as about the drunkards way when God brings some grievous disease upon his body perhaps he is so stopped that he cannot drink that is a wall about his sinne that he cannot goe to it according to his desire so the unclean person God brings such a disease upon him that hee cannot have the pleasure of his lust though hee would never so faine so when God brings poverty upon others that they caunot follow their ambition and pride doc what they can these are as walls to them but God doth not alwayes doe this in a way of mercy I will make a wall First a hedge and then a wall Hence observe when lesser afflictions will not serve to keep
effect of righteousnesse quietnesse and assurance for ever and my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation and in sure dwellings and in quiet resting places See how the Holy Ghost addes one word to another to shew that true peace is in the wayes of righteousnesse When mens counsells for peace are crooked counsells when they seek to company for their own ends when the honour of God is not their chiefe ayme it is just with God to dash all their counsels Esay 59. 8. The way of peace they know not saith God there is no judgement in their goings they have made them crooked paths whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace Wee know the going of the serpent is a crooked going it windeth up and downe so many of our Counsellours of peace have gone like the serpent winding up and down in their carnall policies they have not studied reformation but have gone in crooked paths and therefore they have not brought forth the true effects of peace But one place more Jer. 31 22. 23 there the Lord speaks concerning his people when he was about to deliver them from captivity How long wilt thou goe about that is you doe not goe on the right way you compasse about you have fetches because you meet with difficulties in your way you thinke by this and the other meanes to avoid troubles but you shall goe on by a right line what followeth The Lord blesse thee O habitation of justice and mountaine of holynesse Apply your counsels that way to be the habitation of justice and the mountaine of holinesse and the worke is done execute justice upon Delinquents that are in your power and set up the Ordinances of God in the right way of worship this is the way of peace but all this while you have gone about Oh that the Lord would deliver our great Councellours from going about They shall lye down safely Hence the note is onely Gods great peace bringeth safety if we patch up a false peace upon base unworthy terms we must not thinke to lye downe safely but when God promiseth peace a fruit of the Covenant then it followes they shall lye downe safely And I suppose none of you would have any other peace but such a peace as you may lye down safely and how is it possible do you think to lye downe safely except the Lord destroy the evill beasts out of the land Levit. 16. 5. I will give peace in your land and you shall lye down none shall make you afraid and I will rid evil beasts out of the land What is the end of our war at present but to rid the evill beasts out of the land that so we may lye downe safely Can you thinke to dwell safely so long as so many evil beasts are in the land so exasperated in the highest of all their rage Certainly if a false a patched up peace should be made we were in a mosticle hazardous condition especially those who have appeared for the Cause of God those who have shewed themselves most faithfull can they lye down safely in the confidence of such a peace If you have the hearts of true English-men you would never desire any other peace but such as that you and your brethren your Ministers those Worthies in Parliament and all that have appeared for you might lie down safely Acts 27. 13. 14. we reade of a soft south-wind that did blow but the Text saith that not long after there arose a tempestuous wind called Euroclydon So if we have a false peace it may blow as that south wind did softly and still but certainely the Euroclydon the most terrible East-wind will follow after 2 Chron. 20. 30. Jehosaphat was quiet for his God gave him rest Suppose we should be quiet and our owne base counsells and our own complyances should give us rest our quiet would never be security to us there will follow dismall things afterward but then is a people quiet safely when we have the peace of God together with the God of peace Phil. 4. 7. The peace of God which passeth all understanding keepe your hearts c. Then presently ver 9. The God of peace shall be with you We would be loth to be without the God of peace then let us be loth to have any peace but the peace of God You all desire Peace and so the adversary pretendeth take heed you be not deluded with vaine words that which is your end in your thoughts is their means to drive on their designes and what good will such a peace doe you you will be no more secure then you are nay your danger will be far greater Lastly It is Gods owne gift to his people to lie down safely this is a further blessing then to have the sword and bow broken We may be delivered from our enemies but the Lord may afrighten our consciences with visions in the night hee may terrifie us a thousand wayes and take away our security therefore he addeth this I will breake the bow the sword and then I will make thee lye down safely This is a precious mercy it is recumbere faciam in fiducia dormire faciam fiducialiter I will make them lye down in trust and confidence that is to go to bed without any feare of evill to befall us afore morning We little thinke what a mercy this is we have many nights lain down safely and slept quietly and have risen up comfortably you have little thought of the giving God the glory of this mercy Many of our brethren in divers Countries would prize such a mercy now when they goe to bed they are afraid of every little noice and can scarce have a nights sleep but are scared with Alarums What would some of our brethren give for one nights rest in safety that when they goe to bed they might say Well I hope this night I shall have quiet rest I shall not be troubled in my sleep In many places they are faine to sleep in the day and to watch in the night It is true here in the City you can go to bed sleep quietly rise quietly Oh think of those that want this mercy and give God the glory of it while you have it It is a mercy of God a great priviledge for the Lord to quiet our spirits in these dangerous times in these trembling dayes when every mans hands are upon his loyns Many who are free from their adversaries yet through the timerousness of their spirits they cannot have one nights quiet they turmoyle themselves without own thoughts Oh what will become of us hereafter It may be the enemies will come and we shall lose our lives and all will be rent-from us and this makes them that they cannot lye downe safely though danger be not yet neere them but when God is pleased to quiet the heart in the most troublesome times of all that you can lye down securely this
is a choyce mercy it is a fruite of the Covenant This mercy the Lord promiseth Pro. 3. 23. Then shalt thou walke in thy way safely thy foot shall not stumble Mark the 24 ver When thou lyest down thou shalt not be afraid yea thou shalt lye down and thy sleepe shall be sweet be not afraid of sudden feare for the Lord shall be thy confidence c. This made good to one in these dayes is a Text worth gold indeed So Ps 107. 3. So doth the Lord give his beloved rest others they labour and toyle and they eate the bread of carefulnes and are mightily perplexed but so doth the Lord give his beloved rest that is the Lord takes away care and thought from his beloved and gives them rest so that they can lye downe quietly as it were in his bosome There is a false â—est and security of the wicked when they make a covenant with death and with hell as Esay 28. 16. Ye have said we have made a covenant with death with hel when the overflowing scourge shal passe through it shall not come unto us for we have made lyes our refuge and under falshood have we hid our selves This text is as proper a text to our adversaries as any I know in the Scripture they promise to themselves all security and safety they make a Covenant with hell death but how they make lyes their refuge and under falshood have they hid themselves Here is a security and it is by a covenant with hell death but this Text holds forth a lying down safely by vertue of another Covenant even the Covenant of God therefore it followes ver 16. Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone a tryed stone aprocious corner stone a sure foundation he that believeth shall not make haste It is an Observable Text concerning our times there is a security upon that ground the overflowing scourge will breake down all but saith God I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone a tryed stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation he that believeth shal not make haste you may be secure though your enemies doe vaunt themselves and will boast in their own wayes they have made a covenant with hell death yet for you I lay in Zion a stone a sure foundation he that believeth shall not make haste Although God doth not come with his deliverance for the present yet you who believe quiet your selves lye downe safely and do not make haste A horse saith the Scripture Psal 33. 17. is a vaine thing for safety they trust in the creature ver 18. but behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that feare him they have a greater safety then if they had Troopes of horses lye about them to defend them and ver 20. Our soule waiteth for the Lord he is our help our shield so Pro. 21. 31. The horse is prepared against the day of battel but safety is of the Lord. Let us the resore cry with the Psalmist Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance vpon us then will we lye down in peace sleep for thou only makest us dwell in safety Would you have quiet sleepe in these troublesome times make your peace with God if there be peace within then you may lye downe safely notwithstanding all the rumors and tumults of war abroad but if there be no peace in the heart though you should live to see outward peace your sins would dog you they would pursue you the terrours of the Almighty would be upon you and you should not have one nights rest But Lord what is all this except we may have communion with thy selfe except we may have communion with JESUS CHRIST This is the voice of a gracious heart therefore follows that blessed promise as a further fruite of the Covenant that God would make with his people saith the Lord I will betroth thee unto my selfe I will be yours too there shall be a most blessed union and conjugall communion between you and me you shall enjoy me in all the sweetnesse and love that the wife enjoyeth the husband in though you have most wretchedly departed from me yet behold I will betroth you unto me in righteousnesse and in judgement in loving kindnesse and iu mercies The Seventeenth Lecture HOSEA 2. 19. 20. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness and in judgement in loving kindnes in mercies I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness thou shalt know the Lord. BUt how betroth this phrase seems to be very strange she had been the wife of God before and was gone a whoring from him though God should be reconciled to her one would have thought it should rather have been I will receive you againe No but I will betroth you The reason of the phrase is to note that God would receive her with that love as if she had been a pure virgin and he would never upbraid her former departing from him you have beene an adulteresse beare your shame but for my own Names sake I will be content to receive you again No but I will beâ—roth you unto me you shall be as now taken to me and your sins shall be no more remembred they shall be as if they had never been committed When God pardoneth sin he will remember it no more the Lord will never charge upon sinners their former sins And if God will not remember the sins of his people of his repenting people to charge them upon them we should not remember them to up brayd them for them what ever they have been before if now converted it is too much boldnesse in any of us to upbraid them for any of their former sins I remember Beza tells of himselfe that the Papists upbraided him much for the sinnes of his youth for his lascivious Poems he made before his conversion but Beza answers them thus Hi homines invident mihi graciam divinam these men envy me the grace of God I will betroth thee unto mee yea I will betroth thee unto me I will even betroth thee unto me The repenting Church might say How is it possible that such an adulteresse who hath been so vile who hath been so impudent in her wayes of forsaking the blessed God her glorious husband who hath so long continued in filthy whordoms should yet expect to receive mercy What this mercy to be betrothed to God to be taken as if she were a chast Spouse before him Yes saith God I will do it and therefore it is repeated three times for the assurance of the humbled repenting Church that God will again betroth himselfe unto her and that with some Emphasis I will betroth yea I will betroth even I will betroth there is betrething and betrothing and betrothing and I and I and I shewing how much the heart of God is in this thing As if God
sonne of the perverse rebellious woman he cast a jave lin at him to kill him then the fourescore five Priests in the City of Nob must be all slain in his anger What was the bottome of all this It was the breach between God and his owne spirit Oh take heed of breaches between God and you for they will put you into a perverse and froward disposition What doth a man get by the want of this kindness and loving disposition He troubleth himself Pro. 11. 17. He that is cruell of a sharsh disposition troubleth his own flesh I appeale to you do you not lose much of the sweetness of your lives you that are in a marryed condition What comfort have you in your lives when there is nothing but snarling at and crossing one another you trouble your own house and your own flesh whereas if there were loving kindness betwixt you it would sweeten all your comforts yea all your crosses The loving kindnes of a man or a woman is the beauty of a man or woman Pro 19. 2. The kindnes of a man is the desire of a man saith the text there And of a woman Pro. 31. 29. among other high comendations of a vertuous woman who had done excellently this is one The law of kindnes is in her tongue kindnes giveth a law to her mouth many women have no law given to their mouthes their tongues are lawlesse when they are angred but a woman that is commended of God the Text saith the law of kindnes is in her tongue the kindnes of her heart doth give a law to her mouth that is the honor of a woman To be of a sweet kind disposition is an exceeding beauty it addes a glorious lustre to any man living Isa 40. 6. All flesh is grasse and all the goodlinesse thereof is as the flower of the field the word is in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same word that is here that word which signifyeth kindnesse is translated there goodlinesse noting that kindnesse is the goodlinesse of the spirit of a man or woman what the beauty of a flower is to a flower that is kindnesse to a man or woman it is goodlinesse Just in Martyr in his Apologie for the Christians faith that their adversaries did hate only the name of a Christian they had nothing against the Christians and what is there saith he in the name Nothing but that which is good and lovely enough now saith he it is not just to hate that which is profitable gentle for so the word signifyeth they are Christians what if you call them Christiani of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mild profitable for to they are indeed they are profitable gentle sweet natured people and why should you hate those people 2 Cor. 6. 6. Being filled with the holy Ghost and kindness are put together there is much of the holy Ghost where there is much kindnesse The spirit of Christ is a spirit of kindnesse and gentleness and though you may thinke that your rigidness and roughnesse may argue bravenesse of spirit in you for it is ordinary for froward and passionate people to thinke they have more brave spirits then others but know that your spirits are more base and vile then the spirits of others I will give you only one Text for that Psal 45. 4. it is said of Christ In thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meeknesse now the same word that is here translated meeknesse 2 Sam. 22. 26. is gentlenesse thy gentlenesse hath made me great Mark gentlenesse magnificence or majesty may stand together yea Christ is magnificent and full of majesty in the gentlenesse and quietness of his spirit ride on in thy majesty prosperously because of thy meeknesse because of thy gentleness Would you have a brave spirit like unto the spirit of Christ in his glory let your spirits be gentle sweet and loving spirits I will betroth thee unto me in mercies Loving kindnesse and mercies may seem in the reading as if they were the same but there is a great deale of difference in them And in mercies Viscera so the word is I will betroth thee unto my self in bowels Not the fruit only but the root not the water onely but the fountaine thou shalt have the fountain of all good my very bowels from whence flowes all mercies Wherefore Christians you need not fear the want of the supply of mercies why because you have the fountaine of mercies from whence they spring God may grant to wicked men many fruits of his bounty and goodnesse yea but they have not his bowels they have not the fountain the root from whence all springs Here is the happinesse of a Christian not onely to have much good from God but to have those very bowels from whence that good cometh Here lies the dignity the glory of a Christian the vastnesse of his riches Christians you shall not therefore neede feare to give up any mercy God calls for at your hands for you have got the bowels of mercy to be yours you have got the spring-head of all mercy to bee yours whence you may fetch all seasonable all sutable mercies when you will Here is the reason why many who are carnall when they have got a mercy from God they keepe it so sure they are afraid to lose it they are loth to part with it though God calleth for it againe Why because they are not acquainted with the true priviledg of a Christian they do not know what it is to possesse the bowels of God they know not where to goe for more therefore they are loth to part with what they have Now the Saints can part with any thing for God let him take what he will have let him strip me as naked as hee pleaseth I have the bowels of God I have the spring-head to goe to for all mercies again It is true if there were want of water and you had only water in a cistern if your neighbour came to borrow of you you would be loth to lend any but if you have a well-spring and a fountaine that never was dry and never will be drawn dry is it a great matter for you to lend water then So it is true the men of the world are needy creatures they have something indeed but it is as water in a cistern when that is gone they think that all is gone therefore they will not lend it no not unto God himselfe when hee calls for it But the Saints have the bowels of mercy the spring-head of all mercy therefore whatsoever God calls for they presently say Lord here take all I know where to have it againe and much more then that This makes godly men so ingenuous for God and so free hearted to him and to his servants I will berroth thee unto me in mercies A little to search into these mercies It is an argument that hath much depth in it First they are a