of such poor things as they have in the Creature should imbolden their hearts against the great God of Heaven and Earth yet thus it is men little consider but even those things that their hearts do so much rest upon they are absolutely at the dispose of this God whom their hearts do not fear But note let the Saints of God take this Note with them Shall creature confidence take mens hearts off from Gods fear Then let Gods fear take your hearts off from creature confidence Certainly there 's a great deal more reason Oh! 't is infinitely irrational that creature confidence should take the heart from Gods fear but it 's infinitely rational that Gods fear should take our hearts off from creature confidence Thirdly Now they shall say We feared not the Lord. The taking from a People the protection of and benefit they might have by Kingly Power is a punishment of the want of the fear of God in them We have no King we are deprived of the benefit of the good that we might have the protection that we might have by Kingly power it is because we feared not the Lord what evil we feel in this let us attribute it to the want of the fear of God in our selves and in the people of the Land We complain of those that are about the King and of Her that lies in the Bosom of the King and of the evil of his own heart in part but whence is it that God hath left him either to them or to any evil in his own spirit The Lord in this punishes the sins of the People 't is usual for God to punish the sins of the People in leaving Governors unto evil courses in 2 Sam. 24. 1. you have a remarkable Scripture for this saith the text there And the Anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel and what then And he moved David against them to say Go number Israel and Judah The Anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel and he moved David against them to what God lets temptations be before David for to fall into that sin that might bring evil upon the people It was because the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel It 's because that a people fear not God therefore it is that the Lord leaves Kings leaves their Governors to those evil waies that they are left unto and therefore learn we when we hear of any evil that is done by countenance of Kings or any power learn we to lay our hands upon our own hearts and say even this is because we feared not the Lord how easie had it been with the Lord to have wrought upon his heart Oh! what prayers hath been sent up unto the Lord for the heart of one man never since the world began more prayers for the heart of one man but the Lord hath seem'd even to shut his ears against the prayers of his people now let us lay our hands upon our hearts God hath denied our prayers it is because we have not feared him now certainly there hath been but little fear of God amongst us and little fear of the great God is still to this day among us And that 's the third Observation We have no King because we feared not the Lord. And then the Fourth is this The times of Gods Wrath and Judgments forces acknowledgment from men that they did not fear God When God comes against them in waies of wrath now they can acknowledg that they feared not God should the Prophet have come to them before and told them Oh! you are a wretched vile people there is no fear of God among you Why wherein do not we fear God as in Malac. 1. they would not be convinced but Now shall they say c. Now when the wrath of God is upon men now they shall say we see now apparently we feared not the Lord. As it 's said of Cardinal Wolsie when he was in distress Oh saith he Had I but served God as well as I served the King it would have been otherwise with me than it is but I sought to please the King rather than God and now I am left in this distressed estate He would have scorned that any should have told him before that he pleased the King more than God but afflictions they will draw forth acknowledgment for in afflictions God appears dreadful to the soul it is no dallying and trifling and putting off then we see we have to deal with an infinite Glorious and dreadful God and in times of affliction now conscience will brave over men it will not be quieted and still'd so as in the times of prosperity but it will speak as we reade of Zebul in Judges 9. 38. saith Zebul Where now is thy mouth wherewith thou saidest Who is Abimelech So saith conscience in times of affliction to wretched creatures Where now is that bold and presumptuous heart of thine Thou scornest at fearing and trembling before God and slightest his Word but where now is that proud wretched heart of thine And in times of afflictions now are mens hearts abased and humbled and therefore now they are ready to say It is because they feared not the Lord. Mark here they do not when they are in afflictions and troubles say I we may thank these kind of people there were a company of factious people and they would not yield to any thing and we may thank them for all this you hear no such words Oh no but it is Because we feard not the Lord. When the heart is in any degree humbled it will not put off the cause of evils to other men or other things but will charge its self as the cause of the evils that are upon it Oh how much better my Brethren were it for us to see the want of the fear of God by his Word to us and his Spirit in us than by his wrath against us or his stroke upon us Let us every day examine our hearts How hath the fear of God been in me this day hath the fear of God acted and guided me in al my thoughts counsels and actions this day How happy were it when we ever lie down to rest to have such a short meditation Hath the fear of God been the thing that hath Acted and Governed and Guided me in my course this day But it follows What then shall a King do to us or for us Suppose we had him now he is gone but if we had him what good would he bring to us if we had him As if they should say we speak much concerning our King but now we have not the King with us as he was but if he were with us again what should he do for us what would our condition be better than it is And indeed what good had their Kings done for them The People of Israel they were very desirous of a King they must
the vertues of their godly parents and then they may draw comfort from the godliness of their parents But lastly Hypocrites though degenerate will not only think to fare the better for their godly parents but they will think to have the same mercy as their godly parents had they little think of the difference that there is between Israel heretofore and that Israel that is now so basely degenerated It follows VER 3. Israel hath cast off the thing that is good the enemy shall pursue him THEY cry We have known thee but they cast off the thing that is good they profess to know God in word but in works they deny him What is it to say We know God and to cast off the thing that is good Now the word that is here translated cast off signifies Hath put off a great way yea hath abominated the thing that is good doth not only forsake the thing that is good but to cast off with a kind of abomination the thing that is good Hath cast off the thing that is good That is First cast off God Himself who is as Anselme speaks of Him that Good in which there is all Good God the highest and chief good they have cast him off Secondly The thing that is good indefinitely That is they will not be ordered by any rule they care for the good of no body but only to have their own lusts satisfied But that which I think is most properly aimed at by this phrase The thing that is good is the Worship of God My Worship They say We know Thee but in the mean time they cast off that good thing Oh that Good Thing that which I hold indeed to be the thing that is good Hence observe The true Worship of God is the GOOD Thing by way of excellency We account our Estates are goods we use to speak in that kind of language the goods of such a man Is our Estates our goods Are they such good things Oh! what is the Worship of God then The Worship of God that 's the thing that is good by way of excellency above all our goods that 's the good thing that a spiritual heart can prize that 's that which God delights in and wherein his people enjoy so much communion with Himself that 's the thing by which God lets out so much good to His People it 's the safety protection the blessing of a Kingdom the purity of Gods Worship where that is all other good things will follow that 's THE Good thing and it is a sign of a gracious spiritual heart to prize the Worship of God in the purity of it as the good thing above all good things that a Kingdom is capable of Secondly Yet Gods own Worship is by carnal hearts of men repelled and cast off as evil if it sute not their own ends and designs The spirits of men rise against it they will not so much as examin things in any peaceable and quiet way but by prejudice because they see it not sutable to their own waies their spirits rise abominating that which God Himself prises Thirdly Though first men do but only leave God forsake the thing that is good yet at length they grow to such a ripeness in sin as they cast it off with abomination and that 's a great deal worse Meerly to neglect that which is good is an evil but to cast off that which is good by way of abomination Oh then the sin of a people is grown to an height then they are neer to Judgment indeed when they cast it off thus men who heretofore have been very forward in the profession of Religion and seem to love and delight in the thing that is good but by degrees their hearts were drawn from the waies of God now they cannot bear the sight of those things to be presented nor bear the hearing of those things their hearts rise against any that they see practice them they now shut their eyes and stop their ears and with violence repel the Truth according to those in Jer. 44. 16. As for the Word of the Lord that thou hast spoken to us we will not hear thee Oh! are there not some that heretofore have thought they have received much sweetness in the waies of God and now not only left them but their hearts rise against them and if any thing be spoken for them shut their eyes and ears and cast it off and even abominate such Let such take heed that God cast not them off for ever 1 Chron. 28. 9. it is a speech of David to his son Solomon If thou seek Him He will be found of thee but if thou forsake Him He will cast thee off for ever How much more if thou dost cast off the thing that is good Oh! my brethren let us take heed of casting off the thing that is good we may pass over many Truths that it may be God hath convinced us off but let us take heed of casting off any Truth for then we are ripe to Judgment then the Lord may justly cast us off for ever Lastly If wicked mens hearts be so vile to cast off God and his Worship that hath so much good how much more should we cast off with abomination that that is abomination it self How much more should we cast off false worship with abomination and say Get thee hence and so all kind of evil and sin that would stick so fast upon us In Rom. 12. 9. Abhor that which is evil to abhor it as wel as to abhor Hell it self it comes from a word that is used for Hell Thus we should learn from wicked mens casting off what is good to cast off that which is evil and wicked One thing further Whatsoever knowledg of God or profession we make of worshipping Him yet if we cast off any thing that is good this deprives us of any interest we have in God of any comfort in crying to God in our afflictions I beseech you take notice of this They cry to me my God we know thee but saith God they have cast off that that 's good The Note is To cast off violently and that against light any one thing that is good though it be meant of the Worship of God principally yet it is spoken indefinitely to cast off any thing that is good any truth of God it is that which doth deprive the soul of having comfort and interest in God or crying to God in the time of distress Oh thou sinner how dearly doest thou pay for thy beloved sin at what a dear rate doest thou buy every beloved lust of thine when as it doth deprive thee of all comfort and interest in God that otherwise thou mightest have in crying to God in the day of distress The enemy shall pursue him When the good of duty is cast off evil of punishment will come in By casting off that which is
follow it is accounted by God as we brought the evil on purpose upon our selves Surely they set not up silver and gold on intention to destroy themselves but because destruction doth necessarily follow therefore God accounts it done on purpose in Jer. 7. 18. in Pro. 8. 36. All them that hate me love death Surely no man loves death but when you do cast off the instruction of wisdom you do as mnch as if you should say You love death as here that they might be cut off It follows VER 5. Thy Calf O Samaria hath cast thee off THY Calf O Samariah He calls the Idol a calf by way of contempt But why is it called the Calf of Samaria It was not set up in Samaria There is two Calves only that we reade of and yet here it is call'd the Calf of Samaria The reason is this that Samaria was the chief City and because the Calf was by the power and riches and countenance of the chief City of the Land maintained therefore it is call'd the Calf of Samaria Where that 's corrupted the whol Land wil quickly be corrupted where that stands right it goes well w th the whol Land that 's the reason why the Adversaries seek to corrupt and overthrow our chief Citie As all did depend upon what Samaria did therefore the corruption of false worship is attributed to Samaria it is thy Calf Oh Samaria And therefore if God had not moved the hearts of the People of this City but we had brought Popery in it might have been said it was the Popery of London and whereas on the other side if God please to work their spirits right to go on to the end the children not yet born may have cause to bless this Citie and say This is the Reformation that we may bless London for It hath cast thee off Hath cast thee off from me so some have it But rather as you have it in your books Thy Calf hath cast thee off Whence note That though Idolaters promise to themselves safety and protection by their Idols yet they will leave them at last All you that go on in the waies of sin know that those waies of sin of yours will leave you in the lurch at the last as they say the Devil leaves the Witches when they come to the prison when Judas went to the Scribes and Pharisees in the anguish of his spirit and cast down the money and said I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood What 's that to us say they see thou to that Therfore the best way is to cast off our sin and wickedness first But God will not do thus God will not cast off his People in the time of trouble and when our unbeleeving hearts do think that God will cast us off in the time of trouble we make God an Idol as if God would do as the Idols did cast us off We may in Gods Cause be brought into straights but God will never cast us off in them when we are ready to think our selves to be utterly forsaken in straights then God may be working the greatest good for us we have a most notable Scripture for that in Isa 49. 13 and 14. verses Sing Oh Heavens and be joyful Oh Earth and break forth into singing Oh Mountains for God hath comforted His People and will have mercy upon His afflicted But mark Zyon said the Lord hath forsaken me They were in a singing condition and God calls the Heavens to sing and the Earth to be joyful and the Mountains to break forth into singing because of so great a work that God was making for His People but Zyon said The Lord hath forsaken me And so it is with particular souls they are ready to say the Lord hath forsaken me but God will not do so Mine anger is kindled against them When wicked men are brought into the greatest straits then Gods wrath is hottest and then also Conscience belks and burns most hot as mens countenances change red and pale sometimes with anger so it is said here that even the countenance of God grow red and pale with His anger against this people Though superstitious men may think that outward pompous worshipping pleases God most yet we see here that it doth stir up the anger of God so that God grows even pale against them with anger How long will it be ere they attain to innocency Mens hearts are stubborn in their own waies they will not be taken off wicked men will be true to their own principles there is a stubborn constancy in evil as well as a gracious constancy in good How long will it be Again secondly God is very patient a long time Then Thirdly Continuence in sin is no excuse but an aggravation of sin to make it grievous to God when God chastises us we are ready to cry How long Lord Will he reretain his anger for ever Know that our continuance in sin is as great a burden to Gods Spirit he cries out when will they be made clean when shall it once be and in Jer. 4. 14. ver Oh Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou maiest be saved how long shall thy vain thoughts lodg within thee Ere they attain to innocency The words are He cannot attain that is he is so deeply engaged that he cannot attain to innocency when men are engaged in evil waies they cannot get out Take heed of engagements in that which is evil Secondly If by custom and engagement in evil we have no power to get out this will be no excuse to us In 2 Pet. 2. 14. They have eyes full of adultry and they cannot cease to sin This is the aggravation of sin no excuse A learned man of late hath an excellent Note upon this They cannot bear innocency and indeed according to the Hebrew this may as well be added for explication for in the Hebrew there is nothing else but this They cannot innocency the word attain is not in the Hebrew and it may very well sute with the time wherein Hosea did prophesie and the meaning is this They cannot bear with those who will not joyn with them but will go to Jerusalem to worship and this provokes the Spirit of God against them because they cannot bear those that would seek to free themselves from defilements in the Worship of God there is nothing in the world wherein men cannot less bear one with another than in dissentions about the worship of God and commonly the Nocent party is the most bitter against the Innocent as the Lutherans they were worse in their waies than the Calvinists specially in the point of superstition but they were a great deal more bitter against the Calvinists than the Calvinists were against them it was an expression that Calvin hath Though Luther saith he should call me Devil yet I would honor him as a Servant of Jesus Christ The
outwardly better than themselves Oh! this was exceeding grievous to the heart of God and thence the Note is this That it is a very great evil when wicked men seem to prosper a little in their outward condition more than Gods People for those that are the people of God to begin to think that therefore those wicked ones are in a better condition than themselves this is an evil that doth go very much to the heart of God and very ordinarily it is in some degree or other among the People of God I appeal to your consciences in this very thing though at some time your souls have had sweet refreshing from the Lord in the enjoyment of communion with him but yet when Gods hand hath been out against you when you look'd upon others though you knew them to be wicked and ungodly yet they have prospered their Ships came home safely and richly and their trading goes on Do you not sometimes find such rising of your thoughts within you as if so be that these men were in a â—etter condition than your selves Oh! if you have but the least thought rising that way know it is that which doth exceedingly grieve the Spirit of God by which you are seal'd that because they have a few loaves more than you though you have all the riches of God and Christ though you have the inheritance of Saints yet that you should think them in a better condition than you are in As a child if he sees some stranger have a bit of meat better than he hath he should think presently that his father loves the stranger better than him this the father takes ill How ordinary is it upon this ground for those that have profest themselves to be godly rather to withdraw themselves from the afflicted Saints and seek correspondence with wicked men that prosper God would have his people see an al sufficiency in himself in their sadest condition so as they need not go out from him for help but still wait upon him and keep his way the Lord by his Prophet rebukes Jehoshaphat in 2 Chron. 19. 2. for loving the ungodly and helping them that hate the Lord. And is there not as great an evil to seek the love of the wicked and ungodly and help from them that hate the the Lord certainly the evil is very great it argues very little love that we have to God it charges God of unfaithfulness as if though he hath engaged himself to his people yet he would leave them in the lurch this encourages the wicked in their wicked waies and it charges God with that which is accounted one of the most vile things among men What is accounted one of the vilest things among men that a man should set another men about his work and then leave them in the lurch when they meet with troubles in their work It is as vile a thing as any is among men and we should look upon such men as should imploy others in any service and then leave them to shift for themselves in their straights we should look upon them as vile men unworthy to be dealt withal Now what would we but charge God with this even that which makes men to be most vile And this besides is a most desperaee folly so to do for when thou art thinking to provide for thy self by correspondence with ungodly men it may be thou wert just at the very point of deliverance at that very time it is Gods usual way to come to help his people when they are in the greatest straights and therefore it is the greatest folly that when we are in straights then to think of shifting courses so that then we must forsake our own mercy in thinking of shifting courses in straights above all times Christians should take heed of thinking of shifting courses because then above all times those are the times for God to shew his mercy and just then Wilt thou then be forsaking him Oh! it is that which should lie neer to your hearts if any of you have been guilty of this let but the Word of God bring this upon your spirits this day Oh! how do I know but at that very time when I took such a shifting course that was the very time that God was about to do my soul good and of doing good for my body and yet then I deprived my self of good that goodness and mercy of God It follows yet Now will I gather them This gathering among Interpreters hath reference either to the Nations whom they sought unto or to themselves I will gather them that is That Nation or I will gather you If to the Nation then the scope is thus Notwithstanding you hire the Nations yet I will gather them against you they shall be strengthened against you with the same money that you hyre them withal I will turn it against you and now you have provided fair for your selves have you not Many times when we think to provide best for our own peace we make the greatest provision for our own ruin God many times makes people work their own wo and ruin themselves and there is no means that doth more fully and directly tend to undo them than what they do themselves and thus God over rules the counsels and thoughts of men What a vain thing is it to plot against God when God can turn mens Arrows against themselves No men are greater instruments of Gods wrath many times against us than we are our selves yea and than those are that we seek most to correspond withal and it is just with God it should be so that if we wil leave him to seek correspondence with wicked men it is just with God that of all men in the world those should be the men that should be made the Executioners of Gods wrath upon us But now if it be to Israel I will gather them among the Nations Then the word here gathered is sometimes used for gathering dead corps in an Army when they are slain in Battel You go and think to have the Nations but you shall be as a company of dead corps in an Army and lie in heaps there But I find Calvin hath a further Note upon it and takes it as having reference to the former verse This people are wild and run up and down this way and that way to shift for themselves but I will gather them that is I will keep theâ— in so the words likewise may signifie I will keep them in I will gather-in their spirits there shall be some work of prudence or other to keep them in I will keep them from those waies wherein they would presently have ruined themselves People run many times headily on in evil waies that would certainly ruin them but when Gods time for the execution of his wrath is not yet come the Lord restrains them and keeps them in from such waies though their hearts be set upon such waies
Oh! you must not rejoyce as other people you look upon a Drunkard that reels in the streets and hear a Swearer blaspheme the Name of God yea but that may not be so great an evil as the vanity of thy spirit And why The loosness of thy heart and those secret sins thou art guilty of because thou hast so covenanted and bound thy self to God the Drunkard was never made sensible of his sin and wrath of God upon his conscience but the wrath of God hath been upon thy conscience and thou hast engaged thy self to God if he would shew mercy Oh! thou would'st walk holily and strictly before him Now doest thou think that thy sins are as the sins of other people They never had such Soul-quickning Ordinances but go up and down to Taverns and Alehouses and never know what a powerful Sermon meant upon their hearts and had they such means as thou hast then it 's like it would be with them far better than now and the Name of God is not so much polluted by them as by thee thou that art a Professor of Religion the eyes of all men are upon thee and in thy sin thou doest not only disobey God but thou doest pollute the Name of God thou art a stumbling block unto others and the cause of the hardning of many hundreds in their sins and therfore thy sin certainly is worse than others This would be a great Point to shew how the sins of the Professors of Religion are worse than others and therefore it is not enough for you to say We are all sinners No we must not excuse our selves in this that others are guilty as well as we Oh! but consider what aggravations there is of thy sin more than there is of the sins of others It is a sign of a very carnal heart to think to go away thus it 's true I sin and others sin as well as I do yea but a true penitent heart wil not only consider that he is a sinner but what aggravations are there upon his sin more than upon the sins of others and so will lay it upon their hearts It 's true such and such sin but had they what I have had it would not be so with them my sin that hath broken through so many terrors of conscience and that God hath sought by such means to keep me from my sin it is a sign of the violence of my spirit indeed that hath broken through so much as I have done it is therefore an abominable thing to make our profession in holy Duties a Medium to make our sins less Doest thou think that this is a means to make thee escape that wrath Certainly this is a great aggravation of thy sins We have a generation of men among us that because they are Beleevers therefore they need no sorrow for their sin they must have only joy Now certainly thy being a Beleever may aggravate thy sin so much the more and may make it so much the more vile and may pierce thy heart so much the more for if thou beest a Beleever thou knowest what the pardon of thy sins cost therefore certainly Gods mercies towards thee are the aggravation of thy sins The truth is suppose our sins were not so great as the sins of some other people are yet it is not alwaies an argument that we may rejoyce as other people Why so you will say Thus Suppose our sins be but equal or less than the sins of other people yet it is more than we know whether God will pass by our sins so much as by the sins of others What if God out of his Prerogative damn thee for a little sin and save others that have committed great sins We have such examples in Scripture as in the example of Saul the thing that God cast away Saul for in its self it was not so much as that which David had been guilty of he had been guilty of groser sins than that which God cast away Saul for Saul might have said this is an offence but is this like Murder and Adultry What if it be not God will pardon David and cast away Saul Oh! do not you think to rejoice as other people do Why may not God do with his mercie as he pleases it is his own God may pardon one and damn thee eternally And therefore let no sinner please himself with what others do for he is not to do as others do Now it follows Thou hast loved a reward upon every corn-flour Israel saw the Nations have a great deal of plentie upon their Corn flours which they attributed to the serving of their Idol gods therefore Israel thought to comply with them out of the love to the plentie they had and since the time that she had complied with the Nations about her she prospered more she thought and this she loved by this she was exceeding hardned in her waies of Idolatry and blessed her self in them This is the scope God made many Promises for provision for Israel in his service but they made accompt to get more in following the waies of the Gentiles than in following Gods waies Like Harlots though they have liberal provision from their husbands yet they hoping to get more by others they love braverie and jolitie and they see that other Harlots they live more merrilie and go finer in cloaths and can be whol nights in chambering and wantonness and have good cheer and they love this and though they have allowance enough at home yet they leave their husbands and follow whoremasters Just thus it was with Israel though she might have Gods care over her and provision for her in the waies of his Worship yet she beholding the Gentiles living more bravely she would follow after them At first as you heard she hired Lovers her self but now she loves a reward upon everie Corn-flour now she expects greater advantage this indeed was the matter that put her on the loving a reward upon every corn-flour she might have many pretences Why she did not see but that she might do such and such things and they were not directly contrary to Gods Word but whatsoever she did pretend in the altering the way of Gods Worship yet this was the great matter that prevailed with her heart it was The loving a reward upon every corn flour And thus it is with very many that are superstitious come and speak to them of their waies they will have very many fair pretences they think that they have this and that warrant out of the Scripture for it but all the the while there is a pad in the straw there is their living and trading and estates and friends that they have an eye upon and it is that which byasses their hearts and spirits But divers things have been spoken to the same purpose of this that we met withal before only this one Note Idolaters do love their Corn and outward
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
upon them nor how to avoid it nor what course to take what can you do in such a day For First All your comforts they are gone all such things that your hearts closed withal and made as Gods to your selves they are gone Secondly Now God himself fights against you in Isa 13. 6. Howl ye for the day of the Lord is at hand it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty But it may be you look only upon such and such men that are the Instruments No but it is a destruction from the Almighty and therefore what can you do Thirdly Conscience in that day that will terrifie you Fourthly You shall not know whither to go for help To the creature that cannot help you your vain hopes in the creature hath the very heartstrings of them broke you thought that you might shift and help your selves there but now you see there is no help there What then you cannot go to God then the very thoughts of God must needs be terrible to you and then what will you do Further For these miseries they are but the beginning of sorrows this day of the Lord it is but a preparation for another day there is yet a more solemn day of the Lord in coming than this present Oh! what will ye do in the day of the Lord Howsoever a man may resolve to set a good face upon a thing Oh! but my Brethren though you cannot see daunting in a countenance yet did you but see the black bosom and the woful guilty spirit that there is by sin within you would know that they could not in the world tell what do do in the day of the Lord. It 's strange what a man may do even before death in the presence of men although his own conscience tells him quite otherwise and though men are ready to be taken with dying mens expressions yet many times there is much deceipt in them Why you will say What a man doth profess when he is ready to die certainly it must needs be a truth There is a notable story concerning this that Bishop Latimer hath in one of his Sermons he tels of the desperate stoutness of a certain mans heart even when he was to die as he was â—iding he comes to a place where the execution of a man was to be he turns aside and when the people saw him they made way and he comes to speak with the man and both he and all that were about him could not get out of him to give glory to God for the guiltiness of the fact for which he was to be executed but stood out in it that he was not guilty and when they could get nothing out of him they turned the ladder and the rope being cut and he down they thought the life had been gone from him but at length they saw a little motion in him and by rubbing and chaâ—ing of him they got life so as he was able to speak and then he confest all that he was guilty of those very things that he had took upon his death that he was not Thus it 's possible for men in the stoutness of their hearts even at the last rather to venture their souls upon it and well may they that ventur'd their souls so much before upon other things think that they may make bold with God at such a time as this is But howsoever there is much dejection of spirit and they know not in the world what to do Well it 's happy for us to consider what we do and to lay to heart what we have done that so in such a day of the Lord as this we may know what to do the Servants of God who have walked conscionably before him they know what to do in the day of publick calamity ` For first ' They can bless God that ever they knew him that ever they knew his waies that ever he put it into their hearts to fear his name Secondly They know what to do in a day of calamity they can exercise their faith upon that Word in which the Lord hath caused them to trust they can make it to be the support of their souls and the joy of their hearts even in such a day Thirdly They know what to do they can sanctifie God Name in his righteous judgments they can see mercy and the love of a Father in the sorest and heaviest afflictions that do befall them Fourthly They know what to do they can ease their souls by powring them forth into the bosom of a gracious and reconciled Father Fifthly They know what to do they can see beyond all these present evils they can see Immortality and Glory they can see that on the other side a little beyond these troubles and afflictions there is an everlasting joy and day of peace coming to them A Job can tell what to do he can profess that though God kill him he would trust in him A David can tell what to do In the multitude of the sorrows that I had in my heart thy consolations refresh my soul A Habacuk can tell what to do Although the fig-tree should not blossom nor fruit be in the vines the labor of the Olive shall fail and the fields shall yeeld no meat the flocks shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no heard in the stalls yet will I rejoyce in the Lord yet will I joy in the God of my salvation Thus you see the Saints they know what to do in such a day and this is the excellency of grace that it can never be put so to it in any strait but it can tel what to do as David said to Achish in 2 Sam. 28. 2. Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do So the Saints in time of common distresses they should set their graces so on work that all may see what their faith and humility and patience can do that they may be able to say well you shall see now what the Servant of the Lord can do If one should say to one that hath made profession of Godliness You spake much of the excellency of grace but what can you do with it The answer that such a one may well give is this When you cannot tell what to do in the world nor which way to turn your selves yet through Gods mercy I can tell what to do Grace will be able to carry a man through fire and water that faith of mine and the grace that I have gotten by the Word that you can scorn at it 's that doth through Gods mercy enable my soul to rejoyce yea to triumph in Tribulations Can you do that You can rejoyce now when you are in a Tavern but in the day of Tribulation when a dismal day shall come to the world what will you do then I thank God I have that that can rejoyce my heart in such a day as this is and that that
abominable wickedness in the eyes of God Thus they did in the daies of Gibeah And thus you are ready to do not only to commit horrible wickedness and sins but to stand in the defence of it there is this desperate stoutness of spirit and hardness of heart in many men that when they are once got into the way of sin rather than they would yield and submit they will venture the undoing of themselves the men of Gibeah did so and they were undone accordingly Yea further Not only to stand out our selves in evil but to joyn with others to defend them though it be the venturing of our own undoing and others this is further wickedness yet how many have we of the Gentry and Nobility of the Kingdom that do not only seek to defend themselves but joyn with the greatest Malignants of the Kingdom with those that are the greatest cause of evil and were like to be the utter undoing of us all to defend them from Justice will venture the ruin of their own families whereas were it that the Malignants were given up they might have saved their estates families and all Oh! that ever God should leave men in such horrible wickedness as this is This is just as it was in the daies of Gibeah Sixtly Those who do so stoutly stand to defend wickedness and other men who are wicked yet they may for a while prosper even the men of Gibeah and the Benjamites may prosper But yet in the next place at last these men shall perish twenty five thousand and an hundred of these twenty six thousand perished and all the men of Gibeah and the City was burnt So let men stand out as stubbornly and stoutly as they will and say What care we they will lose their lives and estates rather than they will submit and yeeld well they may lose all at lengh you have yet it may be a day some victory and prevail'd at some time yea but let not mens hearts be hardened by that nor let none of the other side be discouraged for certainly those that stand desperately out in defending of wickedness they shall perish at last so did the Gibeonites Yea But what is this to us might the Prophets Auditors say Yes certainly it 's much to you for this aggravates your sins the sins of forefathers that 's the Note that the Prophet makes use of what was done in daies of Gibeah From whence is this Note That the sins of forefathers is an aggravation of Childrens sins when they commit the same and others like unto them And yet such is the delusion of many poor people that they excuse the present sins by the sins of former times As thus suppose Ministers or others should complain of the sinfulness of the times and declaim against the sinfulness of the times you shall have some can say Why do they keep such a stir of the wickedness of the times were they not as bad as they are now heretofore Oh delusion This is the great aggravation when that thou livest in those sins thy forefathers did thou art it seems the child of a wicked parent and how just had it been with God to have cut thee off presently for the sins of thy parents and doest thou say that thy wickedness is no other than the wickedness of thy forefathers Certainly if the times be as ill as they were heretofore they are worse than they were heretofore for the evil of our forefathers is an aggravation of our present evils if we continue in them As the treachery of a parent would be no excuse for the treachery of a child for him to say my father was a Traytor for me to excuse the sins of the present times with the sins of the former times and say that they were as ill formerly as now it is just for all the world such kind of reasoning but this is not the reasoning of the Spirit of God he aggravates the sins of Israel in Hosea's time with the sins that were in the daies of Gibeah God may let men alone in their wickedness for a long time untill they grow to the heigth of their wickedness and then God comes upon them When the sins of the Amorites were full Now he will remember their iniquities he will visit their sins But for this phrase of Gods remembring and visiting that we have had before therefore we pass it over and come to the tenth verse VER 10. I found Israel like Grapes in the Wilderness I saw your Fathers as the first ripe in the Fig-tree at her first time THE scope of the holy Ghost in this it is to upbraid the ten Tribes for their wretched ungrateful dealing with God their sin is aggravated by Gods love towards them and their forfathers I found Israel like grapes in the Wilderness That 's thus look as a man that hath been travelling in the parched wilderness and is dry and weary and faint he doth come to a place in the Wilderness unexpectedly and finds clusters of Grapes from whence he hath abundance of refreshment to cool and moisten him and Oh how refresh'd is this poor man when he is parched in the dry Wilderness and beyond all expectation comes and finds a Vine full of clusters of Grapes this would be the most pleasing thing to such a man that could be thus saith God Such kind of delight had I in your forefathers He names Grapes and Figs here because they are the most delightful fruit of all kind of fruit to weary travellers Now if this be so that God hath such delight in his people as a man would have in Grapes thus in the Wilderness Oh! how should God be our delight when we are in the Wilderness If we being his people are so delightful to him in the Wilderness surely then God himself should be delightful to us in our wilderness Oh! let God in his Ordinances be to us in our troubles and afflictions as Grapes to a traveller in his Wilderness surely if God will account us to himself so delightful there 's great reason that we should account him to us as delightful Some of Gods Servants have been forced to fly into the Wilderness and though they have not had such outward refreshments as we have had here that have set under our own Vines and Fig-trees yet God hath made them to find Grapes in the Wilderness they have sit under Gods Protection and his Ordinances as a man in the Wilderness should sit under a Vine of Grapes and refresh himself with them I saw your Fathers We should lay to heart Gods Love to our Fathers and seek to continue it to our selves It 's a sad thing to look upon degenerate Children who have had fathers whom God took delight in Your Fathers were as clusters of Grapes that did refresh the very soul of God as it is said of Wine that it doth chear both God and man so the grace
it yea but the corruption of thy heart makes thee unwilling to hearken to the Truth the corruption of mens hearts makes them that they would fain have such a thing not to be a Truth I appeal to you have you never felt some corruptions stirring this way that when you are engaged another way and you see that if you should be taken off from that a great deal of ease and liberty and outward comforts would be gone and upon this your hearts are very loth that that should be true and therefore you are not willing to hearken to hearken with a cleer heart so as to be willing to entertain the Truth if it doth prove to be a truth that soul that shall be willing to retain every truth and be willing to let the truth prevail what ever it be that 's a sign of a gracious heart but the lusts of mens hearts do hinder them from hearkening and they are loth to hearken to those Truths that come neerest to them but when a man or woman shall be able in the presence of God upon examination of his or her heart to say Oh Lord let thy Truth prevail thou knowest that I am willing to hearken to every Truth of Thine though it should pluck away all my outward comforts I would fain know thy Truth and I would know the strictest Truths what Truths they are that most concern thy Glory and thy Worship in the best manner whatever becomes of my Credit or estate Lord let thy Truth prevail in my heart I say here 's a gracious heart that will thus hearken to God and his Truth But they have uncircumcised ears they cannot hear saith Jeremiah so through the corruption that is in mens spirits they cannot hearken to those things that seem to make against them But the last words of all here is the threatning They shall be wanderers among the Nations It is a judgment to have an unsetled spirit wandring up and down and can settle to nothing somtimes in this place sometimes in that sometimes in this way and sometimes in another this is a judgment of God Solomon hath such an expression The sight of the eyes is better than the wandring of the desires the wandring of mens appetites and desires work a great deal of vexation to them Again observe that Those who are cast away out of Gods house they can have no rest they go about like the unclean spirit seeking rest but can find none Psal 139. Here will I rest for ever The Church of God and his Ordinrnces are Gods rest and should be the rest of the hearts of his people and they are indeed the rest of the hearts of those that are gracious but alas poor soul who art wandring from God Whither goest thou where indeed will be thy rest It was the Curse of God upon Cain to be a wanderer up and down upon the face of the earth But you will say May not men be wanderers that is may not they be cast out of their Habitations and Countries and wander up and down and yet not be cast off from God It 's true we reade in Heb. 11. that the Christians wandred up and down in Sheep skins and Goats skins whom the world was not worthy of But that was in a way of persecution for God and for his Truth it was not because they would not hearken but because they would hearken and though thou shouldst be forc'd to wander from thy Brethren and the sweet Habitation that thou hadst and thy Friends perhaps thou art fain to wander up down even for thy life yea but canst thou say Yet I hope I am not one of Gods cast-awayâ— It 's one of Gods Epithites that he glories in That he will gather the out-casts of Israel Man hath cast me out yea but I bless God I carry a good Conscience with me and that man or woman needs not be troubled with wandring that can carry a good Conscience with them you are cast out from your Friends yea but still thou hast the Bird that sings in thy bosome Canst thou say I have not cast away thy CoÌ„mandements Lord Indeed if a mans conscience tel him that he hath cast away Gods Commandements then if he wanders it is dreadful to him What though thou art wandring from thy house from thy outward comforts but not from Gods Commandements Cast me not out of thy presence saith David though thou beest from thy friends yet not from God presence here it is I will cast them out among the Nations It was a Curse in Psal 44. 11. Thou hast scattered us among the Heathen It was a great Judgment of God to be scattered among the Nations for they were a people that were separated from the Nations and not to be reckoned among the Nations and Gods peculiar Treasure There were these three expressions not only to be wandering among the Nations not only among Strangers but among Heathens among Blasphemers this must needs be a heavy and sore judgment to be cast among Idolaters This Curse is upon the Jews to this very day how are they wanderers among the Nations Let us learn from hence To prize the communion of Saints let us learn what a blessing it is to live among our own People especially among the Saints in the enjoyment of Gods Ordinances let us make use it now lest God teach us what it is by casting us away and making us to wander among the wicked and ungodly then your conscâ—ences will fly in your faces and tell you Oh! what times we once had and what sweet communion had we but we began to neglect the prize that God put into our hand Oh! if we were where once we were we would meet often and pray and confer and we would labor to edifie one another in our most holy faith and warm one anothers spirits not spending all our time in wrangling and jangling Oh! but now those times are â—one and we are cast away and are wandering up and down among wicked and ungodly people Truly there hath not been a time in many years when the communion of the Saints hath been so little improved as at this day we now wander as it were among our selves and little converse one with another what should we do living together Just were it with God to bring this Judgment upon us that we should wander among wicked people here and there and that we should not come to see the face of a Saint to have converse or communion with them Thus we have finished this Ninth Chapter CHAP. X. VERS 1. Israel is an empty Vine he bringeth forth fruit unto himself 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 Gualter makes the beginning of Hosea's seventh Sermon The Argument is like unto the former upbraiding and threatning Hosea had to deal with
Scripture that seems to refer to the times after the Captivity and there the Vinyard of God is said to be a Vinyard of red Wine and God speaks much unto it what it should be after the time of the Captivity it should bring forth the best kind of Wine for then God prun'd it they thought that God would come in a furious manner upon them no saith he Fury is not in me but this is all the fruit to purge away their sin The Vines that are prun'd bring forth the best and the most fruit But I find other Interpreters upon this text Israel is an empty Vine They turn it thus Is a spoiled Vine And Luther refers it to the emptying of the abundance of her riches and prosperity Indeed these two go together Emptiness of fruit and being emptied of our comforts and prosperity to be spoiled Israel hath spoiled her self and I have for her sins let the spoilers come among them and so hath emptied her of all her good even while she enjoyed her outward prosperity she was emptied of the blessing of God upon her but after the Lord emptied her even of all her outward good too And that 's the Note from thence That sin will empty a Land of all the blessings God hath bestowed or empty a family or person Sin is an emptying thing sin empties Lands and Families and persons of all their outward comforts in Isa 4. 11. there God threatens the Line of confusion and the Stones of emptiness for sin and Oh! how hath it emptied many parts of our Land how hath sin emptied us what empty houses are there in many places houses that were wont in every room of them to be fill'd with furniture so brave and glistering now the Owners come into their houses and look upon the bare walls and see them empty of all the rich furniture that was in them Oh! what empty chests that were fill'd with such brave cloaths heretofore now they are broken to pieces and those places that were fill'd with diet and plenty are now empty Barns empty Purses empty and Bellies empty and the Veins of men emptied even of their very blood Oh! how are we a spoiled Vine now at this day the Vine that a while since was so delightful to God and man and so glorious even in the esteem of all round about us yet Oh now now hath the Lord sent his emptiers to empty us as in Nahum 2. 2. The Lord hath turned away the excellency of Jacob as the excellency of Israel for the emptiers have emptied them out and marred their Vine brances This text is fulfilled towards many parts of this Kingdom at this day An empty Vine and brings forth fruit to her self This is very strange Empty and yet bring forth fruit If she brings forth fruit how empty Yes it may very well stand together she brings forth fruit to her self but she is empty in regard of any fruit she brings forth to me but yet she hath juyce and sap enough to bring forth fruit to her self Oh! how many people that are barren towards God and have no abilities to do any thing for God but when they come to themselves to do any thing Oh how active and stirring are they but when you put them upon any duty for God then they are weak and unable the like but if it was in a matter that concern'd themselves there they have spirit enough to much a great deal If parents have children that sin against God they are not sensible at all but if they do any thing against themselves Oh! how do their spirits rise and what rage is there in the family The truth is were our hearts as they should be if we have no strength for God we should have none for our selves yea we would even reason so when as we complain Oh! that we are weak in our memories and are not able to resist temptation and we can do nothing for God we should take a holy revenge upon our selves and say Certainly if I can do nothing for God I will do nothing for my self neither If I cannot rejoyce in God I will not rejoyce in my self and if I cannot take care for God I will not take care for my self to be barren to God and fruitful to our selves this is a great disproportion He bringeth forth fruit to himself The old Latin is even like himself so they turn it he brings forth fruit like to himself Men of base principles will do base things corrupt hearts will have corrupt waies An ingenuous spirit sometimes wonders to see the waies of many men so base and vile as they are men imployed in publick imployment that have opportunity to do God a great deal of service and when it comes to it how sordidly and basely do they carry themselves not caring what becomes of the publick good of God and Kingdoms and Churches so be it they may scrape but a little to themselves Yea but do not wonder it is fruit suitable to themselves they are men of base spirits of base corrupt principles and therefore they bring bring forth fruit like themselves fruit like the stock that they are on And so many times children are like their parents their parents are wicked and they wicked accordingly Like an Imp or Branch of such a stock such are the fruits of many But he brings forth fruit to himself That is in all that he doth he aims at himself he hath regard to his own ends to fetch about his own designs to bring his own plots to an issue and all must be subservient to some design that he drives on Ephraim had many designs and plots that they drove on to make themselves to be rich and all their strength and what they were able to do it was for nothing but to be subservient to their own designs It was said of Judah in their Captivity in Zach. 7. 5 6. They did fast and eat and drink to themselves all that was done it was nothing but to themselves whereas the fruit that they should have brought forth it should have been to God and not to themselves There is a very sweet place for that in Cant. 7. 13. At our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits new and old which I have laid up for thee O my beloved Thus should every gracious heart say and especially he should say so then when God makes your hearts most fruitful with pleasant fruit new and old Have ye at any time found your hearts most enlarged to God and you could melt towards God and had full expressions in the presence of God and acting of your graces Take heed now that this pleasant and sweet fruit that you have that is new from God and your old experiences that you have had heretofore of Gods goodness let not corruption reap that that God hath sown you know it
if they have not mercy if they have not a Righteousness beyond their own If mercy comes not in to plead for them wo to Abraham Isaac and Jacob if mercy comes not in to plead for them if at the great day if they have nothing to tender up to God but their own righteousness they are certainly lost and undone for ever Al that we can do is infinitely unworthy of the Majesty of God Oh! the text that you have in 1 Chron. 29. 14. when the people did offer so much to God for the building of his Tabernacle Mark how David was affected with it Who am I saith David and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort for all things came of thee and of thine own have we given thee And when David in 1 Chron. 22. 14. when David had provided a thousand thousand Talents of silver and an hundred thousand talents of gold for the building of the Temple of God besides brass and iron without weight yet when all comes to all Out of my poverty have I offered this so Arias Montanus turns it In your books it is In my trouble have I done this but the same word that signifies trouble and affliction signifies poverty likewise and saith David after al this yet in my poverty have I done this whereas this was a mighty thing that was offered I remember Sir Walter Rawleghâ— it is in the 17. Chap. of his 2 d Part and 9 th Sect. he reckons up the sum of what David did there prepare for the Temple of the Lord he makes it more than any King in the world is worth he makes it to come to three thousand three hundred and thirty and three Cart-load of Silver allowing two thousand weight of Silver or six thousand pound sterling to every Cartload besides threescore and seventeen Millions of French Crowns and yet when he had done all Out of my poverty have I done this As if he should say Lord what is this in respect of thee who art the great God If thou wilt but accept of this I shall be infinitly bound to thee Oh my brethren let us learn for ever after all our duties not to be proud keep your hearts low and humble before God Hath God enabled thee to sow in Righteousness our hearts are puft up presently Oh no thou must keep thy heart still under Alas such is the proudness of our spirits if we be but enlarged a little in Prayer we are ready to be puft up presently Oh! what 's this to the service that a creature owes to the blessed and eternal God hadst thou spent all thy daies since thou hadst any understanding night and day in the work and service of God hadst thou been the greatest Instrument of Gods service that ever was in the world yet thou hast cause to lie down at Gods Mercy-seat and cry Mercy Lord Mercy for a poor wretched vile Creature after thou hast done al we are so unable to do any thing our selves It 's an expression of Luther The very Act of Thanksgiving is from God And therefore be humbled and cry Grace grace to al that hath been And let all Publick Instruments not take too much upon them but lie low And there 's a man that 's worth his weight in Gold that can be an Instrument of great and publick work and yet lie low before the Lord. Oh! did we but know God we would be so after our duties we would be low There 's a notable story I find concerning Cyprian when he came to suffer martyrdom and you will say that was a great service to lay down his life for God In his last prayer he had these two expressions which are remarkable in it The first expression was this Lord saith he I am prepared to powr forth the very sacrifice of my blood for thy Name sake yea Lord I am prepared here to suffer any torment whatsoever These two expressions he had You will say Now surely this man might stand upon his terms with God But he goes on But when thou doest lift up thy self to shake the Earth Lord saith he under what clift of the rock shall I hide my self to what mountain shall I speak even to fall upon me As if he should say Lord though I be here ready to give up my body to be massacred for thee to give up my blood to be an offering and to suffer any torment yet when I consider what a God I have to do withal if thou shouldest deal with me as I am in my self Oh! I must cry to the Rocks to cover me and the Hils to fall upon me Oh! this should teach us to keep our hearts low and humble after we have done the greatest work whatsoever I remember one of the Germane Devines when he was full of fears and doubts when he was to die say some to him You have been so imployed and have been so faithful why should you fear Oh! he gives this Answer The Judgements of man and the Judgments of God are different I am to go before the great and Al-seeing God though it 's true God would not have us daunted with any terrible apprehensions of him but yet he would have us be possest with reverence so as to be humbled when we think what a God it is we have to do withal you must reap in mercy Oh! this shall be the song of the Saints to all eternity Mercy Mercy Not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thy Name be the praise And then the other Note from that expression that we have there is That God will give abundantly above our works Oh! it 's a point that hath very much encouragement to poor troubled sinners that are low raise up thy faith it 's not what thy work is though it be low and mean and though there be many failings in thy work yet is there uprightness are they seeds of Righteousness that thou hast sown thou shalt reap according to what shall honor the mercy of an infinite God at last I remember Alexander when he was giving a gift to a poor man Oh! the poor man dar'd not receive it it was too great yea but saith he though that be too great for thee to receive yet it is not too great for me to give So I may say to poor souls when they hear of the glorious promises to poor people Oh! their hearts are ready to think this is too good news to be true it is too great a mercy for thee to receive as thou art in thy self but if God will give according to the proportion of his mercy it is not too great for him to give Now that 's the way that God will deal with those that are in Covenant with him that have all their fruit to come from the seed of righteousness Christ in the heart I say there the Lord will
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
is not as rain from Heaven to bring up the fruits of Righteousness in your hearts and in your lives And then seventhly Gods coming with blessings upon those that seek him it is Righteousness that is The good that they have as a fruit of seeking of him it is The fulfilling of Gods Word it is but Gods Faithfulness that was engaged for it Jesus Christ had purchased it by his blood and they had a bond for it before what ever good they have from God It is an excellent Note to help us both in our seeking God and in the comforts that we have When we are seeking God we are not seeking God meerly as a gratuity Though in reference to us it is only free Grace but to Christ it is Righteousness it is that which Christ hath purchased therefore saith Saint John If you confess your sins he doth not say it is mercy for God to forgive them but it is Just with God And so when you receive a mercy from God you are not to look upon it as a meer Alms though in reference to your selves indeed it is so but in reference to Christ your head it is Righteousness it is that which Christ hath purchased and that which God gives you as a fruit of his faithfulness as wel as of his free Grace when thou art seeking of God let not only the eye of thy faith be upon the Grace and Mercy of God but upon the very Righteousness of God And then another Note may be Though the good we do is our own good yet God rewards it as if he got by it God makes Promises to us that if we do thus and thus we shall enjoy such and such mercies Sow to your selves When we sow God gives us leave to aim at our selves but yet when God comes to reward us he doth reward us as if it were only for him and not for our selves he rewards us in waies of Righteousness And thus much for this Verse of raining Righteousness God hath another rain for the wicked and ungodly in Psalm 11. he rains snares and fire and brimstone upon them VER 13. Ye have Plowed wickedness ye have reaped iniquity ye have eaten the fruit of Lyes NOtwithstanding all exhortations and all offers of mercy yet you have gone quite contrary saith the Prophet Instead of breaking from your iniquities you have plowed your iniquities The meaning is this You have taken pains to propagate that which is evil you have taken pains to prepare for wicked things and to do all you can for the propagation of that which is evil both in your selves and others That is the plowing of wickedness The plowing of the wicked is sin their endeavors that is the meaning their labor it is especially for the furtherance of sin the very strength of their spirits is let out for the furtherance of their sin In Job 4. 8. Even as I have seen they that plow iniquity and sow wickedness reap the same to plow it is to endeavor and labor for iniquity for so the word that is here translated Plow it signifies to Frame things to Work things to Endeavor any thing with all our might that is the signification of the word You have set your hearts altogether upon this work for the furthering of wickedness in thinking of it in plodding about it in stirring of one another and doing all you can in your endeavors for the furtherance of wickedness Yea You have been willing to go through all difficulties to accomplish your wicked intentions As we reade in Micah 7. 3. it is a notable Scripture it shews the strong endeavors of wicked men after their sin They do evil saith the text with both hands earnestly It is a very strange text they are willing to take pains and plow for their sin Oh! how many are there that take more pains to go to Hell than others do that go to Heaven they will so struggle and suffer for their sin willing to break with their friends to accomplish their sinful lusts willing to venture their estates to hazard their healths willing to do any thing in the world they are willing to go through all difficulties that they may have their sin Yet they will not plow for God Oh! they complain of any little difficultie in the waies of God but complain of no difficultie in the waies of sin Oh! what a wicked and wretched heart is this to be offended with any hardness in Gods waies and yet be content to endure any hardness at al in the waies of sin Oh! that we were but as instrumental for God and willing to plow as hard as others do for that which is sin And Oh! when you shall come to die to reap the fruit of your labor what terror do you think will this be to your consciences when it must tell you that you have taken more pains in the waies of wickedness than ever you did in the waies of God As it was said of Cardinal Wolsey when he was to die Oh! saith he Had I but served God as diligently as I have served the King he would not have given me over in my gray hairs So when you shall come to die and your consciences shall say Oh! that I had but broken as much sleep to prayer and seeking God Oh! that I had but ventur'd my estate and name as much in the waies of God as in the waies of sin it had been happy for me Is it possible that any of you can die in peace of conscience and yet your consciences shall tell you that you never took that pains for God as you have done for sin In a good motion that is for God if others do it you will agree and go on with them I but you will not plow hard for it but in things that are sutable to your lusts you will not only move such a thing and joyn with others but you will plow hard for it Oh! what pity is it that mens parts and strength should be laid out so much upon that which is evil Men that have active spirits Oh! how instrumental might they be for God if their necks were but in Gods yoke but they all the daies of their lives have their necks in the Devils yoke and are plowing for the Devil all their daies and they will reap accordingly Now this plowing wickedness was especially their way of false worship Oh! they endeavored there they plowed hard to get up their false worship their worship at Dan and Bethel and not to go to Jerusalem to worship It follows You have plowed wickedness ye have reaped iniquity You do not hear of any sowing for the truth is there need no sowing for wickednss there need be but the preparation do but plow that is do but prepare the ground and wickedness will come up alone When you plow Righteousness you must sow the seeds of Righteousness
God would have but one Altar 74 Answ 1. These Altars did typifie two things 1 That Christ was to be the only sacrifice 74 2 That all our services are accepted only in him ib. 2. That it might be the bond of the Church Other Objections Answered 76 Obs 1 Mans inventions in Gods Worship are rejected of God 77 Obs 2 There is no stop in superstitious worship 78 Obs 3 We are ready to imitate our forefathers in what is evil but not in what is good 79 Obs 4. Take heed distance of time make us not to fear the threatning the less 80 Obs 5 Every age ads something to Idolatry and false worship 81 Obs 6 What ever names we give to things it may be God will give other names and titles 83 Obs 7 When mens hearts are set upon fals waies of worship it is just with God to let them have their desires to the full ib. VERSE XII Obs 1 Whatsoever is urged or practised in matter of worship it must have warrant out of the written Word of God 85 Obs 2 We should look upon the Scriptures as concerning our selves 92 Obs 3 The things of Gods Worship are to be looked upon as great things 96 1 Because they are from a great God ib. 2 The lustre of the great God shines in them ib. 3 They are the mysteries of Gods will 97 4 They are of great concernment 98 5 They have great power on the heart of man ib. 6 They make all those great that receive them 99 7 They are great in Gods account ib. Obs 4 The word is matter for the greatest spirits to exercise themselves about 101 Obs 5 It is a special means to obedience to have high thoughts of Gods Law 102 Obs 6. The worship of God is a great matter 103 The Word of God accounted strange 1 As not concerning them 105 2 Strange in their apprehensions 106 3 There is no sutableness between their hearts and the Doctrine 107 4 They use the Word as a stranger viz. for their own ends 108 Obs 7 Superstitious people that are very zealous in their own way of worship are very negligent in Gods way 108 Obs 8 It is a dangerous thing for men to have their hearts estranged from Gods Law 110 The Degrees of the hearts estrangement from God 1 His delight in God abates 111 2 They are less frequent together ib. 3 He hath hard thoughts of Gods Word ib 4 He wisheth the things in the Word were otherwise ib. 5 He begins to listen to things that are against the Word 112 6 He will not search throughly into truths ib. 7 An engagement in some unlawful practice ib. 8 Weighty arguments now become weak ib. 9 He violently rejects the Word ib. Obs 8 That which mens corrupt hearts will not close withal they put it upon Christ as if Christ had delivered them from it 113 VERS XIII Obs 1 Men may continue in outward profession and yet the great things of Gods Law may be strange to them 115 Obs 2 Most men offer up nothing to God in sacrifice but flesh 116 Obs 3 To aim at Self in serving God eats out true devotion 117 Obs 4 If Self be regarded all is rejected 119 Obs 5 Men may be much in holy services and yet their sins stand upon the score nevertheless 120 Obs 6 Howsoever God may forbear wicked men a time yet he hath a time to remember all ib. Obs 7 God remembers the sins of wicked people especially in the performance of holy duties 122 1 Because we come into Gods presence ib. 2 Holy Duties are aggravations of sin ib. Obs 8 God visits mens sins when they think he neglects them most 123 Obs 9 Carnal hearts when God visits their sins plot which way to shift for themselves 124 Obs 10 It is one of the most dreadful judgments of God upon a Nation when he hath delivered them from one bondage to deliver them into the same again 125 Obs 11 It is just with God that those that inherit their fathers sins should inherit their fathers judgments ib. Obs 12 All places are places of misery when God forsakes a People ib. VERSE XIV Obs 1 God punisheth for sin when men are most secure 126 Obs 2 It is Gods favor that makes a man 127 Obs 3 The greater excellency God raiseth a man to the viler is his sin to forget God 128 Obs 4 When mens hearts are farthest off from God then are they forwardest in superstition 128 Objections answered 129 Obs 5 Men are more subject to secure themselves from outward things than from Gods wrath 132 Obs 6 When men bless themselves in their own thoughts they should consider what are Gods thoughts 133 Obs 7 Brave things are subject to Gods devouring fire 134 CHAP. IX VERS I. Obs 1 That 's a sad war where the Conqueror hath cause to be sad at the Conquest 137 Vse for England ib. Obs 2 Leagues wherein we much rejoyce may prove occasions of sorrow 138 Use Be not greedy of peace before the time ib. Obs 3 Carnal hearts bless themselves in in outward prosperity 139 Obs 4 When men be jolly and merry they should consider whether it be from God or not 140 Obs 5 We may prosper and yet have no cause of joy ib. Obs 6 Carnal hearts are immoderate in joy 141 Exhortations 1 Be not taken with the worlds jollity 142 2 Imitate them not in their waies of rejoycing ib. 3 Do not rejoyce as a People 143 4 Rejoyce not profanely ib. 5 Rejoyce not as having so much cause as others 144 Obs 7 Many that scorn mean men may not be in so good a case as they ib. Obs 8 Although we enjoy the same blessings that othess do yet we may not have the same cause to rejoyce that they have 144 Obs 9 It is a great argument of mens misery that others rejoyce when they cannot 145 Obs 10 That which we call little matter in corrupting Gods Worship God calls a going a whoring from him 147 Obs 11 A People may be free from the gross evils of another people and yet be in a worse condition than they 147 Proved 148 Obs 12 To be constant to evil principles is not so great an evil as to be false in good principles ib. Obs 13 The sins of Gods People are the greatest sins of all 149 Obs 14 Idolaters love outward prosperity because it is a reward of their service to their Idols 153 VERSE II. Obs 1 God often lets wicked men come near a mercy and then cuts them off 154 Obs 2 God strikes wicked men in those things their hearts are mâ—st set upon ib. Obs 3. The promises of the creature will lye the promises of the world will not 155 Obs 4 Men shall fail at last in what they think they to get in a way of sin ib. VERSE III. Obs 1 It is a great judgment of God to drive men out of a Land for sin 159 Obs 2 The state of the Church of God
his People under temptation 3. Thankfulness required in every condition 4. Grace for Grace or The overflowings of Christs fulness received by all Saints 5. The Spiritual actings of Faith through Natural Impossibilities 6. Evangelical Repentance 7. The Spiritual-Life and Inâ—being of Christ in all Beleevers 8. The Woman of Canaan 9. A Vindication of Ordinances under the Gospel 10. Grace and Love beyond Gifts 11. The Saints Hiding-place in time of Gods Anger 12. Christs Coming is at our Midnight D r Hill's Works VIZ. 1. The Beauty and Sweetness of an Olive Branch of Peace and Brotherly Accommodation budding 2. Truth and Love happily married in the Saints and in the Churches of Christ 3. The Spring of strengthning Grace in the Rock of Ages Christ Jesus 4. The strength of the Saints to make Jesus Christ their strength 5. The best and worst of Paul 6. Gods Eternal Preparations for his dying Saints M r J. Owens two Books 1. Stedfastness of Promises And the sinfulness of Staggering 2. The Death of Christ the Price he paid c. The Oath of Allegiance and the National Covenant proved to be Non-obliging c. by Sam. Eaton D r Sibbs on the Philippians The best and worst Magistrate by Obadiah Sedgwick Barrisf's Military Discipline Cum multis 〈◊〉 AN EXPOSITION Of the PROPHESY of HOSEA CHAP. VIII VERS 1. Set the Trumpet to thy mouth he shall come as an Eagle against the House of the LORD because they have transgressed my Covenant and trespassed against my Law THE Prophet still continues the Denunciation of Judgment against Israel with the Declaration and Aggravation of their sins Set the Trumpet to thy mouth Let there be a full and free and open manifestation of the sin and the danger of Israel The same commandement that we have here to the Prophet we have in the 58 of Isa at the beginning to the Prophet there Cry aloud spare not lift up thy voice like a Trumpet shew my people their transgression and the House of Jacob their sin Ministers must not only be Trumpeters of the Gospel Trumpeters of Mercy and Peace but Trumpeters of Judgment and of War they are set to give warning to people of danger and wo to them if they do not God will require the blood of people at their hands How ever peoples spirits may be against it against the free and bold work of the Ministry in denouncing Judgments yet the spirits of Gods Ministers must go on in their way Luther in his time for the freedom and boldness of his spirit inveighing against the sins of the times he was called the very Trumpet of Rebellion he enveighs against their sins and threatens Judgments and they exclaim against him they are as loud against him and trumpet out their exclamations against him calling of him the Trumpet of Rebellion and sedition If a Town be besieged by the enemy it is not the crying of children or women that must hinder the beating up of the Drums nor the roaring of the Canon God takes it exceeding ill at his Ministers hands to be mealy mouthed when his wrath is incensed and therefore he calls the Watchmen that did not give warning by an ignominious name DVMB DOGS that cannot bark in Isa 56. 10. I remember Pliny in his 29. Book 4. Chapter tells of the Dogs in Rome that were set to keep the Capitol because when the Gauls did scall the Capitol the Dogs being fed too full lay sleeping and did not give warning they therefore not only hanged them up but every yeer the Romans observed that time of the yeer and on that day hanged up certain Dogs in the City for exemplary Justice by way of crucifying of them alive upon an Elder tree and upon this ground it is thought that the Romans did so hate that kind of death of hanging upon a tree And therefore it was the more cursed death that Christ died to hang upon a tree It is that that God is exceedingly provoked against his Watchmen for if they give not warning Hosea had proclaimed war before this in the name of the Lord but he must do it again from whence the Note is further That Gods Ministers must not be weary of their work though they see little good come of it yea so far from being weary or discouraged as their spirits must rise up in their intentions strength and fervency of it Before Hosea's voice was the voice of a man but now it is the sound of a Trumpet Let wickedness stop her mouth but let the mouths of Gods Servants be opened yea let a Trumpet be set against their mouths in disclaiming against the wickedness of the times wherein they live Thirdly The denunciation of threatning in the Name of God it is a terrible sound if men be not afraid of this Trumpet and awakened by it there is a time that shall awaken them when a Trumpet I say shall awaken them and make them afraid when the Arch Angel shall blow his Trumpet those that are most awakned and fears the sound of this Trumpet shall have the most comfort when the Trumpet of the Arch Angel shall blow He shall come as an Eagle Luther upon the place thinks this Prophesie meant against Judah because of the naming of the House of the Lord as follows after And then this Eagle must be understood of Nebuchadnezzer who is called an Eagle in Ezek. 17. 3. and Jer. 48. 40. But rather I think it to be meant of the Assyrian for the Prophet here is prophesying against the ten Tribes and he seems to take away the two great confidences that they had whereby they hoped that they were not in so great danger The first was that they had made a league with Egypt which was nigh hand as for the Assyrian he was a great way off and there was not so much danger to be thought of the Assyrians Secondly As they imagined they had the house of the Lord with them and did worship the true God Now the Prophet takes away these two He shall come as an Eagle against the House of the Lord that is the Assyrian Salmanesser he is called an Eagle and because he was to come with an Army therefore an Eagle and it may be his Ensign might be an Eagle you know the parts of Armies are called Wings and so is compared to an Eagle to shew to them that their danger is not so far off as they imagin He shall come as an Eagle that is swiftly with a mighty force and vehemency and he shall have an Eagles spirit an Eagles eye the Eagle is quick sighted and the spirit of an Eagle is not easily daunted and yet it is observable that in the Law the Eagle was an unclean bird though the Eagle the King of Fowls and of a brave spirit yet he was unclean God would not have the Eagle offered in sacrifice but rather the Dove God many
reade of should be in the times of the Gospel First Christ he is our Altar in the Gospel so it is in Heb. 13. 10. We have an Altar that those have no right to eat of it that serve aâ— the Tabernacle that is such men as shall pertinaciously still stick to the Ceremonies of the Law they have no right to partake of Jesus Christ And then further you shall find that in the Gospel there is a prophesie of the Altar that the Church shall have in Ezek. 41. 22. The Altar that was in the Law the text saith it was to be a cubit long and a cubit broad but that which must be in the time of the Gospel must be three cubits high and two cubits long and this notes thus much That there shal be a larger extent of the service of God in the time of the Gospel than in the time of the Law that place in Malachi doth much open this 1. 11. For from the rising of the Sun even unto the going down of the same my Name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place Incense shall be offered unto my Name and a pure offering for my Name shall be great among the Heathen saith the Lord of hosts Another thing observable is It was set before the Vail by the Ark of the Testimony before the Mercy-seat It was to stand in the holy of holiest but just before the Vail right against the Mercy-seat and by this you must be helped to understand that Scripture in Heb. 9. 4. which as some understand it seems to have some variety from this it is said that the holiest of all had the golden Censer by which they understand the golden Altar in which the Censer was but we shall find that the golden Altar did not stand in the holy of holiest for we reade in Exod. 30. 6. And thou shalt put it before the Vail that is by the Ark of the Testimony before the Mercy-seat that is over the Testimony And therefore Interpreters reconcile it thus it is not said here that the golden Censer or Altar if we so take it was in it but it had it that is it was for the use of the holy of holiest and it stood just before the holy of holiest and just against the Mercy-seat so that the high Priest when he was to enter into the holy of holiest he was to take a Censer and Incense from this Altar and so go into the holiest of all But this is the Note in that the Altar of Incense stands just against the Mercy-seat and yet there is a Vail between the Mercy-seat and it So when we are to offer up our Incense upon the Merits of Christ and his Intercession though we cannot by the eye of our bodies see the Mercy-seat yet we must act our faith upon the Mercy-seat and then that 's observable that the Incense must be burnt upon this Altar at that very time when the Lamps were to be trim'd and lighted so you shall observe it in Exod. 30. 7. and that was to note thus much to us That we are to joyn the Word with our Prayers and not to come ignorantly to God but labor to enlighten our souls with the Lamp of his Word when we come to offer up our Incense to God Further There is a command that no strange Incense shall be offered upon it This is to teach us thus much That we must take heed of bringing any thing to God to offer him in Prayer but what comes from the Spirit of God only Gods own Incense Take heed I say of bringing unsanctified parts or any thing but that which is from the Spirit of God Lastly Once a year an atonement was made upon the horns of the Altar with the blood of the Sin-offering though the Sin offering was not offered upon it yet once a year an atonement was made upon it with the blood of the Sin-offering This is to note thus much That even by our Incense we defile the Altar what in us lies And thus I have a little digrest and yet it is still for opening of Scripture to you to shew unto you the meaning of Gods Altars But why would God have no other Altars but accounted it so hainous a crime to make any other Altars but those The Reasons are these First Because these Altars did typifie these two things The Altar of burnt-offerings did typifie this That Christ was to be the only Sacrifice there should be no other sacrifice to pacifie Gods wrath but only Jesus Christ who was both the Sacrifice indeed and the Altar its self for his human Nature was offered to God upon the Merits as it were upon the worthiness of his divine Nature Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the blood of Jesus Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God c. This Altar did signifie the offering of Jesus Christ As if God should say Know that what endeavors you do or can use to satisfy my Justice and my wrath it is to no purpose there 's nothing but only my Son and that offering that shall satisfie my wrath and now for them to make more Altars it was to deny that great point of Religion that there was only the Sacrifice of Christ to satisfie God Secondly This signified That in Christ only our services which are our spiritual sacrifices are accepted of God there must be no Altar but this for the sacrifice and the other for Incense God would have this Doctrine kept pure from that time and so ever after that none of our spiritual sacrifices can be accepted any other way but only as they have reference to Jesus Christ that Altar that the Lord hath appointed And then another reason why the Lord would have only thiâ— Altar for Sacrifice and the other for Incense and that all the people should come to these Altars it was That it might be the bond of the Church because the people of the Jews were a National Church therefore there was to be a National Worship for that all the Nation was to joyn not only in the same likeness of Worship but in the very same individual Worship and this was the bond of their National Church Now for my part I know none living that holds a National Church in these daies in this sense that is to be of Divine Institution and joyned in one by Gods commanding any National Worship for them Where there are in Nations a great many of the Saints of God that they may be called a National Church we despute not against that but people when they talk of a National Church do not conceive the meaning of it Certainly this was a special end why God would have them come to this one Altar it was to be the bond of the National Church that they should have such a worship wherein they were all of them to joyn in
one and this it was that made them a National Church It is not enough to have the same kind of worship as now we al pray and reade the Word in all Congregations we have all the same Sacraments but they must joyn in one individual worship If the Nation of the Jews had worshiped the same God after the same manner in divers Temples and upon divers Altars this had not been a National bond to them but by coming up to the same Temple and offering upon the same Altars and when the Sacrifice and Incense was offered for them all they were joyned in the very act all of them in that one thing this was the thing that did unite them into a Church-union in another manner than any Church-union can be in this world til we have such a kind of Institution as they had We have no Institution for worship but where people may personally joyn together but for thousands of Congregations to be bound by Institution to joyn in the very same bond of worship in the very same individual act such an union we have not in these daies and without the understanding of this aright we understand not the scope why they had but one Altar for burnt offerings and one Altar for Incense But now it may be said That it doth not seem to be such a sin to erect Altars for that 's the sin charged upon Ephraim That they did erect many other Altars for the Scripture speaks of many Altars that were Gods Altars 1 King 19. you know it is the complaint of Elias that they had cast down Gods Altars They have cast down thine Altars now this was spoken after the time of the Law when there was but only two Altars appointed by God and the Prophet did not mean them the Altar for burnt offerings and Incense Therefore the Answers that Divines give to this is That this is spoken of those Altars that the Patriarks and others had built for the honor of God to sacrifice upon before the time that the Law was given by Moses for that one only Altar of sacrifice and here he complains they had cast down those Altars for it was Lawful before the command was given to build divers Altars but after the command was given it was not Yea but still the Objection will be How could it be a sin to cast down those Altars when they were of no further Religious use for after the Command of God for that one Altar then the other were to be demolished Was it not commended in the godly Kings that they cast down high Places and cut down Groves though some of them formerly were for the true Worship of God yet after God had appointed a peculiar place for His Worship and those other places were abused to superstition then they were to be cast down and so there 's no question to be made but all other Altars that were built for Religious uses were to be cast down after Gods own Altars were made The Answer to it therefore is this That the evil that Elijah complains of it was the prophaness of the people their casting off all fear and reverence of God because they did not cast down those Altars out of love to God and his Worship upon this Principle that they would not suffer any thing that might be dangerous to superstition that was not the Principle whereby they were acted in casting them down but they cast them down as led thereunto by malice and rage against Religion and to satisfie their lusts and thus if men oppose that which is indeed superstitious yet if it be not out of a true love to God and his Honor if it be not out of a desire to set up and to maintain the true Worship of God but in a bitterness and rage meerly out of self-ends to please themselves in a way of revenge or through any distemper though I say the thing be evil that these men do oppose yet God will not own it as any service to him it is a sin in them to cast down that which should be cast down if they do not cast it down out of a right and gracious Principle Then what evil is it for men in bitterness of spirit to oppose that which is in its self good if God account it sin to oppose that which which should be opposed if it be through bitterness of spirit and not through gracious Principles They have made many Altars Whatsoever is made by man in a Religious Worship it is rejected of God there must be nothing of mans making in Divine Worship the very spirit and life of the second Commandement it consists in this Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image That 's one instance in the matter of Worship but by that we are to understand any thing in Divine Worship we must not make to our selves I say there lies the very life and the very spirit of the second Commandement the making to our selves if God will appoint Ceremonies significant to put us in mind of Heavenly things and stir up our hearts on high we are to use them with reverence and respect but if we will presume to do things as God hath done that 's the ground of all superstitious Ceremonies because they find God makes some they think that they may presume to make others to imitate God now it is a sin against the second Commandement for us to presume to make any thing in matters of Divine Worship Further They have made many There 's no stop that 's the Note in superstitious Worship if men leave the rule they know not where to stay hence is the multiplying of things thus among the Papists five hundred Altars in some one Temple And Austin in his 19 th Epistle complains of the multitude of Ceremonies that were in the Church in his time What complaints would he have now All things in the Church were full of presumptions they did multiply one thing after another and indeed let but the right way once be left and there 's no limits Oh let us take heed how we multiply in Gods Worship there 's much controversie between the Papists and us about multiplying in the Worship of God We would have but one MEDIATOR they would have many We would have but one rule of Faith but they will give power to Pope and Church to make Articles of faith we would have but one object of Worship they would have many we would have but one Sacrifice they would have many Oblations for the quick and dead we would have but one Satisfaction they would have many we would have but one Merit they would have many And thus by multiplying the unity of the Church is divided but we must keep to the unity that we find in the Scriptures And then further They have made many Altars In the opening what a sin it was to make any other Altar but that
how can it be with peace it wil cause contention now to stand upon such things that they conceive may breed some trouble they account it a strange thing that God should require such things as may produce such troubles first men will frame troubles in their own thoughts and put them upon Gods Worship whereas indeed they do not bring such trouble but if they be examined they may stand well enough with the peace of States I make no question but this is one especial thing aim'd at by the holy Ghost here That they accounted Gods Law that very Law of God that reduired them to worship at Jerusalem as a strang thing that they could not see such reason for why they might not venture and especially when it was for the peace of the Civil State Now they accounted this and the other particular of Gods Law as a strange thing in Four regards First As a thing that had little or no reference to them as a thing that did not much concern them They took not to heart the breaches of Gods Law neither did they much regard the keeping of it it was no great matter to them they made account that it was ad libitum what they did that way much did not depend upon it either good or evil As a stranger accounts it not to concern him what the Master commands or as we account it no great matter what strangers do what cloaths they wear or what course they take we let them pass by and not mind them Secondly They accounted them as a strange thing that is They were strange things in their apprehension they could see no reason as we say of a thing that we do not understand that we see no reason of it it is strange we say so they in the text that God should say thus and thus when we cannot see that any account can be given for it they are strange things Strange things that they did not apprehend the reason of and especially among other things of Gods Law as was said before the way of Gods Worship was a very strange thing to them that God should stand so much upon it that he must be worshiped no where in the way of publick worship but at Jerusalem at the Temple no sacrifices must be offered but there yea that whatsover come of it though people dwelt a great way off though as they thought it would bring a great deal of disturbance unto the Kingdom of Israel for to go to Jerusalem to worship yet that God should stand so upon it that they must go and that the Prophets should urge it with that fervencie as they did that they must go to Jerusalem come of it what will they must venture their peace they accounted this a strange thing And indeed it is very strange unto people to think that we must look to the exact way of Gods Worship whatsoever comes of it whatsoever trouble or disturbance comes of it we must not go a hair against the way that God hath set for his right Worship this is a strange thing to carnal hearts And Luther upon the place seems to interpret it thus as if this Text had especial reference to this Note that I am now speaking of saith he They did condemn and contemn the Prophets Sermons as a Doctrine that did hurt the Common-wealth the Sermons that the Prophets taught had in them much anxiety specially this Doctrine against going up to Jerusalem to worship and they thought it was hurtful to the Common-wealth and upon that they contemn'd it and damn'd it What strange thoughts have carnal hearts of many parts of Gods Law they think them foolishness even those very things wherein the Wisdom of God is revealed to the children of men those things wherein the deep Connsels of God concerning mans eternal estate is revealed even those are the things which they acount foolishness Thirdly They accounted them a strange thing that is There was no sutableness between their hearts and the things that the Law did reveal unto them they did not make the Law of God familiar to them as that which had a sutableness to their spirits As if a man that goes into strange company company which are altogether unsutable to him yea perhaps they speak another language and have altogether other customs and diet than we have we are weary of them and we turn from them and are tired in the society for they are strange things unto us that our hearts are not sutable unto So when the Law of God is look'd upon as unsutable to the dispositions of our hearts to our ends to our waies our hearts turn from those things as from strange things whereas indeed our hearts should be familiar with the Word of God Gods Word and the things therein should not be as strrnge things to our souls but as the holy Ghost saith it should be as our Kinswoman and as our Delight continually Prov. 6. 21. Bind them continually about thy heart and tie them about thy neck When thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee and when thou awakest it shall talk with thee there should be a familiarity between our hearts and the Commandements of God to talk with us when we awake and when we are in our journy we should take the Law of God as our companion in our journies we should awake with it in the night time and meditate on it day and night therefore God would have his people in the Law when they rose to talk of those things when they go to bed when they rose up when they walked in the way they should be conferring about the things of Gods Law to make them familiar to them that they might not be estranged from them God sees that mens hearts would quickly grow strange from his Law therefore Commanded that by all snch means and waies they should endeavor to make the Law to be familiar to them Fourthly They use the Law as a stranger that is they use the Law slightly only for their own turns As usually men when strangers comes into their Country those that have been strangers in other Countries know it that the Natives of the Country they use them slightly but if they do seem to shew any respect unto them it is meerly for their own turns As they may have any advantage by them so far they shew respect to them and no further So they accounted the Law a strange thing that is they made use of the Law but meerly to serve their own turns so far as obedience to the Law sutes to their own ends so far they yeelded to it and no further Now it 's very observable that those who are so forward in their false worship that the text saith they did multiply Altars and had special regard to their Altars yet for the Law they accounted that as a strange thing From whence the Note is That
holy Ghost and yet they did not forsake the Jews Religion they continued in a great deal of outward strictness in Religion and yet had committed that unpardonable sin therefore you may Apostatize for from God though you do not forsake the publick Ordinances of God They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifice of mine offering God call all their sacrifices flesh that is in contempt as if he should say you sacrifice indeed I have a little flesh from you But do you think that is the thing that I intend in my offering I expect Faith and Obedience I expect the Work of Faith relying upon him that is Typified by all the sacrifices that you offer but you wanting that inward spiritual worship in your souls I account all your sacrifices but flesh Most people offer nothing up unto God in all their sacrifices but flesh their offerings are flesh That 's thus even in your prayers in your hearing in your receiving you offer sacrifice but all is but flesh God hath the outward man and it may be you have fleshly ends in what you do and fleshly carnal hearts you offer the flesh many a man that hath excellent gifts in Prayer and seems to offer up an excellent sacrifice to God but it 's nothing but flesh there 's little of the Spirit of God of the sanctifying Spirit nothing it may be a man that perhaps may preach excellently yet in fleshly wisdom nothing but fleshly excellency Oh my Brethren what are our sacrifices if they be nothing but fleshly excellencies you know what the Scripture saith All flesh is grass and as the flower of the field but the Word of God abides for ever all a mans parts all things are but flesh that are not spiritual the sanctifying Work of the Spirit of God by the Word but the Word of God abides that is the impression of the Word of God upon the soul by the sanctifying Work of Gods Spirit abides for ever but all flesh is grass You have got a great deal of fleshly excellency in parts so as others admire your gifts I but this flesh is as grass it will come to nothing and all your esteem will come to nothing Oh let us take heed my Brethren that our sacrifices be not flesh for though they may glitter a while in the world within a few years all will be as grass and will come to nothing But further They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifice of mine offering Why God commanded them to sacrifice flesh For the sacrifice of mine offering here seems to be an accusation not that they sacrificed but that they sacrificed nothing but the outward part flesh do not think that that 's the main meaning but this rather In the burnt offering all the whol sacrifice was tendered up to God but now there was another offering that was the peace offering and there that which was offered some part of it did belong to the offerer so as they should eat part of the offering when they came to offer that they came with their friends because they were to have some of it now saith God They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifice of mine offering that is They change mine Ordinance when as that I look'd for burnt offerings from from them the whol offering they will rather offer peace offerings wherein they shall have part of the flesh for themselves and that they can take content in Thus I find Interpreters carry it and I verily think it to be the meaning of the holy Ghost So that from hence the Note is That if there be any thing in Gods Worship wherein any self respects may come in there we are content to be forward but yet in that we rather aim at serving our selves then serving the Lord and this usually doth eat out all true devotion When there is a duty to be done and part of that duty God requires and we shew respect to God in it and there 's another part wherein we enjoy our selves now such kind of duties as these are men can be content well enough withal but the truth is that part which concerns themselves doth eat out all the true devotion unto God although the Worship of God be pretended yet self-respects they are that the heart is most upon as for instance In keeping of Festivals they lik'd them well enough and we do not reade so much charge for the keeping of them because there was something agreeable to the flesh but now for the day of their Fasts saith God whosoever afflicts not his soul that soul shall be cut off they had not so much mind to that in the tenth day of the seventh month therefore God threatens that whosoever did not afflict his soul that day it should be cut off and so you shall find it That 's the reason indeed why men are so much set upon their Feastivals they pretend Gods Worship and honor to their blessed Savior and the like but the truth is it 's the Belly that is the thing and their Sports and the licence to the flesh that they aim at I warrant you let the time as now it falls out be the time of a Fast it will not be so much regarded and for any man to keep a Feastival when God by his providence calls to fast certainly that man regards his own belly rather than God And that by which all these Feastivals are upheld it is because that together with a seeming kind of Religion the belly gets so much but now such duties where God is served and Nature denied they are great testimonies that the Spirit of God is in our hearts in the performance of them when we can offer up our burnt offerings wholly to God and our selves denied they are testimonies that the Spirit of God is in us as I 'le give you an instance in the Story of the first of Kings the 13. you reade of the Lyon that did slay the Prophet that went contrary to Gods Commandement now it was a special end of God that sent the Lyon to slay him and that God would give a testimony that the Lyon did not come of a chance to fall upon the Prophet and kill him Therfore the text observes that the Lyon stood by the carcass and did not meddle with it after it was once slain it was the nature of the Lyon to have fed upon the carcass but here was an argument that it was meerly from God what the Lyon did So when any man shall perform a duty meerly for God and in that duty shall deny himself shall be content to part with honors or preferment that 's a sign God is in it and so in this publick service Oh! who would not venture himself for the publick Cause I but there is a publick Pay too as well as the publick Cause but now if a man can venture to the uttermost though he hath not that which he
expects yet he is content to venture himself as much as he did before God is in this man certainly when he can do a work and deny himself that work And truly we should be willing so to do Why because God doth not require of us self-denial that shall do us any hurt God would never have us deny our selves in things that immediately concern our communion with himself and our eternal good God expects self-denial but it is only in those things that concern this present life now when God is so propitious to us in requiring duty that he will let us sometimes enjoy our selves and when he requires self-denial it is in things that are more inferior we should not much stand upon in denying our selves in them It follows But the Lord accepteth them not As if he said I would not have them I was not pleased with them Whatsoever our services be If self be regarded all is rejected not only if sin be regarded If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer but if self be regarded our services may please our selves but not please God and for this you have a famous Scripture in Amos 5. 22. I will not regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts and this text in Amos hath a special reference to this very thing and Amos was contemporary with Hosea and so met with the very same thing that here Hosea did this text in Amos may help us to understand this in Hosea I will not accept the offering of your fat beasts but observe it they are their peace offerings he doth not say I will not accept the burnt offerings of your fat beasts but of your peace offerings because in their peace offerings they eat part of it themselves and saith God let your offerings be never such faâ— beasts yet I will not accept of them so let your duties be never so zealous and abundant yet if they be only in respect of your selves God accepts them not It follows Now will I remember their iniquities Why they did offer their sacrifices to the end that their sins might be done away and had they exâ—â—rcised faith upon Christ the true sacrifice their sin should have been done away yea but they offering in regard of themselves he saith I will remember your sins for all this From thence the Note is That many men may perform great services may exercise themselves much in holy duties and yet have their sins as much upon the file before God as before they began all their services And this is a sad thing for a man to kneel down and pray with woful guiltiness upon his spirit and rise up with the same guiltiness that he kneel'd down withal and perhaps he hath gone on and prayed and received the Sacrament for these many yeers together and every sin that was upon him when he first began is upon him now whereas those that in holy duties exercise their faith upon Christ their Mediator and with the act of faith tender up him to the father whatsoever sins were upon them before are now done away The second thing is observable viz. That God will remember them and he will remember them now Hence note That however God may forbear to come upon wicked men for their sins for a time yet God hath his time to remember them all to remember that is by his Judgments to make it appear to them that he doth remember them when they think that God hath forgotten them 1 Sam. 15. 20. Thus saith the Lord of hosts I remember that which Amaleck did to Israel how he laid wait for him in the way when he came up from Egypt I remember what he did why this was four hundred yeers ago that he spoke of We may commit a sin when we are young and feel nothing of it till we come to be old and then God may remember it against us as many a man or woman takes a surfet when they are young and they feel nothing when their bones are full of marrow and their veins with blood they feel it not for the present but when they come to be old Oh! then it aches in their flesh and bones and then they remember their licentiousness and carelesness in their youth and so many young people they commit sin and conscience never troubles them for it and they they think all is forgotten Oh! but many yeers after the sin is committed God remembers it and makes them remember it too Joseph's brethren had committed that sin against their brother and it was 22. years before we reade of any remembring of that sin Many things might be said to this point which I cannot now insist upon only this thing take with you Let all you that are young ones yea and others too take heed what you do in sinning against God for that which you do now may be remembred against you many yeers after perhaps twenty thirty fourty yeers hence God may come upon you for what you do at this present me thinks this should be unto young men a mighty strong motive to take heed of wicked lives Youths sins may prove to be ages terrors Oh! is it not a great deal better that God should remember the kindness of thy youth than the sins of thy youth Jer. 2. 2. Oh you that are young begin to be godly betimes that God may remember the kindness of your youth And oh the blessed condition the Saints are in in comparison of the wicked You have so many expressions that God will remember their sins no more that he will bury them in the bottom of the Sea there are at least a dozen expressions in Scripture and I had some thoughts to speak of them all but I see it will be too long to speak of them now Of Gods casting away their sins the sin of his People But further Now will I remember them That is in the time of their Holy Duties Now this is a sad thing that God should not only remember a mans sin but even then when he is about to offer sacrifices to God as in Heb 10 3. it is said that the sacrifices of the Law did bring sins into remembrance that is It was a note of their guiltiness every time they came to offer sacrifice and their sacrifices did not do away their sins fully Now I will remember them Then when they offered sacrifices in in a careless and ungodly way surely these sacrifices would bring their sins into remembrance indeed Hence observe God remembers the sins of wicked men in the performance of Holy Duties in a special manner and that upon these two grounds First Because we come into Gods presence There we come before his eyes in a more especial manner we are in Gods eyes alwaies but in Holy Duties the Scripture speaks of it aâ— a more especial drawing nigh to God If a
Name of God and saith Oh! but God is of another opinion When therefore we find our selves jocund and merry we should consider but is God of the same mind that we are of Many mens rejoycing is so disagreeing to Gods mind as they dare not so much as consult with God or their own consciences to know what God and conscience will tell them concerning their rejoycing the more men can prevail with their own consciences to be silent the more joy they have yea some there are that have so much guiltinese upon their spirits as they can have no joy but at such time when they can take advantage of their own consciences they are fain to take a time when their consciences are asleep or else they can have no joy Now cursed be that joy that cannot stand with a free working of a true enlightened conscience Thirdly Men may be in an outward prosperous condition and yet have little cause to joy in it all outward prosperity may stand with the heavy wrath of God hanging over the sinners head he may be upon the very brink of destruction and yet prosper outwardly outward prosperity may come in wrath the curse of God the poyson of Gods curse may be in the Wine as well as in the Water wicked men that are poor have their Water poysoned and wicked men that are rich and prosperous have their Wine poisoned and what difference is there between drinking poisoned Water and poisoned Wine the swelling of carnal hearts in their prosperity it is a sign that it is poisoned to them Outward prosperity as it may come in wrath so it may stand wiâ—h wrath and make way to wrath by it the vessels of wrath may be fitted to destruction God many times hath a further reach in suffering wicked men to prosper than they are aware of as Ester when she invited Hamon to a banquet he drew such a connexion that he was honored above all the Nobles in the land and he goes away rejoycing and tells his friends of the great honor that was put upon him but Ester had another design in it than Hamon thought of it was not to honor him but to destroy him So many people whose estates God raises they make other manner of connexions from Gods dealing with them than ever God intended they think God hath blessed them when the truth is God is working their ruin and destruction As a painted face is no argument of a good complexion so a prosperous estate is no argument of a good condition Rejoyce not for Joy Carnal hearts in their joy are set upon jolity their spirits insult and they think of nothing that should moderate their joy so the words import Rejoyce not for joy if you will rejoyce let there not be meer joy but some kind of mixture in it there should be a mixture of reverence and fear in our rejoycing we should rejoyce with trembling here in this world Whatsoever blessings we have from God yet I say we should rejoyce with trembling here remembring first our unworthiness of any good we have there should be that put into our joy Secondly Remember the afflictions of our brethren Thirdly Remember the uncertain and the vanishing nature of all these things we rejoyce in Put these three things alwaies into the Cup of our Joy else it will be too sweet and will clog the stomach Mix the Cup of your Joy with these three Meditations First Your Unworthiness of that Mercy Secondly The Meditation of the Affliction of our Brethren of yours that have done God more service than ever you have done or are like to do Thirdly That Meditation of the Uncertainty of al these things that your hearts are so taken withal These three Ingredients will make a good Mixture that we shall not surfeit with our condition Do not rejoyce that is Let there not be pure Joy But the strength of this expression lies in the other Rejoyce not with joy as other people First Be not taken with the bravery and jolity of other people to think them happy Oh! It 's a fine life to live as they do The jolity of other people that are in a different way from us is many times a great temptation to draw the heart to them because we see they live merrily and bravely But that doth not reach yet to the main scope of the Prophet Rejoyce not with joy as other people Secondly Therefore do not rejoyce as they do in their Idolatrous Festivities Dancing and many waies of jolity that they had in their Idolatrous feasts we must not imitate Idolaters in their Triumphs This was the sin of many in the primitive times because they were come new out of Heathenism they would turn the Heathenish feasts into Christian feasts and Heathenish customs whereby they were wont before to honor their Idol gods into the custom of Christians to honor Christ in the same way and they thought this was very good that whereas before they did honor Idol gods now they thought if they did but turn this to honor Jesus Christ they thought this would be acceptable No this was a great sin and brought a great deal of evil into the Christian world and we do to this day suffer in that way if do tender our respects to God though it be in the same way that Idolaters do to their Idols we think we do well and indeed here 's the original of keeping this time both of your Christmass and New-years-day it is but the changing of them from the keeping of the Heathenish time to the honor of Christ and of the Saints I remember this time two years through meer providence that Scripture came in our way I will take away their solemn feasts And there I shewed how these came instead of the Heathenish times Now saith the holy Ghost here Rejoyce not as other people do do not you imitate them they have their Idolatrous Feasts but do not you as they do We must not take liberty to imitate Heathens and Idolaters in their worship though we think to tender our respects to God thereby Rejoyce not as other people Not as A people for the word other is not in the Hebrew Do not you rejoyce as if you were to continue a people still for you are to be carried captive and not to continue as a people do not you therefore rejoyce as if you were in a setled condition you have brought your selves into such a condition as you are not to look upon your selves as a people Do not Rejoyce no not as a people It 's a miserable spectacle to see those who are ready to be destroyed to be jolly and merry as if there were no such matter It is said of the Dolphin that it sports most when a storm comes So when the storm of Gods wrath is arising upon a people then they are most jolly and merry Again Rejoyce not in that manner as others
God and we observe the Law of Moses No saith the Lord You have gone a whoring from Me. I but still Why may not we rejoyce as other people to be sure we are not worse Idolaters than they therefore though we may not rejoyce more than others yet why not as others they make Idols to be their gods there is nothing so vile among us as among the Nations about us From whence therefore the Observation is this that God charges them more than others First That a people may be free from the gross evils that there are in other people and may have many good things that other people have not and yet may be in a worse condition than other people You will say How can this be Thus There may be some sins that they have among them that may have greater aggravations than any sins that other people have that may make their condition all things considered worse We here in this Land have much rejoyced heretofore in this that we have had the Doctrine of Religion so pure among us as no people more and certainly except it hath been through some few that of late daies have sought to corrupt it certainly that must be said that the Doctrine hath been kept very pure as the main things of Religion and in some things we have gone beyond other reformed Churches as in the point of the Sabbath a great deal beyond them and so there hath been here in England for Family Duties never had God more honor from any people in the world than he hath had from us in many respects but yet for all this it seems by Gods dealings with us at this day that God is more provoked with us than with other people and the truth is take these one or two things and I think that no people upon the face of the earth can paralel our guilt not only no people that are now but never any people since the world began as that bitterness of spirit in the hatred of the power of godliness and the opposing of it and persecuting of it never was any people so guilty as we have been in other reformed Churches men may be as forward and zealous as they will and they are not persecuted as they are here though they kept the Sabbath more loosly yet they never persecuted men that kept it strictly there was never heard that stopping of the mouth of the faithful Ministry so generally as here in England if there were but any stirring Ministry in any place presently fly upon them and so it may well be said to us at this day Rejoyce not as other people God hath spit in our faces to tell us that our condition is worse than the condition of other people Yea but still If we be Idolaters would the ten Tribes say they are so too Here was one particular aggravation upon Israel that was not among other people and that was this There was no other people would forsake their gods as Israel had forsaken theirs Jer. 2. 10. there was never such a thing as for a Land to change their god the worst people for Kedar was the worst sort of people they were a vile people and yet go to Kedar and see and search diligently whether any Nation hath ever forsaken their Gods But you have forsaken Me. And from thence there may be this Note That to be constant to ill principles is not so great an evil as to be false against good principles I say God accounts it not to be so great an evil for men to be constant to their prinâ—les though they be evil principles as for men to forsake good principles as now if a man hath been brought up all his daies in superstition and thinks verily this is the right certainly this man is not so guilty before God as another that hath been educated in the true worship of God and hath made profession of the contrary and yet afterward doth apostatize and backslide God had rather that men should keep to their principles though they be evil than entertain good principles and forsake them There are none so vile in Gods eyes as Apostates there is not so much sordidness and baseness of spirit in those men that will keep constant to their principles though they be evil as in such as will betray their principles that are good And then the Principal Observation is this That the sins of Gods People are the greatest sins of all the sins of the Saints are the greatest sins of all and they are to mourn more than any In Amos 3. 2. You only have I known of all the families of the earth therefore will I visit you for your iniquities your sins are greater And that in Rom. 2. 9. Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil of the Jew first and also the Gentile And we have these two excellent texts in Jer. 18. 13. Ask ye now among the Heathen who hath heard such things the Virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing that 's the aggravation that it is the Virgin of Israel that hath done such a horrible thing But especially that text in Jer. 32. 30. For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil from their youth Now Hierom hath such a Note upon this What the children of Israel saith he and Judah only done evil from their youth What hath none done evil but they he gives this answer He that hath the knowledg of God and goes from it he alone sins in the eyes of God as for unbeleevers they sin too but it is as if God saw it not and as if God minded it not as he saith in the Acts that he winks at the daies of their ignorance but they only sin that have had the knowledg of God We reade of this Philistims that they ventured to carry the Ark upon Carts God did not manifest himself provoked against them that carried the Ark so but when the Levites would presume to carry it upon carts the Lord makes a breach upon them and strikes Vzzah with death he did bear with it in the Philistins which was a little before and it may be they presumed and thought the Philistins carried the Ark upon a cart why may not we That which God will beare from others he will not bear from his own their sins are against Covenant and that 's a special thing there hath not been that solemn Covenant between me and other people as between you and me This is a mighty aggravation against the sins of Gods people more than against any people in the world that they are against Covenant Oh! remember this you that do often covenant with God when you are in Prayer Oh! how do you renew your Covenant with God What promises do you make with God in Prayer and yet you grow again loose and false and vile afterwards
them from mixing with the Heathen but now saith God All is gone let them go saith God and eat unclean things as for the Covenant with me it is wholly abolished I will own them no more than the very impure Heathen they would make Leagues with the Assyrians wel they shal partake w th them and be filthy and unclean as he and they defiled Gods Worship by mixing heathenish polutions with it now God gives them up to all Heathenish uncleanness as they were like the Heathens in inward uncleanness so let them be saith God in outward uncleanness There is these two Notes First Those that will make Leagues with wicked men it is just with God that afterwards they should come and be inthrall'd in all the wickedness and abominations of those wicked men They were indeed at a distance from them before but when once the peace is made they come now to be all one with them But the main is this That when men are inwardly unclean God doth not care for their outward cleanness Thus many professors of Religion defiling their consciences and becoming like the wicked in inward sins at length God leaves them up to themselves that there should be no difference between them and the wicked in their outward abominations Have you not known some examples in this kind Lastly If it be such a judgment to eat unclean things with the Gentiles even meat to satisfie thier hunger Certainly then it is a fearful evil for any of the Saints to partake with ungodly men in unclean wicked worship There might be as much excuse for this as one could imagin why Lord they might say shall we starve True they might no question eat that which was unclean rather than starve but yet it was a great misery that they were in that they could have nothing to eat but that which was unclean but now the other is not only an affliction but sin and indeed the moral of it is to shew the great evil that there is in joyning with any way of false worship to joyn false worship it is a great evil and an argument that when God leaves us to this he disclaimes us Cyprian dehorts Christians from communicating with wicked Ministers from this place Ne sibi plebs in hoc â—â—andiatâ—r cum pro Hoseam Prophetam comminetur dicat censura Divina c. I do not speak of not joyning in Worship if there be unclean ones there Ministers or People And I am perswaded if it be throughly weighed there will no body be found to be of that mind for it is impossible that any Church in the world but in time there will be some that are wicked which will be present but this is not that that causes many to forbear not the presence of wicked men but find the uncleanness of the Worship some things that was done actually there that their consciences told them to be sin Secondly Because they could not do their duty as they should but if they can have liberty to do their duty and the Worship be not polluted I think upon serious consideration there can be no question made although there should be some that are unclean admitted yet if there be in the Church any order and government that the unclean may be cast out and libertie that every one may discharge his duty as to go and admonish and take two or three and then tell the Church and so to deliver his own soul no doubt but they may communicate VER 4. They shall not offer Wine-offerings to the Lord neither shal they be pleasing unto him THE Prophet in the Name of God proceeds to further threatning of Israel and this in the 4 th verse is a very dreadful one They shall not offer Wine offerings to the Lord neither shall they be pleasing unto him In their offerings there was wont to be Wine and Oyl to note cheerfulness in Gods service thus in Numb 15. 5. The fourth part of an Hyn of Wine for a drink offering shalt thou prepare and for a meat offering thou shalt prepare two deals of flowr mingled with the third part of an hyn of Oyl But now al joy shal be taken away there shal be nothing but sadnes and sinking of spirit under their misery no Wine offering Hence note That those who abuse their joy to their lusts when they have it it 's just with God it should be taken from them that they should have none to give to God though they would never so fain Secondly This makes an affliction to be bitter and grievous indeed That all joy and comfort in Gods service is gone for that 's the scope They shall offer no Wine offerings all their joy in the service of God shall be gone they shall not only have sorrow in their outward afflictions that are upon them but every time they come to think of any service of God their hearts shall be dejected all their joy in the service of God shall be taken away there was a time when some of you were wont to offer Wine offerings to the Lord that is to have much joy and comfort in the service of God but is not all gone where 's your Wine offerings to the Lord you can now perform duties but your hearts are heavy and dul in the performance of them there 's no sweetness there 's no enlargement of spirit in holy duties all the Worship of God is a burden now unto you Now there is no burden of affliction so great a burden as when the duties of Gods Worship comes to be a burden The Saints so long as they have a Wine offering for the Lord in holy duties so long as their spirits in holy duties can be free and joyful their afflictions are not very burdensom they are well enough this is more delightful to them than all the Wine in the world for they can say of Gods love They love is better than Wine so they can say of their love to God again That our love unto him is more comfortable to us than any Wine in the world Now though they be in afflictions their estates are gone that they have no Wine to drink themselves yet they have a Wine offering to offer unto the Lord. It 's no great matter though we have not Wine as we were wont to have at our Tables but when we go to worship God we have a Wine offering for him at any time and this makes glad the hearts of the Saints more than the hearts of all the men in the world can be glad when their Corn and Wine and Oyl encreases They shall offer no Wine offerings neither shall they be pleasing unto him they shall not be sweet to him whatsoever their offerings be Now that they offer to the Lord God will take no delight in them they will be but sowre things unto the palate of God the offerings of the Saints in Gods way they do cheer the very heart
of God And hence is the reason of that phrase that we have That Wine doth cheer the heart of God and man it cheer'd Gods heart to have offerings offered in a holy manner to him the greatest joy that God hath in the world is in the offerings of the Saints which should be the greatest encouragement to them men by their Wine and good Cheer may make themselves merry may make their friends merry but by their holy offerings they do cheer the heart of God they are as sweet-meats to God all the Wine and delightful things in the world they are as sweet I say to God as all the Wine and delightful things in the world are for men Thou hast a cup of Wine for thy friend to cheer him but hast thou a cup of Wine for God to cheer his heart that is a gracious holy offering unto God Surely that which is most sweet to the Soul of God should be most sweet to our souls You would wonder to hear a man say that he takes as much delight and he can recreate himself as much in reading in praying in hearing Sermons in holy conference as you can do in all your good cheer in playing and drinking of Wine in bowls you think that men are mad to say that they have as much pleasure in those things as playing at Cards and merriment and musick and good cheer you call upon them to play at Cards with you or be merry you say to them why should you be dumpish and never be merry they tell you again That they can be as merry and as cheerful in hearing the Word and praying and reading as you in all your playing and all that that you account delightful You say to them That they have no recreation They tell you That those things that are your burdens are their recreation you think it strange Why should you wonder Surely that that sweetens and joyes the heart of God that must needs be the rejoycing of the hearts of those that have the Spirit of God in them you have joy and mirth in such and such things these are sweet to you yea but do these things rejoyce God are they sweet to God But now this is the threatning here They shall not be sweet now to him nothing that is tendered to God from them shall be pleasing to him no saith God now I will have other waies to glorifie my self in upon you not by your offerings I 'le rather glorifie my self in your miseries and they shall be sweet and delightful to me If an Hypocriâ—e hath never so great enlargements in duties these would not be pleasing to God Gods palate is more delicate than to tast such sowre and sapless things than those are that comes from them Saith Tertullian The Spirit of God is a most delicate thing it hath a delicate palat and such swill that hath such mixtures of filth as your services have how can they be sweet to the delicate palat of the Spirit of God you are Hypocrites your lives are naught and filthy and unclean therefore none of your offerings can be sweet they are but swill unto that palat of mine It follows Their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners The Hebrew may be taken substantively or adjectively as thus For the bread of mourning or the bread of mourners either of both two may be taken according to the original Now by the bread of mourners is here meant unclean bread for so it is interpreted afterwards It shall be unclean But why the bread of mourners unclean This Text hath reference to what you reade in Numb 19. 11. and 14. verses you may reade there that the dead body of a man it did defile whatsoever touch'd it yea whatsoever came neer it and all those that were at Funerals that did mourn for the dead that came to the place where the dead body was to mourn with the friends for the dead they became unclean by the dead body And that 's observable that the dead body of a beast did not make men so unclean by legal uncleanness as the dead body of a man did The dead body of a beast made one unclean but only till the evening in Numb 11. 31. but the dead body of a man made a man unclean seven daies So you shall find in the former chap. of Numbers that they must be seven daies before they could be clensed and this was to note That there were more remarkable expressions of the anger of God upon the sin of man in the dead body of a man than in the dead body of a beast one made unclean but till evening and the other seven daies But the reason why there was this uncleanness from the dead body was First To note the uncleanness that there is in sin in dead works that those that did meddle with them they were polluted yea the uncleanness that there is in coming near unto sinners the coming but near to them all that was in the tent was polluted Secondly It was to shew how little pleasing to God Funeral mournings are for they were made unclean by them they were made unclean by their Funeral mournings for this bread of mourners is the bread that they eat in their Funerals The Gentils did mourn for their dead in an inordinate manner exceedingly and God would have a difference between his peoples mourning for the dead and their mourning because that he would keep up his peoplâ— faith and the hope of resurection from the dead whereas had they had liberty to mourn so excessively as the Heathens did by this means the very faith and hope of resurrection from the dead might in time even almost have been extinguished therefore God would have them take heed of that and therefore he did so ordain in the Ceremonial Law that al the mourners for the dead they should be unclean for so long a time As for any that doth give liberty in their natural affections and doth not hold the reins of them in their mourning for the dead I would apply to them that Scripture in Jer. 31. 15 16. Thus saith the Lord A voice was heard in Ramah Lamentation and bitter weeping RACHEL weeping for her CHILDREN refused to be comforted for her children because they were not But now Thus saith the Lord Refrain thy voice from weeping and thine eyes from tears thy work shall be rewarded and thy children shall come back again So it followed afterwards Do not weep as others let us not mourn as others that have no hope remember that the mourners for the dead in the Law they were to be unclean for seven daies Thirdly it was to note this That God would have cheerfulness in his service and therefore the bread of mourners is accounted polluted Levit. 10. 19. we reade of Aaron when there was such an occasion of mourning as ever was almost for a man for the death
a very little of the seventh Verse And so VER 7. The daies of Visitation are come the daies of Recompence are come And of Recompence GOD hath his set time for the Execution of Judgment What good is it to a Malefactor that he is let alone a while in the Prison when he knows that at such a day of the Month must be the day of his Execution The day of Visitation and Recompence i.e. of Enquiry for all thy evil Your Judgments they are none other but Recompences you may have vain pleas and reasons to justifie your selves but when God comes to visit you he will deal with you in away of Recompence proportionable to your waies If you would fall down and acknowledg your sins and your need of Mercy then it may be you may find Mercy but if you will stand to justifie your selves then expect that God when he comes will come in a way of Recompence And now my Brethren Oh! what a desperate venture is this that men will venture to deal with God in a way of Recompence whenas you may be dealt withal in a way of mercy You will say Who are those that will deal with God in a way of Recompence Certainly those that will plead and justifie themselves and will say God knows I do what I can and this is not so much my fault as others Then expect that God when he comes to deal with you he will have your pleas to be fully examined and if it prove that your pleas will hold you shall have accordingly and if it prove that your pleas shall be found false then you shall be dealt withal in a way of justice Will you venture dare any of you venture upon your Pleas to stand it out if you say you do what you can you will be tried by it and you shall be recompenced accordingly and if it be found indeed that you do what you can you shall be saved but if it be found you have not done what you could you shall perish eternally Will you venture certainly whatsoever you stand pleading to justifie your selves by you may expect that God will deal with you in a way of Recompence The daies of Recompence are come Twice come as it is said Babylon is fallen is fallen Israel was in a way of Recompence and would hardly be moved with any apprehension of danger and therefore you have it twice repeated From thence the Note is this That the apprehension of an evil presently coming that terrifies the soul You have a notable text for that in Ezek. 7. 6. An end is come the end is come and then in the next words Behold it is come again In one little verse three times An end is come the end is come behold it is come And in the verse before it comes and in the verse after it is come five times God tells them that it is come Then saith my text Israel shall know it Wicked men will not know till they feel when they are struck then they will know The best knowledg of Gods displeasure it is from the causes but if men will not know from thence they shall know from the effects In their prosperity they had many false Prophets that soothed them up so that they were kept from knowledg but now when they had felt Gods stroke then they should know but he doth not tell you what you should know They should know these things First They should know what a great God it is they have to deal withal Secondly They should know how vile a thing sin is Thirdly They should know the vanity of all their shiftings Fourthly They should know the dreadfulness of Divine wrath Fifthly The faithfulness of Gods Prophets Sixthly They should know the wisdom of those who dar'd not do as they did Seventhly They should know the follie and vanitie of all the false Prophets that did seduce them before they should know that the Prophet is a fool and the spiritual man is mad Oh! the knowledg we have of these things in time of affliction is another manner of knowledg than we know in the time of our prosperitie It was the speech of a German Divine in an affliction In this disease I know what sin is and how great God is in this disease And yet he was a Divine why did he not know before No trulie I never knew what sin and God was so before Now Israel shall know The knowledg that men have of the truth of God in time of affliction is a working knowledg I appeal to you How manie of you in the time of your sickness and afflictions have known things after another manner than ever you knew them before It follows The Prophet is a fool and the spiritual man is mad In the time of Affliction they shall cry out that those are fools that did seduce them One that died not long since by the Exchange cried out of his keeping companie with lewd Ministers that did encourage him in his waies and that did harden him against Religion and the Saints of God In former times we know how men would close with wicked Ministers and how they would be hardened in scorning at Religion and Puritans but these will have cause upon their sick beds and death beds to crie out of them for they would tell them that they need not be so strict and so pure take heed now how you be deceived by those that account themselves spiritual men they here in the text upon experience find that the Prophet did but befool them and those that had such glorious titles of spiritual men that they were but mad and if you take not heed some that are here may find it hereafter true upon their death beds that they may cry out of such and such Ministers that did perswade them to such and such things But truly t is no excuse to men though they should be led aside by Ministers and others for you shall find what 's the reason that they were given up to Prophets that were fools it follows in the text For the multitude of their iniquity and for their great hatred Thou hadst a wicked and a vile heart that did hate Gods people and the waies of godliness and therefore it was just with God to give thee up to those that thou seest now to be fools and mad-men Oh! it 's just with God when mens spirits are against the true Prophets of God to leave them to Ministers that should cozen and undo their souls everlastingly VER 8. The watch-man of Ephraim was with my God but the Prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his waies and hatred in the House of his God IN this and the former Verse God charges as the cause of much evil in Israel the false Prophets but yet through the Peoples sin for it was through the multitude of their wickedness that they were so guided by those false
and holiness of your forefathers Oh! how refreshing were they to the heart of God But what are you you are sowr in the tast of God what delight can God take in your unsavory and rotten corrupted spirits Oh! it 's a comfortable thing when a child is able to say as Exod. 15. 2. My God and my fathers God God was my Fathers God and delighted in my Father and blessed be his Name he is my God and I hope he hath some delight in me You who are the children of Fathers whom God delighted in as Grapes in the Wilderness it 's a mighty engagement for you to look to your selves that your hearts and lives be not corrupt but follow the steps of your fathers that God may delight likewise in you But further As the first ripe in the Fig-tree at her first time There 's a great deal of elegancy in these expressions The Fig-tree bears twice in the yeer and here it is The first of the first time Their Fathers were as delightful as Grapes in the wilderness and as the Figs the first Figs in her first time Now we know that we prize fruit that is first ripe as Cherries when they are first of all come when they come it may be two or three into the Market and Pease and such kind of things when they are the first ripe of all how they are prized you shall have many will give any price for them We say when Cherries come at first that they are Ladies meat or Longing meat Now the Lord is pleased to condescend so much to express his love to his people as the love of a longing woman to Cherries or other fruit when they come first of all as a woman hath a longing after things when they come and are first ripe saith God Never did woman long after any fruit when it was first ripe more than my soul hath longed after you to do you good I have taken as much pleasure in you as ever woman could take when she had her longing in the most dainty first ripe things This is the meaning of the holy Ghost here to shew the Love of God to his Saints Many expressions we have in Scripture as in Jer. 12. 10. they are call'd his Pleasant Portion and the dearly Beloved of Gods Soul Jer. 12. 7. and the peculiar Treasure of God Exod. 19. 5. and here there are two as elegant expressions as Grapes in the Wilderness and as the first ripe of the Figs in the first time Thus is Gods exceeding goodness to us though we be sapless in our selves and have nothing in us to procure delight yet God in his own free Grace is willing to express himself thus to his People Oh! what delight should we have in God who takes such delight in his Servants And this expression of God we think may very well hint unto us a meditation concerning the delight that God hath in young ones that do begin to give up themselves unto him the Lord loves the first fruits and the first ripe of things in Mich. 7. 1. Wo is me for I am as when they have gathered the Summer fruits as the Grape gleanings of the vintage there is no cluster to eat My soul desired the first ripe fruits So it 's true by way of allusion at least we may apply it the Soul of God is a longer God is a longer To what To the first ripe fruits to the first of your years to you that are young ones We prize highly Nettle buds when they bud out first Oh! so graciousness when it buds out in youth at first Oh how pleasing is it to God! in Exod. 23. 19. God would have the first of the first fruits he would not only have of the first fruits but the first of the first God stands much about the first still And in Leviticus 2. 14. there you reade that the Lord is so eager to have the first things as a longing woman that he will not stay till they be ripe he will have the green ears of Corn dried in the fire as many women that long they will not stay untill the thing be ripe but if they can have it ripened by any art though not by the way of Nature they will seek to have it ripened so and then they must needs have it so saith God my longing is so after the first of things that I will not stay till they be fully ripe but the Corn though it be green ears if they may be dried by the fire I 'le have them then And so in Cant. 2. 12. The flowers appear on the earth the time of the singing of birds is come the Fig tree putteth forth her green Figs and in Cant. 6. 11. I went down into the Garden of Nuts to see the fruits of the valley and to see whether the Vine flourished and the Pomegranates budded Oh! the Lord looks up and down in Congregations that are as the Gardens of God to see such and so in Cant. 7. 12. Let us get up early to the Vineyards let us see if the Vine flourish whether the tender Grape appear and the Pomegranates bud forth there will I give thee my Loves Oh let us go and see whether the tender Grape appear or the Pomegranate bud there will I give thee my Loves Where God doth see grace beginning and budding in young ones there God manifests himself there will I give my Loves And this only by occasion of Gods expressing himself like a longer after the first things Oh! give God his longing you that are yong ones and begin to be godly betimes you satisfie the heart of God as the first fruits satisfie a longing woman It follows But they went to Baal-Peor and separated themselves to that shame But saith God here What a But comes after all this God doth manifest his delight in them as in the first ripe Grapes in the Wilderness and the first ripe fruit and yet behold Oh! there 's a but for all this It 's not the greatness of Gods love that is enough to engage carnal hearts this is an evil and a sore thing to see there was a time that God accepted of this people and delighted much in them but now they are departed Oh! it 's ordinary for people to degenerate though a few yeers since how forward and zealous were they for God and for Reformation but within a while they grew cold and dead and formal and slight and begin to leave off all their good beginnings and decline from God and from his Truth They went to BAAL-PEOR God complains of this people as a Husband of an Adultress Though I delighted in her and loved her though she had all the content she could desire yet she goes and forsakes me and gives up her self to a filthy unclean Whoremaster God takes it exceeding ill that he loses his love And I beseech you observe There 's nothing goes
smite upon his thigh Oh! that we may smite upon our own hearts But it follows Their Princes are Revolters and Ephraim is smitten Only a word more from the connexion of these two All their Princes are revolters and Ephraim is smitten From thence the Note is If God leaves those who have the chief Government in their hands to revolt the people then will be smitten Oh! pray much for them and let not them that have the chief Government in their hand think much that people enquire into their way and that they use all means that they can to keep them upright for if they should revolt they would not only undo themselves but undo us it concerns us to enquire how it is with them and to be solicitous about them and they must not bid us that are beneath them to let them alone and meddle with our own business and follow that which concerns us certainly it concerns us much what they do were it indeed that if they miscarried they only should be smitten then we had less to do to look after them but if they revolt we are smitten If a child should in all humility and reverence beseech his father to leave off such and such a sinful way or to take heed of it that he be not carried by such and such counsels if his father should say Meddle you with what you have to do the child might well answer Oh father I hear in the Word of God that God doth visit the sins of the fathers upon the children and I may feel of these sins of yours when you are dead and gone therefore I beseech you Oh father consider what you do I say the same might be answered if we should Petition and labor with our Governors in all humility to take heed of any evil Counsel and if they should bid us lock to what concerns us we may well answer We have heard in the Word that when the Princes are Revolters the People are smitten that if Governors should any way revolt from any former Protestations the People is like to be smitten it is we know from the revolting of many of our Lords and Members of that High Court that we have been smitten so as we have been Now many of them have revolted to the Enemy and these that have been the Members of that Court I say their revolting have been the cause of such a sore smiting which we have had Further It cannot free Ephraim from being smitten smitten because their Governors are evil they cannot excuse their sin by that Perhaps the People would plead thus What could we do we could not help it those that were in Government they enjoyn such things and if we did not obey them they would undo us we were not able to bear their smiting of us therefore we were forced to yield Oh! better endure the smiting of man than the smiting of God it is a fearful thing to fall into the Hand of the Living God The apprehension of Gods hand smiting is that which should humble the hearts of sinners very much It 's a notable Scrip-which you have in 2 Chron. 26. 20. of Vzziah that when he saw that he was smitten though he were stout and proud before yet when he was smitten he made hast out of the Temple It 's no longer standing out for the Lord hath smitten So when we apprehend God smiting it is no standing out against the great God but we had need make hast to reform And thus much for this expression It follows Their Root is dried up But though we be smitten we hope we may grow we may lose our leaves and some of our boughs but we hope that we shall spring again perhaps these are the vain apprehensions of some men but never look to making their peace with God no saith God I 'le not only smite to take off your leaves and branches but I will smite the very root that shall be dried up There 's difference between the pruning and lopping off a tree and the drying up of the root of it there may be help so long as the root remains alive I will never trouble my self any further saith God with them I have already smote off their boughs and that doth no good I will dry up the very root now It 's a great aggravation of Gods smiting when he smites at the root every smiting it is not a drying up of the root it is the base unbelief of our hearts the discontentedness frowardness fullenness of our vile spirits that makes us thus to conclude almost upon every stroke of God that he intends our undoing if he doth but smite us so as a few leaves are but shaken off or that our branches are but shak'd we are presently ready to conclude that God intends to blast us and to dry up the very root and ruin us utterly how often in our unbelief when by temptations we have been shaken and the leaves of our comforts have been shaken off our enlargements and the like how often we conclude Oh! the Lord is coming against me and he will certainly blast all all that I seem to have the very root of all my hopes and comforts will presently be blasted Oh! this I say is the evil of our hearts it comes from our fullenness frowardness and unbelief ever so to conclude it may be God intends only to prune thee and to take away superfluities that so the sap may go down more at the root that thou maiest have more Humility and Self-denial and Faith that thou maiest have more exercise of the Root-Graces Humility Patience Faith Self-denial and God perhaps smites only to make the sap go down more to the Root-Graces though thou concludest that he will dry up the Root presently In this smiting wherewithal the Lord hath smote us we hope that he intends not to dry up the root but we may say of it as in Isa 27. Hath be smitten him as he smote those that smote him or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him The godly party may suffer much but I make no question but the ungodly party hath suffered as much and by this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin and in the 4. verse God tells us that fury is not in him God is fain to make an Apolegie to his people when he is a smiting though I smite you yet not so as those that smite you but in the day of the East wind I stay the rough wind and fury is not in me but by this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit thereof to take away his sin But God hath his time to dry up the roots of sinners and the roots of Nations 1. God dries up the roots of many that have made fair profession in former times they have had
men those who fear God can say What shal a King what shall men what Devils do against us But other men in their straights what shall they do for us We are in a distressed condition and what shall they do for us But the People of God are never in such a distressed condition but they are able to say What shall Men or Devils be able to do against us for God is our Protector Again sixtly The more stoutness and sinfulness and creature-confidence there is in any the more do their hearts sink in desperation when they come to be crost in their hopes They were very stout and full of creature confidence before they were brought into misery and now what low sordid spirits have they now they sink in desperation There 's no men and women have their hearts sink in desperation more than those that in ruff of their pride are the most bold and presumptuous against God and his Servants Again What shall a King do to us Their hearts sink in regard of any hopes that they have from their King But yet you reade nothing of their hearts being set upon God and mourning and working towards God when they are taken from the creature they say not thus Now we see our vain confidence in our King and what hopes we had of preferment in him God hath crost us well we will go and seek to make the King of Heaven to be our portion No there 's no such thing comes from them as this A Carnal heart when it is knockt off of creature confidence and sinks in desperation in regard of the creature it doth not take advantage upon this To have the heart work after God so much the more but there it lies sullen sinking it hath no interest in God and cannot go to him to make up what it wants in the creature But it is otherwise with a gracious heart that acknowledges the hand of God hath taken off my confidence in the creature yea but I hope it is in mercy to my soul that my heart might have the more confidence in God and that God might have the more glory from me and therefore I hope that this taking off my heart from the creature will for ever unite my heart more to the Lord than ever heretofore it hath been Yea this is a gracious work indeed when the heart is taken off from creature confidence and brought neerer unto the Lord. And thus much for the third Verse It follows VER 4. They have spoken words THEY are convinced of their sin that they have not feared God they cry out of their misery what shall a King do to them But mark what follows this follows upon it they were not gain'd to God ever a whit the more But they have spoken Words swearing falsly in making a Covenant When they are taken off from their hopes one way see how they set upon another Luther upon those words saith it 's an Hebraism they have anxiously consulted It 's the way of the Hebrews so to express an anxious consultation and for that he quotes that place in Isa 8. 10. Take counsel together and it shall come to naught c. So then the meaning would be this They have spoken Words That is they get together and contrive one with another what they shall do in such a case as this how they may any way help themselves As we reade sometimes of the People of God in Malac. 3. 16. those that feared God met one with another and spake together so these wicked wretches that were thus disappointed of their hopes they met together and spake one to another some such kind of word as these Our Case is very sad Oh! who would have thought such things should have befallen us We are as much crost of our hopes as ever any men were we made account we should have over run them and they would have been but as bread unto us we should have made a prey upon them and all their estates would have been ours long before this time Oh but now those Prophets that told us that God was against us those Ministers that encouraged people in the Name of God and those people that were different from us now we see that their words are fulfilled and what they thought would come is now come upon us now it 's come to pass what such precise ones among us whose consciences would not submit to our waies the way of our King said surely they cannot but look upon us as a most wretched miserable forsaken people now we are like to lose our Houses Estates Honors and all those delightful things that we hoped to have had we shall lose all those things that we hoped might have made our lives to have been brave and prosperous and merry and jocund Oh! what shall we do in such a distressed state as this We had almost as good die as to endure such a miserable life as we are like to live to be at the mercy of such men whom we know scorn us and hate us Is there no way to help our selves cannot we get some or other to joyn with us cannot we call in no help from any strangers no matter what we yield to them in Thus they toss up and down and wrig up and down not knowing what in the world to do in their conference Or thus May we not yet possibly make up some peace though we be in this distressed coudition Whatsoever propositions they shall profer to us we will rather than fail yield to them all we may perhaps get some advantage hereafter â—r be in some means in a better case to revenge our selves than now we are If they will have us take the COVENANT nothing else will satisfie them we will do it and when we have taken it perhaps they may put some of us in places of trust and so we may privately work about our own ends that way and drive on our own designs that way better than in any hostile way and if together with their Covenant they will have Oaths we will take them too and if we cannot agree to their Oaths or Covenant hereafter we will say we were forced to it and therefore they do not bind us Some such kind of communication it 's like they had And could you hear the communication of our Adversaries when they get together in those straights that God hath brought them into it 's like you would hear some such kind of stuff as this is they spake these words one to another They have spoken Words According to others thus They spake words that is those speaking words hath reference to the times of the Prophets threatning or when they saw their danger eminent and not fully upon them so some carry it and I find the Chaldee Paraphrase hath it thus They spake violent words and then the sense is thus they rage and fret they speak
upon uncertainties and that he shall have it no longer than he doth labor and labor to purpose but when men shall have their estates coming in in a certain way though they labor by themselves or other or though negligently or industriously here 's a great temptation in this And then further For it is a sign of a carnal heart only to mind things presently to labor for an accommodation to themselves for the present A generous spirit will labor for the posterity that is to come If none should plow how would there be Corn to tread out We must be willing to plow though we have not present food though we should have nothing till night yea though we should have nothing till the night of death yea in all our lives we should be willing to plow in hope Ephraim loved not that work That 's a generous spirit that is willing to endure difficulty here though he finds no present comings in though it be for afterwards And it may be applied it to soul-work in our seeking to God Many men and women they are content to pray and follow God and his Ordinances so long as they may have present comfort but if that fails they have no heart to the duty Now we should be willing to plow that is to endure difficulty though we have nothing coming in This is that which caused so many to perish in the world they must have that which is present content whereas the Saints of God are willing to trust God though they have nothing in this world to trust him to have their wages in the world to come It 's a Scripture of very excellet use unto us It follows But I passed over upon her fair neck I will make Ephraim to ride But I passed over upon her fair neck By her easie work in treading out the Corn and not having the yoke upon her neck to plow she became to be very delicate her skin was white and tender Her fair neck The Goodness of her Neck so it is in the Hebrew or her goodly white Skin delicate and tender she was The meaning of it is by her fair Neck is the beauty of her prosperity and so the delicacy of her Neck through her prosperity nothing must trouble her let works that are troublesom and hard let others come to them if they will But for her part she was tender and delicate and must endure no burdens at all nor no difficulty at all First Her fair Neck Many are proud of their fair Necks and Skins so proud as they grow extream wanton by reason of it they must lay open therefore their fair necks that others may see them see how white they are what fair Skins they have and put black Patches likewise to set out their beauty and the whiteness of their fair Skins and if that will not serve even laying over a paint to make it fair if it be not otherwise so nothing but Ease and Delicacy and pleasure is for them as if they came into the world for no other end but to live bravely and be look'd upon as if man-kind and all creatures must work and suffer to provide for these nice and delicate wantons who yet are of no use at all in the world certainly God never gave any great estates in the world for no other use but only to be brave withal and keep their Skin white Whatsoever estates men and women have yet except they endeavor to be useful in the world in a proportionable way unto those estates that they have they can have little true comfort of what they do enjoy the comfort of the lives of rational creatures certainly it 's not in a fair Skin in a white Skin their comfort is in being useful in the places where God hath set them their good consists in that Man is born to labor and there must be labor one way or other every one is bound to labor these fair white Skins and fair Necks Oh! what foul souls many of them have their beauty is but Skin-deep Oh! filthy and abominable in the eyes of God and in the eyes of those that know the corruptions of their hearts How would these fair necks be able to bear Iron chains for Christ to be naild to the stake to have such a Neck-kercher put upon them as Alice Driver had You have it in the story of the Book of Martyrs when they put the chain about her neck to nail her to the stake she gloried in it and blest God for it I but this Alice Driver was wont to plow for so she saith a little before in the story her father did bring her up to plow she was not brought up so delicately as others were and she could endure an iron chain upon her neck for Christ It follows But I passed over upon her fair Neck Some carry the words as expressing Gods indulgence as if he was content to let Ephraim to prosper and thrive in their way and not to bring any hard bondage upon them but it 's more like the other way that I find others to go i.e. I came upon her fair neck and made the yoke to pass over So Hierom upon the place saith when it 's spoken of God this Phrase to pass over It 's not only meant here in a way of threatning but it 's alwaies so meant in Scripture in a way of threatning of Gods passing over and it may very well be here a threatning expression following the similitude for God is in a way of Allegory expressing himself after the manner of Husbandry as when he threatens that they shall be yok'd And then Ephraim is compared to a Heifer that is taught as if he should say he would not willingly work From whence the Note is That God looks upon dainty tender delicate people that mind nothing but their ease and delicacie with INDIGNATION What! Ephraim must be so tender and delicate that nothing must come upon her neck I 'le make the yoke to come upon it saith God When people through their delicacy they must live in the world and altogether be tended and all things must be serviceable to them and they of no use at all God cannot bear it And as for the eminency of any of you either in estates or honors in the world above others it ought not to be the cause of envy for it is God that puts the difference between one and the other we do not envy that some should go finer than others but this is that which neither God nor man can endure That men and women should have so much in the world and yet be so little useful to the world should be through their delicacy as if they were born for nothing else but like Babies to play withal Saith God I 'le make the yoke to pass over them But now there are other manner
there you may see how these reformed and yet they suffered much difficulty Strange is the Counsels of God concerning men For the first That Judah is said to plow That is They shall endure a great deal of trouble in the reforming what is amiss among them From whence our Note is this That it is an honor for men to labor and go through difficulties for God while others are laboring for taking their ease Be not troubled that you see other people can take liberty to themselves to provide for their estates and comings in and to live bravely Doth God give you an heart in the mean time to be willing to go through hard work for God Envie not at them thou art in the better condition thou art plowing for God while they are providing for their own ease thou art doing God service and they are only providing for themselves Oh! thou art far the happier man the happier woman And then in the second place Take the plowing for the hard things they suffered for God aswel as the hard things they did for God Then the Note of Observation is this Let no men boast they live more at ease than others Others suffer more hardship than thou do not think that God loves thee more than others God loved Judah at this time more than Ephraim and yet Ephraim lived bravely and prevailed over Judah and Judah was brought under in such a manner as this Judah was Gods true Church and Israel did apostatize from God and yet one had more outward prosperity than the other Thus many times those upon whom Gods heart is more set they suffer hard afflictions And those that Gods heart is not so much upon they enjoy their prosperity Oh! I beseech you consider of this point for at this day how many of our Brethren in the Western parts Oh! the Plowers have plowed deep furrows upon their backs while we have been here as it were treading out the Corn let not us think that God loves us more than them they may be more dear to God than we Judah was far more dear to God than Israel and yet Israel must live jocundly and bravely Oh! consider of this you that are of greater rank all your life is treading out the Corn you see your poor neighbors endure much hardship Oh think not that you are higher in Gods thoughts than they they may be more dear to God than you and yet they may be put to difficulties and you may live bravely all your lives But that that may seem to weaken this Note is only this viz. They shall plow But the Hebrews do ordinarily make use of the Tenses the Future and the Preter promiscuously but if you put it to the Future that they shall plow hereafter they interpret it to signifie the Captivity of Judah that they shal be carried into Captivity and so be brought under by the Babylonians Yea but Jacob shall break his clods By Jacob we must understand the ten Tribes As if God should say here That Judah shall be put to some difficulties yet Jacob the ten Tribes must be put to more Judah shall be carried into Captivity yea but Jacob shall break the clods Though Judah shall plow yet the breaking the clods is worse than the plowing for that 's more servil For the Work-Master he is the chief he goes on in plowing but it is his Servant or Boy he may set to breake the clods after him So though Judah shall be brought to difficulties yet Jacob shal be put to more difficulties for the Captivity of Judah was great yet it was not so great as Jacobs Or others thus Judah shall plow and Jacob shall break her clods That is Judahs clods The expression we have here with the reference it hath to Judah seems to carry this with it That there shall be a time though now you that are the ten Tribes you are so delicate and proud above Judah Judah is lower than you and you despise them yet time shall come that you shall be glad to joyn with Judah and be as a servant to Judah to break her clods when God shall restore his people again Judah shall return from his captivity and shall be taking pains in the Service of God and it shall be well for you if you can but come and be as their servant Those that do forsake the true Worship of God though God may have mercy upon them afterwards to joyn them with his People yet it is well if they may come to be in the meanest condition among Gods People they should be willing to submit unto it those that have dishonored God and sham'd themselves in times of tryal to forsake the Truths of God it 's mercy that ever God will bring them to joyn with his Church again But if he doth bring them to joyn with his Church they should think it a great mercy and be willing to be in the meanest condition what must those men think to be Masters Lords that have forsaken God and his Truth and have been very false for their own ends to save themselves and states in time of tryal shall they think in times of Reformation to bear all before them Oh! it 's mercy if they may be but admitted to break the clods to joyn with those Servants of God that have been faithful and willing to serve him through difficulties It follows VER 12. Sow to your selves in Righteousness reap in Mercy THE holy Ghost still goes on in this Allegory of Husbandry continuing the metaphor that he had in the Threatning when he comes to exhortation In the midst of his threats he falls to exhorting Though the sins of a people be great and Judgments neer yet who knows what an exhortation may do who knows what an exhortation may do to the worst people in the world Oh! there were many things spoken concerning Israel that one would have thought it should have discouraged the Prophe to meddle with Exhortation But God would have him yet exhort one cannot tell what an Exhortation may do in the most desperate hardness of mens hearts and pride and stoutness of mens spirits therefore the Prophet exhorts them as if he should say Well if you would not plow if you would not come under the yoke and be put into the furrows as you were threatned before why then sow to your selves Oh! be willing to break up the fallow ground of your hearts and sow to your selves in Righteousness and so you shall reap in Mercy Sow in Righteousness and reap in Mercy I find some of the Antients they interpret this somewhat wildly Sow in Righteousness that is saith Hierom upon the place Sow in the Law in obedience to the Law and reap in the Grace of the Gospel that 's his Interpretation you shall sow in the works of the Law and reap in the Gospel This is far fetcht I find Luther
deal according to the proportion of infinite Grace Take this one Meditation That where there is any uprightness when thou shalt come to reap from God thou shalt reap so much from God as must manifest to all Angels and Saints to all eternity what the infinite Mercy of an infinite God can do and that'â— enough one would think the poorest Christian that doth but the least for God when he comes to reap shall have an Harvest that must manifest the infinite riches of the infinite mercy of God and what he is able to do for the raising up of a Creature to glory Comfort thy self in this in thy poor low condition in which thou art and in the performing of thy poor services Thus for the manner of the Phrase Break your fallow ground for it is time to seek the Lord till he come and rain Righteousness upon you Break up your fallow ground c. The Prophet exhorted them in the words before to sow in Righteousness that they might reap Mercy But you must not sow without plowing that were a preposterous way therefore though the words come after yet the thing is to be done before Look that you plow up the fallow ground you have been sinful and ungodly in your way It will not be enough for you now to set upon some good actions we will do better we will do such and such good things that God requires of us No that 's not the first work you must fal upon but it must be to plow to plow up your fallow grounds In this expression you have here implyed first That the hearts of men naturally are as follow grounds nothing but thorns and bryars grows upon them they are unfit for the Seed of the Word And by this word is here meant these three things when he bids them plow up their fallow grounds First The work of humiliation the Truths of God both of the Law and of the Gospel must get into their hearts and rend up their hearts even rend it up as the plow doth rend up the ground And secondly That weeds thorns and bryars must be turned up by the roots the heart must be cleer'd of them It is not enough to weed out a weed here and there and to pluck out a thorn here and there but plow up the ground turn all upside down and get up al the baggagely stuff and thorns that was in your hearts heretofore And then thirdly Get a softness to be in your hearts as when the ground is plowed that which was before hard on the outside and bak'd by the heat of the Sun being now turned up there is a soft mould of the ground and so by the softness of the mould of the ground it is prepared to receive seed There are many evils in us that we would reform but we have not been humbled for them for our ceremonies and subjection to false Government of the Church Who hath bin humbled for these things as sin We reform them as things inconvenient but not being humbled for them as sin the very roots of these things are in the hearts of many so as if times should change a distinction would serve their turn to come and submit to them again so that we sow before we plow I find in Jer. 4. 3. you have this exhortation even in termiminis That They must plow up the fallow-ground of their hearts only exprest a little further They must not sow among thorns They must not think to mingle that which is good with that which is evil it may be a few good seeds are brought into a business yea but there is a great deal of evil My Brethren take heed of being deceived that way many though they do not intend to deceive you yet they may deceive you by mixing some good things with a great many evil and therefore examin things But I note this place in Jeremiah the rather from the consideration of the time of Jeremiahs Prophesie You shall find that the time of Jeremiahs Prophesie was in Josiahs time Now the time of Josiah was a time of great reformation there was very much reformation in his time yea but saith Jeremiaâ— What though you did reform what though you do many things you sow among thorns you do not plow up the ground you are not humbled the roots of your sin are not got out of you and therefore though there be a great deal of ill stuff that seems to be cast out and many good things are set upon in the Worship of God that was not formerly yet you must plow plow up your fallow grounds The holy Gost joyning of them together Sow Righteousness and plow up your fallow ground This Note I would have you observe That there are some that do Sow and not Plow and there are others that do Plow and not Sow but we must joyn both together There are that do Plow and not Sow that is They it may be are troubled for their sin it may be much humbled for their sin but they do not reform after their Humiliation there doth not follow Reformation Now as Reformation where Humiliation hath not gone before usually comes to little purpose so Humiliation where Reformation follows not after comes likewise to little purpose In Isa 28. 24. Doth the Husbandman plow all day to sow The text is brought to note thus much That God observes his times and that is the scope of the text that we must not be offended because that the Lord doth not do things as we would have him alwaies that is he lets wicked men prosper sometimes and the godly suffer afflictions but as if the holy Ghost should say here let God alone with his work God observes his times and seasons as the Plow-man doth he doth not alwaies plow so God hath his times and seasons and knows when to relieve his Church and afflict his Church and when the wicked shall prosper and be brought into adversity God instructs the Plow-man to know his season and so doth he and therefore be not offended And so should we know our seasons we should observe our times to be humbled and reform to reform and be humbled But this for the Reformation of a State But the plowing of the heart that 's the thing that is here especially intended and I desire to apply it particularly to every man and woman Those who have such sore necks who cannot bear the yoke yet you must be Plow-men and Plow-women for Alice Driver that I told you of her father brought her up to plow and both men and women the daintiest Ladies of all must hold this plow that is here spoken of Now for this plowing of humbling your hearts it is for the getting in of Truths into your spirits that may rend up your hearts I 'le name some few Truths that are as it were the Plow-share that you must not only know them but labor to get
time to seek the Lord It is mercy that there is any time at al to seek the Lord. It might have been past time with you for seeking the Lord God might have forc'd his honor from you in another way have fech't out his glory from you in your eternal ruin Oh! 't is mercy that God will be sought of you and therefore plow up your fallow ground and sow in Righteousness for it is time to seek the Lord. Oh! you that are the oldest and wickedest and yet live still Oh! remember this Scripture yet you have time to seek the Lord It is mercy that you have any time to seek the Lord If you did but understand what this mercy were ye would fal down with your faces upon the ground and bless the Lord that you have yet time to seek him What do you think those damned creatures in Hell would now give if it might be said of them That they have time to seek the Lord if they might have but one hour more to seek the Lord with any hope to obtain mercy from him What you are now they were not long since Oh! do you fear and tremble lest if you not seeking the Lord you ere long be as now they are that it shall be said of you Time is gon time to seek the Lord is past I will not now be sought of you Seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near It was a speech once of a woman in terror of Conscience when divers came to her it was in Cambridge divers Ministers and others coming to her in way of comforting of her she looks with a gastly countenance upon them and gives them only this Answer Call time again If you can call time again than there may be hope for me but time is gone Oh! that we had hearts to prize our time to seek the Lord therefore while he may be found And when thou goest home fall down upon thy face before the Lord and bless him that yet it is time to seek the Lord. It is time for the publick through Gods mercy it is time yet for us to seek the Lord. It might have been past time and who almost that did desire to know any thing of Gods mind for seven or eight yeers ago or more but did think that Englands time was even gone of seeking God But the Lord hath been pleased to lengthen out our time to seek Him and this we should prize and make use of Secondly It is high time to seek the Lord. For first God hath been long time patient towards you He hath been long suffering there is a time that the Lord saith He will be weary with forbearing and therefore the Lord having suffered so long it is high time for you to seek him for you to look about you lest the Lord should say That he would be weary in forbearing and forbear no more It is fit you should seek the Lord at all times but now it is high time when God hath been so long suffering towards you how do you know but that the time for the end of patience is at an end And that is the second consideration God hath been long patient And 2. Mercy it is even going for Judgments are now threatned by the Prophet as if the Prophet should say if ever you will seek him seek him now God is going and Judgments are at hand and therefore it is high time for you to seek the Lord. As a Prisoner when he is at the Bar he is pleading a great while when the Judg is at the Bench but if he sees the Judges ready to rise off the Bench and if they be gone then he is gone and undone for ever then he lifts up his voice and cries out Mercy mercy So it is high time to seek the Lord high time Mercy is going Judgment is at hand God as the Judg is going off the Bench now cry crie out for your lives or you are undone for ever Oh! this may well be applied to us both in the general and in the particular it is high time God hath shewn himself to be going and departing from us only there hath a company of his Saints been crying and as the Lord hath been going from us yet they have lifted up their voice and cried to the Lord so yet he grants us time And then thirdly It is an acceptable time because now God calls upon you and he holds forth the Scepter of his Grace towards you therefore it is now acceptable to seek God seek him now and he will be found 2 Cor. 6. Now is the accepted time the day of salvation while you do enjoy the means of Grace while God is offering mercy in the Gospel it is the accepted time therefore now is the time to seek the Lord The misery of man is great upon him for not knowing his time in Eccles 8. 6. There the wise man saith There is a time for all things but therefore is the misery of man great because he knoweth not his time Oh! 't is true in this regard we know not our time and therefore is our misery great upon us O that thou hadest known at least in this thy day those things that concern thy peace missing of time is a dangerous thing That may be done at one time with ease that cannot be done at another time with all the labor that possibly may be Thou canst not tell what may depend upon one day upon one minute perhaps even eternity may depend upon this moment upon this day A man goes abroad from his family and gets into company perhaps into an Ale-house or Tavern to drink and there spends the day in wickedness thou doest not know but upon that time the day of thy eternitie may depend it may be cast upon that day as Saul was cast upon that act of his saith Samuel to him The Lord had thought to have established thy Kingdom but now he will not so God may say Well notwithstanding all thy former sins I would have been content to have past by them if thou hadest sought me upon this day The consideration of this would make us take heed how we spend our time how one spends any day in ones life A Marriner may do that at one time that he cannot possibly do at another He hath a gale of wind and now he may quickly get over Sea but if he staies till another time if he would give his heart blood to get over he cannot and so sometimes thou hast such gales of the Spirit of God as may do good to thy soul for ever take heed thou doest not lose them if thou losest them thou maiest be undone for ever Oh! 't is fit to wait upon God for our time and if God gives us time take heed we do not trifle and say we shall have time hereafter therefore in Phil. 2. 12.
them to maintain that way of theirs they had countenance from men of Power they had strength enough to crush any that should oppose them That 's the Note that lies plainly before us When the outward strength of a Kingdom goes along with a way of Religion then men think it must needs be right and that all men are but weak men that appears against it Mark the connexion They trusted in their way that is as I find generally Interpreters go The way of Religion And then their Mighty Men these two are put together so that you see the Note is very evident before you that 's the way that generally men will trust in and men will go that way were the scale turn'd and the strength of the mighty men went another way As now Suppose that the strength of the Kingdom of the ten Tribes had been bent to go up to Jerusalem to worship and not to worship at Dan Bethel Do you think there would have been almost any considerable party that would not have gone up to Jerusalem but worshiped at Dan Bethel but when the strength of the Kingdom held the other way when the mighty Men and the way of Religion went both in one the generality of the people went that way that the mighty men went This is the vanity and the exceeding evil of mens hearts that which way soever the mighty men go that way they will trust in There are very few that will deliberatly say so I will go that way that I see the mightie men go in But this is a secret byass poise upon the spirits of men w ch inclins them to harken to what may be said for that way not willingly to what may be said for another And secondly It is such a poise upon their spirits as makes them to be willing and ready to let in any probability if there be but the least probability for the way that the mighty men go on in they take in that and when they have taken in one probability that makes way for another and another and so they drink in more and more so com to be strengthned for that way so as to put off the strength of any thing that can be said against the way except it be so apparent as whether they will nor no they must be forced to sin against their consciences directly if they go another way I say when the spirits of men are byassed by seeing the strength of the Kingdom go in a way though perhaps they may have some good lie at their hearts yet there is that corruption in mans heart that except we can make the other way so cleer that notwithstanding all shifts and all kind af reasonings that may be they shal be self-condemned in their own consciences that their consciences shall tell them they go directly against their light I say except we can come thus we cannot prevail with mens hearts when the sway of a Kingdom goes another way And there are many Truths of God that concerns his Worship that cannot be made so cleer but that a man may have such a diversion to satisfie his conscience in this That I in going another way do not go against my conscience God would have us that what is most likely to be his mind that way to go without any consideration of any outward respects Now if there be a temptation for outward respects that they will come into the ballance do but turn the ballance and suppose in your own heart that all outward respects were in the other ballance that all the mightie men were of the other way what would your hearts think In Revel 13. 3. That when Power and Authority was given unto Antichrist The whol World wondred after her So it is ordinary that way that the mighty men go that way mens hearts will generally go Oh! the little honor that Jesus Christ hath by us Our hearts are swayed for the most part by carnal Arguments and carnal Motives Again They trust in their way and in the multitude of their Mighty Men. Great Armies are the things that are the Confidence of Carnal hearts when they can get a great Army up of a multitude of Mighty Men let there be never such threats in the Word yet if they think they have strength enough to bear them out they bless themselves in that Oh! let us take heed of this Carnal Confidence Through Gods Mercie the Lord hath given us now that we have the multitude of Mightie Men on our side let us take heed that our Faith do not eb and flow as our Armies do and I wil give you one Scripture that shews how far a gracious heart is from making flesh his Arm Cursed is that man you know the Scripture that maketh flesh his Arm. But an example of a godly man to shew how far he was from trusting in an Armie of mighty men in 2 Chron. 14. 11. It is nothing saith Asa with thee to help with many or with them that have no power Why Lord though we have no power yet thou canst help us Why did Asa speak thus Had he no power You shall find in the Chapter a little before that Asa had five hundred and fourscore thousand valiant fighting men Almost six hundred thousand valiant men that he had at that time when he is pleading with God Lord thou canst save where there is no power We account it a great Army if we have twentie or thirtie or fourty thousand men he hath almost six hundred thousand men and yet goes to God and praies Lord thou canst help where there is no power And yet further from the connexion of these two Their way in which they trusted That is The way of Religion they thought that was good But had they had nothing else to trust in but that their trust would not have been very sure From thence the Note is this That those who trust to any way of their own had need of creature strengths to uphold them It 's a Note of very great use they had need of bladders to be under their arm-holes if they trust in a way of their own But now if the Way be the Way of God that a man hath confidence in why then though all outward helps should fail him though all encouragements should fail in this world though we should see the creatures at never so great a distance yet the heart that hath confidence in Gods way hath enough to uphold it here 's the difference between men trusting in their own way and in Gods way Indeed when men trust in their own way so long as the Sun shines upon their way that they have external helps they can go on confident but let outward helps fail and their hearts sink within them But now when the heart is upright with God and trusts in the Word and Promises then it is able to say with Habakkuk in Chap. 3. 17.
for doing so And in another place he tells that the Citizens suffered more by them than when the Enemies took it so that when the enemies took it they thought that it was rather a relieving of their miserie than bringing evil upon them because the evil of the Tumults was so great among them My Brethren we should rather bear much than be any fomenters of the raising of Tumults take heed of that you know not what the end of such things will be A Tumult shall arise among them In Amos 2. 2. Moab shall die with Tumult When God intends the sorest scourge of all utterly to destroy a people he suffers Tumults to be among them I find some take this word Tumult A Tumult shall arise that is only meant the Confusion of the hearts of people when the enemies should come upon them that they should be all in a Confusion not knowing what to do through fear and terror altogether As suppose on a sudden an Army should come against a Citie people would be wringing of their hands and running up and down from place to place and paleness in their countenances and not knowing what in the world to do all in perplexity and tumult Thus God threatens it should be with them As if he should say You are jolly and brave now but when the Assyrians come out upon you then your hearts shall fail and you shall all run together and not know what to do the women and children shall cry not knowing how to help your selves and so shall be brought into a confused Tumult This is the sense that some carries it in But the sense may very well go either of these waies It is a mercy that God hath not tried us this way We live in our houses and follow our tradings and lie down and sleep in quietness and rise again but we cannot imagin what woful distractions there would be in the spirits of people in the Citie if there were a considerable Army encamped round about it Perhaps some of you here have been in places where the enemies have come suddenly so that you know what this Tumult in the spirits of men and women means Bless God I say that the Lord hath delivered us from such Tumults as these And the Power and Providence of God in Government of the World by a few in keeping people from Tumulting and so bringing all to Confusion it is to be acknowledged and his Name to be sanctified The word that is translated Tumult it doth indeed seem to import this The crying of fearful creatures those that are terrified and scar'd it signifies the crying out of them Oh! 't is a great mercie for the heart of a man to be so stablished that when all dangers shall be apprehended yet they can find their hearts fixed in God and not in a tumultuousness presently A righteous man it 's said of him in Psalm 112. 7. That when he hears ill tydings his heart is fixed but it is a greater blessing that when we see the Armies before us and hear the neighings of Horses and clattering of the Speers then to be fixed Oh! we should labor in the time of peace to make our calling and election sure In Psalm 57. 7. My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise Awake my Glory awake Psaltry and Harp I my self will awake early I will praise thee O God c. When was this that David cries to awake and to give Glorie to God and sing praise and that his heart was fixed It was when Saul persecuted him it was when he was in danger of his life when Saul pursued him to take away his life yet My heart is fixed my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise saith David even at that time So in Psal 46. 2 3. We will not fear though the earth be removed though the mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea though the waters thereof roar and be troubled though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof Selah This Psalm was wont to be called Luthers Psalm for in times of trouble he would say Come and let us sing the 46. Psalm Many Scriptures we might have to this purpose I remember the storie of Archimedes that when the Citie of Siracuse was taken and the enemies came in with their drawn swords and hack'd and slew whom they pleased and abundant of blood-shed there was yet he was so setled upon the drawing of his Lines being a Mathematition that when the Soldiers came in with their swords drawn he was drawing his Lines about his Art Which of you could if you were at prayer or any serious duty if you should hear of the breaking in of Adversaries Could you have your hearts fixed in a setled constant way fixed upon God in such a time as this is As outward Tumults in Cities and Countries are very great evils so are likewise Spiritual Tumults in the heart when God seems to come against the Souls as an enemy I have a place for spiritual Tumults that is the trouble and destraction of the heart in the time of the apprehension of Gods absence in Psal 40. 2. He brought me up saith the Psalmist out of an horrible pit Now the word is in the Original the very same word we have here From the pit of Tumultuousness Oh! it 's true as if he should say my heart was fixed indeed yet at other times I found my heart in a tumultuous condition when I apprehended God not coming in according as I expected yea but the Lord did bring me up out of the pit of tumultuousness Oh! hath not this been the condition of some of you in time of trouble of your spirit when you have apprehended the absence of God from you Your hearts have been all in a tumult hath the Lord delivered you Remember the Psalm The Lord hath delivered me out of the pit of tumultuousness I was in a tumultuous condition my heart was even overwhelmed but the Lord hath delivered me out of the pit of tumultuousness And then in Psal 61. 2. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Remember that Scripture likewise And all thy fortresses shall he spoiled What are strong holds for the safeguard of a people when the strong God is against them You have made Lines and Fortifications Oh! but the strong God is against you In Nahum 3. 12. All thy strong holds shall be like Fig trees with the first ripe figs if they be shaken they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater And now my Brethren blessed be God we know this Scripture to be true in a way of mercy God hath made our enemies so to us and not in a way of Judgment God might have made our strong holds so to them this
Scripture might have been fulfilled thus All thy Fortresses shall be spoiled that is though we have made Fortresses we might have heard first of this strong hold spoiled and the other strong hold in such a place spoiled this Castle taken and the other Castle taken and we might have been amazed with the news and have said How doth God fight against â—s that though we had such strong holds and men enough to man them yet for all that they might have been but as the first ripe figs that being shaken fall into the mouth of the eater How were our hearts dejected when we heard but of one strong hold being taken from us Bristol But I say through Gods mercy this Summer the Lord hath made this text good unto us all thy strong holds not all ours but all the Enemies How have they been spoiled generally Oh! the Lord hath appeared glorious this way and hath made this last Summer to be a continual miracle of mercy to us in this very thing All thy Fortresses shall be spoiled It follows As Shalman spoiled Beth-arbel Hierom reades it As Salmana was destroyed by the house of him that vindicated Baal in the day of Battel And so all that follow the old Latin they refer this to the story that we have in Judges 8. and think it hath reference to that the story where Gideon slew Zalmunnah the Prince of Midian and so they make Arbel to signifie the same with Jerubbaal though more short And the holy Ghost doth seem to make that great Judgment of God upon Salmunna to be exemplary he makes use of it afterwards in Psalm 83. 11. Make all their Princes like Zeba and Zalmunna But now the letters in the Hebrew do differ here and we do not reade of Gidion though he did use very much severity upon Zeba and Zalmunna yet we do not reade that he dasht the mother upon the children But Luther thinks that it is meant of some notable act of cruelty upon some that was very neer to them but the particulars whereof we have not recorded in Scripture but only here mentioned some notable execution of Justice it was upon a City Beth-arbel not long before that God sets forth as an example of his most dreadful wrath that they might expect against themselves this Beth-arbel we find it not in the Canonical Scripture but in 1 Maccab. 9. 2. we find mention of such a place and afterwards it was very famous for the great overthrow that Alexander the Great gave to Darius so that it is as if the holy Ghost should say Did you not hear of that horrid savage slaughter that Shalman caused in Beth-arbel when the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children they had no pity of any sex or condition the tender hearted mother imbracing of her children she was dashed in pieces upon them such dreadful wrath of God your Bethel may expect for so he alludes to that Beth-arbel signifies the House of the insnaring god the god of Policie and Subtiltie it seems the people that call'd this City by this Name they had a god that they honored for the god of Subtilty that would ensnare all their enemies they thought and so they trusted in this god And upon that called the City Beth-arbel the house of the Insnaring god But now this would not do the more they sought by subtilty to undermine their Enemies the more were their Enemies enraged and therefore when they came upon them they spoiled them and dashed the Mother upon her own Children We might from this very word take notice of such a meditation as that That we should not think by our plots and policies to prevail if God be against us Do not think to put off God by plots and policies and to avoid dangers that way this people did so because they had a Beth-arbel a God of Policy they thought to prevail but their misery was so much the greater Mothers and Children were dashed in pieces one against another If you make Arbel your God Policy to be your God you may expect so much the more rage of God and of the Instruments of His wrath against you And let men take heed how they seek to deceive cozen other men for there is no such way to encourage one man against another as this is when a man sees that he is sought to be undermined by policies do not deal by that way with your friends acquaintance and neighbors you will encourage them so much the more But oh the fury and rage of War when God lets it out to dash Mother against Children We reade in Psal 137. concerning the children of Idolaters that when the Lord lets out his wrath upon the parents he will let it out upon the children too Happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones It 's a very strange phrase And in Isa 13. 16. Their children shall be dashed in pieces before their eyes I remember Vrsine in his Comment upon that place of Isa he quotes this 137. Psal and he hath first this Note That though God doth thus execute his Wrath yet usually because it is so dreadful and there is so much savageness in the thing in mans eye therefore God doth use to do it by wicked men and we never read that he made use of his own Saints to execute that wrath And then he answers that doubt I but is it not said in the Psalm Blessed are those that dash their little ones against the stones it may seem that it is approved of Now that is his answer and Calvins and others that he doth not mean Blessed that is That they are blessed in their persons or eternal blessings of Mercy but it is a Prophetical wish that they might have success in the work that they might have the blessing of success in the work as an execution of Gods Wrath and Gods Justice though the Instruments did sin in it they did it to execute their savage cruelty yet the Prophet doth look upon the Justice of God in it and wishes success unto them in such a work as that is that the Justice of God may go on and have its course speaking in the way of a Prophetical spirit The sins of parents you may see many times comes upon little ones What hath the poor Infant done Oh! you tender-hearted mothers consider of this how far your sin may reflect upon your children If ever you should see bloody Soldiers to come in in a terrible way as sometimes you have had fears that way and dash you upon your children consider this is your sin that hath done it But you will say Shall the children suffer for the Fathers sin Do not we reade that God will visit the sins of Idolaters unto the third and fourth Generation Indeed were your children innocent had they no original sin
then it were another matter but now considering they have enough in them to make them subjects of Gods wrath God may take advantage the rather because of thy sin and therefore take heed ane especially take heed to Gods Worship for we do not find in Scripture where any children are so threatned as the children of Idolaters are And then a further Note is this That the Judgments of God neer to us should awaken us we should think Why may it not be upon our selves This was a heavy Judgment of God upon some City neer and God would awaken them Oh! what have we heard hath been upon our Brethren in other parts and we have been sottish and not sensible of it because iâ— hath not just come upon our Gates the Lord expects when we hear of any dreadful evil upon others that we should tremble and fear before him And then one thing further note from hence As Shalman spoiled Beth-arbel The word that is here Shalman it signifies the name of one that is peaceable one that is peaceable and yet he shall exercise his cruelty so as to dash the Mother upon her Children this is not one that bears cruelty in his name not a Tyger but a Shalman a peaceable man as his name carries it and yet thus cruel when he comes to have power Oh! men who have peace in their names and peace in their mouths and peace in 〈◊〉 yet when they come to have power often times are very cruel We were like to have found it so if our adversaries should have prevailed especially this Citie might have been made a Beth-arbel Mothers dashed upon their Children It 's true when the adversaries did prevail in any place they did not do so but it was not through any ingenuity or pity but out of fear but had they gotten the day then we might have expected even dashing of the Mother against the children VER 15. So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickedness SO shall Bethel What shall Bethel rise up against the rest of the ten Tribes and come and destroy Mother and Children together That 's not the meaning But Bethel shall do it that is Bethel is the Cause of this that dreadful slaughter that is like to be among you it shall come from Bethel Who would ever have thought that Oh my Brethren Miserable Judgments do many times arise from causes we 〈◊〉 think of that 's the Note from thence I say miserable Judgments do many times arise from causes we little think of From Bethel there should come this slaughter and dreadful blood-shed And as that Note more generally so more particularly this That from places of Idolatry comes the greatest evils to Kingdoms As 't is very observable on the contrary from the places of Gods Worship comes the greatest good so from places of Idolatry the greatest evil In Psal 76. 2 3. In Salem is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place iâ— Zion There brake he the Arrows of the Bâ—◠〈◊〉 Shield and the Sword and the Battel Did God break them there Was there a Fight in Zion and in Salem No that 's not the meaning but in Zion and Salem where Gods Tabernacle was those Servants of God that were worshiping of God in Jerusalem and in Zion and praying to God they got the Victory so we may say that such a place that was fasting and praying in the time of our battels there God brake the Arrow and the Bow in that place where they were praying and seeking God it was in Salem and Zion Where the true worship of God is from thence comes the good of a Kingdom And so in Isa 31. 9. Whose fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem The Lord is there threatning the Enemies of his people and he saith That his fire is in Zion and his furnace is in Jerusalem there God hath his furnace and from thence it shall go to destroy the adversaries And so on the contrary where Idolatry is set up and false worship maintained from thence comes evils and miseries upon us Because of your great wickedness The word is Because of the wickedness of your wickedness so the Hebrews express the suparlative degree by a genetive case the evil of the evil the wickedness of the wickedness From whence observe Other sins are great sins but this of false worship indeed is THE great sin that God is provoked against a people for Whence let us not make light account of the Worship of God for how little soever Gods Worship is in our eyes yet it is a great matter in Gods eyes and though you think that the sins against God in the matter of his Worship be but small yet God saith it is the great wickedness it is the wickedness of wickedness And great wickedness it may be call'd not only in respect of the nature of it but from many aggravations and long continuance in it notwithstanding all their means You may Note further from hence God takes notice not only of mens sins but of the aggravation of their sins Oh! let us do thus do not only look upon your sins and acknowledg your selves to be sinners but look upon the Aggravations of your sins Oh! this sin committed against so many Mercies so many Prayers and Resolutions and Vows and Covenants and so many Deliverances that I have had labor to lay the Aggravations of your sins upon your hearts and this is the way to humble your hearts before the Lord. Indeed the Saints of God they need not seek to excuse their sins be not afraid to lay the aggravations of sin upon your own hearts according to what great aggravations there may be Greaten your wickedness before the Lord do not so as ordinarily people do to extenuate your sins for if there be any extenuation that possibly can be Jesus Christ will find out that in his pleading Christ is your advocate who sits at the right hand of the Father and it is his work to plead your cause and therefore if there can be any thing to extenuate a sin he will do it you know that when he was here in this world when his Disciples did offend very much in that sleepiness of theirs that when Christ was to suffer they could not watch with him one hour that sin might have been aggravated with abundance of circumstances but saith Christ The flesh is weak but the spirit is willing he falls to extenuate and excuse Now that which Christ did there he wil be ready to do in Heaven for thou that art a Saint And then further According to greatness of sins so is the greatness of wrath great wickedness and great wrath they go together and therefore according to the greatness of sins should the greatness of our humiliation be For so it is said of Manasses That he humbled himself greatly and in Lament 1. 20. where the
over as you heard before as the King of Israel is compared to the foam so he is here compared to the morning Now my brethren to close this Chapter Oh! what alteration of things God is able to make in a morning They it may be the day before and over night were jolly and merry and blest themselves in their way they had confidence in their way and multitude of their mighty men but in a morning all is spoiled God can make mighty alterations in a Kingdom in a morning and in Cities and Families and particular Persons mighty alterations in a morning My Brethren Who knows what a day may bring forth who knows what a morning may bring forth Ezek. 7. 5 6 7. Thus saith the Lord God An evil an only evil behold is come An end is come the end is come it watches for thee behold it is come The Morning is come unto thee O thou that dwellest in the Land the time is come the day of trouble is near As if God should say Al this while that thou hast bin in the act of the pride of thy heart and vanity of thy spirit I did determin that such a morning such an evil should come and it 's come it is come it is come saith God Again again and again the morning is come O! think when you lie down at night think what thou hast done this day do not dare to lie down but first make thy peace with God thou knowest not what may be in the morning and when thou risest up in the morning look up to God and seek blessing and mercy from the Lord for though thine eyes be opened and thou come to see the morning light yet before the morning be quite gone thou knowest not what may befal thee and therefore seek to make thy peace with God both in the night and in the morning for great changes may come to thee both in the night and in the morning that thou never thoughtest of in all thy life And thus through Gods blessing we have finished the Tenth Chapter FINIS An Alphabetical TABLE of the Eighth Ninth and Tenth Chapters of the Prophesie of HOSEA Page A Acceptance NO acceptance but by Jesus Christ 74 Admonition Admonition to Saints 59 Admonition to England 66 Admonitions both to Popish and Godly Wives 219 Admonition to those that sin wilfully 425 Affliction In Affliction men see their need of God 9 Affliction teacheth men and what it teacheth them 189 In Affliction God is dreadful 335 Age Every age ads to Idolatry 81 Aggravate The sins of parents aggravate the sins of the children 209 Agreement All Government comes by Agreement 17 Altars Why there were no steps on Altars nor tools lifted up upon them 70 The Altar of Insence explained 71 Why there was but one Altar 74 The Altar typified out Christs sacrifice 74 Why it was sin to errect Altars 76 Altars and Images to be removed by Saints 327 See Christ Service-book Alphonsus The diligence of Alphonsus King of Aragon in searching the Scripture 101 Allegory A fit Allegory of a good Preacher 288 Alteration God can make a speedy alteration in Cities 413 Ambition We should have an holy ambition in Religion 82 Ancestors There is more expected of us then of our Ancestors and why 82 Antinomians Antinomians confuted 100 Antinomians reproved 114 Antiquity Antiquity is no rule for Religion 86 Apis What manner of Idol the Egyptian Apis was 29 Apes An Apes tooth worshiped in the Indies 388 Application Application to the Court 365 Argument There is no argument for the holiness of a Church 130 Arms see Religion Assyrian Why the Asâ—yrian Army was called an Eagle 4 Authority Compulsion of Authority is no excuse for sin 283 B Backsliding Backsliding is dangerous 13 Bare Necks The evil of Bare Necks 433 Bassil A custom at Bassil 34 Black Patches The evil of Black Patches 433 Brethren Brethren admonished 207 Beleevers The happy state of Beleevers shewed 159 Breeding see Men Burden see Kingdom C Calf The Calf of Samaria why it was so called 25 Caution see Kings Canaan Canaan was the Lords Land in an especial manner and why 157 Cause The Cause of God prospers at last alwaies 206 Children Children should beseech their parents to repent 260 See Parents and Mothers Christ Christ is our Altar in the time of the Gospel 72 Christ is little beholding to most Kings 337 Chemarims What the word Chemarim signifieth and its diverse acceptations 388 Christian Good Christians depend upon the Covenant they have made 7 It is a very dangerous thing for Christians to be without Ordinances 54 Christians should not endure wickednesse in their families 273 Why Christians complain of emptiness 317 A Christian Principle 320 Church God doth not cast off his Church though guilty of many sins 5 Church Officers are to be chosen with great care 18 It is dangerous for the Church to mix with the world 47 The Church is Gods pallace 128 The Church is compared to a Vine and why 300 See National and Vine Christmass Why Christmass was wont to be so zealously kept 118 Cleaness God regards not outward cleaness where there is inward uncleaness 161 Commandement The second Commandement expounded 78 The second Commandement illustrated 258 Comfort see Grace Commanders see Villany Compulsion see Authority Communion To neglect the communion of Saints is dangerous 298 Controversie The Controversie between us and the Papists 78 Confidence see Fear Consideration A dreadful consideration 416 Consideration for men of quality 440 Custom Custom is no rule for Gods worship 186 Continue We must continue seeking God and why 482 Covetous see Idolaters Covenant Breach of Covenant is punished by the sword 365 In what cases men may be false in a Covenant made 366 Counsels Mens own counsels oft deceive them 397 What ought to be avoided in our counsels 398 What ought to be attended in our counsels 399 Creature Better the Creature perish than be abused 412 Crown see Princes Crosness The crosness of mens spirits in England 279 Crucifying Why crucifying was so hateful to the Romans 〈◊〉 Curse A dreadful curse lies upon the Jews to this day 298 Cyprian Cyprian's Prayer at his Martyrdom 454 D Dead Dead bodies why they defiled 166 Death Some wicked men put a good face upon the matter even at death 177 Delight see God Deering Deerings speech in his Sermon before Queen ELIZABETH 278 Depart When God begins to depart we should cry mightily 253 Despairing The sad speech of a despairing woman 473 Destruction Destruction is the fruit of not hearing the Word 293 Devil A sinner is a creature the Devil empties his excrements into 49 Diffidence The vileness of diffidence in God 50 Distance see Time Displeasure see God Distress see Hypocrites Divine The speech of a German Divine at his death 189 Divinity Man cannot put Divinity upon a creature 31 Dove Why God accepts not the Eagle but the Dove 4 Duty Good Duties being
Policy 2. Reason 3. Experience may be one way and yet 4. Religion and the written Word another Luther Exod. 39. 43. explained * Opinions of the Learned nor Custom nor Antiquity the Rule of Worsâ—ip but the written Word only †Nobis noÌ„ liceat saluâ honoriâ—â—centâ—a quae illis debitur aliquid in eorum Scriptis reprobare atque respuere talis ego sum in scriptis aliorum tabesque volo esse intellectores meorum August Ambrose Object Answ Luther The Scripture is both 1 the Rule 2 the exposi or to shew the meaning of the Rule How mens writings may help us to understand Scripture The written Word a singular blessing Theodores Physitian Luther Schoolmen Synodus pari pietatis affectu reverentia recipit ac reveratur Concil Trid. sess 4. decret prim Quest Answ 2 Pet. 1. 19. illustrated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more sure than revelation The danger of revelations beside the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obs 1. Psal 119. 105. illustrated Use And Vers 106. An apt simile Expâ—s Law what 1. the whol word of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 docuit Multiplices Leges Scribitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Legitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 70. Adoro plenitudinem scripturaruÌ„ Tertul. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simile Ps 138. 2 illustrated Psal 119. 27. opened Deut. 4. 8. applyed Mat. 5. 18 explained Isa 42. 21 noted Contemners of the Law Antinomians Saints prize the Law Apoc. 6. 9. Obs 1. Deut. 17. 18. 19. illustrated Alphonsus King of Aragon Obs 2. Psa 119. 129. illustrated Isa 40. 6. illustrated Prov. 13. 13 enlightened Obs 3. Uzza a Levite Uzziah a King Nadab Abihu Ezek 7. 20. enlightened Ier. 17. 12 illustrated The Reprehension The Word accounted strange 1. As not concerning us 2. Strange in their apprehensions Luther 3. No sutableness between their hearts and the doctrine simile Prov. 6. 21. applied 4. Vse the Word as a stranger i.e. for our own ends only Obs 1. Confirmed from the late times in England Holy-daies Sabbaths Christmass God not to be imitated in his worship The Sabbath is for commemoration of al the particulars of our redemption Obj. 2. Us of Admonition The degrees of the hearts estrangment from God 1. Less frequent 2. His delight abats which is also the first degree 3. Takes up hard thoughts of spiritual truths 4. Wisheth the things in the word were otherâ—wise simile 5. Harkens to contrary doctrine simile 6. Will not search throughly into truths 7. An Engagement in som unlawful practice 8. Former weighty arguments now weak simile 9. Become open enemies Isa 5. 24. Psal 119. 18 19. Obs 3. Vs against Antinomians The Spirit of God forsaw this generation Mal. 4. 24. enterpreted Object Answ Obs 1. Aman may continue strict in duties and yet have committed the sin against the holy Ghost Expos Obs 2. Prayer Preaching Isa 40. 3. enterpreted Gifts and Parts Expol. 1. 2 The Authors Exp. Obs 3. Instance in Feastivals and Fasts Why Christmass is so zealously kept An apt simile 1 King 13 In the present War The Cause The Pay God expects Self-denial in temporal not in spiritual things Obs 4. Amos. 5. 22. Amos Hosea contemporaries consent in Doctrine Obs 5 How to exercise Faith for Pardon in holy Duties Obs 6. 1 Sam. 15 20. Sins of youth punished in age simile Use to young ones and others youth sins ages terror Ier. 2. 2. Heb. 10. 3 illustrated Obs 7. Reasons simile Gen. 21. Exod. 4. Obs 8. Exod. 32. 34. Micah 7. 4 Isa 10. 3. 1. It notes their sin 2. King 17. 4. Obs 9. 2. Their judgment Deut. 28. Obs 10. Applicat to Engl. Obs 11. Quest Answ Ier. 44. Obs 12. the answering our desires is the execution of Godswrath oftimes Obs 1. A sign of much wrath Eccles 12. 1. 1 Sam. 12. 6. To be imployed in publick service is the making of a man Obs 2 Isa 43. 7. Obs 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Church is Gods palace Obs 3. Obs 4. Instanced in the late times in England Quest Answ Their sin in building Temples Hag. 2. 2â— and 4. 9. How superstition in them to build Temples what made the Temple at Jerusalem Holy and Peculiar to it No argument therfore from thence for the holiness of Churches Praying in Churches no more accepted unless with the holy Congregation Chrysost Hom. 79. ad Populum Some Heathens against it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dogm Zen The Persians Xerxes magi Josephus l. 15. c. 14. Paule-work Strong places to be dedicated by prayet and reformation A notable story Obs 1. Obs 2. Englands enemies should have considerrd this Expos 1. Expos 2. Obs 3. Obs 4. Gualt The time of this Prophesie Expos Observ Use for England A 3d time The time helps to understand the Prophesie Israels malignants Obs Leagues and peace wherin we much rejoyce may prove occasions of sorrow Us Be not greedy of peace before the time Obs 1. Seculi laetitia est impunita nequitia Aug. in John tract 12. Amos 6. 4. Obs 2 Obs 3. We may prosper yet have no cause of joy An apâ— simile Obs 1. Expos 1. 1. Be not taken with the worlds jolity 2. Imitate them not in waies of rejoycing * Preached in Christmass 3. Not as a people The Dolphin 4. Not prophanely 5. not having so much cause as others Obser Instanced in this Nation Obser An apt simile Luk 13. 28. A fit similitude Obs 1. Obs 2. Object Answ Object Answ No Nation but Israel forsook their gods Ier. 2. 10. explained Obs 3. A special note Obs 4. Amos 3. 2 Rom. 2. 9. Ier. 18. 13. expounded Ier. 32. 30. opened Act. 17. 1 Sam. 6. 7. with 2 Sam. 6. 3. noted Some Antinomians noted Saints should sorrow must for sin Quest Answ God hath liberty to damn one for a lesser sin and save one that is guilty of a greater Instanced in the examples of Saul and David Expicat Applicat Observ simile simile Explic. Obs 1. Obs 2 Obs 3. Obs 4 simile Levit. 18. 26. Levit. 25. 23. A meditation in our walking into the Fields Canaan the Lords Land in a special manner Reas 1. Psa 95. 7. Heb. 3. 7. c. 4. 1. 1 Chron. 16. 15. Obser England another Canaâ— Corruptors of Gods worship the ruin of the Land Obser Use 1. The happiness of Beleevers Use 2. Obs 1. Obs 2. Obs 3. Wine and Oyl in sacrifice what it signified Obs 1. Obs 2. Iudg. 9. 13 enlightned Duties of Religion a Saints recreation Delicatares est spiritm sanctus Tert. Num 19. 11. 14. The dead carcass of a beast did not somuch defile as the carcass of a dead man Numb 11. 31. What this signified Why a dead body defiled Funeral mournings Why if imoÌ„derate not pleasing to God Why they were to be so long unclean that mourned for the dead Levit. 10. 19. enlightned Deut. 12. 7. 18. Chap. 26. 13 14. illustrated Even sorrow for sin must