Then Secondly Let us gather as many arguments as we can to cause repentance and lay them together and never leave working them upon our hearts till we find them kindled Surely there 's all the reason for it in the world Doth the Lord gather all together that may be for our good and lay them upon his heart and there keep them to his heart till they kindle and work powerful workings upon his heart for good to us then when we would repent for there 's reason that we should repent as well as expect that God should for us we should be gathering all arguments that possibly can be and never leave till we find them kindled and warm at our hearts Oh! many of you at some times you have one argument that sticks at your hearts and at another time there 's another at such a time there was some one truth darted in and it took your hearts and you would say as those that went to Emaus Did not we find our hearts burn within us so you found Truths coming in at such a Sermon and at another and another yea but now could you get but all those arguments that ever God did dart into you to waies of repentance could you but get them together and work them upon your hearts and never leave till they be kindled and be crying to God as Elisha did till he got fire to come from Heaven to consume the Sacrifice Oh Lord my heart hath a deal of waterie stuff in it that will not kindle till the fire of the holy Ghost come to kindle these arguments and make them to burn Oh! if it were with us as David in Psal 39. 31. saith he While I was musing my heart was hot within me and the fire burned so we should go into our closets and be gathering all things together that we can to work upon our hearts and continue mufing till we find the fire burning within us Nay our hearts heat so as to break forth with our tongues and even to say from our souls Well the Lord is God it is he that is worthy for ever to be feared and honored and serv'd I have lived like a base and sinful wretched creature without a God in the world but it 's the Lord that is God that is worthy to be honored from my Bodie and Soul and Estate and Name and Liberty and Life and whatsoever I am or can do now if it would break forth in such a resolution how excellent would it be Oh! let us be humbled I beseech you for the coldness of our hearts that nothing can kindle there What a damp is there upon our spirits that when any argument is laid it goes out presently We have Truths laid upon us when we come to the Word but our dampie hearts quenches them all they do not kindle many are wittie enough to gather arguments for sin and lay them upon their hearts and so to kindle wickedness in their hearts as in Psal 41. 6. you have a notable Scripture there of wicked men that came to David They gathered iniquity in their hearts all things that might sute with their wicked hearts and for the furtherance of their ungodly waies they gathered them together for the encouraging and strengthening of them in their evil waies But it should be the care of the Saints to gather all things that might further repentance in them That 's the reason why wicked men are so hot in that that 's evil They gather arguments together and hence it is that wicked men when they have been in wicked company they come from it so hot in their resolutions to sin Why because they have gathered a great deal together for the heating of their hearts in their sin and so should the Saints when they are together in a holy communion and fellowship they should be gathering one from another every one come and afford something to lay as it were to kindle the fire But how laying their light ends together and not their dead ends together And then the Third Note is this Our mercies to others should not be cold but burning Let us be merciful as our Heavenly Father is merciful That is Not only wishing good to others but let there be kindled mercies in our bowels that we may not be able to keep them in I suppose many of you especially of estates have had many thoughts that you would do this and this for such good uses and you see some reason why it should be so yea but now have these arguments burnt in your hearts so as to cause you to break forth into resolutions Well though I have had thoughts and inclinations to make use of my estate thus and thus yet I have been kept off but now they are kindled in my heart and I am resolved upon it Thus it was with God and let it be so with you And thus much for the Eighth Verse The Ninth follows VER 9. I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger I will not execute the burning of mine anger so the words are IT 's true your sins and arguments against you did lie at my heart and did even burn it but I will not execute that I will execute the kindling of my mercy but not the kindling of mine anger Mark the several phrases Bowels was kindled in way of mercy and Wrath was kindled there was burning Wrath and burning Mercy but that which prevails It is the burning Mercy that prevails I will not execute the burning of mine anger why For I have kindlings of mercy in my bowels But how was this true Was not Israel carried into captivity and continued there many yeers and never yet returned again as some think and when they were carried into captivity for three yeers together there was a siege at the City and yet God saith here He will not execute the sierceness of his anger For the Answer That which before was said will give sufficient answer to it How shall I make thee as Admah and Zeboim that is though God did suffer them to be carried away captive and their enemies prevail'd against them yet he did not make them as Admah and Zeboim though There was not the fierceness of Gods anger the Burning of the anger of God out against them And the Lord had even in their carrying into Captivity yet he had respect to his Elect Ones and hath to this very day an intention to do them good afterwards And so we shall find in the next verse that there is a promise of the returning from their Captivity and therefore though they were for a long time to continue in Captivity yet still God did not execute the fierceness of his anger Sin indeed stirs up anger and fierce anger in God The Septuagint translate the words thus I will not do according to the anger of my wrath that is in extremity I will not do thus with you
hath not entred in here thus yet Oh! let not our sin cause a meroiful God to go out and a provoked God to enter in VER 10. They shall walk after the Lord He shall roar like a Liyon THey shall not walk after their own inventions any more nor after the lusts of their own hearts nor after the examples or the counsels of men but after the Lord they shall see God before them their hearts shall be drawn after him as they shall see God in his various administrations so they shall turn this way or that way which way soever God leads them though in paths they have not known before yet now they shall walk after him though in paths that few others walk in yet Through fire and water though in difficult paths never so dangerous to outward appearance though God should lead them from their dearest comforts sweetest contents though it did not appear to them whither the way tended what God meant to do with them yet seeing God before them they shall be willing to walk after him they shall account that way God is in the best way the safest way the most comfortable way Revel 14. 4. These shall follow the Lamb whither soever he goeth these were redeemed from among men being the first fruits to God and to the Lamb. They shall walk in a constant steady course of obedience after the Lord. It is the Lord the blessed glorious God whom their souls love whom they desire to honor to whom they have given up souls bodies lives liberties names estates whatsoever they are have or are able to do When Peter heard it was the Lord he threw himself into the Sea that he might walk after him there Thus the soul converted to God loves to walk after him But this is spoken of the Church as walking after the Lord in times of Reformation especially that famous time of the restitution of all things when God shall call home his people the ten Tribes who yet are scattered up and down wandring and groping in darkness They shall walk after the Lord the Lord shall be a Captain to them leading them along as his redeemed ones working by them glorious things in the earth and bringing them through all opposition to places of rest and fulness of all good God shall appear in such visible administrations of his so as they shall say Lo this is our God this is the Captain of the host of the Lord yea it is even the Lord himself we will joyn together and follow him whose wisdom faithfulness and courage is infinite we will follow no other but him and in subordination to him The sight of such a Captain going before them shall put life courage and magnanimity into them whatsoever they were before Hence note Obs It is the infinite goodness of the Lord to be the Captain of his people Obs It is the honor safety happiness of the Saints to have God before them to be walking after him He shall roar like a Lyon If God appears thus it will make them fly from him No they shal notwithstanding this walk after him Obs That the majesty and terribleness of God in his wonderful and dreadful works causes the wicked guilty conscience to fly from him But the Saints shall follow after him and cling unto him Isa 33. 14. The sinners in Syon are afraid fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites Who amongst us shall dwell with devouring fire who amongst us shall dwel with everlasting burnings He that worketh righteously and speaketh uprightly Act. 5. 13 14. Of the rest durst no man joyn himself to them And Beleevers were the more added to the Lord multitudes both of men and women Psa 46. Luthers Psalm 2. We will not fear though the Earth be moved though the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea though the waves thereof roar though the Mountains shake Vers 6. The Heathen raged the Kingdoms were moved be uttered his voice the Earth melted The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our Refuge Nahum 1. 2. The Lord revengeth the Lord revengeth and is furious the Lord will take vengeance of his adversaries Vers 3. The Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm Vers 5. The Mountains quake at him the Hills melt and the Earth is burnt at his presence Who can stand before his indignation who can abide the fierceness of his anger his fury is powred out like fire and the Rocks are thrown down by him Vers 7. The Lord is good a strong hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him Joel 3. 15 16. The Sun and the Moon shall be darkened and the Stars shal withdraw their shining the Lord shall roar out of Syon and utter his voice from Jerusalem The Heavens and the Earth shall shake but the Lord will be the hope of his people and the strength of the children of Israel Hab. 3. 17 18. Although the Figtree shall not blossem c. yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation Oh! the blessing of a clean Conscience it looks on th 〈…〉 Terror of the Law and of God with comfort Where there is neighing of Horses beating of Drums ratling of Pikes foaring of Cannons yet if a friend be the General we fear not Al the terror there is in God is comfort to the Saints the wicked have the dark side of the Cloud the Saints the bright Deut. 33. 2. From his right hand went a fiery Law Vers 4. Moses commanded us a Law even the inheritance of the Congregation of Jacob. Nehem. 9. 32. The great mighty and terrible God will keep Covenant and Mercy Psal 47. 1 2. Shout unto God with the voice of Triumph for the most high is Terrible Be godly and keep Conscience clean in these latter times train up your Children in waies of godliness Shall roar like a Lyon The roaring of the Lyon invites the rest of the beasts there is something for them Quest But when was this Answ Many think when the Babylonian Monarchy was broken by Cyrus then Belshazzars knees beat together and then the Captivity returned and that divers of the ten Tribes joyned in the return But this is spoken of the Body of them and if any such remarkable return had been Ezra would not have left out their Genealogyes Others refer it to the times of the Gospel Heb. 12. 26. Yet once more I shake not the Earth only but also Heaven The voice of the Gospel Repent and he that beleeves shall be saved but he that beleeves not shall be damned was a Terrible voice When secure minds saith Luther hear that salvation belongs to none but those that are baptized and that beleeve in the Name of Christ they indeéd tremble and are solicitous concerning their salvation Junius when he read the first Chapter of the
this last Summer we have cause to look beyond all men and means though God hath used means yet it is God that hath healed us and they desire that we should attribute all the Glory to God our healing hath been such that except we even maliciously shut our eyes we cannot but know and acknowledg that God hath healed us in great measure Oh! let not us by our pride and stoutness our oppression our foolishness make it appear that we do not acknowledg that God hath healed us God stands much upon that because it is his Glory to heal his people therefore he stands much upon it to be acknowledged to be the healer of his people For bodily healings we are ready to acknowledg those that do heal us What thankfulness is given to Physitians when they have been Instruments to heal our bodies Before healing any body would say they would give Oh! what would they give al their estates that they might be healed of such a disease but when they are healed it may be they will neglect the Physitians but 't is those that are of base spirits but others are very ready to acknowledg thankfulness that way to the Physitians that heals their bodies how gainful therefore is the practice of Physitians that God makes use of to heal mens bodies I remember I have read of Lewes the Eleventh of France that for his Chaplins he allowed them twenty shillings a month but for his Physiâ—ian one John Cottiere his allowance was ten thousand Crowns a month four Crowns would serve his Chaplin and ten thousand for his Physitian that 's a gainful practice because men are more sensible of the healing of their bodies than the healing of their souls Well any of you who have been in great sickness and distresses of body yea and in distresses of soul too and are healed do not you now by the frolickness of your spirits and the abuse of your strength in the waies of sin manifest that you do not know that God hath healed you both in respect of National healing and in respect of Personal healing let every one make use of that of David in Psal 103. Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name and again Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thine iniquity who healteh all thy diseases Oh! that we were able to joyn these two together now Who forgiveth all thine iniquity and healeth all thy diseases Healing is a mercy indeed but then 't is a mercy to purpose when it is a fruit of forgiveness when we can make good the former who forgiveth thine iniquitie and healeth thy diseases when we can say our healing is a fruit of our forgiveness God hath in great measure healed the Land and Nation Oh that we could say that he had forgiven us our healing without our forgiveness will be to little purpose and therefore in the times of our greatest wounds we should cry for forgiveness in the first place and not be satisfied with anie healing without forgiveness of our sins And so particularlie God hath healed some of your diseases in body it may be your families have had the Plague or some other disease Pox or Measels why the Lord hath been pleased to heal you you were in a sad condition then and the Lord hath healed your families yea but can you put both together bless the Lord who hath forgiven the iniquitie of my familie and healed the diseases of my familie And so for your own particulars do not satisfie your selves with this that you have your healths restored you except you can bless the Lord who hath forgiven mine iniquity and healed my diseases when thou findest the one that thou art healed be not satisfied except by faith thou canst see the other that thou art likewise forgiven all thine iniquities And thus much for the third Verse VERS 4. I drew them with cords of a man with bonds of love THis Verse is a great Verse and it will be very hard to pass over this in an Expository way only I drew them with cords of a man with bonds of love Here 's a fourth or fifth expression of Gods love for there was two in the former Verse Taught them to go and healed them Now here 's the fifth I drew them with cords of a man with bonds of love God still aggravates his mercy that they might see their sin As there 's no such way to be kindly humbled for sin as to see it against much mercy I drew them with cords of a man Some would carry this as if it were a proper name with the cords of Adam for so the word is for the word Adam signifies a man of red earth But it 's rather to be taken appellatively with the cords of a man that is I did not deal with them like beasts which must be drawn or put on with violence my way was not thus with them to draw them and to have Iron Chains about them or strong cords to force them on in their way no saith he I dealt with them like men I drew them on with the Cords of a man It doth note these three things First I dealt with them in a rational way as men not as beasts and sought to draw them in that way as men Secondly I dealt with them in a gentle way not with rigor and violence but as a man for they were humane so my waies were waies sutable to their humanity as the Scripture sometimes speaks of the Rods of men I 'le chastise them with the Rods of men by which some think is meant that is more gentle I dealt with them gently And then thirdly With the Cords of a man that is I dealt with them in such waies as were honorable to them as were sutable to that respect that is due to a man I considered that they were men made at first according to my Image and they were the most excellent Creatures that I had upon the earth here and therefore I dealt with them in a way sutable to their Nature to preserve the honor of their humane Nature Rationally Gently Honorably First Consider how Rationally God dealt with this people First The Law that I gave to them it was according to the Principles of right Reason there was nothing in my Law but was sutable to the very principles of right reason in Deut. 4. saith he The Nations shal hear al these Statutes and say Surely this great Nation is a wise and understanding people why in the 8 verse What Nation is there so great that hath Statutes and Judgments so righteous as all this Law which I set before you this day Mark all the Nations that are about you shall say What Nation is there so wise that hath Statutes and Judgments like this Nation Surely then my Law it had abundance of Reason in it it had the
Word this day these Bonds may be somewhat strengthened that you may feel some strength in these Bonds that you may go away with your hearts more strongly united to the Love of God than ever I drew them with the Cords of a man With Bonds of Love and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their Jaws and I laid meat unto them Part of the last Sermon it was spent in opening unto you these Bonds of Love And shewing First What were the Bonds of Gods Love towards the people of Israel the several expressions of Gods Love to them in several particulars And shewed you how that all those that had to deal with men to draw them to God should do as God doth labor to draw them with Bonds of Love I have especially directed my self unto the Saints of God and shewed to them what bonds of of Love God hath laid upon their hearts to draw them to himself I have not applied this point generally yet for indeed one principal Bond of the Love of God towards the Nation will follow in the words after But certainly the Lord hath sought to draw this Nation to himself with Bonds of Love We may say concerning God he hath loved this Nation Loved it It was the first Nation that ever received Jesus Christ by the countenance of publick Authority of the Supream Authority in the Nation And when Antichrist had darkned the light of the Gospel here the bowels of Gods Compassions yerned towards it and God wrought wonderfully to deliver this Nation from Antichristian Tyrannie Moreover The Lord hath not sent the light and power of the Gospel to any Nation under Heaven more fully nay without prejudice to any other we may say not so fully as to this Nation though there are many of the Saints of God else where yet in no place under Heaven hath God more yea so many Saints I might almost say put all the Nations of the earth together so many that know him so fully and have that power of godliness in the worshiping of him as here in this Nation Oh! the Bonds of Love that are upon us Yea If we look upon our outward mercies those liberties that we enjoy there 's scarce any Nation that hath the Commonalty of the people that live like men in comparison of ours for the most part of all the Nations in the world the generality of people are like slaves rather than any Free-men their Governors rule over them with Tyranny but here the Common people have Liberties and God works mightily for them for the vindicating of the Liberties that they have both for their bodies and outward estates and their souls likewise and Oh! the Love that God hath shewn unto us of late in working so miraculously for us as he hath done But there is one point more observable in these Bonds of Love that God draws people unto himself by The scope of the Prophet here in mentioning these Bonds of Love it is to aggravate their sin from whence there is this That there 's nothing more aggravates sin than that it is against Love God hath Three Bonds to bind us to Obedience There 's the Bond of his Law And the Bonds of Afflictions And the Bonds of Love But now to break all these Bonds The Bonds of the Commandements and the Bonds of Afflictions and Bonds of Love too this aggravates sin very much Oh charge thy sin with this aggravation Oh thou sinner What against such a God such Love Oh what a vile heart have I Saith Augustin Oh 't is too hard a spirit that though it will not bestow Love yet it will not requite Love O! let not there be such a hardness in the Spirits of the Saints Thou didest not begin with God to love thou didest not begin to bestow Love be not so hard towards God as not to requite Love Do not we see how base Love can gain upon mens hearts adulterous love what strong bonds that love is the giving of gifts and bribes what bonds they are to tie mens harts their hands and tongues and shall not the Love of God and the fruits of that be a stronger Bond to tie thy heart unto him Nothing goes more to the heart of Man of God than the abuse of Love A man can better bear the abuse of his mony the abuse of any thing he doth or hath than the abuse of his Love Gods Spirit is grieved with his Saints we do not reade that the Spirit of God is grieved with the Wicked God may be angry with the wicked every day but not grieved but when the Saints sin against him the Spirit of God is grieved because their sins are against Love when thou sinnest against God the Lord looks upon thee as Caesar once upon Brutus What thou my Son What thou whom I have so loved What break all those bonds When we reade in the second Psal of the Kings and Princes of the Earth that said Let us break their Bonds asunder and cast away their Cords from us We think that 's great Rebellion but for thou that professest thy self to be Gods it 's a greater evil to break these bonds of Love Oh! thou my Son my Child thou whom I have bestowed so much Love upon yet thou to sin against me when thou art committing of any evil conceive with thy self as if God were looking upon thee and pleading with thee by all those fruits of his love that ever thou hast received from him and wilt thou yet sin against him for all this We reade in Mark 14. 72. when Peter had sinned Christ did but look upon him and he wept bitterly Oh! Peter saw love in the looks of Jesus Christ and therefore we know after when Christ came to him he pleaded with him with this argument of love Doest thou love me and doest thou love me Oh! when he saw the eyes of Christ so sparkling of love and then considered that he had sinned against that Christ that had so loved him broke all those bonds of love then he went out and wept bitterly the word is in Mark 14. 72. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He did break out in weeping For so it may signifie that force that there is in doing any thing to lay a force upon ones self to do a thing He did break out break out in weeping he was not able to bear it his heart burst even in sunder when he considered how he had burst asunder the bonds of Love Oh that after such manifestations of Mercy and goodness such warmings of heart in Communion with Jesus Christ what thou Oh my soul what canst thou find in any waies like Gods waies canst thou find the like love and the like sweetness in any as thou hast done in God yet for all this unkind unloving dealings God follows thee with Love his heart is yet open unto thee
had there it 's impossible but flesh and blood would suggest many thoughts to Abraham to keep his heart in suspence But what took Abrahams heart off from suspence to resolve fully what to do in such a case the text saith The God of Glory appeared to him it was not only God but the God of Glory My Brethren when God is calling you off from all Creature comforts from all things that may quiet your hearts in the world and you have strong temptations to keep you in the waies of sin let but the God of Glory appear to you and this will take up your hearts this will bring your hearts to a full resolution Oh! blessed blessed are those souls though they have continued long in suspence yet at length the God of Glory appears to them in the midst of their doubts and temptations and hangings off And if there be such a force in this then learn to present before thy soul that is in such a suspence the Glorie of the great God look up to this great God 't is the infinite high God that I am called to Oh! thou suspending thou wavering soul look up to this most high and answer this call of God unto himself answer it thus Oh Lord Thou art an Infinite Blessed Glorious Being the Supream Being of all I am a poor vile worm that lie under thy feet it 's mercie that thou wilt vouchsafe to look towards me thou mightest have let me gone on in base waies and perished to all eternity without giving me any call to thy self but now that thou shouldest give me a call to thy self the high and glorious blessed Lord this is mercy Lord I come and with fear and trembling fall down before thee saying Lord what wilt thou have me to do Those who have been wavering and afterwards setled they have found that this hath been the thing that hath setled them some dreadful authoritie of the high God that hath come to their hearts in some truth beyond what formerly he hath done and this hath fully taken off their souls to him And then Fifthly The true Worship of God is an elevating thing Then are they called to the most high when they are called to the true Worship of God for it raises the soul to the most high Mens inventions are low things are base and unworthy things Oh consider whether thou findest this in the Worship of God doest thou find thy soul raised up to the most high in his Worship thou doest never worship God aright except thou findest in some measure thy soul raised up to the most high in his Worship let no man look upon the Worship of God as a low mean thing know when thou art to come to worship God thou hast now to deal with the high God whom Angels worship and adore 't is that God who is far above all Creatures in Heaven and Earth thus thou art to look upon the Worship of God Oh! how far are most men from this when they are worshiping of God! very few there are that lift up their hearts to the most high even in the duties of Worship And so it follows in the words None at all would exalt him Why If God be the most high God how can he be exalted I answer He is so high as he cannot be more high than Himself God cannot be more excellent than he is in Himself God cannot make Himself better than He is nor more glorious in Himself than He is Therefore no creature can make him more than he is all that all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth can do for God can ad nothing to him In Nehem. 9. 5. He is exalted saith the text above all blessing and praise Yet then God accounts Himself to be exalted First When he is known and acknowledged for the High Supream First being of all things when we fear Him as a God when we humble our selves before him as before a God when we are sensible of the infinite distance there is between him and us when we are willing to lay down what we are or have or can do for the furtherance of his praise when his Will is made the Rule of all our waies and especially of his Worship when we make him the last end of all when 't is the great care of our souls and work of our lives to do what possibly we can that he might be magnified lifted up in the world and when we account the least sin a greater evil than can be recompenced by all the good that Heaven and Earth can afford unto us and now God accounts Himself exalted by us And this is the Work that all of us have to do to give up our selves to the exalting of the Name of this blessed God He is worthy so worthy of honor from us creatures that though ten thousand millions of Men and Angels should perish eternally for the furtherance of the least degree of his honor he is worthy of it all so high is this God and therefore know it to be our work to endeavor in our places to exalt him and blessed is that man or woman that when they are to die are able to say Oh Lord thou hast been high in my heart thy Wisdom I have adored and submitted mine unto it thy Will I have honored and yeelded mine likewise to it and it hath been the great care of my soul that I might do somthing in my place to lift up thy Name according as I have been able I say thou maiest go out of the world in peace as having done in some measure that thou camest into the world for Oh! you whom God hath exalted let it be your care to exalt this God and especially the Saints of the Lord know God hath exalted you on high and expects that you should lift up his Name he hath lifted up you out of the depth of miserie from the nethermost Hell he hath joyned you to his Son he hath made you one with his Son He hath loved you with the same love wherewith he loveth his Son he hath made you Heirs Co-heirs with his own Son he hath given his Angels to be ministring Spirits to you he hath made it his great design to honor himself in your eternal good the greatest work that God hath to do in the world it is the honoring himself in your Glory he hath prepared a Crown of glory for you Oh then do you joyn together to exalt the Name of this God who hath lifted up you who were such poor vile worms let the high praises of this God be in your hearts and mouths for ever in Psal 108. 4. Thy mercy is great above the Heavens and thy truth reacheth unto the Clouds mark what follows in the 5. verse Be thou exalted O God above the Heavens and thy Glory above all the Earth Oh Lord we see thy mercy is exalted above the Heavens and thy truth
notwithstanding our sins we should go on in the waies of obedience to him notwithstanding any afflictions that we meet withal for our obedience Again a Second Note is this Sinners are at the very mouth of misery the brink of destruction when they think not of it there 's nothing but giving of them up And then Thirdly It 's nothing but Gods free mercy that keeps us from being destroyed le's the Lords mercy that we are not consumed In the Fourth place Sin puts God to a stand How shall I do it It brings disorder into the world God must set his infinit wisdom on work to bring thing about to his own glory sin hath brought disorder and confusion Now saith God I must set mind infinite wisdom on work to bring glory out of this confusion If God hath any good intentions to thee know they sin laies such difficulties in Gods way to find out a way for thee as puts him to a kind of stand as thus For God to find out a way that all the wrong that sin hath done to him should be made up and yet thy soul should be sav'd 't is the hardest thing in the world Thou canst commit sin easily but I say when the sin is committed for God then to find out a way that all that wrong that 's done to him should be made up as it must be for otherwise all the disorder will not be brought into order and yet thy soul sav'd it 's the hardest thing in the world and were not God a God infinite in wisdom it would put him so to it as he were never able to find out a way God doth seem as it were to be at a stand How shall I do to save these sinners and yet not to wrong my self Oh! this should humble us for our sins As if a child should do so much evil as to bring himself into such bryars and troubles as that his tender father being affected with his sad condition would fain help him but if he doth help him he is put to abundance of difficulties for the helping of him and he is fain to beat his brains and study waies and means how he shall come to save this his child from utter undoing now if the child hath any ingenuity in him he will not only think it 's no great matter so be it I be delivered Oh! but this will break his heart Oh! what troubles have I brought my father into It is thus with us in reference to God if we look upon God thus as personating a man And then in the Fifth place The salvation of a sinner it breaks through a great many reasonings and workings of Gods heart How shall I do it saith God We little think what reasonings there are between Mercy and Justice about our lives about our souls many times could we but hear what reasonings there are in Heaven between Mercy and Justice about our lives Oh! it would go to our hearts The great salvation that comes by Christ it was not determined without many reasonings between Mercy and Justice there was presented to God whatsoever Justice could say and what ever mercy could say What saith God must my son be under my wrath for the satisfying of Justice and be made a Curse yet this must be Justice requires satisfaction How can it be done without the Son of God being made a Curse for mans sin these kind of reasonings there are in the heart of God for saving of mans soul in 1 Sam. 16. 8. we reade of Abishai and Davids reasoning the case about Sauls life saith Abishai to David God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day now therefore let me smite him c. No saith David do not smite him do not destroy him and thus they reasoned one with another Saul was in a very ill case when there was that reasoning about his life such a case are we in many times the Justice and Mercy of God doth reason about our lives and souls Oh! how do we depend upon God for our lives and souls and if we be sav'd we are sav'd through many reasonings But the main Point of all is this That according to the relation that a people a sinful people or persons have unto God So God finds it a difficult thing to execute wrath upon them How shall I do it The wrath of God is many times brought to the birth and God cannot as it were to speak after the manner of men know how to put strength to it to bring it forth This is the reason that in Scripture we have such sending after sinners and crying to them to return such earnest wishes Oh! that they would return and such pleadings with them They will not come in and return This is the reason why we reade of the Lord whetting his Sword and bending his Bow and preparing his Arrows Why is not God ready at any time to execute judgment upon a sinner Oh no he will be whetting and bending and preparing and all because it is a work that he is loth to go through withal as it were and this is the reason why God will not stir up his wrath or if it be stir'd up he will call it back again Lament 3. 33. The Lord afflicts not willingly neither doth he grieve the children of men and all this is because Gods nature is to be merciful mercy pleases him and the Lord doth perfectly foresee and hath perfectly in his view all the reasons that might move him to mercy As now thus These are the things that makes God to be at a stand when he comes to execute judgment upon a people or persons that have relation to him where his Name is professed and where himself is worshiped First This reason is presented The many prayers of the Saints withstand against justice Justice must break through all the prayers of all the Saints of God that are in such places and this is not an easie matter we account it not an easie matter for to break through a mighty Army God cannot come to a people that he is related to and is worshiped by but that he must break through an Army the Army of the prayers of his people now saith God How shall I do it Oh! it is a mighty Army that is between me and them Yea Secondly The Lord looks upon such a place with pity Because of the many children and little ones that there are in such a place yea the children of his own people You know when God was about destroying of Neniveh he look'd upon the many thousands that knew not the difference between the right hand or the left But when God comes to destroy a Kingdom that doth worship him he looks upon those many infants and the little ones and sees them many of the posterity of his Servants As they are but littles ones that moves his bowels they have not
this is that now I am naming that thou shouldest have such mercie as an infinite God should therefore manifest to that end that he might shew to Men and Angels to all eternitie what the power of his infinite Mercy can do would not this mercie serve thy turn such a mercie as this is I 'le name it again abuse it at your peril Suppose thy condition so low yet would not this serve thy turn such mercy as an infinit God should shew to that end that he might appear to men and Angels to all eternity what he is able to do in the infinitness of his mercy Would not this serve thee and help thee and heal thee Now this is tendred to thee in the Gospel even this mercy is tendred to thee in Christ to be an object of thy faith and the very presenting of this is a work of the Ministry of the Gospel that it might draw acts of faith for it hath a power to draw forth faith yea to beget faith the very presenting such a thing as this is hath a quickness in it It 's true if you look upon God only as a merciful man this is no such glory as the shining of it upon the soul will ad life As now the shining of the Moon or a hundred Torches wil never beget life in a Garden but the shining of the Sun wil do it so the apprehending of the mercy of God any other way but as a God as a God in Christ will never beget life in the soul but look upon him in the infinitness of his mercy whose thoughts of mercy are beyond ours as high as the Heavens are above the Earth this is the way to beget faith And therefore those that cannot beleeve they take very il courses for themselves only to have their thoughts upon such things as may discourage them and they think that this is as pleasing to God but certainly the way to beget or raise faith in thy heart is to look upon God as a God in the waies of his mercy Yea but you will say The truth is this that you speak of that God is a God and not a man is rather a discouragement to my heart 't is a God that I have sinned against and not a man as one way it may encourage me so another way it may discourage me Against thee against thee only have I sinned saith David Psal 51. And indeed this is the most piercing thought in a true penitent heart My sin is against God I have lived so long a time without a God in the course of my life and I have struck at God himself in my sinful waies Oh wretch that I have been I have been guilty of the darkening of the glory of the great God in the world Now I 'le answer thee this in a word And is this that which doth aggravate thy sin in thy heart does this work upon thy heart most that thou canst appeal to God that of all the considerations of sin that ever thou hadest in thy life there is nothing grieves thee so much as that it is against God Because God is so glorious so infinitely worthy of honor from all his creatures be of good comfort and take encouragement from this point and mark what I am saying and with that I shall close all If the confideration of the glory of God above a man doth thus aggravate thy sin to thy humiliation then it will aggravate the mercy of God to thy consolation as well If thou workest this thought upon thy heart Oh my sin is against a God and not a man and therefore my heart is humbled then the Lord would have thee to make use of the consideration of his glory as a God for thy comfort God is a God and not a man in the way of mercy The Holy one in the midst of thee God glories much in his Holiness and that in the midest of his people Gods Holiness is He is here said to be the Holy One. 1. To shew that the anger He would let out should be such as should have no mixture of evil But what considerations might be to order and guide it should not be wanting Mens angers are very unclean there is much smoke and fil thy stuff together in their fire But here in Exod. 15. 11. God is said to be Glorious in Holiness Gods vials of wrath are golden Revel 15. 7. Let us labor to be holy in our anger This is a rare thing if there be any corruption in mans heart it usualappears in his anger 2. Because of his gracious carriage toward them in regard of his Covenant to make that good to them he would remember his faithfulness to Abraham Obs 1. God delights to shew the glory of his Holiness in mercy and in pardoning of sin rather than in revenging for sin Obs 2. Gods faithfulness is a special part of the glory of his Holiness Use 1. Hence see how Holiness will help our faith Use 2. Let us manifest our holiness in our faithfulness I am holy to make them holy to sanctifie them to my self In the midst of thee Casting the beams of his Glory on every fide of him But how in the midst when they so vile and cast off from being his people a sink of Idolatry and wickedness In respect of some of his Elect Saints Obs God continues among a people for his Saints his Elects sake The Saints should consider of God a holy God in the midst of them and accordingly behave themselves Levit. 26. 12. I will walk among you and I will be your God But 2 Cor. 16. 16. I will dwell among them and walk in them Obs Men of Place and Government should be in the midst of those that are under them carrying themselves holily though they should be froward pettish sinful yet they should carry themselves according to rule in all holiness gravity wisdom moderation c. Rivit Tarnovius with some others thinks that here is Enallage Numeri a change of the number Sanctus for Sancti Holy for Holy Ones or Saints and so hath reference to the destruction of Sodom because there were no righteons here are Obs The Saints are of great use in the places where they live They are the cause of mitigation of Judgments I will not enter into the City Luther thus God would signifie himself to be merciful to scattered Israeh among the Gentiles Vt tamen non redeant ad Politiam Mosaicam but so that they should not return to the Mosaical Law But rather it is to be taken in reference to the manner of Gods proceedings in the destruction of Sodom after he had done conferring with Abraham he entred into the City and destroyed it by fire and brimstone Obs God many times stands at the gates of a City ready to enter in and destroy it but humiliation in prayer and reformation keeps him out God
at the examples of thousands of wicked men yea of carnal men of loose and carnal professors It 's true the example of no man is to be a rule but it is a mighty encouragement and hath much probability in it when the most gracious and holy Saints are in such or such a way And thus much for the opening of this Eleventh Chapter CHAP. XII VER 1. Ephraim feedeth on wind and followeth after the East wind WEE reade in the 8th Chapter of this Prophesie the 7th Verse that they had sown the wind and should reap the whirlwind and now they feed according to what they sowed and of what they reap'd according to our proverb They drink according to what they have brewed They did sow the wind and here they feed upon the wind By feeding on the wind is a proverbial speech to note the following after vain unprofitable things that 's to feed upon the wind when men please themselves in their own conceits and in their own counsels and plots and waies that are unprofitable and wil certainly be unprofitable to them these men feed upon the wind When men have vain confidences in such waies of their own leaving the waies of God and blessing themselves in foolish plots and hopes of their own these men feed upon the wind When men think to please God with their own inventions they feed upon the wind when they think to escape danger by their own shifts they feed upon the wind when they think to prevail against the Saints by their deep Counsels and fetches these men feed upon the wind when they promise to themselves great matters by waies of their own that are not Gods these men feed upon the wind And the Prophet rebukâ—h the ten Tribes for this They feed upon the wind and so their hearts come to be puft up to be filled with pride by such food you know according to the food of a man or woman so will the body be so those that feed upon wind must needs have puft-up hearts proud hearts puft up with conceitedness of themselves and contempt of others that are not in the way that themselves are in they lie sucking of imaginary content and sweetness in their own waies they are full of themselves wheresoever they come they must needs vent themselves they are so ful of their wind they feed upon the wind yet one prick of disapointment wil quickly let out all the wind from such bladders they are quickly amort and dead in the nest if they be disappointed Evil men that live upon comforts that are carnal in any creature upon the applause of men upon honors they likewise feed upon the wind and are puft up for a while but any prick of Gods appearing against them lets out the windy stuff and quickly they are dead any member of the body that is puft up with wind it seems to be greater than any other part but it is not stronger no it is the weaker for being puft up with wind And so it is with the hearts of men that are puft up with windy conceits and with the contentment of the creature they have no strength by this puffing up though they seem to be higher yet when they are call'd either to do or suffer for God they appear to be very weak then and therfore will change as the wind changes I remember Pliny observes this of the Chamaeleon a creature that feeds upon the wind and he cites Democrates for it that hath written a whole book upon that creature That there is no creature in al the world more fearful than the Chamaeleon is and the reason saith he that it is so changable that it will change into all kind of colours according to that that it joyns to is the fearfulness of its nature And truly it is a very good discription of men that feed upon the wind they seem big when they have no opposition and ô what they will do they will do thus and thus and great matters but the truth is no men are of more fearful hearts than those men that are puft up with the wind of their own conceits when God comes to cross them or they are call'd to suffer in the way that they go in they will quickly turn to any colour this way or that because they do but feed upon the wind therefore they come to be feeble creatures they have no strength at all in them And we know that the wind raises tempests and storms and so men that are puft up with the wind of their own conceits they are the men that raise such tempests and storms in the places where they live My brethren the Saints have better food to feed upon that that makes them more sollid and more staid while the men of the world feed upon the wind of applause upon their own conceits and upon their own vain counsels and plots and upon the creature and think to fill their bellies that way the Saints they feed upon the Mercy of God upon Gods Al-sufficiency they feed upon his Word and Promises and upon the Covenant of Grace they feed upon Jesus Christ whose flesh is meat indeed and whose blood is drink indeed and so they come to have strength in them for their food is â—great deal better than the food of others other men feeding upon the wind their stomachs are fill'd and hence it is that they cannot savor nor relish heavenly things the breathings of the Spirit of God are not entertain'd by them because they are fill'd with their own wind but the Saints are willing to empty themselves and to receive in the holy Ghost into their souls and the blessed things that the holy Ghost doth bring Christ comes in to sup with them and they to sup with him and thus they come to be nourished to eternal life and fitted for any service or any suffering that the Lord is pleased to call them to their food is different It follows And followeth after the East wind This East Wind especially in those Countries it is noted to be a very hurtful Wind exceedingly hurtful to man and beast and so we have a proverb of the East Wind The East wind blows neither good to man nor beast but more especially in that Country So we find it in Scripture in Gen. 41. 6. the text saith The seven thin Ears that Pharaoh saw of Corn that came up but were blasted with the East wind and in Ezek 17. 10. Shall it not wither when the East wind toucheth it and in Job 15. 2. Should a wise man utter vain knowledg and fill his belly with the East wind When you see men talk and utter vain things they do but seek to fill their bellies with the East wind The East wind was so hurtful because there came a heat of the Sun that made it dry and scorching in those Countries and therefore the Septuagint translate this the scorching Wind
he no not for the saving of the souls of all the world surely then a lye must not be told to get twelve pence in a bargain or five shillings or fifty shillings or five pounds it must not be told to save the souls of all the world Now to tell a lye to deceive others as well as thy self surely God hath not yet laid the weight of sin upon your souls the day is yet to come that you shall know perhaps to all eternity what the weight and burdon of sin means And then in the Third place Certainly you do not trust in God you may speak of trusting in God but it is apparant by this That you have jealous thoughts of God that you do not beleeve that God takes care of you and here 's not only sin but it shews your misery you are in such a condition that your own consciences condemn you and tell you that God takes no care of you for did you beleeve that God had care of you care over my bodie my estate my soul then I 'le leave it to God I 'le cast my care upon God I 'le go on in Gods way and leave all other things to God But now when a man is low in the world and would fain rise higher or would provide such a portion for his children and he falls to deceiving and so thinks to get it that way this is the plain explicit English of it For my part I dare not trust God to take care for me and that that I think God to do for me is not enough if I trust to Gods blessing I may be a poor man my children may be poor and I dare not trust to promises nor protections nor providences but I must take my own way the truth is the language is as much as thus much I cannot get an estate by God and therefore I 'le see what I can do by the Devil And then Fourthly All duties of Religion that thou performest are rejected by God you who are conscientious to your selves of waies of falseness in your trading and it may be have gone on many daies and yeers in your waies I say all the duties of Religion that you perform are rejected by God you will deceive and yet come to hear and deceive again and yet hear and so make the duties of Religion to be a colour to your deceipt Who would suspect such a man that is so forward in matters of Religion that he should be so deceiptful Oh! cursed is that wickedness above all wickedness it is aggravated by this When thou makest Religion to be a colour of deceipt know that God casts all thy profession and duties as filth and dung back again in your face I 'le give you this on Scripture in Ezek. 28. 18. Thou hast saith the text defiled thy Sanctuaries how by the multitude of thine iniquities by the iniquity of thy TRAFFICK By the iniquity of thy Traffick thou hast defiled thy Sanctuaries You go abroad and there you traffick and deceive and put off false Commodities and have false Reckonings and the like now you come into the Sanctuary Oh but you defile the Sanctuary by the greatness of your iniquity and among other greatness of your iniquities the iniquity of your Traffick is that that defiles the Ordinances of God unto you In Micah 6. 8. when those Hypocrits had said What shall we do shall we come with ten thousand Rams and Rivers of Oyl Saith the Prophet He hath shewed thee O man what is good And what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justice c. As if he should say Though you come with all these things it 's all to no purpose whatsoever Offerings you offer to God it 's all nothing except you do Justice Fifthly There is a curse mingled with every thing thou doest enjoy Though it may be some things are gotten honestly yet I say there is a curse mingled in all things thou doest it doth venem and poyson every thing thou doest In Zach. 5. 3. there was a flying Rol of twenty Cubits and the breadth of it ten Cubics then said he unto me This is the curse that goeth over the whol earth for whom For every one that stealeth shall be cut off c. Everie bit of meat thou eatest at thy Table thou maiest look upon it as dipt in the curse of God I have gotten this by deceipt thou wouldest be loth to have everie bit of meat rouled up in dirt and so put into thy mouth but everie bit of meat is rouled up in the Curse of God And then Sixthlie surelie thou that art guiltie of this deceipt in the way of trading thou canst not pray if thou comest to prayer surelie thy conscience is verie blind for when thou art conscious to thy self of deceipt how canst thou come into the presence of a righteous God Canst thou say Oh Righteous Father darest thou come into the presence of such a HOLY and RIGHTEOUS God that profess to abominate thy waies surely thy conscience must be very blind if thou doest not understand the evil of thy sin It may be there was a time at first of thy trading that thy conscience did trouble thee for a little time thou had'st mis-giving thoughts but thou hast worn them out and so art ready to bless thy self that thou hast gotten over such a difficulty as that is thy condition is far worse Or if not If thy conscience be not sear'd with a hot Iron then thou wilt be terrified I verily think that those that have any light left in them that they dare not go to prayers Oh! doest thou so prize a little gain as to take away the freedom of thy spirit and the holy boldness of thy heart in prayer Oh how shouldest thou say to Gain Get thee hence as a menstruous cloath Seventhly Know that if thou shouldest come to make use of thy estate in any good work God rejects it Isa 61. 8. For I the Lord love Judgment I hate robbery for burnt offerings What will you come and get by deceipt an estate and come and offer it to me I abhor it saith God 'T is a speech of Chrysostom Why doest thou despise and despight God in this in bringing unclean things to him it's a reproach to God a man that hath gotten an estate by deceipt if he brings his estate to any Service of God he doth reproach God Eightly know that God will avenge such things it may be the poor man that thou oppressest in thy trading he cannot right himself upon thee because a bargain is a bargain you will say yea but God will come over with the bargain again it may be you have done with him in your bargain but God hath not done with you You will say to him You saw what it was and you bought the thing of me as it was and I have nothing to say to you but God hath much to say to
blessing of the thing he takes away the comfort of it the satisfaction in it They shal eat but they shall not be satisfied So in Psal 106. 15. There he gave them their request but sent leanness into their soul the text saith He filled them according to their desires with flesh but sent leanness into their soul the meaning of the text is this It is a similitude transfer'd from the bodie to the soul that as many times men may have a dogs appetite as the Physitiaus cals it that is a mightie greedie stomach but they cannot digest what they eat and so the body is lean so here they had a mightie desire but as in the bodie manie times there is such a disease that the meat turns not to nourishment so in their souls they had even that their souls desir'd yea but their souls could not be satisfied there was that distemper in the soul as in the bodie the bodie doth not thrive with what it eats when it hath such a disease upon it so though the soul hath what it did desire for the matter of it yet it had a distemper in it thus it could not be satisfied nor thrive nor prosper with what it had Oh he sent leanness into their soul How many times are men and women mightie greedie and desirous after such and such contents and think thus Oh how happy should I be if I had this and the other thing it may be God lets you have what you would here but when he hath let you have it he snatches away the comfort of it you shall have a Well but it shall have no bottom you shall not be able to get out the good and comfort in what you have And that 's the Fourth thing Surely God is not in it for the blessing of God makes rich and ads no sorrow with it no he brings comfort Fifthly When that which we desire is meerly to satisfie our lusts meerly that we might have our humors and lusts satisfied that 's all we do not desire such and such comforts that by them we may be fitted for the Service of God in our places not so much because we have need of them to help us in our work but because we would have our lusts satisfied there 's all we cannot give an account why these and these things should help us in the work of the Lord but that we may go on as well without them But these and these things are sutable to our lusts Oh! if God doth give thee any thing to satisfie thy lusts certainly he gives it in his wrath as now If a man that hath a disease in his bodie if he hath an enemie comes to him and knows what will feed his disease the Enemie will give it him that he might dispatch him the sooner there 's no faithful Physitian nor no loving friend will give unto any that that will feed their disease but will take it from them and take it from them in love because it will feed theirdisease Oh! the Lord sees mens hearts set upon such and such lusts and if they have such and such things granted them their lusts will be fed by them they shall have them saith God It 's as dangerous a sign of Reprobation as any thing to give them that that shall be most sutable to their lusts that shall most harden them And on the other side The greatest love when God shall take that from his children that he knows will but feed their lusts there 's many diseases are such that the only way to cure them is to keep the Patient in a short dyet though they crie for food and be very hungry yet they must be kept very sparing why because the nature of the disease is such as will draw all nourishment to it self to feed it and so God is fain to do with his own people when he sees them sick of such a disease the Nature of which will draw all nourishment for the feeding of it Sixthly When men desire that they would have and are eager upon it but they take no great care whether they do enjoy it from a reconciled God or a provoked God it 's all one to them let me have it but whether it comes from God reconciled or God provoked they do not much stand upon that that 's very remarkable here in Numb 11. there is this notable story of Gods satisfying desires in his wrath If you turn to the beginning of the Chapter you shall find that God was very much provoked with the people here The people complain'd it displeased the Lord and the Lord heard it and his anger was kindled and the fire of the Lord burnt among them and consum'd them and the people cried to Moses and so the judgment was got off from them but then presently after they fell to murmuring before ever any thing was done to reconcile God and their souls together you do not reade of any work of humiliation to seek reconciliation with God between the time that God did manifest his sore displeasure against them and the time that God satisfied them in their desires no they look'd not upon that God indeed was displeased but it was off now and for any matter of atonement or making up their peace with God that they look'd not at but let them have their desires hence it came to be in wrath the satisfying of their desires Doth thy conscience tell thee that there hath been a time wherein God hath been displeased with thee the anger of God hath burst out against thee perhaps thou art in a better condition now than thou wast before Oh but tell me hast thou humbled thy soul before God to make up thp peace with him hath there been a day of atonement between God and thy soul hath Gods displeasure been out against thee and now doth he come and satisfie thee in what thou doest desire before any thing hath been done in falling down before him and seeking his face and making peace thou canst not have comfort in this satisfying of thy desires but it 's rather in wrath than in mercy Seventhly When God regards not our preparation for a mercy he gives it whether we be fitted for it yea or no no great matter And carnal hearts take no great care themselves of it let me have it whether my heart be in a fit condition that 's not the thing It 's your sin and wickedness not to regard the preparation of your hearts for what you have and it 's Gods Judgment to give it to you before you be prepared A gracious heart when it would have a mercy it is as careful to get the heart prepared for the mercy as to obtain it Oh! there 's such and such things that indeed would be sutable to me but is my heart fit for such a deliverance is my heart fit for such a mercy as this when as it is thy care to prepare thy heart