defend but by being zealous and forward for his waies they hop'd to have promoâ—ion by him they did not fear to be questioned for any thing no matter whether they went against Law or not they could shelter themselves under the power and favor of the King the Pomp and Glory of the Court that was a great thing in their eyes they were bold in their Idolatrous way and oppression because of the power and greatness of the King who should controul them in any thing that they did But now saith the Prophet You have had your day you have had your time that you could thus shelter your selves under the power of the King and do what you list and oppress and rage and no body durst meddle with you because of the power of the King but now the case is altered But now they shall say We have no King Had they no King Yes Hoshea was their King but the meaning is It 's all one as if we had no King his power is so broken that the truth is he cannot help us Saith Drusius upon the place he cannot protect us which is the property of the King and therefore it is as if we had none now they shall say We have no King Alas he is not able to save himself he can do nothing for us his Pomp his Power Bravery is in the dust he is distressed himself and we are miserably disappointed of our hopes we are undone who can help us now whither shall we go what shall we do our consciences upbraid us now for our bold presumptuous wickedness Oh! how far were our hearts from the fear of the Lord we dar'd the God of Heaven and all his Prophets we boldly ventured upon those waies which we were told yea which we knew in our very consciences were a provocation to the Lord we set up our own worship we pleased our selves we made our wills to be the rules of all our actions that we did we took liberty to satisfie our lusts we mingled our own waies with Gods Ordinances we subjected Religion to publick ends we were riged we were cruel towards those who differed from us we upheld the Authority of the King against God and his People and now God hath justly brought this distressed estate upon us that now the Kings Power that we trusted so in is now broken and in a manner gone Oh! now we see we feared not the Lord we have none to help us now we now know what it is not to fear the great God God is above us and therefore now what can a King do to us what could he do for us Suppose we had him again Alas our misery is beyond his help seeing God is provoked with us and hath forsaken us what should a King do for us And thus in this short Paraphrase you have the scope of the words as if the People should have spoken in this manner But now the question is what times doth this refer to Now they shall say We have no King c. When did they say so The times that this refers to seems to be those that we reade of in 2 King 17. If you read that Chapter you shall find the times that this hath reference to then they might well say We have no King because we feared not the Lord What then should a King do to us For the Observations from it the first is this It 's a great evil for a People not to have the Protection and the Blessing that might be enjoyed in the right Government of a King over them A great evil And they complain of it as a great evil and so far their complaint is right That they are now deprived of the Protection and good that otherwise they might have had from the right Government of a King over them And my Brethren our condition is even such in regard of the personal presence and protection of a King in those regards we may almost use the same words as here and say We have no King among us And whether it be better for a People to have no King or to have no Protection from their King But that which is contrary to Protection is a Question fitter to be discussed and determined in a Parliament than in a Pulpit and to them I shall leave it But the Church of God shall never have cause to make this Complaint That they have no King in Psal 29 10 11. The Lord sitteth King for ever The Lord will give strength unto his People the Lord will bless his People with peace In Psal 45. 6. Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever the Scepter of thy Kingdom is a right Scepter Psal 145. 13. Thy Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and thy Dominion endureth throughout all generations Psal 149. 2. Let the Children of Zion rejoyce in their King Because we feared not the Lord. It is a great evil not to fear the Lord. Fear ye not me saith the Lord who have placed the sands for the bounds of the Sea It 's an evil and a bitter thing that the fear of the Lord is not in men For God is a great God infinitly above us cloathed with Majestie and Honor trembling frames of heart becomes his presence non like unto the Lord great and mervailous are his works Oh! who would not fear him God hath infinite authority over us to save or to destroy us he hath us all at an infinite advantage by the least word of his mouth to undo us his wrath is insupportable Who among us shall dwel with the devouring fire who amongst us shall dwel with everlasting burnings Darest thou a vile wretch presume to rebel against any word of the Lord when the next word may sink soul and body into the bottomless gulf of eternal horror and despair Who art thou that doest not fear the Lord Doest thou not fear the Commanding Word of the Lord when the next word that proceeds out of his mouth may be a destroying word to undo body and soul for ever Secondly They said We feared not the Lord. And observe In times of prosperity when men have the favor and countenance of great Ones then there is little fear of God among them Now they said We feared not the Lord. Oh! those times when we had the favour and countenance of great Men there was little fear of God among us So long as men have any confidence in the Creature so long they see no need of God their hearts are swollen with pride God is not in all their thoughts they say to God Depart from us we do not desire the knowledg of thy Waies They set their hearts and tongues against the God of Heaven they can venture upon any thing then to tell them it's sin against God it 's a poor dry business it 's nothing at all with them how vile and foolish are the hearts of wicked men that the enjoyment
be look'd upon as great things the things of Gods Word That 's the first And then especially The things that concern Gods Worship are to be look'd upon as great things for so it hath reference to them but the expression aims at that which is more general the great things of my Law the honorable magnificent and glorious things Now the things of the Law are great things First Because they are from the great God and they have the stamp of the Authority of the great God upon them there is a dreadful Authority in every Truth in every thing that is written in Gods Law I say there is a dreadful Authority of the great God that binds Kings and Princes in chains that laies bonds upon the conscience that no created power can yet this doth when we come to hear the Word we come either as to a Soveraign to receive Laws from or as to a Judg to receive the sentence of death it hath the dreadful Authority of the great God in it and therefore every thing that is in the Word is to be look'd upon as a great thing a piece of Parchment and a little Wax and a few Lines in it what are they but having the Authority of the great Seal of England such a piece is to be look'd upon as a great thing The things of Gods Law are great things for they have great Authority which goes along with them And Secondly They are great things because of the lustre of the great God that shines in them Take all the Creatures that ever God made in Heaven and Earth and I say there is not so much glory of God in Sun Moon Stars Sea and Plants and al things in the world as there is in some few sentences of holy Scripture therfore they are great things Psal 138. 2. Thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name The Name of God appears in his great work of Creation and of Providence We are to look upon Gods Name as very great yet thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name it 's more than al Gods Names besides It may be when there are some extraordinary works of God in the world Thundring and Lightning c. we are ready to be affraid and oh the great God that doth appear in these great works Were our hearts 〈◊〉 they ought to be when we reade the WORD we would tremble at that more than at any manifestation of God since the world began in all his Works and if so be thou dost not see more glory of God in his Word than in his Works it is because thou hast little light in thee and therfore let the world think of the things of Gods Law that are written as they wil yet they are the great things of his Law Thirdly They are the great Mysteries of Gods Will the great Counsels of God about the Souls of men about his way to honor Himself and to bring Mankind to Himself to Eternal life the great Counsels great Mysteries that are contained in the Word of God such as the Angels themselves do desire to pry into as in Prov. 8. 6. it is said of Wisdom Hear and I will speak of excellent things The Word of God speaks of excellent things right excellent things such great Mysteries of Gods Wisdom as should take up our thoughts yea and doth take up the Angels and shall take up the Angels and Saints to all Eternity to be prying into the great things which are revealed in Gods Word Psal 119. 27. Make me to understand the way of thy precepts so shall I talk of thy wondrous Works Mark how these are joyned together Make me to understand the way of thy precepts so shall I talk of thy wonderous works Why David couldest not thou see the wonderous works of God in the book of the creature in Heaven and Earth Oh no Make me to understand the way of thy precepts and then shall I talk of thy wonderous Works We many times talk about vain and slight things because we have nothing else to talk of but did we understand the way of Gods precepts we should be furnished with discourse of the wondrous works of God And then It 's a great WORD because that they are of great concernment The things of Gods Law are of great concernment for all our present good or evil depends upon the things of Gods Law Prov. 3. 22. They are life unto thy soul and grace unt◠〈◊〉 neck So saith Moses in Deut. 32. 46. Set your hearts unto all the words which I testifie unto you this day for it is not a vain thing it is your life they are of great concernment there 's a curse annexed to the breach of every thing in Gods Law Cursed be every one that abideth not in every thing that is written in the book of the Law Is it not a great matter then Certainly there is nothing in the Law that is to be look'd upon as a little matter because the Curse of God is annexed to the breath of every thing that is written in Gods Law and there we have the casting of our souls for eternity and is not that a great matter Did we come to hear the Word or did we reade the Word as the Word by which we must be cast for our eternal estates we would look upon it as a great Word Again The things are great things in Gods Law in regard of the great power and efficacy that they have upon the hearts and consciences of men when God sets home the things of his Law they will bring down the proudest heart and the stoutest stomach that is they will enlighten the blindest mind and convert the hardest heart that is in the world the Law hath a mighty power upon the soul and therefore it is great Further They are great things because they make all those great that do receive them they make them great even because they have but the keeping of them much more than if they receive them in Deut. 4. 8. What Nation is there so great that hath Statutes and Judgments so righteous as all this Law that I set before you this day What Nation so great as you are why wherein are we greater than other people Wherein In this What Nation is so great that hath Statutes and Judgments so righteous as all this Law which I set before you this day This was that which made the People of Israel a great Nation beyond all the Nations in the world they were not great in multitude but in that they had the Law of God and the great things of his Law revealed to them in this they became a great Nation The Lord honors a Nation highly but to reveal the things of His Law to them But how great then doth a soul come to be that doth imbrace those things that hath all those great and good things reveal'd in the Law made to it as its own priviledg Surely that soul
is in an high and honorable condition indeed Further The things of Gods Law are great in Gods esteem they are great because the great God thinks them so That is to be accounted great that the most judicious and wise men in the world judg so to be indeed that which a child thinks to be a great thing is no great thing a child may think a bauble to be a great thing so we may think things great indeed we think the things of the world are great for a man to have an estate it 's a great matter to have riches and honors and to be some-body in the world we think these to be great things But what are these in Gods eyes God despises all these things But that which the great God will think to be a great thing certainly that 's great indeed Now mark what a high esteem God hath of his Word in that place where Christ saith Heaven and Earth shall pass away but not one jot or tittle of my Word shall pass away As if Christ should say The Lord will rather withdraw his power from the upholding of Heaven and Earth than from making good any one jot or tittle of his Law you may think it a little matter to break Gods Law but God thinks it a great matter and God would have us to make a great matter of every thing that is written in Gods Law I am the willinger to enlarge my self in this because I know it is the ground of all the wickedness in mens hearts and lives because they look upon the Law as a little matter well though they dare sin against Gods Law for the getting of a groat or six pence but God saith I will rather lose Heaven and Earth than one jot or tittle of my Law shall fall and he will make it appear one day that the things of his Law are great things in Isa 42. 21. He will magnifie the Law and make it honorable You may vilifie it a company of wanton spirits we have that consider not what they say or what they do running away with the very word of the Law they think to vilifie it What have we to do with the Law and under that word not understanding what they mean they think to cast a vile esteem upon the Law let them do what they will yet God will magnifie his Law and as it is great in the thoughts of God so it is and shall be for ever great in the thoughts of the Saints the Lord will have his people to the end of the world have high thoughts of his Law the Saints they look upon the Law of God so great as they had rather suffer all the miseries and torments that any man in the world any Tyrant can devise than willingly to break the Law in any one thing surely they account it a great matter when a man shal be willing rather to lose his estate and liberty yea and life to suffer tortures and torments and all because he will not offend the Law of God in any one thing though he might escape all if he would nay saith a gracious heart Let all go rather than I will venture to break the Law of God in any one thing surely he looks upon the Law of God as very great Men of the world think them to be fools and why will you be content to suffer so much lose all your friends what venture to lose your estates which have such a fair way of living as you have what venture a prison and venture your life the world thinks they are but little things and trifles and men are more precise than wise and they need not trouble themselves so much If God would but shew to you how great a thing his Law is and all the threatnings which are revealed therein you would account your estates and lives and all your comforts as little and poor in comparison of that Law hence in Revel 6. 9. I saw under the Altar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held Wherefore were they slain Surely it was for some great matter that they would venture their lives it was for the Word of God and for the Testimony which they held And thus the Saints of God have ever accounted the Law of God a great thing I have written unto them the great things of my Law Hence from what hath been said we may have these Notes for Observation Here are Objects in the Word for men of the greatest spirits to exercise themselves about Many mens spirits are raised up and cannot endure to spend their thoughts and time about small matters and you shall have some mens spirits are so low that they think it happiness enough if they can be imployed in a gutter and get six pence or twelve pence a day to find them bread at night but others have great spirits Oh! let all those who have aspiring spirits and great spirits let them exercise themselves much in the Law of God here are objects fit for great spirits that will greaten our spirits And indeed there are no men in the world have great spirits but the Saints they have great spirits for they exercise themselves in the great counsels of God We account those men to be men of the greatest spirits that are imployed in State-affairs now the Saints they are lifted up above all things in the world and they look at all these things as little and mean and they are exercised in the great affairs of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ hence it is that the Lord would have Kings to have the book of the Law written and the Judges and it is reported of Alphonsus King of Arragon that in the midst of all his great affairs of his Kingdom he read over the Scriptures fourteen times with Commentaries upon them How many have we men of great estates and seem to be of great spirits that scarce mind the Law of God they look upon the Law of God as under them it may be if they can have a book of History and Wars they will be reading over that but for the Scripture it is a thing that hath little in it Another Note It is a special means of obedience to have high thoughts of Gods Law to convince and humble them for their disobedience for that 's the reason why the Prophet here speaks thus I have written to him the great things of my Law but they were accounted as a strange thing As if he should say If they had had the things of my Law to have been high in their thoughts they would never have done as they have done Psal 119. 129. Thy Testimonies are wonderful therefore doth my soul keep them I have high thoughts of thy Testimonies I look upon them as glorious things I see much of thy self in thy Testimonies and therefore doth my soul keep them He doth not
of his children that were so eminent in office and were destroyed so with such a visible hand of God fire from Heaven when Moses was angry that the Priests had not eat of the sin offering saith Aaron If I had eaten of the sin offering to day should it have been accepted It would have been but as the bread of mourners I that have bin struck this day and am in such a dreadful condition Would God have regarded the sin offering God required joy in his services in Deut. 1â— 7. 18. verses and hence that profession was required in Deut. 26. 13 14. verses Then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house and also have given them unto the Levite and unto the Stranger to the Fatherless and to the Widdow according to all the Commandements which thou hast commanded me I have not transgressed thy Commandements neither have I forgotten them And then in the 14. vers I have not eaten thereof in my mourning c. They were to profess this to God That they had not eaten thereof in their mourning this was to shew that sacrifices offered with a sinking heart in sorrow is not pleasing to God God loves a cheerful giver We must not pine away in our iniquities sullenness and dumpishness even in sorrow for sin it sowres our spirits and services and makes them unacceptable to God I say a sullen dumpishness of spirit though it be in sorrow for sin it sowres our spirits and makes our services unacceptable to God There is a groaning and a sighing one to another or rather against one another that is condemn'd in Scripture in Jam. 5. 9. the words in your books are thus Grudge nor one against another but in the Original Sigh not or groan not one against another you shall have many that in company with others have a pensive dumpish spirit sighing and groaning and making their society to be burdensom to others Saith the holy Ghost do not sigh and groan one unto another there is a sullen dumpish sighing of spirit and dejection of soul that is as unpleasing to God as it is unto men it polutes the heart and pollutes duty But you will say Is all mourning forbidden that here the holy Ghost should say Their offerings should be as the bread of Mourners Christ saith blessed are the Mourners and the Sacrifice of God is a contrite heart It 's true an evangelical sorrow is accepted but that hath sweetness in it it is not bitter that 's not a dejected spirit it 's not a mourning that causes dejection or sullenness or straightness of spirit but that mourning doth enlarge the heart and makes it active for God hence in Ezra 9. 5. although we reade before that Ezra was astonished at the sin of the people yet saith he at the 5. verse I arose from my heaviness at the evening sacrifice when the time came that I should sacrifice unto God my heaviness did not hinder me in holy duties But how many are there that sink down in their heaviness and when God calls upon them for any duty they cannot arise they are so over-burdened with heavy spirits There they sink down in a sullen way and shall God accept of such a service as this is You may please your selves in it and think it is humiliation but there may be much pride in dejection there is none so proud a spirit as the Devil is and yet no spirit so dejected as the Devil is Lead we know it melts soonest but it consumes in the melting and many times there may be such a spirit that may be ready to sorrow upon any occasion and to melt but it 's such a melting as consumes the strength of it that it is unfit for any service that God calls for now such services as you in such a mourning way tender up to God are not accepted of him Remember this text Their offering shall be as the bread of mourning Gualter hath a Note from this God would not accept of the offering of Mourners they were unclean yet saith he there are many that seek to get their greatest gain from Funeral mournings and fall of enveighing against them that get gain that way as their Priests and Officers that use to tend upon Funerals for gain he calls them Vulturâ— and Crows that do flock to dead bodies and Sepulchers Dogs those are his words that seek to get advantage by Funerals And we know heretofore what abundance of advantage there was gotten by Funerals scarce could you bury a child under three or four pounds such kind of fees there were and made them even rejoyce when others did mourn and getting a great part of of their livelihood from the bread of Mourners And Theophylact hath another Note from this place The bread of Mourners That is those things offered to God gotten by oppression as thus suppose a man or woman gets an estate and gets it in an oppressing way it may be they are at home and merry but it may be the poor children or widdow is mourning for those morsels that thou art rejoycing in but it is the first Note that is the most according to the mind of the holy Ghost the mourning that hath respect to the funerals and so especially at the dejection of spirit in holy duties It follows The bread for their soul shall not come into the House of the Lord. The bread for their soul That is When they are seeking God even for their very lives By Bread is to be understood their oblations more generally not only Bread but their Oblations As Malac. 1. 7. Ye offer polluted bread upon mine Altar it 's taken generally for all kind of offerings upon Gods Altar So The bread for their souls that is those offerings that they did offer for their very lives Now from thence the Note is this That it 's a sad thing when a creature would seek to God for his very life yet then God rejects him and his offering too Before these people they did reject the voice of the Lord at the Temple and they kept others from going to the House of the Lord they thought sacrifices elsewhere would serve the turn as well but now they shall be far enough from bringing any sactifices to the House of the Lord though they should desire to do it for their very souls Thus many who in the time of their prosperity do neglect the Worship of God and slight it and think there is no great matter in it but afterwards when they see their very lives their souls lie at the mercy of God then they would fain seek God for their lives they see they are undone if God be not merciful to them yet then God rejects them their offerings then for their souls shall not come into the House of the Lord that is will not be accepted
of God When a man is crying for an Alms but for a piece of bread to be rejected is something but when a man is crying for his soul then to be rejected and by God himself this is more grievous Secondly The bread for their soul that is The bread they have to maintain their lives withal if they would offer that to the Lord it should not come into the house of the Lord to be accepted for by bread for their souls may be meant the bread that they have to maintain their lives for so we find the Scripture cals the soul the life of a man in Mat. 6. 24. Is not the life more worth than meat the words in the original are Is not the Soul of man It is here the bread for the soul that is the very bread that they have to maintain their lives their necessary bread that they have to live on although they should be willing to offer that to the Lord it shall not come unto him Now this is as if the Prophet should say to them Now you cannot be brought to them to offer your superfluity to God but your condition shall be such as if you would offer the necessary bread you have to preserve your lives if you would offer that to God God will not accept of it As if a man were so poor that he were ready to starve and yet for all that such a man would say Wel though I starve yet I wil offer this I have to live on and I would offer this to God rather than have it my self now you would think this should be an argument of a great deal of devotion But the case shall be now that though you would seek God with such earnestness yet the heart of God shall be so hardened against you as they will not be accepted Those who in time of prosperity are loth to deny their ease and loth to lay out any thing of their superfluity for God but time may come that though they should be willing to bite off their very nails and pluck out their eyes and tear their very flesh in indignation for their sin in respect unto God any way yet this God shall not vouchsafe to have regard unto Therefore this learn by it to seek God while he may be found and not to stand upon your own terms with God in the day of your prosperity and to say I cannot spare this and that for him but if we deny God now what is his due though we would give to him hereafter that that our lives lay upon yet it shall not be accepted 3. Bread for their souls that is they shall have no more bread than will serve for their very life from hand to mouth they shall have nothing to bring to the House of the Lord they shall be so put to it when they are in captivity they shall be kept so strictly as to have nothing but bread and water nothing but from hand to mouth they shall be far enough from having any thing to offer to the Lord to be accepted of him if they should think of bringing any thing to the House of the Lord alas what have they nothing but a little bread for their soul From whence the Note is this To have no estate to offer to God in his service in the waies of his publick worship is a great affliction It follows VER 5. What will ye do in the solemn day and in the day of the feast of the Lord NOW they shall remember their solemn daies their feasts and see themselves cut off from any further enjoying of them it must needs be a great sadning unto their spirits to think what daies once they had Oh what solemn times and feasts that they did keep to God for any to sit down in times of affliction and say I remember what daies of joy in the service of God I once had but now they are gone Oh! the daies that I was wont to have how sweet were they but all is now past and we must sit down in sorrow and affliction There was a time saith God by the Prophet that you would not suffer any to go up to the feast but now you shall be far enough from Jerusalem or any other place of Worship and the very remembrance of those solemn daies shall be grievous to you Oh! what will you do in those solemn daies Those solemn daies were daies of joy in Numb 10. 10. Thus I think some carry it they make those feasts to be the feasts that they should have gone up to Jerusalem in but I take not this to be the scope of the holy Ghost here but rather thus by the solemn Daies and Feasts of the Lord is here meant the solemn day of Gods wrath and vengeance upon them now for the making out of that I shall shew first that in Scripture the day of Gods wrath is call'd the solemn day and the day of Gods feast is the day of his wrath a day wherein God feasts First The solemn day it is the day of Gods wrath in Lament 2. 22. Thou hast call'd as in a solemn day my terrors round about so that in the day of the Lords Anger none escaped So that the solemn day is the day of the Lords anger there And Secondly The day of Gods Feast that time when God doth execute his wrath upon wicked men is the day of a feast to God In Revel 19. 17 18. verses besides other texts An Angel cried with a loud voice to all the fowls that fly in the Heavens Come and gather your selves together to the supper of the great God that ye may eat the flesh of Kings and the flesh of Captains and the flesh of Mighty men and the flesh of Horses and of them that sit on them and the flesh of all men both free and bond both smal and great it is the day of the Lords feast Now 't is a solemn day a day of the execution of Gods wrath because now God executes wrath publickly and brings much wrath together Thou hast call'd as in a solemn day my terrors round about You know that in the day of a petty Sessions there may be some justice done but more privatly But in a day of solemn Assizes when there is a full Goal delivery then judgment is done publickly so God executes justice sometimes upon men particularly but God hath his solemn day to execute his judgments publickly before all and then the Lord feasts The day of execution of Gods wrath upon wicked men is a day of feast upon this ground First Because the day of their feasts were daies of slaying sacrifices so they should now be slain and God would account even their bodies that were slain to be as sacrifices for this great feast of his In Isa 34. 6. The Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah and a great slaughter in the Land of Idumea And in
in their sighs and groans than in all the eloquence of your empty hypocrits they not being fill'd with the Will of God in Colos 4. 12. it is in your books That you may stand compleat in all the Will of God but it is being fill'd with the will of God if thou wouldest have a fulness in what thou doest a fulness in a Prayer a fulness in thy Service in any thing thou doest be fil'd with the Will of God and not with thy self-ends You know empty vessels will break when you set them at the fire and so will selvish spirits those that are selvish they quickly grow empty You that are Merchants if you have Factors abroad that trade for themselves they seldom do any great matters for their Masters I have known Merchants that have been chary of that for their men to be trading for themselves And God doth not love to see us trading for our selves but only as we trade for him and so account that to be for our selves And here is an evident demonstration that your selvishness will make you empty for God how many are there that complain of emptiness Oh! they cannot do this and they cannot do that why because except they find comfort and that coming in which they aim at they have no mind to any duty they go to prayer and strive to pray and they come away and say Oh! the empty prayers that we make but what is the reason that you cannot pray as you would you have no heart to pray if you would have enlargement in prayer and present answer of your prayer to get what you would have Oh! then your hearts would be much let out in prayer and then you would have a mind to pray but now though it be your duty to pray because you shall tender up the worship that a creature owes to God that is no argument that puts you upon prayer so it appears that it is selvishness that appears in prayer but now trie this way trie this way but to get above your selves once and be emptied of your selves and look with a more single eye to God when you go to prayer let this be the great motive O Lord this is that Worship that I as a Creature owe to thee and the strength of my body and soul is due to thee and I let out what I can though I have not enlargements and comforts though I feel not that I get by duty to my self yet in obedience to thee and that I might lift up thy Name and that I might worship thee I am resolved to go on in such duties as thou requirest of me trie but this way and see whether you will not grow more fruitful in prayer than you did before But to pass that I find that some turn the words thus as Pareus An empty Vine he is although he treasure up fruit unto himself and so we may understand emptiness by that word that I have opened to you a spoiled Vine he is a spoiled Vine and he is emptied of all his prosperity and riches and glory that he had although he seeks to treasure up unto himself And indeed in such a kind of reading there is a very profitable Note They seek to treasure and enrich themselves to lay up and provide for themselves now that they may have store by them come what will come but this will not do saith God Israel must be a spoiled empty Vine for all this Now that 's the Note or Meditation hence That when God is spoiling and emptying a Nation it is a vain thing for men to think to provide for themselves This certainly is not the time when God is spoiling and emptying of a Nation or other parts of the Kingdom for men to have their thoughts now to scrape an estate to themselves and get even from the evils of the times to enrich themselves by Places and by Offices to enrich themselves certainly there can be little honor in such an estate or little comfort It is the frame and guize of a vile spirit to think of enriching of themselves in such times as these are certainly it must needs be a very low spirit that minds the enriching of its self in such times as these are what God may cast men in by extraordinary providence at any time we speak not of that or by some eminent service but certainly if it shall prove that God in his mercy shall put an end to such times as these are when men shall prove to be rich after this storm is over that had not some eminent providence of God to cast it upon them but only in his ordinary way I say whosoever should appear to be rich after these times it will be little honor to him or his posterity it will be the most dishonorable riches that ever was in the world In Jer. 45. 4. saith the Lord to Baruch there he was a good man and yet much over seen in this Behold that which I have built will I break down and that which I have planted will I pluck up even this whol Land And seekest thou great things for thy self seek them not I am breaking down that which I have built and plucking up what I have planted And doest thou seek great things for thy self seek them not In Acts 8. 20. saith Peter to Symon Magus Thy money perish with thee So may I say to many is this a time for men to treasure to themselves for men to have their chief care now to gain riches Oh! it is just with God to say to thee Thy riches perish with thee whosoever now will make it his chief care and think now it is a time of trouble and now I may gain thus and thus and it will not appear I say those that shall make this to be their care now to take advantage of these times to treasure up to themselves just were it with God to say of them and their riches Thy money and thy riches perish with thee It follows According to the multitude of his fruit he hath encreased the Altars according to the goodness of his Land they have made goodly Images Here you have the unthankfulness of Ephraim you have had his barrenness and selvishness in the two former expressions and now here his unthankfulness The Devil he loves to have superstitious and Idolatrous people have good Lands and good Possessions that he might be served accordingly Idolaters serve their Idols according to their Lands and Possessions that they have According to the multitude of his fruit were the multitude of his Altars And certainly it is a great reason why all the Papists are so desirous to get England and contribute so much that they might but get into England and get Possession here for there is no place that they have where they should have more goodly Images and more brave things than they should here in England the
have cause to bless the Lord from our souls that he hath delivered us from such a temptation from such a temptation lest we should be ashamed of our hopes though the truth is If we had right we should not have been ashamed for our hopes was not so much in the saving of our estates as this That God would own his Cause in the conclusion and so our hopes would not have fail'd I but if our hopes had but seemed to have failed in outward appearance that the Enemy should have prevailed I say it would have been a mighty temptation for us to have been ashamed of our hopes Oh! blessed be God for preventing this that the Lord hath not made his People to be ashamed of their hopes and prayers The Ministers of God can stand up and look comfortably in the Congregations because they put on people and encouraged the hearts of people in this Cause and they have comfort to their souls in this That when things were at the lowest yet still they could have their hopes in God and beleeve yet in God that he would go on in such a Cause as this is and the Lord hath not caused the expectation of his poor people to fail But if it be shame I say now for the present to be disappointed of some hopes Oh! remember upon all your disappointment of hopes Oh! what shame would it be before men and Angels if it should prove that any soul in this place should be so disappointed of their last hopes Thou hast hope of salvation and of eternal life and if it should prove when all secrets are to be made publick before the Lord Jesus and his Angels if then it should prove that all thy hopes were dash'd what would become of thee It is the prayer of David O Lord let me not be disappointed of my hope Let that be thy prayer especially in regard of thy last hopes In 1 Joh. 2. 28. Abide in him that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming Oh! that 's the comfort of the Saints that they shall not be ashamed at the coming of Jesus Christ and many that are not ashamed now yet at the coming of Jesus Christ Oh! the shame that shall be cast upon them But the main emphasis lies in the words that follow Israel shall be ashamed of his own Counsels Now what was that Counsel What why it was this counsel 1. The Counsel that was between Jeroboam his Princes and the Priests together with some eminent of the people for the setting up of the way of false worship And secondly For the forcing of al men that belonged to the ten Tribes to forbear going to Jerusalem This was thought a notable Plot a notable Counsel they thought this was the only Counsel to keep things in peace among them Why say they if we shall suffer men that every one that hath a fancy in his head that they shall go to Jerusalem to worship we shall have nothing but confusion and therefore let us take such a course that people shall have a place to worship in that they worship thus it is but only some people that are so strict that they must needs worship in Jerusalem and therefore let us determine this That we will have a constant way that every one shall be bound unto and we will have no more going to this Jerusalem to worship but they shall be content to worship at Dan and Bethel and this will keep things in peace Now this counsel seem'd to be a fine plot to keep things in order But saith the Lord They shall be ashamed of it though they think they have wise men that do thus advise sage men and some men it may be that seem to have some good in them too and stand for peace thus it was a Counsel cried up mightily yet the Lord he sits in Heaven and laughs at this Counsel and saith he They shall be ashamed of their Counsels perhaps now whilst they are let go on and carry all before them they bless themselves in their Counsel and think it is a very excellent plot and God favors it but when my time shall come when they shall see what evil it brings upon them then they shall be ashamed of their Counsels From thence there 's these two Notes First That mens own Counsels bring them to shame especially in matters of Religion Secondly That men are strong in their own Counsels till they see some eminent evil to come of them and then they will be convinced and ashamed but not before To speak a little of each of these Mens own Counsels bring shame to them especially in Religion For men naturally are very blind in the things of God they do not see far in them mens hearts are ful of corruption they are byassed by their corruptions seeing there 's much self-love in men If there be any appearance that is mens own that 's much regarded a great deal more than truth that is another mans if it be their own they mind that but let another man speak that which hath truth that 's little regarded There is in mens hearts much violence to maintain their own Counsels and therefore very like that their Counsels will bring them to shame There 's nothing that men can bear to be contradicted in less than in their Counsels And the more men are set upon their own Counsels the more it is like to bring shame in the conclusion And besides There 's a Judgment of God upon mens spirits that if they will set upon their own Counsels I say there 's ordinarily a Judgment of God upon men to leave them to folly when they rest upon their own Counsels and it 's threatned in Psal 81. 12. as a great Jugment of God upon men to give them up to their Counsels Saith God They would not hearken to my Counsel therefore did I give them up to their own Counsel Oh! it 's a terrible place I beseech you consider of it These are times wherein every one is plotting Oh! tremble at that text I gave them up unto their OWN COVNSELS Mens own Counsels bring them to shame often times they come to nothing after they have made a great deal of do and they will do this and they will go on at length it comes to nothing so that they are fain to sit down and there 's an end of all their labor and stir perhaps they have labored to put on their Counsels by much evil much sin much heart burning and when it comes to all there it lies there 's an end of it thus they are ashamed of their counsels Yea many times the Counsels of men work quite contrary God doth much glory in this in making use of mens own Counsels to bring them into snares What hath brought our Adversaries into snares but their own Counsels What brought the Prelates
them into your hearts As first That such is the vileness of every sin as it seperates the soul from God and puts it under an eternal Curse This one Truth you must get this into your hearts and get it deep into your hearts it will help to unloosen the roots of the thorns and bryars that are there the setled apprehension of this Truth And then secondly This Truth That there is such a breach between God and my soul by sin that all the power in all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth is not able to make up this breach here is a sharp plow-share to get into the heart And then thirdly This Truth that by nature I am full of this sin my heart is full of it all the faculties of my soul are filled with sin that is of such an hainous nature Here is a sharp plow-share to get into the heart And then fourthly That every action that ever I have done in all my life in my unregenerate estate it is nothing else but sin nothing else but sin that hath such a vile nature Yea further That if any sin be pardoned to me it is by vertue of a price paid that is more worth than ten thousand worlds This Truth Now here 's the Gospel as well as the Law for the plowing is but the spiritualness of the Law the Truths of the Law in a Gospel way for you must take notice that the Law as Law accepts of no humiliation for sin it is as it is reveal'd in a Gospel way in a Gospel way it doth tend to humiliation for let men be humbled never so much the Law never accepts of them for their humiliation but the Law in a Gospel way so it comes to humble the soul so as to do it good Now therefore the Consideration of the Truths that the Law requires having reference to the Gospel they serve for the humbling of the soul Now get in these truths and see what they will do in thy Soul you must work them in And let conscience be put on to draw this plow These are as the Plow-share and the working of Conscience is the drawing of this plow while the plow stops as when it meets with a thorn and bryar now a strong Conscience will draw it on and will make the thorns and bryars to be rent up by the roots if the Conscience be put upon with strength to draw these Truths in the soul and though they put you to pain yet you must be content to draw them on in the soul And if these and the like Truths be got into thy soul and thou beest at plow and thy Conscience be drawing This is that I shall say God speed the Plow yea God speed these Truths that Conscience is drawing on in the soul for it may tend to a great deal of good to prepare thee for the seed that may bring forth Righteousness and Mercy to thy soul for ever I confess it is a hard work to be thus plowing Indeed for men and women only to hear Sermons and be talking and conferring of good things these things are pretty easie but to go to plow to plow with such Truths as these are to get up the thorns and bryars by the roots this is a very hard task but we must be willing to do it and to continue plowing as the fallow ground must not only be plowed once but it may be it may stand in need of plowing the second and third time before it may be fit for the seed to be cast in and so it must be with our hearts It may be some of you have got in some Truths and you have been plowing yea but since that time you have had many weeds and thorns grown up and you must to plowing again it may be it is divers yeers ago since you have been thus plowing and your hearts have lain fallow all this while do not think it enough that once you have been humbled but be often plowing up this fallow ground you were as good have the plow get into your hearts though it be sharp as to have the Sword of Gods Justice be upon you We have in these times a wanton generation that have risen up that cannot endure to go to plow they would be doing nothing but taking in the sweet as I told you before in a former Exercise Treading â—ut the Corn. But this plowing they cry out of meerly through a wantonness and tenderness of their spirits a sinful tenderness because they would have nothing but jolity and licentiousness in their hearts and waies yet the Scripture in Luke 9. 62. compares the Ministers of the Gospel to the plow He that puts his haud to the plow and looketh back is not fit for the Kingdom of God not fit to be imployed in the administration of the Gospel Though these men cry out so much of humiliation for sin which is as strange a Generation as ever have risen up that should cry out of that when there 's nothing more humbles for sin than the price that was paid for sin in the blood of Jesus Christ and there is no such sharp plow-share as that If I were to preach one Sermon in all my life for the humbling of men for sin I would take a text that might shew the great price that was paid for it and therein open the breach that sin hath made between God and mans soul But they will not make use of the Gospel neither so much as to be a plow to plow the heart for the work of humiliation Well God hath prospered this work heretofore and notwithstanding al the wantoness of mens spirits this way yet I say still God speed the plow God speed this way of plowing the hearts of men and getting in those Truths that do humble the hearts of men for their sins these were the Truths that God hath blest in former times and there 's none that ever did live to the honor of the Gospel so much for this generation that is come up they talk of the Gospel but they live not to the honor of it the Gospel hath not honor by them nor Jesus Christ hath not honor by them But the former generation of men though in some things they might fail yet certainly God blest them in their way so far as it was according to Truth No mervail though these men bring forth such little fruit of Righteousness it is because they sow among thorns presently they are up at the top and so confident presently in their way their seed is among thorns and therefore it doth not prosper And thus much for this expression about the plowing up of fallow grounds both in reference to general Reformation and Humiliation and concerning mens Souls in particular It follows For it is time to seek the Lord. It is time First Yet you have time to seek the Lord 'T is well for you that you have
therefore blessed are they that wait for him Think of this and deny your own Judgments and your own thoughts and know that you are waiting upon God that is a God of Judgment that is infinitely wise to come to his People in a fit season and to come so that at last you would not wish that he had come sooner And know That all the while you are waiting God is working good We are waiting upon mens doors and they take no notice of it but if we knew that all the time we are a waiting our Petition were a reading and they in consultation about it and we only waited for the issue of the consultation it would satisfie us And so a gracious heart may be assured of this Hast thou sought the Lord in the truth of thy heart The thing is not come yet but ever since thou hast sought the Lord the heart of God hath been thinking of that thing which thou soughtest him for and wilt not thou be seeking God still till He doth come And then While thou art seeking God thou art not altogether without some dews Indeed God doth not come and rain in showers that Righteousness that he will hereafter but surely thou hast dews thou hast some encouragements and do not slight those dews of Gods Grace that thou hast for then thou maiest stay the longer before the showers of Righteousness come prize the dews of Gods Grace and the showers of Righteousness they will come the sooner Many Christians though they have many dews of Gods Grace upon their hearts to refresh them yet because they have not showers they think it is nothing what hast thou no dews of Grace What is it that keeps thy heart so tender as it is Thou wouldest not for a thousand worlds wilfully sin against God certainly if thy heart were hardened the Truths of God would not get into thy heart so as they do Indeed the rain comes in a visible way yea but there are dews of Grace that come in a secret way Thou doest not indeed see the comings in of those dews of Grace upon thy heart yea but others may see the effect of those dews And then lastly Seek the Lord till he comes why Because when he comes he will come more fully a great deal It was a notable speech of Mr. Glover the Martyr when he had been seeking God for the raining of Righteousness he was willing to give his life for God and yet God had absented himself from him Oh! God was not come he complain'd to his fellow Austin that God was not come well but saith his friend he will come and give me a sign before you die if you feel the Spirit of God come to your heart well the poor man continued all night when he was to be burnt the next day and yet he was not come yea the Sheriff came to carry him to the Stake and yet his heart was dead But he goes on till he came within the sight of the stake and then the holy Ghost came into his heart and fil'd him with joy so that he lifts up his hands and voice and cries He is come he is come Now there came a shower of Righteousness upon his heart he was content to seek the Lord till he came And that may be a fourth Note That those that are content to seek God till he comes when he comes he will come with plentiful showers in raining Righteousness Oh! how many how many cursed Apostates are there that will curse themselves one day for not continuing seeking of God till he comes Perhaps there are some that have had some convictions of conscience and because they have not had encouragement presently they were discouraged and so thou hast basely gone back and now God hath left thee and thou art become a base useless Hypocrite and art a dishonor and disgrace to Religion and all because thou wouldest not stay till God came Oh! but others staied till God came and God came at length so fully that now they bless his Name that they did stay I remember I have read of Columâ—us that was the first that found out the West Indies and the story saith of him that his men were even weary he was so long in sailing so they were resolved they would come back again that they would so that then all their labor had been lost But Columbus he came to them with all intreaties to go on a little time and at length prevail'd with them to go on but three daies longer So they were content to venture three daies and within that three daies they came to see Land and so discovered those parts of the world that were so little known to these parts Now what a miserable thing had it been if they had come back and lost all their Voyage Thus it is with many a soul sailing towards Heaven and eternal life Thou hast been a long time tost up and down in the waves of the Sea the waves of Temptation and of Trouble and thou thinkest it's best to come back again Oh! stay a while do not limit three daies but go on yet it may be said of some that had they proceeded in their voiage but three daies more they might have come and seen whereas now they have lost all Oh! seek the Lord then till he comes and rains Righteousness And then the fifth is this The help of those that seek God it is from Heaven Till HE Rain They do not so much expect help from Creatures as from Heaven they look up to Heaven for their help when all comforts in creatures fail they look upwards and there see their help And then the sixt Note is this That the fruit of Gods coming to his People after seeking it is To make them fruitful that 's the end of Gods coming the end of the Mercy of God in coming to people it is to make their seeds to grow up and be fruitful It may be you would have God come but wherefore to bring comfort to you No the end of Gods coming to his Saints it is To make them fruitful and this would be an Argument of the sincerity of your hearts in seeking God When you are seeking him what do you seek him for only for comfort and peace and to ease you from troubles Yea but do you seek God that you may be fruitful The Hypocrits seek to have Grace that they may have Comfort and the godly seeks Comfort that they may have grace so it is That God may rain Righteousness I am as a dry ground Oh! that God would come with the influence of his Grace to make me fruitful in the works of holiness Many of you would have comfort as now in these daies mens ears are altogether set upon comfort but is your comfort the showers of God doth it make the seeds of Righteousness fructifie in your hearts Certainly you can have little comfort of that comfort that
not bumpish Iam. 5. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A cheerful spirit in company Ezra 9. 5. much pride of times in dejection as in Satan simile The gain of funerâ—ls formerly made some rejoyce wheÌ„ others mourned Theophylact in loc Expos 1. Mal. 1. 7. Observ Applicat Soul put for Life Mat. 6. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Expos 2. Obser Use Expos 3. Obser Explic. 1 Explic. 2. Lam. 2. 22 Revel 12. 17 18. Why so called Why a dayâ— of Feast toâ— God Isa 34. 6. Zeph. 1. 7. Souldiers Gods Priests Ier. 6. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sanctificate super eaÌ„ bellum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods wrath why called Wine Ps 75. 8. Rev. 14. 10 Explic. Deut. 28. 63. Ezek. 5. 13. the Saints rejoyce in Gods vengeance Ps 58. 10 illustrated Yet not an insulting joy Ps 58. 11 but joyned with pity And mixt with fear Psa 52. 6. Note Prov. 11. 10. Iudg. 5. ult Expos You Isa 10. 3. The perplexity of wicked men in the Lords day Isa 13. 6. illustrated Some pâ—t a good face on it even at death whose souls yet are full of terror See King Jame's DeclaratioÌ„ upon the execution of Sir W. Raleigh A notable story of B. Latimers Iob 13. 15 Chap. 19. 25. Psal 119. Hab. 3. 17 A quest to a Professor The Answ Obs 1. This hardens them Isa 57. 10 Obs 2. Applied to England We should think of helping our own Nation rather than of flying When a man may fly Memphis Grand-Caer The Pyramides there The number of the fleets Expos Obs 3. See Vindication in Answer to Mr Edwards Buxtorf Synagoga Iudaica A Iewish tradition per meatus terrae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Desiderin argenti Expos 1. Lam. 1. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seges est ubi Troja fuit Germany Isa 32. 1â— London Isa 34. 13 2 King 25. 9. Obs 1. AdmonitioÌ„ Obs 2. Use To those that say they do what they can Expos Obs 3. Ezek. 7. 6 Obs 4. The saying of a GermaÌ„ Divine Se Melchier Adams de vitae Theolog. Germ. Obs 5 Obser Observ Obs 1. Expos Obs 2 Obs 3. Obs 4. Obs 5. Vatablus Ephraim fecit sibi speculatorum id est pseudoprophetas eosque vult audire simul cum Deo suo audire colere tam Idola quam Deum tam falsos quam veros prophetas quae est mera insania Obs 6. Expos Applic. Obs 7. Obs 8. Quest Answ Expos 1. 2 King 19 11. 2 Chron. 36. 16. Chrysostom Theodoret. lib. 5. cap. 34. A Rule to help coÌ„mon people to judge of Ministers of their cause A Caution to the Rule Obser Aspersion on good Ministers What Satans great design is Calvin in loc Ar. Montan in loc Dicta est oratio ex similitudine eorum qui in magna familiâ apud Dominum plurimum posse videntur c. Obser Use Englands reformatioÌ„ Our young ones may see Ministers that counted the things now laid aside only inconvenient will take them up again A Note for the superstitious Us to tru worshipers Expos 1. 2. Our Authors Malignants may have great Victories one after another Yet a good cause religiously managed prospers at last Our times such Obs 1. Obs 2 Use AdmonitioÌ„ to some Brethren now Obs 3. Obs 4. Obs 5 Use for many of the Nobility and Gentry of Engl. Obs 6. Obs 7. Obs 8. Applicat If present times be as bad as former then they are worse simile Expos Applic. God should be our delight in his ordinances Obser Exod. 15. 2. Ier. 12. 10 Vers 7. Exod. 19 5. Gods delight is in yong ones Mic. 7. 1. Exod. 23. 19. Levit. 2. 14. simile Cant. 2. 12 Chap. 6. 11 â—hap 7. 12 An Exhortation to yong ones Observ Baal-Peor Deus apertionis indix interpret nom vulg lat apud latinos priapus vid. Hier. in loc neâ— non Drusium Obs 1. Obs 2. The Panther Obs 3. Apostates Obs Not what we see but what God likes Perit judicium 〈◊〉 quum res transit in affectum Expos 2. Quod per voluntateÌ„ resoluteÌ„ efficaciter vis hoc absolute es Non faciunt bonos vel malos mores nisi boni vel mali amores Aug. Ep. 52. ad Macedon The Chameleon Plin. Lib. 8. Cap. 33 Expos 3. Expos 4 prefer'd Numb 25. 1. Obs AdmonitioÌ„ to Saints Popish Wives To Religious Wives Women in the primitive times Ministers must gaine the peoples love Neighbors friends Expos 2 King 14. Obs 1. Pro. 17. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gloriatio 70. ô grata superbia matâ—is Claudian de proserpina Reâ—s 1. 2. 3. Use to Parents Pro. 10. 1. explainedâ— Tres Vomiâ—as tria Carcinomata Augustus Parents must not be a shame to their children Expos 1. Pro. 23. 5. illustrated Applic. to England and Ireland Ier. 9 23. illustrated Wealth wicked mens glory flyes from them in prosperity God the Saints glory flyes to them in adversity Isa 31. 5. enlightned Expos 2. The time the Israelites abode in Egypt Observ Use Gods preservation in our 1. Conception 2. Womb. 3. Birth 4. Cradle 5. Childhood 6. Youth 7. Middle-age 8. Old-age 9. Death Obs 1. Obs 2. Especially if untimely deaths Obs 3. Sr Tho. Moore Expos simile simile Obs 4. Use Psal 46. Luthers Psalm 1 Sam. 28. 1 5. Reas why Gods departing is a cause of wo. None can help then Satan him self canuot 1 Sam. 28 Evil then is evil indeed It is the forerunner of eternal evil simile Saints should priz the enjoyment of Gods presence Use Quest Answ simile Ps 119. 8. illustrated We should labor to do what we can for God though we apprehend he hath leâ—â—â—s When we see God beginning to depart cry mightily simile Applic. â—o England Expos 2 King 14 Venice Rupes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quintus Curâ—ius Lib. 4. de Reb. gestis Alexandri Plin. lib. 5. cap. 19. The Colonies of Tyrus Ezek. 27. Obs 1. Vltimus sanitatis gradus est morbo proximus Use Take heed in our prosperity Obs 2. Expos 2. Calvin in loc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser The villany of malitious CoÌ„manders in ware against the godly Observ 1. Part. Deut. 28. 18. Psal 137. 8. Isa 13. 18 2d Commandment Object Answ Note An apt simile 2d Part. Seed of Idolaters Idolatry depends much 〈◊〉 Ancestors 2d Commandment illustrated Superstitious children admonished Obs Tender-hearted Mothers The Irish war The English Looking glass Object Answ Dij si qua est in Coelo pietas qui talia curet praemia reddent delita patrios foedasti funere vultus Virg. Children should beseech their parents to repent A meditation for parents Revel 12. 11. enlightned Zenophon Expos 1. 2. Prefer'd Obs 1. England more unfit for mercy now than at the first Obs 2. Gen. 30. 2 Paulus Phagius Four Keys in Gods hand 1. Clavis pluviae 2. Clavis cibitionis 3. Clavis sepulcronnÌ„ 4. Clavis sterilitatis Non nuptiae dant liberos sed qui nuptijs legeÌ„ dedit Deus