Word this day these Bonds may be somewhat strengthened that you may feel some strength in these Bonds that you may go away with your hearts more strongly united to the Love of God than ever I drew them with the Cords of a man With Bonds of Love and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their Jaws and I laid meat unto them Part of the last Sermon it was spent in opening unto you these Bonds of Love And shewing First What were the Bonds of Gods Love towards the people of Israel the several expressions of Gods Love to them in several particulars And shewed you how that all those that had to deal with men to draw them to God should do as God doth labor to draw them with Bonds of Love I have especially directed my self unto the Saints of God and shewed to them what bonds of of Love God hath laid upon their hearts to draw them to himself I have not applied this point generally yet for indeed one principal Bond of the Love of God towards the Nation will follow in the words after But certainly the Lord hath sought to draw this Nation to himself with Bonds of Love We may say concerning God he hath loved this Nation Loved it It was the first Nation that ever received Jesus Christ by the countenance of publick Authority of the Supream Authority in the Nation And when Antichrist had darkned the light of the Gospel here the bowels of Gods Compassions yerned towards it and God wrought wonderfully to deliver this Nation from Antichristian Tyrannie Moreover The Lord hath not sent the light and power of the Gospel to any Nation under Heaven more fully nay without prejudice to any other we may say not so fully as to this Nation though there are many of the Saints of God else where yet in no place under Heaven hath God more yea so many Saints I might almost say put all the Nations of the earth together so many that know him so fully and have that power of godliness in the worshiping of him as here in this Nation Oh! the Bonds of Love that are upon us Yea If we look upon our outward mercies those liberties that we enjoy there 's scarce any Nation that hath the Commonalty of the people that live like men in comparison of ours for the most part of all the Nations in the world the generality of people are like slaves rather than any Free-men their Governors rule over them with Tyranny but here the Common people have Liberties and God works mightily for them for the vindicating of the Liberties that they have both for their bodies and outward estates and their souls likewise and Oh! the Love that God hath shewn unto us of late in working so miraculously for us as he hath done But there is one point more observable in these Bonds of Love that God draws people unto himself by The scope of the Prophet here in mentioning these Bonds of Love it is to aggravate their sin from whence there is this That there 's nothing more aggravates sin than that it is against Love God hath Three Bonds to bind us to Obedience There 's the Bond of his Law And the Bonds of Afflictions And the Bonds of Love But now to break all these Bonds The Bonds of the Commandements and the Bonds of Afflictions and Bonds of Love too this aggravates sin very much Oh charge thy sin with this aggravation Oh thou sinner What against such a God such Love Oh what a vile heart have I Saith Augustin Oh 't is too hard a spirit that though it will not bestow Love yet it will not requite Love O! let not there be such a hardness in the Spirits of the Saints Thou didest not begin with God to love thou didest not begin to bestow Love be not so hard towards God as not to requite Love Do not we see how base Love can gain upon mens hearts adulterous love what strong bonds that love is the giving of gifts and bribes what bonds they are to tie mens harts their hands and tongues and shall not the Love of God and the fruits of that be a stronger Bond to tie thy heart unto him Nothing goes more to the heart of Man of God than the abuse of Love A man can better bear the abuse of his mony the abuse of any thing he doth or hath than the abuse of his Love Gods Spirit is grieved with his Saints we do not reade that the Spirit of God is grieved with the Wicked God may be angry with the wicked every day but not grieved but when the Saints sin against him the Spirit of God is grieved because their sins are against Love when thou sinnest against God the Lord looks upon thee as Caesar once upon Brutus What thou my Son What thou whom I have so loved What break all those bonds When we reade in the second Psal of the Kings and Princes of the Earth that said Let us break their Bonds asunder and cast away their Cords from us We think that 's great Rebellion but for thou that professest thy self to be Gods it 's a greater evil to break these bonds of Love Oh! thou my Son my Child thou whom I have bestowed so much Love upon yet thou to sin against me when thou art committing of any evil conceive with thy self as if God were looking upon thee and pleading with thee by all those fruits of his love that ever thou hast received from him and wilt thou yet sin against him for all this We reade in Mark 14. 72. when Peter had sinned Christ did but look upon him and he wept bitterly Oh! Peter saw love in the looks of Jesus Christ and therefore we know after when Christ came to him he pleaded with him with this argument of love Doest thou love me and doest thou love me Oh! when he saw the eyes of Christ so sparkling of love and then considered that he had sinned against that Christ that had so loved him broke all those bonds of love then he went out and wept bitterly the word is in Mark 14. 72. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He did break out in weeping For so it may signifie that force that there is in doing any thing to lay a force upon ones self to do a thing He did break out break out in weeping he was not able to bear it his heart burst even in sunder when he considered how he had burst asunder the bonds of Love Oh that after such manifestations of Mercy and goodness such warmings of heart in Communion with Jesus Christ what thou Oh my soul what canst thou find in any waies like Gods waies canst thou find the like love and the like sweetness in any as thou hast done in God yet for all this unkind unloving dealings God follows thee with Love his heart is yet open unto thee
5. He shall not return into the Land of Egypt but the Assyrian shall be his King because they refused to return He shall not return TO give you first a short paraphrase of the words for there 's no difficulty in them and then the Notes of Observation It is As if the Prophet should say Howsoever he thinks to help himself with ease to shelter himself there yet he shall not but he shall go into Captivity into Assyria for all means that have been used would not bring him to return So then the Observations First That which hardens mens hearts against threats in their sin is some shifts that they have in their thoughts let the worst come that can be yet I have such a relief My Brethren it 's a great mercy of God to take mens spirits off from all their vain shifts and hopes so as to be throughly convinced that there 's no help in any thing in the creature in Heaven and Earth but only in my turning to God and casting my soul down before Mercy if that saves me not I am undone for ever when the heart comes to this I say God is in a gracious and merciful way working I see my sin my affliction that is upon me and feel it though my heart would be shifting this way and that way yet God hath convinc'd me nothing can do me good but I am lost and undone what ever course I take except I return to God and humble my soul before him and seek his face and obtain meroie from him Secondly He shall not return to Egypt It was a verie strange perverseness to think of this shift to go back to Egypt why was not Egypt the place of his bondage and the Egyptians still retained their cruelty and yet they thought of this help that they would turn to Egypt rather than to God From whence the Observation is A stout heart cares not whither it goes rather than it will return to God As the Prodigal will rather go to the Swine to feed upon husks than to his father like some stout children they care not what miseries they suffer rather than they will come and humble themselves to their parents They will hang themselves and drown themselves and seek their fortune as they use to say rather than be perswaded to come in and submit themselves No never as long as they live though they die yet they will not and thus their hearts are stout and while they think they are stout against their parents they are stout against God too yet God hath waies to bring mens stout hearts to yeeld Thirdly A stubborn heart though God be in any way of mercy God calling them to waies of mercy yet if any thing crosses them they will foolishly and desperately wish their return to their former condition of misery If you make any thing that God doth an argument to a stubborn heart for duty if it pleases him not he will reject all that 's done for him and say he had rather be as he was before let me go into Egypt again stubborn hearts if they meet with any cross in their way this is their unthankfulness that because they are vext and crost in some one thing they will I say foolishly and desperately wish that they were in the the condition that heretofore they have been in Oh! thus it is with many of us how foolishly how wickedly have we thought and said it was better with us heretofore then now let us return to our former condition This is thy folly and thy desperat wickedness But saith the text He shall not return though he thinks of returning as if the holy Ghost should say do not please your selves to think it is but to return to Egypt you cannot be worse than now you are for God hath worser things for you And my brethren this is our case this day let not us think of returning to our former condition certainly if we should take such a course to return to our former condition we should be far worse than we were before our danger would be far greater this is certain to the view of any men that have their eyes open that our condition in England must either be far better than it was or far worse than it was There 's many say Oh! we were thus and thus in former times and if we were but as we were we should do well enough Oh! let 's not think of that we must certainly either be far better or far worse than we were for if we think of returning it will not be to Egypt but to Assyria which will be worse The Fourth Note is this God knows how to cross wicked men of their wills to spoil them of their plots they please themselves with this and the other thing they will do thus and thus if they be put to this shift then they have a second and a third yea but there 's a God in Heaven that hath determined otherwise Never were wicked men more cross in their plots than they are at this day They have said that they would do thus and thus but God hath said they should not and they have not done it Now God in his Mercy crosses his people of their wills that are set upon sin but when the wicked are crost upon their sin it is because God hath other waies to bring about greater evils to them To bring them to Assyria Well then whatsoever any mans thoughts and desires are the Lord deliver us from turning into Egypt again And likewise the Lord grant the Assyrian may not be our King It follows The Assyrian shall be his King The Lord deliver us from both That an Assyrian may not be our King Why an Assyrian why was he threatned to be their King You shall find that he was one of a cruel stout heart an hard heart and a proud heart the Assyrians were so They were a generation of men of cruel proud stout hard-hearted men Isa 10. 5. Oh Assyrian the rod of mine anger saith God and in the 7. verse It is in his heart to destroy saith God of the King of Assyria and in the 12. verse When the Lord hath performed his whol work upon Mount Zion and on Jerusalem I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the King of Assyria and the glory of his high looks Oh! 't is a sore evil to be put under the rage of a proud and a stout hearted man who will set his heart against God himself who though God fights against him yet will stand it out though his design is crost yet he will not come in he will not give glory to God though his will cost him the blood of many thousands yet he goes desperatly on he regards more his own will and lusts than the blood or lives of millions For people to have such a stout heart armed with power raised with pride enraged with
Then Secondly Let us gather as many arguments as we can to cause repentance and lay them together and never leave working them upon our hearts till we find them kindled Surely there 's all the reason for it in the world Doth the Lord gather all together that may be for our good and lay them upon his heart and there keep them to his heart till they kindle and work powerful workings upon his heart for good to us then when we would repent for there 's reason that we should repent as well as expect that God should for us we should be gathering all arguments that possibly can be and never leave till we find them kindled and warm at our hearts Oh! many of you at some times you have one argument that sticks at your hearts and at another time there 's another at such a time there was some one truth darted in and it took your hearts and you would say as those that went to Emaus Did not we find our hearts burn within us so you found Truths coming in at such a Sermon and at another and another yea but now could you get but all those arguments that ever God did dart into you to waies of repentance could you but get them together and work them upon your hearts and never leave till they be kindled and be crying to God as Elisha did till he got fire to come from Heaven to consume the Sacrifice Oh Lord my heart hath a deal of waterie stuff in it that will not kindle till the fire of the holy Ghost come to kindle these arguments and make them to burn Oh! if it were with us as David in Psal 39. 31. saith he While I was musing my heart was hot within me and the fire burned so we should go into our closets and be gathering all things together that we can to work upon our hearts and continue mufing till we find the fire burning within us Nay our hearts heat so as to break forth with our tongues and even to say from our souls Well the Lord is God it is he that is worthy for ever to be feared and honored and serv'd I have lived like a base and sinful wretched creature without a God in the world but it 's the Lord that is God that is worthy to be honored from my Bodie and Soul and Estate and Name and Liberty and Life and whatsoever I am or can do now if it would break forth in such a resolution how excellent would it be Oh! let us be humbled I beseech you for the coldness of our hearts that nothing can kindle there What a damp is there upon our spirits that when any argument is laid it goes out presently We have Truths laid upon us when we come to the Word but our dampie hearts quenches them all they do not kindle many are wittie enough to gather arguments for sin and lay them upon their hearts and so to kindle wickedness in their hearts as in Psal 41. 6. you have a notable Scripture there of wicked men that came to David They gathered iniquity in their hearts all things that might sute with their wicked hearts and for the furtherance of their ungodly waies they gathered them together for the encouraging and strengthening of them in their evil waies But it should be the care of the Saints to gather all things that might further repentance in them That 's the reason why wicked men are so hot in that that 's evil They gather arguments together and hence it is that wicked men when they have been in wicked company they come from it so hot in their resolutions to sin Why because they have gathered a great deal together for the heating of their hearts in their sin and so should the Saints when they are together in a holy communion and fellowship they should be gathering one from another every one come and afford something to lay as it were to kindle the fire But how laying their light ends together and not their dead ends together And then the Third Note is this Our mercies to others should not be cold but burning Let us be merciful as our Heavenly Father is merciful That is Not only wishing good to others but let there be kindled mercies in our bowels that we may not be able to keep them in I suppose many of you especially of estates have had many thoughts that you would do this and this for such good uses and you see some reason why it should be so yea but now have these arguments burnt in your hearts so as to cause you to break forth into resolutions Well though I have had thoughts and inclinations to make use of my estate thus and thus yet I have been kept off but now they are kindled in my heart and I am resolved upon it Thus it was with God and let it be so with you And thus much for the Eighth Verse The Ninth follows VER 9. I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger I will not execute the burning of mine anger so the words are IT 's true your sins and arguments against you did lie at my heart and did even burn it but I will not execute that I will execute the kindling of my mercy but not the kindling of mine anger Mark the several phrases Bowels was kindled in way of mercy and Wrath was kindled there was burning Wrath and burning Mercy but that which prevails It is the burning Mercy that prevails I will not execute the burning of mine anger why For I have kindlings of mercy in my bowels But how was this true Was not Israel carried into captivity and continued there many yeers and never yet returned again as some think and when they were carried into captivity for three yeers together there was a siege at the City and yet God saith here He will not execute the sierceness of his anger For the Answer That which before was said will give sufficient answer to it How shall I make thee as Admah and Zeboim that is though God did suffer them to be carried away captive and their enemies prevail'd against them yet he did not make them as Admah and Zeboim though There was not the fierceness of Gods anger the Burning of the anger of God out against them And the Lord had even in their carrying into Captivity yet he had respect to his Elect Ones and hath to this very day an intention to do them good afterwards And so we shall find in the next verse that there is a promise of the returning from their Captivity and therefore though they were for a long time to continue in Captivity yet still God did not execute the fierceness of his anger Sin indeed stirs up anger and fierce anger in God The Septuagint translate the words thus I will not do according to the anger of my wrath that is in extremity I will not do thus with you
of him and did much regard what they spake yet they falling to sin and wickedness it 's just with God to bring their honor and esteem down to bring it into the dust and to make them vile and contemptible in the eyes of those that ere while did reverence them we find this threatned both to those in the place of Magistracy and in the place of Ministry For Magistracy in Job 12 21. He powreth contempt upon Princes God powers contempt though they had very great honor and esteem yet through their sin contempt is thrown upon them And then for those in the Ministry in Mal. 2. 9. Therefore also have I made you contemptible and base before all the people The Priests lips should preserve knowledg and they were very honorable those that were faithful but when they come to be partial in the Law that is when they come to turn the Word of God to their own ends it 's a remarkable Scripture that the Lord made them vile in the eyes of the people It was that they were partial in the Law that was a main thing that is they would handle the Word of God partially what they could get to drive on their own waies by they would improve that to the uttermost and turn the Word which way they pleased upon this though they thought to prevail that way and to get esteem of the people by this means yeâ— this was the thing that God threatens to make them to be vile and contemptible in the eyes of the people because of this When people come to discover this that men do indeed drive on their own designs and their own ends in the waies of God there 's nothing will take away their repute and their honor more Oh the great change that there is in the honors and esteem of men God for their sin casts them out and their names as vile men and women who have out-liv'd their honors even in the very hearts of the Saints Indeed when there is a change in an outward condition from prosperity to afflictions then wicked and carnal men will not regard those that they did honor before As in Job's case in Job 29. Job tells us how he was honored and regarded and reverenced where he liv'd in prosperity but when he was in affliction in Job 30. 1. Now those who are yonger than I have me in derision that 's a wickedness to change our minds of the esteem of men because of their prosperity or adversity it shews a great vanity of spirit and where the heart is right if one that hath been godly and in publick place heretofore and now God by his providence hath brought him down in regard of his outward estate yet he is to be honored still continuing in his integrity and holiness But now this is that which I speak of as a Judgment of God upon men when God casts out their names from the very hearts of the Saints and that worthily too when they shall be worthy to be look'd upon as dead carcasses though heretofore much honored and respected heretofore they were as Gardens that had many sweet Flowers excellent common gifts they had for which they were respected but now like Gardens over-grown with Weeds that no body doth regard As Houses that were hung with costly Hangings but afterwards pull'd down and nothing left but the bare walls so their gifts were very precious but now as those Houses having their Lord and Prince gone away there 's nothing but bare walls and it may be Mice and Vermine run up and down in those rooms that were hung so bravely So it is with many that had excellent gifts which were highly honored and esteemed of by people that knew them but now the hangings are gone now there 's nothing but Vermine running up and down in their spirits Oh! what a mighty havock sin will make in the honor and esteem of men Let men therefore take heed of trusting in their former repute for let them have done what they will heretofore yet if they depart from God their honor will be gone Men that are in place of Authority or in place of Ministry had need consider this point well for it 's a matter of great moment for men in place of Authority to keep up their repute and esteem that they may be the more useful and do service not only for themselves but that they may be of the greater use to do service for God And it is one of the great designs of the Devil to seek to cast dirt upon those that God doth use as Instruments for good Oh! it concerns them to look to it that there be nothing justly cast upon them It 's very observable how God remembers Ephraim a long time after to put dishonor upon him You shall reade in the Book of the Revelations where the Tribes are reckoned up in chap. 7. there 's only two Tribes left out Dan Ephraim Ephraim is not mentioned there by his own name but by the name of Joseph and the reason that is given is because those two Tribes were Ring-leaders in waies of Idolatry as Dan if you reade Judg. 18. you shall find him there a Ring-leader and you know the great change of things that Ephraim made in the Worship of God by Jeroboam's setting up of Calves and so afterwards sinnâ—ng in Baal and so the great dishonor that God put upon him afterwards When Ephraim spake Spake what What did Ephraim speak when he caused trembling All this hath been only from the general but what did he speak referring it to Jeroboam that was of Ephraim and so to the Courtiers that were with him these spake these two things and so caused trembling in the hearts of the people First When Jeroboam spake about the altering of the way of Government about the taking off of the ten Tribes from the house of David What portion have we in David and in the house of Jesse When this was mentioned then there was trembling it did certainly at first cause the peoples hearts to shake they thought it was a very great matter they knew not what would come of it What for to forsake the house of David and to have a change of Government in another way this caused many thoughts of heart and much trembling fearing that there might come very ill consequence of it When he spake there was trembling But he exalted himself Notwithstanding such concussions of spirit as there was yet Jeroboam went on in his way and would venture the worst let come of it what would he would on He exalted himself But then afterwards he sins in the way of his Idolatry and so his successors sin in Baal and then he died God struck him and his Familie and so the ten Tribes From whence our Notes of Observation are First That alteration in the matter of Government is a matter of very great hazard and difficulty men
rising of corruption in your hearts Oh keep this trembling frame and do not regard that boldness of spirit that there is in some some are alwaies so frolick and so bold in their way Oh but that 's a dangerous condition for you to be in but rather keep a trembling heart fearing sin for if you lose that and begin but to tamper with some sin if the Devil tamper thus with you 100. to one but when you are once gone you will go more and more and never leave tumbling till you come into the pit And let us learn my Brethren to be more and more in the waies of God as Apostates are more and more in the waies of sin Oh that it were so with us in the waies of God let 's not content ourselves to do a little for God but still more and more as David in Psal 71. 14. I will yet praise thee more and more I will add to thy praise so the words are in the Hebrew Lord some praise thou hast had in the world Oh that I could live to ad any thing to it I will praise thee more and more And t 〈…〉 further Note is this That Idolatry for so it is spoken of their Apostacy more generally but particularly it aims at their Apostacy in the matters of worship is a very growing sin They have sinned in Baal and died and now they sin more and more Gross Idolatry hath grown upon men by fair pretences upon plausible Principles My Brethren do but break this one bond in the matters of Worship and that 's this That all worship must be by institution I say all the Worship of God must be either that which is written in mans heart or otherwise what is in the Word by institution If so be that men will venture to raise any creature beyond what God either in a work of NATURE hath raised it or by an INSTITUTION hath raised it then begins Superstition then begins false Worship I say here 's the beginning of all false Worship to raise any creature higher than ever Nature hath raised it or then it is raised by Institution do but venture upon one Ceremony to put any thing in it more than Nature or Divine Institution hath put into it then you know not where you shall stop You know what a height of Idolatry Popery is grown to but it began fair at first And so we were going to most vile and abominable Idolatry but by what steps We had broken the bond of binding up the Worship of God unto the Word and bringing in mens own reason and inventions and for to put a Religious respect upon that which God had never done now do but grant that thing in the least matters and then you do not know whither you will run in way of Idolatry you will run more and more Oh let Reformation be to us as Idolatry is to wicked men let not us rest in any degrees but still reform more and more Idolaters they will not stand at a stay Oh why should they then that seek to reform stand at a stay It follows And have made them molten Images of their s 〈…〉 r. They were at great charge in making of them and so went on strongly in their way though it would cost them much yet still they would go on strongly in their way They made themselves Images Tertullian in his Book of Idolatry in the 4 6 and 7. Chapters enveighs much against the maker of any Images in way of Religion and saith he 'T is not enough for you to say we will not worship them but you must not make them Of their silver Silver is put for their money Silver is used in divers Languages for their money in general the Calves were of Gold but it 's said they were of Silver because the people did contribute their money and other images they added to them that they made by their money their Idolatry was chargable to them to avoid trouble in going to Jerusalem and charge there in their journy Oh they would not go to Jerusalem to worship but they were willing to be at charge in their way of Idolatry Though Men will not have Gods service to be chargable to them yet their own waies are chargable to them They made them molten Images and Idols The word that is translated Idols it signifies griefs and those things that do terrifie and indeed Idolatry will bring grief and men that are of Superstitious Idolatrous spirits they are fill'd with fears many times But this is all according to their own understanding that is as they thought fit themselves such as should be sutable to their own ends they took the liberty to tender up their respects to God according to their own inventions and herein indeed comes superstition as I told you Hence comes the Worship of God to be so much corrupted When men will interpose their own understandings when men will leave the simplicity of the Rule and go their own way when men think that the Worship of God is not pompous enough of its self They which do not worship God in a Spiritual way they will labor to make up the want of the Spiritual part by addition of many outward things by their own understanding and because they think those things in the service of God are rational to them they think they must be acceptable to God and therefore wonder that any body should be against them Calvin upon this very text hath most notable expressions against men bringing in their own understandings in the Worship of God saith he Here is â—oken of the Worship of God in which whatsoever is of mans Prudence whatsoever is of Reason must give way Prudence and Reason must give way to it yea whatsoever counsels of men that they in a Prudential way shall think this and the other fit they must not judg by Sence by Reason by Prudence in the matters of Worship If they do give way to themselves in the least degree they do nothing but defile the Worship of God And another notable expression he hath about it This is the very Principle whereby men must be taught to worship God â—â—ight that they must be made Fools first themselves It men will come to worship God they must deny their understandings they must lay down their understandings they must not so much as permit to themselves to be wise and thus he heaps one upon another these expressions Only saith he let them listen to the Word of God for this saith he doth condemn whatsoever is pleasing to the judgment and reason of men Oh! God is little beholding to mens understandings in the matters of Worship and in the matters of Faith those two things the respect it may be to the man may be somewhat the more to make such an expression to go down that it 's the very Principle of right worshiping of God for
this last Summer we have cause to look beyond all men and means though God hath used means yet it is God that hath healed us and they desire that we should attribute all the Glory to God our healing hath been such that except we even maliciously shut our eyes we cannot but know and acknowledg that God hath healed us in great measure Oh! let not us by our pride and stoutness our oppression our foolishness make it appear that we do not acknowledg that God hath healed us God stands much upon that because it is his Glory to heal his people therefore he stands much upon it to be acknowledged to be the healer of his people For bodily healings we are ready to acknowledg those that do heal us What thankfulness is given to Physitians when they have been Instruments to heal our bodies Before healing any body would say they would give Oh! what would they give al their estates that they might be healed of such a disease but when they are healed it may be they will neglect the Physitians but 't is those that are of base spirits but others are very ready to acknowledg thankfulness that way to the Physitians that heals their bodies how gainful therefore is the practice of Physitians that God makes use of to heal mens bodies I remember I have read of Lewes the Eleventh of France that for his Chaplins he allowed them twenty shillings a month but for his Physiâ—ian one John Cottiere his allowance was ten thousand Crowns a month four Crowns would serve his Chaplin and ten thousand for his Physitian that 's a gainful practice because men are more sensible of the healing of their bodies than the healing of their souls Well any of you who have been in great sickness and distresses of body yea and in distresses of soul too and are healed do not you now by the frolickness of your spirits and the abuse of your strength in the waies of sin manifest that you do not know that God hath healed you both in respect of National healing and in respect of Personal healing let every one make use of that of David in Psal 103. Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name and again Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thine iniquity who healteh all thy diseases Oh! that we were able to joyn these two together now Who forgiveth all thine iniquity and healeth all thy diseases Healing is a mercy indeed but then 't is a mercy to purpose when it is a fruit of forgiveness when we can make good the former who forgiveth thine iniquitie and healeth thy diseases when we can say our healing is a fruit of our forgiveness God hath in great measure healed the Land and Nation Oh that we could say that he had forgiven us our healing without our forgiveness will be to little purpose and therefore in the times of our greatest wounds we should cry for forgiveness in the first place and not be satisfied with anie healing without forgiveness of our sins And so particularlie God hath healed some of your diseases in body it may be your families have had the Plague or some other disease Pox or Measels why the Lord hath been pleased to heal you you were in a sad condition then and the Lord hath healed your families yea but can you put both together bless the Lord who hath forgiven the iniquitie of my familie and healed the diseases of my familie And so for your own particulars do not satisfie your selves with this that you have your healths restored you except you can bless the Lord who hath forgiven mine iniquity and healed my diseases when thou findest the one that thou art healed be not satisfied except by faith thou canst see the other that thou art likewise forgiven all thine iniquities And thus much for the third Verse VERS 4. I drew them with cords of a man with bonds of love THis Verse is a great Verse and it will be very hard to pass over this in an Expository way only I drew them with cords of a man with bonds of love Here 's a fourth or fifth expression of Gods love for there was two in the former Verse Taught them to go and healed them Now here 's the fifth I drew them with cords of a man with bonds of love God still aggravates his mercy that they might see their sin As there 's no such way to be kindly humbled for sin as to see it against much mercy I drew them with cords of a man Some would carry this as if it were a proper name with the cords of Adam for so the word is for the word Adam signifies a man of red earth But it 's rather to be taken appellatively with the cords of a man that is I did not deal with them like beasts which must be drawn or put on with violence my way was not thus with them to draw them and to have Iron Chains about them or strong cords to force them on in their way no saith he I dealt with them like men I drew them on with the Cords of a man It doth note these three things First I dealt with them in a rational way as men not as beasts and sought to draw them in that way as men Secondly I dealt with them in a gentle way not with rigor and violence but as a man for they were humane so my waies were waies sutable to their humanity as the Scripture sometimes speaks of the Rods of men I 'le chastise them with the Rods of men by which some think is meant that is more gentle I dealt with them gently And then thirdly With the Cords of a man that is I dealt with them in such waies as were honorable to them as were sutable to that respect that is due to a man I considered that they were men made at first according to my Image and they were the most excellent Creatures that I had upon the earth here and therefore I dealt with them in a way sutable to their Nature to preserve the honor of their humane Nature Rationally Gently Honorably First Consider how Rationally God dealt with this people First The Law that I gave to them it was according to the Principles of right Reason there was nothing in my Law but was sutable to the very principles of right reason in Deut. 4. saith he The Nations shal hear al these Statutes and say Surely this great Nation is a wise and understanding people why in the 8 verse What Nation is there so great that hath Statutes and Judgments so righteous as all this Law which I set before you this day Mark all the Nations that are about you shall say What Nation is there so wise that hath Statutes and Judgments like this Nation Surely then my Law it had abundance of Reason in it it had the
better than thy waies they are so rational The Second Observation is this The way to prevail with men it is to deal with them in a rational way the way that I took with this people to prevail with them it was to draw them with the cords of men Certainly the way that God takes to prevail with people is the best way Therfore those men that would prevail with any people to bring them to any thing that they desire t is to deal with them in a rational way and so seek to prevail with them the Spirit of God doth so in Joh. 16. 8. And when he is come he will reprove the world of sin it is shall come with DEMONSTRATION for so the word Logically signifies it 's a word that signifies to convince in a way of demonstration that one cannot deny possibly and so the Apostle saith We came in the demonstration of the spirit and of power Mark Demonstration of the Spirit so it came to be in power and it concerns Ministers more especially If you that are Ministers would speak powerfully to people speak in demonstration the demonstration of the Spirit indeed it must be there is a spiritual Reason in the Scripture Ministers must not think to scare men into the waies of Godliness though I know some times God makes use of the bare terrors of the Law but the main thing whereby Ministers must have hope to do good to their people must be by preaching convincingly to overcome their very reason as much as possibly can be and to set the Law of God so before them as if they will but judg between God and their own souls they shall condemn themselves and approve of God That Ministry is like to be the best Soul-saving Ministry that meets with every objection of their hearts and at every turn the secrets of their hearts comes to be opened Oh! remember you preach to men and therefore you make use of that reason that you find in Scripture I know reason alone will never do it I but God when he works to the salvation of souls he works upon them after the manner of men and therefore the Ministers of God that are Co-workers with God they should work in such a sutable way And not only Ministers but Majestrates too they must labor to draw them with the Cords of men also that is not by violence in thing that men cannot be convinc'd of to think to force them in a way of violence I say in things that they cannot be convinc'd of in such things as they are not wilfully ignorant of they must not make prisons and fines to be arguments these are not the Cords of men indeed in things that have the light of common Equitie and Justice as Civil things that carry in the very face of them a light of common Equitie and Justice there Majestrates need not stay for any further convincement and there I say they need go no further but they may deal with them in a violent way if they break those but in all things that are of a more dubious nature and that are from connexions and consequences and more difficult to be understood and that are controversal even among godly men and wise men there they must look to it and people must have waies of instruction first and to be informed first and likewise if they do not oppose them in a wilful way but if they see that they do desire to understand what they are able and cannot they must not think to go on in a way of violence there that is not to deal with men like men in that thing to force them unto such waies that they do not see reason for and let them labor to the uttermost they can they are not able to understand then certainly there must be forbearance in such things and especially the rather because that Christ hath given us charge not to yeeld to any thing in matter of Religion till we do understand the rule of it Whatsoever is not of faith is sin when Chist gives that charge that we must not yeeld to it because such and such men do so till we do examine it and be able to understand the rule now then surely the uttermost that the power of violence and force can do is this To make men examin things but no further And so for you that have any under you your servants and children instruct them shew them the evil of their waies do not fly upon them with your rage and passion but deal with them like men in way of instruction The third Note is this It 's a great aggravation of mens sin not to be drawn by these Cords of men for a man to stand out against reason is a great aggravation so men stand out against many waies of God and yet their consciences fly in their faces and condemn them Oh! thou art a wretch that though the Lord hath sought to draw thee with the Cords of a man with Reason and hath convinc'd thee he hath gotten the cords into thy conscience and God pulls and thou pullest and wilt not be drawn with those Cords Oh! this is a wickedness for men to go on in waies that their own consciences do condemn them in Some vain reasonings can draw men to sin as a Cart-rope that 's the meaning of that place They draw iniquity as it were with a Cart rope that is their vain reasnings that they have for their sin twisted together make a strong Cart-rope to draw iniquity Oh! shall not Gods Cords be as strong as the Devils Cords or Mans Cords Manie there are though God seems to draw them with these Cords of a man yet their lusts are so strong like pamperd horses in a Team they will break the Cart-ropes break all their harness to peeces and so do manie unruly Spirits even say like those in Psal 2. Let us break his bonds and cast away his Cords from us Well thou shalt one day be held by the Cords of thine own sin as the Scripture speaks and thy conscience shall lash thee with those Cords of Conviction that did not draw thee Shall not the Cords of Conviction draw thee from thy sin they shall serve to be as whips to lash thy soul even to all eternity know that the Rules of Right-reason and Scripture-reason shall stand when thou and thousands of such wilful fools as thou art shall perish eternally And these are the Notes for Gods dealing in a Rational way And then the second was in a Gentle way First Mans Nature if it be not degenerated is of a loving gentle disposition 't is the nature of man to be of a gentle disposition that 's the Note from hence and I raise it thus I dealt with them with the Cords of a man that is Gently which is mans Nature such a gentleness as fair means will work upon it rather than ridged waies
cruelty to reign over them how sad and dreadful condition are those in This is that the Lord threatens here and why Because they refused to return I beseech you observe this saith he They shall not return to Egypt but the King of Assyria shall reign over them because they refused to return From whence the Observation is this If we will not do Gods will God will cross us of our own They would have their will they would return but they shall not saith God for they will not return to me therefore they shall not return whither they will themselves God can cross us in our own wills at every turn Foolish men who will presume to cross God in his will when God hath them at such infinite advantages to cross them every way in every thing If you cross God in that he delights in you may expect God will cross you in that you most delight in Oh! when you are crost in your minds in any thing that you have set your thoughts and heart most upon reflect upon your own hearts and think thus Have not I crost God in his mind in that which God hath set his heart and mind upon It 's a good way my Brethren to take a holy revenge upon our selves if we cannot get our hearts to work for God as they ought not to suffer them to work for our selves as they would Again For they would not return saith God God is not so much displeased at our sins as at our not returning He doth not say that the Assyrian should rule over them because they had sinned but because they refused to return It is too much that thou hast sinned but as soon as ever thou hast sinned it concerns thee to think of returning God expects presently as soon as ever the sin is taken notice of that thou shouldest begin to return it is dangerous to continue in sin in the least this aggravates thy sin dreadfully and endangers thy sealing up to wrath everlasting And then Thirdly He refuses to return after all means used after all mercies tendered after all callings after thee yet to stand out this is yet worse Not to return is evil but to refuse to return notwithstanding means used mercies tendered Oh this is fearful indeed Oh! lay this to heart thou convicted sinner what offers of mercie hath God made to thee what calling unto mercie hast thou heard outward calls inward calls of the the Spirit of God Oh! how hath God called after thee Return return thou Shulamite Return return return thou wretched wilful sinner Oh come in and return what means of all sorts hast thou had to cause thy heart to return to God and yet standest out think of that Scripture in Job 9. 4. Who hath hardened himself against him and hath prospered What doest thou think to harden thy self against God and yet think to prosper Who hath hardened himself against him and hath prospered and mark what follows Which removeth the Mountains and they know not which overturneth them in his anger which shaketh the Earth out of her place and the Pillars thereof tremble And yet cannot thy heart be overturned nor tremble In this that thou refusest to return thy sin is aggravated above the sin of the Devils themselves for we do not know that ever the Devils refused to return for they were never offered mercie God did never offer the Devils mercie God never sent to preach to them either by his Ministers or Spirit and to call them to return and you shall have mercie here 's a price paid here 's a salvation for you your sins may be pardoned the Devil had never such an offer Who knows what the Devil might do if such an offer were made to him But now these offers are made to thee and thou refusest to return Oh! return therefore O thou sinful soul who art wandering from God in the waies of death and destruction give in thine answer as we reade in Jer. 3. 22. where the Lord there calls his back-sliding children Return ye back-sliding children and I will heal your back slidings Mark the answer that they give to God Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Oh! that there might be such an answer given this day from some back-sliding soul that is turned from God! Oh poor soul whither art thou gone God calls this day to thy soul Return return and professes that he is willing to heal thy backslidings Oh! give in this answer Oh Lord behold we come for thou art the Lord our God Oh! that some soul might return and might refuse no longer to return Why wilt not thou return God is content to return to thee thou art turned from God and God in the waies of his Administrations is turned away from thee but mark the Promise in Jer. 8. 4 5. Thus saith the Lord Shall they fall and not arise shall he turn away and not return by then is this people of Jerusalem sliden back by a perpetual back-sliding they hold fast deceit they refuse to return Shall he turn away Some interpret this of God The Lord is not so turned back but he is ready to return Oh! why shouldâ—â— thou backslide with a perpetual back-sliding And then the last Note is They refuse to return The word that is translated they refused may signifie they scorned What talk to him of returning tell him of his sin against God the greatness of his sin and the greatness of the danger and the threatnings of God against his sin he despises all these things these are poor things to scare children withal Tell him of the mercies of God in pardoning his sin he slights all this humiliation now for sin this breaking off of sinful courses they deride the motions of them they scorn to return Scornful spirits when they are called upon in the bowels of mercy to return from their evil waies they do not only deny returning but they scorn and slight what is said to them Wel know there are some who admire at Gods mercies calling of them to return who admire at mercy tendred to them and prize it more than all things in the world they turn unto the Lord with all their souls nothing in all the world can stop them they bless God that ever their ears heard the call of God calling them to return and they would not for ten thousand thousand worlds but they had heard Gods call and felt the Spirit of God working their hearts to him to return howsoever thou dost scorn and contemn it Thus much for the 5th Verse It follows VER 6. And the Sword shall abide on his Cities c. THey relied upon their Cities and therefore refused to return but saith the Lord here The Sword shall abide on his Cities The old Latin hath it The Sword hath begun and Hierom in his Translation takes it so If we should take it
of this world so he way of the promoting of the Kingdom of Christ it is not by endeavoring the correspondencie of it with this world God hath laid the great work of mans salvation the greatest work that concerns the glorie of his Name in that which is foolishness to men and almost all the great works of God especially those that have a more immediate subservencie unto the Kingdom of his Son he brings those works about not by mans counsel but by waies and means that seems folly to the counsels of wise men of men carnally wise But we come now unto the Seventh Verse VER 7. My people are bent to back-sliding c. IT may be sometimes they begin to reform but they are quickly off again for there is a principle of Apostasie in them They are bent to back-sliding If they do any thing in the way of Reformation it is upon some external motive but their hearts are another way They are like a bough of a Tree that is bent contrary to the Nature of it by an external force it may be for the present yeelds such a way but there 's an inclination a propension in the Bough to go another way the way that its own nature carries it unto Thus it was often with Israel upon some extraordinary work of God they would do such and such things but they were as a deceitfâ—l bow that soon starts back My brethren let us search our hearts there was a great forwardness of Reformation in the beginning of the Parliament then how did men stir the Spirits of men did seem to be then of another way than now thy seem to be It appears that in many of them it was ony a spirit against those that had oppressed them and a 〈◊〉 umphing and rejoycing in having their wills upon them and in the novelty of change of things but their hearts remain as carnal drossie vain as ever and therefore when mens wills were a little satisfied and they saw that the godly people of the Land began to rejoyce hoping that now there should be a greater freedom for and countenance of the Religious party than ever and finding that there were some difficulties in the work of Reformation and that thereby their lusts should be curbed they should not have that licentiousness in their sinful waies as before upon this their hearts are bent to back-sliding that is they fall off from the godly people of the Land that they formerly closed with and seem'd much to rejoyce in now their hearts are against them as much as ever they were with them yea their hearts do vex and fret at any Liberties they may possibly enjoy or at any work of Reformation that is begun Thus it is in the publick mens hearts are bent to backsliding And privately for the particular mens hearts are bent to backsliding from the waies of godliness that they began to profess as thus Many yong ones and others who have had workings on their hearts and have made great profession of Religion yet not having their hearts changed First Gods waies have been unsutable to them and therefore have been hard and tedious to them Secondly Other things they have had a greater mind to only they have been kept from them by the strength of conviction and external motives But upon that they have grown wearie of the waies of God that 's a third degree weary of them Yea Fourthly They have watched all advantages how they might get off from what they have made profession of Yea Fifthly They have been sorry that they have engaged themselves so much as they did Yea Sixthly Any Objections against such waies they greedily imbrace and diligently improve Yea Seventhly They are very ready to take any offence Yea Eightly They watch for offences And Ninthly Any Opinion that will give them a liberty from that straitness they made profession of before they are willing to imbrace and entertain if there be any practice that may give them any more liberty they fall presently to it and so they come to backslide Now their actural backslidings are but a fruit of the bent of their spirits their spirits were bent to backsliding before and what they do now is but a fruit of the inward bent of their spirits Let such know that if they have no need of the waies of godliness the waies of godliness have no need of them the waies of godliness shall be justified and honored when they shal perish and be swept oft as filth and dung from the face of the earth I 'le leave only that Scripture with them in Heb. 10. 38. If any man draw back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him But I find the reading of these words bent to back-sliding very various and indeed the Hebrew doth seem to countenance divers readings and Calvin he doth reade it and Pareus and others of our later Writers Suspenst sunt they are as men in suspence hanging as it were in suspence for so the word translated Bent it is a word that signifies a propension to a thing and they turn it Men that are in suspence and so the Septuagints translation They are a people in suspence and it is very proper to the Hebrew word here to translate it thus They are a people in suspence Now then If the translation of the word be thus which is for ought I know as sutable or rather more than the other why then there are these two things mainly in it First They are in suspence that is They being in straits know not what to do I find in Deut. 28. 66. Thy life shall hang in doubt before thee The same word that here is translated Bent it is there Hanging in doubt and that makes me the rather think that this Interpretation may set out the mind of the holy Ghost in this Scripture so then the meaning must be this They see themselves in a sad condition that they know not which way to turn themselves they see their plots take not their designs prosper not they see God is out against them they would fain fal upon new plots but they see as great an unlikelihood to prosper in their new plots as in the former what the Issue of them may be they know not thus they are in suspence and in doubt not knowing which way to turn themselves And blessed be God that hath put our adversaries in suspence and doubt This is a judgment of God upon men who cannot trust God in his right and holy wayes they must have waies of their own they follow their own counsels and these counsels of their own insnares them and brings them into most miserable straights that they know not how to extricate themselves God makes the waies of the righteous plain to them But the counsels of mens hearts brings them into straights They thought to deal more wisely for themselves
Gospel of John was terrified But I take this rather to be meant of some notable work of Reformation and calling in these ten Tribes to joyn with the Church The Lord will roar to terrifâ— the hearts of their Adversaries that they shall not be abâ—â— to hinder their return Hence note That when Gods time is come for a through Reformation and bringing in his people he will roar terribly in the world he will appear in such Majesty Glory and Justice that he will make the earth tremble Psal 102. 16. When the Lord shall build up Sion he will appear in his Glory It hath been his way in his appearing for his Church Psal 76. 1. Thou even thou art to be feared and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry Thou didest cause Judgment to be heard from Heaven the Earth feared and was still 〈…〉 God arose to Judgment to save the meek of the Earth 〈…〉 12. He shall cut off the spirit of Princes he is 〈…〉 Kings of the Earth Isa 34. 4. All the host of 〈…〉 be dissolved and the Heavens shall be rolled together as 〈…〉 and all the host shall fall down as a leaf for my Sword shall be bathed in Heaven Ver. 6. The Sword of the Lord is filled with blood it is made fat with fatness Ver. 7. The Land shall be soaked with blood Ver. 8. For it is the day of the Lords vengance and the yeer of the recompences for the controversie of Sion Ezek 17. 10. Shall it not wither when the East wind toucheth it At the raising of Christs Kingdom Psal 45. 4. Thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things Revel 6. 15. The Kings of the earth and the great Men the rich men the chief Captains the Mighty men hid themselves in the dens the rocks of the Mountains and said to the Mountains and Rocks Fâ—lâ— on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Thron and from the wrath of the Lamb. Dan. 12. 1. There shall 〈◊〉 a time of trouble such as was never since there was a Nation all that time thy people shall be delivered Lactantius Lib. Cap. 15. as then Egypt imitten so now all places as then signs and prodiges so now admirable wonders in all the Elements of the World Earth Sea Air. 1. Because the ungodly have been cruel against the Saints Psal 74. 4. Thine Enemies roar in the midst of the Congregation 2. The wicked will be secure yea his own people and will stand in need of roaring to awaken them 3. The Adversary will be stout and proud Consundetur omne jus Leges perilunt All right will be overturned and Laws perish 4. The difficulties will be great so as when Christ comes shall he find saith on the earth namely that ever his work shall be brought about Luke 18. 8. There will 〈…〉 ighty changes of things Hence observe 〈…〉 ir not though wicked men strengthen themselves 〈…〉 uch God can soon make mighty alterations 〈…〉 14. Be not afraid remember the Lord which is ve 〈…〉 and terrible Deut. 7. 21. Thoushalt not be afrighted at them for the Lord thy God is amongst you a mighty God and a terrible Again Hence learn to prepare for thosetimes When he shall roar the children shall tremble from the west Amos 3. 8. The Lyon hath roared who will not tremble There shal be mighty stirrings of heart Mens hearts shal shake within them so as there shall be way made for people whose hearts are awakened to come into the Church There is a trembling of the Enemies they shall be struck with such astonishment that they shall not hinder Their violence and rage shall be abated They shall say 〈◊〉 once the Egyptians Let us take heed what we do the Lord 〈…〉 t s for them And the hearts of those that God intends to call shall 〈…〉 wakened the slightness and vanity of their spirits shall be taken off The fear upon their hearts shall make them fear they shall be roused from their sluggishness they shall make hast to come in to joyn with the people of God Fear causes hast so the word here signifies and is rendered by some Men delay and trifle till God strikes their hearts with fear Spiritus sanctus nescit tarda molimma The holy Ghost likes not lazy laboring Isa 49. 17. Thy children shall make hast The children shall tremble from the west Those afar off which were most unlikely Isa 42. 4. Legem expect abunt Insulae The Isles shall wait for my Law The Mediterranean the Mid land Sea is in the west Isa 49. 1. 12. Hence note that There are like to be great stirrings in the Western parts VER 11. They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt and as 〈…〉 out of the Land of Assyria BEing strucken with fear they shall hasten so the word advolabunt they shall fly This some think to be fulfilled when divers of the ten Tribes joyned with Judah in the return of their captivity for the Monarcy of the Assyrians was subdued by the Persians whose King was Cyrus Therefore it is thought that the fame liberty was given in Assyria for the ten Tribes as in Babylon for Judah And not long after Cambyses the son of Cyrus overcame the Egyptians as Herodotus Lib. 8. Justinae Lib. 〈◊〉 saies And it 's like he would be favorable to the ten Tribes as his father had been to Judah But Ezra as was noted above in likelihood would not then have omitted their Genealogies Howso 〈…〉 in the great Restauration of things this will be fulfill 〈…〉 The Jews were strongly set to go to Egypt now they shall as strongly desire to get out to joyn with the Churches Fly as a bird not come as a snail get over all difficulties having their spirits elevated raising them from earthly drossie things they have no consideration of them Now all their desire is to joyn with the Saints that they together with them may follow after the Lord. And as a Dove out of the Land of Assyria 1. Doves are sacred there Euseb Preparat Evang. Lib. 8. 5. 2. They are terrified with the least noise Terretur minimo penae stridore Columba 3. Doves fly swiftly Oh! that I had the wings of a Dove saith the Psalmist Psal 55. 6. 4. They fly by flocks Isa 60. 8. Who are those that fly as a cloud and as the Doves to their windows 5. It may be from those Countries Doves come at certain times of the yeer as several sorts of Fowls do to to us in their seasons And I will place them in their houses saith the Lord. i. e. I will provide lockers for them he followeth the the former metaphor of Doves Gods people have been tossed up and down they have had no abiding in their houses But God hath his time to place them in their houses in rest quietness and safety to
the coming of Christ yet I do not think that the Carcass is Christ and the Saints like Eagles and so will be where Christ is yet it hath been carried so by divers now though it 's spoken there of Christs coming yet it 's meant of his coming against Jerusalem there 's a great part of that Chapter of the coming of Christ in his Judgments against the people of the Jews and now they were as a dead carcass God having forsaken them And the Eagles Birds of prey would come upon them And it might have reference to the Romans coming upon them whose Ensign is the Spread Eagle those Eagles would come The body of the Jews that had forsaken God and his Truth and so was but as a dead carcass the Eagles would make prey of them A people or family that forsakes God and his Worship is as a dead carcass And then Sixthly 'T is corruption of Worship that causes God thus to withdraw from a people and make them to be as a dead carcass When they sinn'd in Baal As it was said of Troy so long as they kept the Palladium the Image of Minerva it was safe and could not be overcome but when that was gone then they were overcome and spoiled So when Gods Worship which is the life and safety of a place when that 's gone and Worship is corrupted then there doth come death Though I do not think that God alwaies observes the strict rule for matters of worship as towards the Jews for the Jews certainly though they had a Covenant of Grace that God dealt with them in yet they had a special Covenant that God made with them for their being in the Land of Canaan now indeed God goes by general rules that is to punish the disobedient and to reward those that are godly the waies of God now towards Nations and People for his outward punishments and mercies are but according to general rules but Gods administration towards the Jews besides general rules were according to a special Covenant that God made with them about their living in the Land of Canà an either prosperously or in adversity But then further When wicked men are most active in their evil way and violence yet then they may be under the sentence of death when they seem to have the greatest power to do what they list I say then they may be as a dead people When he sinned in Baal then he died If you will but observe the story for these Prophets cannot possibly be understood without reference to the story of Kings and Chronicles observe but the story of the Kings When was it that Ephraim did sin in Baal It was in Ahab's time you shall find that they were never more active for their way of Idolatry than then nor never more violence never more cruelty to the Prophets of the Lord than there was at that time For then Jezebel she had her 100. Prophets set at her table but the Prophets of God were fain to be hid in a cave and Eliah to shift for his life And yet when he sinned in Baal he died Died why he seem'd to be full of life and activity and vigor and thought to do what he list and to trample all under feet that would stand against that way of worship but for all this their bravery and pride they were dead saith the holy Ghost they were under the sentence of death and a base people God was gone from them and they were decaying and so should deny more and more till he did perish When he sinned in Baal he died VER 2. And now they sin more and more and have made them molten Images of their silver and Idols according to their own understanding all of it the work of the Craftsmen they say of them Let the men that sacrifice kiss the Calves THE Family of Ephraim and the ten Tribes for so Ephraim is taken for Jeroboam sometimes and sometimes for the whol Tribe and sometimes for the Governors and sometimes for all the ten Tribes as distinct from Judah Now they sin more and more From whence I beseech you observe the taking in the people now together with Ephraim now the number is changed at first it was When HE sinned in Baal then he died But now 't is said THEY sin more and more all the people joyn with him in way of sin At first when he hegan to speak about the alteration of Religion the people trembled to think of it but it seems afterwards they could swallow it down well enough they could joyn with Jeroboam yea and Ahab too more and more let them impose what they would upon them they could yeeld to it From whence the Note is That men at the first apprehension of things they are much affected and it may be think that they will never yeeld to them yet within a while when they have been a little used to them then there 's a mighty alteration in mens spirits both to yeeld to this and indeed to yeeld to any thing How many mens hearts and waies are so different from what they seem'd to be If one had mentioned hereto 〈…〉 uch things as now they do they would have trembled at them If about six yeers since one could but have presented in a Map all our speeches and waies one against another and told us how things should be our hearts would have shaken and we would have trembled at the thought of it but now more and more we go on and God knows whither we shall go Oh! the alteration that a little time makes in mens spirits now saith he they are a dead heartless people now you may do what you will with them now they will do things so disagreeing to their former principles as nothing can be more a man would wonder What that this people that were so astonished at the very thought of the change of Religion now that they should be swallowed up in Idolatry My Brethren Let us never regard much the sudden affections and sudden expressions of people though people may seem to be up and very forward in their affections and expressions yet I say never rest too much upon them There is nothing more uncertain than the spirits of the multitude and therefore it is the most irrational thing for any of wisdom to think to carry things that way if he thinks to carry it constant you may get them in a hurry in one way at one time but they will be quickly off again and that which one time they will cry up at another time they will cry down and such a kind of alteration of spirits these times will be a witness to I beleeve as great as ever times were from the beginning of the world Now they sin more and more And now There 's a great emphasis in this Particle Now They sin more and more that is even now when the very sentence of
us to go more and more from God Thirdly Every sin that is against Conscience it weakens the work of Conscience the Authority of Conscience will quickly be weakened when it is once broken break but off the yoke of Conscience and Conscience will be weaker than it was before At the first time when a man sins against Conscience his Conscience hath a great deal of strength in it and mightily troubles him at the very first but having had a flaw as it were it grows weaker I remember a notable story which that reverend and famous Divine Doctor Preston hath of one in Cambridg that had committed a great sin and he had this temptation upon him Do the act again and your Conscience will trouble you no more and this temptation did prevail upon him he did it again and then he grew a very sot indeed and went on in his wickedness Every sin doth somewhat to weaken Conscience and therfore one that fals off from God will sin more and more Fourthly When a man hath once fallen off from God in any degree according to the degree he doth lose his comfort that he had in God for some kind of comforts Hypocrites may have as there may be Common gifts of the Spirit to enable them to do service so there may be Common Gifts of the Spirit to comfort them they may tast of the Powers of the world to come many have some flashes of joy but when they are departed from God then they cannot have so much comfort as they were wont to have and when they have not the comfort they were went to have they must have it some way and they are fain to go sharking up and down to get it some where else I cannot have that comfort in God as I was wont to have I was wont when I was troubled to go read the Word I could find comfort there let me go into good Company I could find comfort there let me go into the presence of God I could find comfort there but now I cannot and so the heart must have comfort some way or other and therefore goes more and more from God Fifthly When one hath sin'd against God then his spirit and holy duties comes to be very unsutable they are harder than they were before it 's a more difficult thing to get his heart to any holy duty than before and so comes to neglect Duties and by neglecting them his Corruption grows they were a means to restrain Corruption verie much for when a man is abroad and takes liberty yet when he thinks thus yea but I must pray before I go to bed I must go to prayer and how shall I beg Grace from God another time when as I wilfully sin against him this curbs a man so long as he can keep any kind of sutableness between his heart and holy duties though he should fail in some kind of things he would quickly recover but when he begins to have holy duties so vail'd as he leaves off holy duties then he will sin more and more for the curb is taken off Yea Sixthly The presence of God is terrible to an Apostate he cannot think of God without some terror before he would often think of God and speak of God but now he puts off the thoughts of God because they are terrible to him and having put off the thoughts of God and Gods presence being terrible it must needs be that he must wander up and down even more and more be as a Cain wandering away from the presence of God Yea further The thoughts of whatsoever might turn an Apostates heart to God are grievous to him If he hath gone away if he thinks of turning to God Oh presently will be presented to him some difficulty that will make him even put off al those thoughts and rather give himself liberty to his own waies Yea further there 's this in it That when a man hath sin'd against God one sin cannot be maintain'd without another one sin calls to another to help it and maintain it As now you find it ordinarily when a man hath done wrong to another man he knows not how to carry it out but by doing him more wrong to crush him if he can And so there 's divers other sins that have many sins depending upon them if a man be engaged in a business that is sinful that he might carry out his business a great many other sins he must commit and so comes to fall off more and more Yea further The pride of mens hearts is such as when they are once got into an evil way it 's a mighty difficult thing to keep them from not justifying their evil men love to justifie what they have done when they have sin'd they will grow more resolute and violent that all people might think that they have not the least kind of recoil in their hearts you think many times when you see men mighty strong and violent in an evil way you think surely they are fully satisfied in it Oh! you are mightily mistaken in that they may be very violent and very strong in their way only that they might perswade other folk though their own consciences tels them that they are not satisfied and thus the pride of mens hearts makes them sin more and more And besides If they have grown far in their sinful way then they grow desperate they grow into desperation they little hope ever to recover themselves so as before and therefore go on more and more Yea And God in his just Judgment withdraws himself from them God withdraws those gifts and common graces that they had and saith God Let them go on He that is filthy let him be filthy still Yea and besides Gods withdrawing there 's 〈◊〉 judicial Act of God upon them To give them up to their Corruptions and give them up to the Devil It 's a dreadful thing when the Church doth it but that 's for the salvation of the soul and for the destruction of the flesh but when God delivers up one to his corruptions that 's for the destruction of the soul Do you rule him saith God because he would not be rul'd No marvel then though an Apostate sin more and more Oh! stand against the beginning of sin what you can keep a trembling frame at the beginning Oh! had this people done so at the first they trembled Oh! had they but kept that trembling heart continually it would have kept them from abundance of evil And so do not some of you remember that there hath been a heart-trembling at the very thought of those things that it may be some of you now practice Oh! happy had it been for you that you had kept your trembling frame And you that are yong beginners in whose heart there is a trembling frame you tremble at temptations you tremble at the thoughts of sin at the first
he doth not say here Your King shall not save you nor your Cities shal not save you nor your Princes and Nobles shall not save you but where are they in a kind of Irony God loves to insult over the carnal confidences of men And we find in Scripture many such kind of Insultings over men in Deut. 32. 37. Where are your Gods that should deliver you And in Is 19. 12. Where are thy Wise-men What we have got States-men men known in State Affairs we have them with us But where are they saith God Thus the Lord insults over men that put their confidence in the flesh and especially when they have been confident in their own waies forsaking God and so bringing themselves to misery when they have brought themselves to misery by forsaking the waies of God now God insults now where are these things that you put such confidence in And truly even the Saints so be it they do it in an holy humble way they may have some kind of insulting over ungodly men only because they have so much flesh in them there 's danger therefore they had need keep their hearts very low But if they do it in the strength of God we have it in Scripture That the Virgin Daughter of Zion shall laugh at them and laugh them to scorn Only keep your hearts I say low and you may come to see the Glory of God even insult in this That God hath heard your Prayer and hath been with his People and that the Enemy hath had so much power and strength in the flesh and yet how the Lord hath disappointed them And then further This is the great confusion to carnal hearts when they shall be asked Where 's their Confidence and their Boasting and they shall be found speechless when this shall be ask'd them Where 's your bravery and pride and stoutness of your hearts and they shal be able to say nothing Oh! this wil be a great confusion and shame upon them Certainly ere long it will be so to all carnal hearts that make their boast in the pomp and glory of the world there shall be a confounding Where Asked them Where 's all your Bravery and Pride and Rage I say this confounding Where will be asked to every wicked and ungodly man What will they be able to say then In Judg. 9. 28. we reade of one Gaal the son of Ebed who said Who is Abimelech but in vers 38. when Abimelech came with strength against him Zebal said to him Where is now thy mouth wherewith thou saidest Who is Abimelech that we should serve him When men are in their pride bravery then they scorn at God and men they little regard any thing that is said to them but when God brings them down low then wheretis that mouth of thine that did so boast and speak so proudly as heretofore it did My brethren let us learn from hence therfore To seek after and rest upon those things which we may be able alwaies to give an accompt of where they are if it should be ask'd us the Saints if it should be ask'd them Where is their God they can give an accompt It 's the God of Heaven that we have trusted in it 's the God that is in the highest Heavens and in the hearts of the Saints we can tell where our God is It is just with God that wicked men should be insulted over because they insult over the Saints so if God do but seem to absent himself from his People they will presently insult over them yea where 's your God where 's your Prayers and Fastings Have not some of you heard such language many times in this Kingdom There 's no such time but the Saints of God can give an Answer to this Where they can tell where their Fastings and Prayers are but the wicked are not able to tell what is become of their Confidences and boastings Therfore O you Saints of God never be afraid of evil men for ere long it will be demanded of them where their Pomp and Glory and Pride is but they cannot answer And it follows Thy Judges of whom thou saidst Give me a King and Princes By Judges though sometimes Kings are meant as Amos 2. 3. I will cut off the Judg out of the midst of thee he speaks saith Drusius of the King of Moab we are to understand here their Nobles and Great men upon whom they relied for so they are call'd in Scripture Judges they had indeed Judges before that time when they said Give us a King and Princes they had Judges but they were of meaner rank in comparison of those they had after they had Judges that by Gods appointment govern'd them but they were too mean for them no they must have a KING they must have PRINCES they must have such JUDGES that are Kings and Princes Great men for these that they had to rule over them they were but of their own rank and this would not satisfie them but they must have such as were great ones above them those were but ordinary men what were they but the Commons of the same ranke with other men and raised up but a little while ago from the ordinary way and rank of men and why should not we be rul'd and govern'd by them No we must have a King and Nobles and they must govern us Give us a King and Princes God had been much with these Judges reade but the story of the Judges and you shall find that God had ever more appeared with them I do not remember any one of the Judge but ever prevail'd when God raised him up but now this people they regard them not why because they were but meaner men they were but men of their own rank though God did assist them so exceedingly Oh my Brethren this is the ordinary guize of carnal hearts Though God be much with men yet if they be but of a low rank carnal hearts regards them not let them do never so great services and be never so instrumental for the Kingdom even those men that have had their estates preserved by them that have had their Liberties and all kept by them and by a mighty Spirit that God hath put into them yet when the work is over they look upon them but as mean ordinarie men men of a common rank and so let them go they after all the great things that God hath done by them still their thoughts and minds are upon others that are above them and Princes and Nobles such men they rely more upon men in whom they see outward pomp and glory then upon those that have the presence of God never so much with them and they regard them more and they do think that they shall receive more good by them and their hearts are more towards them if they have outward pomp and glory than towards such men that are in a meaner condition though there be never
so much of the presence of God with them Oh we see that that which hath been is still to this verie day Of whom thou saidst Give us a King and Princes Where did they say so they said so in 1 Sam. 8. 5. there say they to Samuel Come give us a King that may reign over us indeed the word Princes I do not 〈…〉 here but here the holy Ghost ads Princes and give us Princes too but that must of necessity be supposed for if there be a King a King must have his Court and Nobles about him and must be as a fountain of honor and must confer honor and have great men about him so that though Princes be not named there yet the holy Ghost supplies them as a thing that must of necessity be understood Come let us be Governed by a King and great ones that are about him But you wil ask me What 's the reason that nothing would satisfie them but a King and Nobles There are these Seven REASONS that may be given for it nothing would satisfie them but a King onlie First Consider their extream earnestness about it if you reade 1 Sam. 8. you will find that they were almost mad upon it a King they must have and would have Oh! it was very grievous to Samuel's spirit he told them their great sin and the Lord said They have rejected me and not thee Samuel told them what God said and God bad Samuel go and tell them what a King they should have that he would oppress them extreamly they shall have Arbitrary Government come in to the full he will take away your servants and children and do with them what he pleases you will be brought to be slaves to him any Parasite at Court may easily get your estates you shall be accounted an offender for a word and Fin'd what they please you shall be in most miserable bondage if you have him But now you shall find afterwards after Samuel had told them all this Nay say they but let us have a King for all this they answered him nothing If any one should come and reason Why do you desire a King so much what shall you get by it do not you think that he will have your Estates and all you have at his dispose and your Liberties no man now could denie this they did not denie the 〈◊〉 word that Samuel said but they will hold their conclusion Nay but we must have a King say they What 's the matter that should make them thus First Somewhat even for novelty sake they had other kind of Government before but now they would have somewhat more Mens spirits are very much given to change though they can give no account in the world for the thing But Secondly There might be some distrust in them in their former Judges because they were men of meaner rank as I told you they might think that they should not be able to help them Oh say they Let us have a King that shall go before us in our Wars Though they had never so much experience of the Judges yet they thought there would be more good if they had great ones and they were afraid that these men of a lower meaner rank would fail them at last And then a Third reason is That they might be like other Nations because they loved pomp What say they Shall we see our neighbor Nations to be governed by those that have great pomp and glory and shall we be governed by men that were but Trades-men a while ago No they would be like other Nations Fourthly It is like they had some oppressions upon them even from the former Judges though most of them were good yet certainly there cannot be a Government of Men but there wil be some cause at one time or other for some to complain Take the best Government that can be in the world yet seeing it is a Government of men by men there will be some cause or other to complain at some time or other Now this is the peevishness of mens hearts that if there be but any condition wherein they suffer they do nothing but complain of their suffering and therefore would fain have a new way and never think of the inconveniences and sufferings that would come in by that new way Oh! they would be rid of these that now they were under and would have a King these men angred them these men laid some taxes upon them that they were not pleas'd withal now so be it they might be rid of them they car'd not what they bring upon themselves and therefore they would have a King not minding what sufferings they should bring upon themselves in another kind And then Fifthly A King they would have out of a spirit of opposition against that way that God had set God was in a way of governing of them and their hearts was against that way of God a meer spirit of opposition though they would give no reason why they might not be as well that way as another but it was Gods way And there is an opposition in the heart of man to any thing that hath God in it the more any thing hath of God in it and the more God rules in a way the more opposite are the hearts of evil men And then a Sixth Reason is this They had some hopes that they should have some more liberty for their lusts Now having such a way of Government as they had there was more inspection over them and they could not so easily corrupt them but now in the Government of one man over them if they can but make a friend to him they may do what they list they might brave it over all their other neighbors if they would be but willing to be a slave to him they might make all their neighbors slaves to them they had a great deal more hopes of libertie for their lusts it 's like this way than the other And then lastlie Many of them had hopes to get preferment this way let us have a King and Princes and we shall get preferments in the Court and Places this way and therefore this is the best way we will not be satisfied with any other way but this we live in a mean low condition without this but we shall get preferments this way therefore give us a King But now that 's observable Though they thought they had agreed deal of Reason for themselves yet after they had once smarted and they found indeed that there was that oppression upon them after they had a King and these Princes more than ever they were under in their lives now was a time that Hosea could speak freely to them and say in the Name of God Where is your King and those men that you were so earnest for what good have you got For it is observable though they were never so eager upon having a King yet if you
saying Lay hold on him 12 Extream stout notwithstanding such a hand of God upon him vers 33. After this Jeroboam returned not from his evil way but made again of the people Priests for the high places 13 Slighting God and his Worship 1 King 14. 9. Thou hast cast me behind thy back 14 He did evil above all that were before him 1 Kings 14. 9. 15. He trusted to his many men and policie not regarding what is said to him about fighting against God 1 Chron. 13. 8. 12 13. 16. Though conquered before Gods Servants who relied on the Lord 1 Chron. 13. 18. so as he lost five hundred thousand men at one time yet he continued in his evil 17. For his own ends he would make use of Gods Prophets 1 King 14. 18. A man of a base spirit God threatens he will take him away as man takes away dung 1 King 14. 10. 19. His familie was such as except in one little child there was no good at all found in it 1 King 14. 13. 20. He made Israel to sin The common Epethite the Scripture gives him 21. He ruined the Kingdom by his sin 1 King 14. 16. He shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam Yet for al this he continued his reign two and twenty years 1 King 14. 20. Seing Governors are sometimes given in wrath let us pray that they be given to us in love But it follows I took them away in my displeasure As if he should say though they were evil yet I took them away to make way for worse Whence note Oppressors are taken away and greater Oppressors came in their room Cavlin thus I wil take away this Kingdom from you which I see to be an occasion of blindness to you for if it remain I shal be no body with you nor wil my word be of any Authority Obs 2. What God gives in anger never prospers Expect not therefore help from those men or things that God gives in wrath Sometimes God accepts of repentance when it is unfeigned as in Davids taking Bathshebah to wife of whom he had Solomon c. Viz. if the thing it self be good What God gives in anger cannot hold long with us Caut. yet this Kingdom of Israel continued twentie yeers Those things that begin ill prosper not usually Initium maledictum finis maledictus Calvin in loc The beginning is accursed and so is the end Thus many businesses beginning in anger end in wrath this Kingdom of Israel is an example of this from the beginning to the end But yet here also that holds the Author noted above vers 9. that no condition is so bad but there is help in God for it and if so be that the continuance in it be not with sin or the thing a sin in it self When men have enjoyed their desires in wrath a while God rends them in fury from them this is terrible indeed for as it was given in indignation All the while it was enjoyed it was abused Psal 78 30 31. While the meat was yet in their mouths the wrath of God came out against them But yet we must here Note the difference that Pareus observes That these calamities upon what God gives in displeasure are indeed wrath to his own people but in fury to his enemies When God takes away what he gave in wrath it is more wrath ofti 〈…〉 But here are two Questions 1. How we may know when God takes away and not in wrath First When the comfort or creature he takes from us began to draw the heart from God and now he seasonably takes it away with a sanctified use 2. When we can bless God and be thankful 3. When God makes it up in himself and in the comforts of his Spirit When does God take away in wrath First When 't is given in anger Secondly When he takes them away by violence in some terrible manner Psal 58. 9. Before your pots can feel the thorns he shall take them away as with a whirl wind both living and in his wrath Psal 52. 5. God shall destroy thee for ever he shall take thee away and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place and root thee out of the Land of the living Lam. 2. 6. He hath violently taken away his Tabernacle As a man that is angry snatches away what he had given Thirdly When we have most need of the comfort of it Zeph. 2. 4. I will drive out Ashdod at noon day when they should have taken the benefit of their houses for shelter and their meat for refreshment Fourthly When we murmur and complain inordinately of our affliction Fifthly When we shift and shark out for succor Sixthly When there is nothing but bitterness and only evil in the removal Seventhly When one evil makes way to another evil and none sanctified Psal 78. 50. He made way to his anger Eighthly When it carries with it the marks of special sins yea when as the sin it self deprive us of a mercie a when in emperance takes away health ambition brings into disgrace glottonie takes away the stomach greediness takes away 〈…〉 ches Rom. 11. 27. This is my Covenant with them when I shall take away their sins Ninthly When it happens according to those misgiving thoughts we have had and yet would not take warning Tenthly When it brings sin into remembrance Job 13. 26. Thou makest me to possess the sins of my youth 1 King 17. 18. Art thou come to call my sin to remembrance and to slay my son Wherefore seeing this is so fearful let us pray with David Psal 6. 1. O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chasten me in thy heavy displeasure Again note that our sin may bring us to this That whether we have our desires or whether they be taken away yet still all may be wrath Change of oppressing Government by forreign Power is a sign of wrath Gods hand in a business excuses not mans sin he can make use of mans sin to the furtherance of his ends and yet be innocent Lastly We must not judg by success of which above Thus far the Authors Notes The Supervisor to the READER THE Author was prevented by several providences from preaching the fore going Sermon for some months together insomuch as himself wondred what purpose God had in it till at last God visited him by sickness whereof he fell on sleep in the Lord His Disease was thought to be Infection but without any sore yea and as the Gentlewoman his wife hath related without any spots or tokens only there was a black setling of blood on one side of his back which she supposed might have come with a Fall from a Horse which he had taken not long before This is mentioned by occasion of some contrary reports concerning his death About the time of his imediate dissolution be lift up his
upon God in afflictions shews grace of God in any 393 Use 1 To servants which are in hard service ib. Use 2 To servants which are out of it ib. Obs 3 Love wil carry through long service 394 Obs 4 A good Wife is a great blessing of God though she have no portion ib. Obs 5 Children should not marry without their Parents consent 395 VER XIII Obs 1 None shal lose any thing by what they do for God 397 Obs 2. The shiftless estate of our Ancestors should humble us much 398 Obs 3 God works great things for his Church by smal means ib. Obs 4 It 's a great aggravation of sin to transgress against God's more than ordinary appearing for peoples good 399 Obs 5 Abuse of suth as have reference to the service of God is a great evil ib. VER XIV Obs 1. God is not angry unless he be provoked 403 Obs 2. It is only sin that provokes God 403 Obs 3 Som sins provoke God more than others 405 Obs 4 They that be wilful in sin their blood will be upon their own heads 407 Obs 5 God will be Lord let wicked men do what they can 410 CHAP. XIII VER 1. Obs 1 It 's an Honor to have respect from others when we speake 415 Vse for Inferiors ib. Obs 2 Those who are in Place of Power account it their honor that others should tremble at what they say 436 Obs 3 The subjection of the hearts of men to those in authority is a work of God 417 Obs 4 The meaner the beginnings of men are the more imperious they prove 418 Obs 5 Men of great repute and reverend respect by sin fall from their dignitie 419 Verified in Magistracy and Ministry ibid. Use For Magistrates and Ministers 421 Obs 6 Alteration in marter of Government is a hard and difficult thing 422 Obs 7 Men of resolved spirits will break through difficulties when God raiseth them up to it 423 Obs 8 If after they have gone through difficulties they rest in their own strength they shall vanish and come to nothing 423 Obs 9 Alteration in Religion is a difficult business 424 Obs 10 Men of resolute spirits will go on in matters of Religion though it be from better to worse 425 Obs 11 When God withdraws his protection from a Familie he leaves it as a dead carkass 426 Obs 12 Corruption of Worship causeth God to withdraw from a people ib. Obs 13 When wicked men are most active in their evil way then they may be under the sentence of death 427 VER II. Obs 1 Vse makes a mighty alteration in mens spirits 428 Obs 2 When destructions neerest evil men are wickedest 430 Obs 3 There 's no stop in Apostacy 431 Obs 4 Every sin against conscience weakens the work of conscience 433 Obs 5 In what degree a man fals off from God in that degree he loseth his comfort in God 434 Obs 6 When one hath sinned against God his spirit and holy duties are unsutable ib. Obs 7 The presence of God is terrible to an Apostate ib. Obs 8 What may turn an Apostates heart to God is grievous to him ib. Obs 9 One sin cannot be maintained without another 435 Obs 10 The pride of an evil mans heart is such that he will be justifying his sin ib. Obs 11 When men are grown far in an evil way they grow desperate ib. Obs 12 When men trust to their own understandings in matters of Worship God gives them up to sottishness 441 Obs 13 It 's false Worship to give Religious respect to any creature by kissing as well as bowing to it 443 Use Against such as kiss the Book when they take an Oath ib. VER III. Obs 1 The messenger of wrath drives unsetled men to misery 444 VER IV. Obs 1 It 's a great evil to sin against the work of mercy 445 Obs 2 Deliverance from Egypt is a Note of Gods being our God 446 Obs 3 The end of Gods great work is That he may be known to be God ib. Obs 4 God delights to manifest himself in a way of salvation 448 Obs 5 Saving mercies are great mercies ib. Obs 6 No creature can do us good further than God gives it leave ib. Obs 7 Our faith should be exercised on God as a Savior ib. Obs 8 We are never safe but when our peace is made with God 449 Obs 9 God is never worshiped as God but when he is worshiped as a Savior ib. VER V. Obs 1. It 's a great mercie for God to know a man in time of trouble 451 Obs 2 Gods knowing us in distress is a mighty engagement to us 452 VER VI. Obs 1 It 's better to want the comfort of the creature and to have Gods protection than to have the creature and live of our selves ib. VER VII Obs 1 The Lord pities sinful men in adversity 499 VER VIII Obs 1. The wrath of God is more dreadful than the dreadfulness of all the creatures in the world 505 VER IX Obs 1 It 's an aggravation of sin another day to be the cause of the evils we suffer 508 Obs 2 Men would put offtheir evils from themselves to God 510 Obs 3 God knows how to turn all the evils upon our selves 511 Obs 4 A man can bring himself to no misery but there 's help in God for it 519 Use Look up to God when you have done evil 520 Obs 5 Those that seek help in God and yet misery grows upon them let them examin themselves 521 Obs 6 The more God hath helped men the greater will their destruction be if they be destroyed at last 522 VER X. Obs 1 It 's a sad condition when God rules over a people in spight of their hearts 523 Obs 2 The things that carnal hearts rest upon will vanish 526 Obs 3 God loves to insult over men in their carnal confidences 526 Obs 4 It 's great confusion to carnal hearts when they shall be asked Where 's their confidences 527 Use Let us learn to seek after those things we may be able to give an account for 528 Use 2 Let not the Saints be afraid of evil men ib. Obs 5 Though God be much with a man yet if he be of a low rank carnal hearts regard him not 529. Obs 6 Men will not hear so long as they do not suffer 533 VER XI Obs 1 God may have a hand in things wherein men sin exceedingly 535 Obs 2 Things that are very evil may have present success 536 Obs 3 Gods gifts are not alwaies in love ib. Notes whether it be out of Love or Hatred 1 When we desire the gift rather than God in it 540 2 When our desires are immoderate and violent 541 3 When God grants men their desires before due time 542 4 When there comes no blessing at all with what we enjoy 543 5 When what we desire is meerly to satisfie our lusts 544 6 When men are so eager that they care not whether they have it from a
weakness or wilfulness when they were disobedient I did not make it all one whether they disobeyd through weakness or wilfulness and so I dealt with them accordingly And then Sixtly In all afflictions that was brought upon them I considered that they were but men of weak natures and could not bear much I did not lay on as if I were laying on upon an Ox or such a creature that had so much strength to bear but I considered they were men and I laid on my strokes gently considering that they had tender natures as you know the Prophet speaks in Isa 57. 16. I will not contend for ever lest the spirit that I have made should fail before me The Lord looks upon the weaknesses of his people and therefore will not contend lest their spirits should fail before him Seventhly In their afflictions I was sensible of their afflictions as well as themselves so you know what the Lord saith In all their afflictions I was afflicted I was sensible so as a tender Father or wise Master if he doth strike the child or servant the very blows in a manner will be as sensible to him as to them but it is not so with you when you strike a beast So saith God I did not afflict them but it went to my very heart and I was afflicted as well as they Thirdly I drew them with the Cords of a man that is in an honorable way so as that honor and respect that was any way due to such a creature or that was sutable to such a creature it was preserved First My Instructions was ever more than my blows I never struck more blows than I gave them Instructions if I struck them one blow I gave them twentie fourtie instructions to one blow When you have children or servants and perhaps you will give them fourty blows to one instruction you deal with them not like men but like beasts That 's the first It 's a dishonor to mankind for any Superior to give more blows than instructions but I dealt with them like men sutable to that respect that is in a kind due to humane Nature Secondly Whatsoever spark of ingenuity remained in them I took care to preserve it that 's the second thing If there were but a spark of ingenuitie in any of them I took great care to preserve that ingenuitie and not to quench that spark in all my dealings towards them Thirdly I aim'd at their good as well as mine own as well as my glory there 's many Scriptures that way you do not do so when you strike beasts you do not consider of the good of the beast but at the benefit that you should have that he may further your work But now when you come to strike men you must look at their good as well as at your own good there 's no parent must strike the child but must look at the benefit of the child rather than to satisfie his humor When you strike meerly for your own advantage without aiming at the good of those you strike you deal not with them like men but like beasts Fourthly I did never any thing towards them but so as they might have hope still preserved in them of being reconciled to me upon their coming in though they deserved never so much and I seemed to come against them the most harshly yet I never so came against them but there was hope preserved that at any time of their coming in and repenting I would be reconciled to them this is to deal with them like men when you deal with any that offend you parents or Governors never be so harsh but though they be very evil there must be preserved som hope that upon their coming in they be reconciled to you Fiftly I was careful to maintain their honor as my people that is in all my dealings with them though they were hard somtimes to flesh and blood yet I put a difference between them and other people other people were to me in comparison but as dogs as it were but these as men and as free men in Jer. 2. 14. Is Israel a Servant is he a home born Slave why is he spoiled What Israel a servant a home-born Slave no he must be look'd upon as a free man So in Isa 27. 7. hath he smitten him as he smot those that smit him No I look upon them with some different respect and as men and as Free-men and deal with them so Sixtly Whensoever they began to return I met them half way I did not stand it out to the uttermost to discourage their hearts but I met them half way in all their returnings And did not God deal honorably with them Indeed if you would deal in a contemptuous way with another that hath offended you will say Let them wait yea but if we will deal with another in an honorable way if we see him but in coming a far off we will run and meet him as the father of the prodigal did so saith God I did not deal with them in a contemptuous way but I drew them with the cords of a man and in an honorable way I dealt with them Thus you have this expression opened I drew them with the cords of a man Now there are divers Observations from hence The first is That the waies of God are very rational so that they may draw any man of understanding to love them If mans nature were not degenerated were it that we did but stand right in regard of our principle of Reason it were impossible but the waies of God should draw us at least to an outward obedience to them there 's no reason in your waies but there 's reason in Gods waies and therfore if you had but the hearts of men though you had not the hearts of Saints yet to approve of Gods waies at least and for an outward conformity to them you might be drawn if men were not besotted with their lusts certainly they would never be so confident in their sinful waies as they are if men did but bethink themselves of the way of God Saith Solomon When thy people are carried away captive and shall bethink themselves there is so much reason in Gods waies that if one did but bethink himself Saith David I considered my waies and turned my feet unto thy testimonies Oh! it 's a great mercy to have a considering heart and it 's a great judgment of God to leave men and women to a slight and vain spirit not to weigh and ponder things most people are led on in a continued hurry of passion like to the Horse in the Battel and no man saith What have I done Oh! couldest thou but have so much power over thy passion and the violence of thy lusts as to get alone and weigh Gods waies surely thou couldest not but be convinc'd that the waies of God are
Sun as the Sun is high above a piece of earth But now this we may know let there be never such excellent Creatures made they cannot have a greater fruit of love than mankind hath from God Oh! this is the love of God to mankind this cals aloud to the children of men to love God here 's a fruit of love beyond that which is to Angels for the Lord took not upon him the Nature of Angels but the Nature of man Fifthly God so loved his people as he hath given himself too as well as his Son Not only given the Second Person in Trinity but Himself He doth not think enough to give Heaven and Earth to thee to be thy Portion but he will make Himself to be thy portion he will be thy God You would think it a great matter if God should say Well all this world I will give to be thy portion yea that I might give a testimony that I love thee I will make another world for thy sake and make thee the Emperor of it all but in that God hath given thee his Son and given thee Himself this is a greater degree of Love and the soul of man were it enlarged indeed so as it might be yea so as grace doth enlarge the hearts of the Saints such a soul would say Lord what will thou give me if thou givest me not thy Son if thou givest me not thy Self though I be less than the least of thy mercies yet except I have thy self to be my protion this is not sufficient for me Well saith God That thou maiest know that my heart is set upon thee for good I 'le give thee my Son I 'le give thee my self and my Spirit Oh! what love is this to the children of men that ever we should live to have our ears filled with this sound from Heaven that God should do such things as these are for the children of men Sixthly God doth so love his people as in comparison of his Saints he cares not what becomes of all the world in Isa 43. 4. I loved thee therefore will I give men for thee and people for thy life If thy case be so that it shall not be well with thee without great evils that shall come upon the children of men the generality of men and many people and Nations I do not so much care for them saith God my heart is upon you so as in comparison of you I care not what becomes of all the world Oh the Love of God unto his Saints Yea further God hath loved thee so as he hath pardoned all thy sins here 's another twist of Gods Love in Rev. 1. 5. Vnto him that hath loved us and washed us from our sins by his own blood For his giving himself for us that is in Gal. 2. 20. He hath loved us and washed us from our sins by his own blood here 's a fruit of Love You do not hear it said that Christ hath loved us and hath purchased great Kingdoms for us hath made you Lords and Earls and Countesses and so hath loved you no But he hath loved us and washed us from our sins by his blood Now it 's a good argument that the Love of God is upon you if you account this to be a great fruit of Love to wash you from your sins by the blood of Jesus Christ Surely if he will do so much for you as shall cost him so dear as his own blood he loves you the Love Jesus Christ broke through these difficulties for when there were such transactions between the Father and Son about redeeming the Soul saith God If thou wilt take upon thee to deliver them from their sin thou must come thy self and be made a Curse for their sins What will you undertake such a thing as that to deliver them from their sin it will cost you thus much Saith Jesus Christ Lord thy will be done in it yet let me deliver them from their sin though I lose my life though it cost me my blood though I be made a Curse whatsoever it cost me yet let their sins be washed from them He hath washed us from our sins though it cost him his blood Oh! the Love of Christ to his Saints what Bonds of Love have we here I have seen some that they may twist and bind their cords the more fast they will wet them that so they may close and bind the more Oh the Cords of the Love of Jesus Christ are wet with his own blood Again Loved thee surely his Love hath been great he hath put loveliness upon thee he hath put upon thee his own Nature If one can say any thing greater than hath been said this one would think should be very high and great tor God so love us as to put his own Nature into us to make us partaker of the Divine Nature so to love us as to put his own Life into us to enable us to live the very same life that himself doth live so to love us as to put his own Image upon us Oh! this is the Love of God to his Saints Again He loves thee with the very same Love wherewith he loves Jesus Christ himself In John 17. about the latter end That thou maiest love them with the same Love wherewith thou hast loved me saith Christ to the Father Oh! to have the same Love that the Father loves Christ withal Is not this a strong Bond to bind thy heart to God If God had loved thee only so as to give thee an estate and honors here in this world this is no other love but that the Reprobate may have and will this Love satisfie thee Oh! the difference between the Love of God to his Saints and the Love of God to other men he loves the great ones of the world that are wicked with no other love but with the love that he loves a Reprobate but he loves the Saints with the same Love wherewith he loves his Son and this Love will bring thee one day to be one with the Father and the Son and is not here a strong Bond of Love to gain thy heaâ—t to Himself And further from this it must needs be that the Lord must delight in Communion with his Saints and indeed God doth all this for his Saints puts the Divine Nature into them and the Life of God and sets so much Love upon them why that he might have a people to enjoy everlasting Communion with him saith God I would fain have some Creatures that might live with me to enjoy communion with me that might live to see my face and see all the Glory that I intend to manifest to all eternity Oh blessed God! hast not thou the Angels that are with thee to enjoy thy Glory to have communion with thee no saith God but I would have these poor creatures that are so low and mean in the
now I 'le work thus miraculously to deliver you from that servility that you were under and now you shall keep this Service Oh my service is a great deal better than the service under your Enemies And indeed this should be the use we were slaves to our Adversaries let us be willing now seeing we are free men to be servants of Jesus Christ and to take his yoke but the growing wanton upon the taking off our yoke is a great aggravation of Sin But further As it is a very great evil to grow wanton when we are delivered from our yokes so certainly to oppress one another after we are delivered from oppression must needs be a great evil likewise In Deut. 28. 48. but that belongs to the former Note that we should serve God with the strength that before was spent in serving our Enemies Because thou servedst not the Lord with joyfulness and gladness of heart therefore shalt thou serve thine Enemies which the Lord shall send against thee in hunger and in thirst and in nakedness and in want of all things and he shall put a yoke of Iron upon thy neck until he have destroyed thee But surely If this be a mercy that we should bless God for That we are delivered from the yokes of men and the abuse of it in our wantonness be great Then this must needs be greater That we should fall upon laying yokes one upon another If it be the mercy of God to take off your yokes we should seek to take off yokes from our Brethren and to make their waies to be as easie to them as possibly we can not to seek waies to pinch their consciences Conscience oppression of all oppâ—ssions is the worst There was heretofore a generation of men who studied what would pinch conscience most and that that they found would most pinch conscience that they would urge to the uttermost upon men this was devilish I hope we have not many so vile as these were But you should consider what though such and such opinions and waies will serve my turn will they not be burdens to others Well but though they be burdens if they be truths why should they not be urged Nay Suppose they be truths yet except they be necessary let not men be instrumental in imposing them upon them If there be a necessity then there 's no plea but some men are so happy if I may so call it as that they have a latitude in their judgements that which way soever the times turn they can find out a distinction to help themselves that so their fair necks should never come under a yoke so it fals out that alwaies their judgments sutes with the times I will not condemn these men for possibly it may be God gives them to see further than others do but yet by this they have ease but now were these men ingenuous they should consider their brethren thus I have a Latitude and I could go along with the countenance of the times as they were before the former times and now the times are changed I can go in these times too But some others whom I have reason to judge as faithful as gracious as my self they have no such latitude it falls out unhappily for them for in former times their judgments could not suffer them to do what was enjoyned them they were fain to suffer and to be deprived of estates and livings and whatsoever they had well now the times are changed it falls out so that their judgments cannot sute now neither with these times and yet surely it is not through frowardness nor through perversness for take these men in all things else I find them as consciencious as spiritual as my self Alas must they now suffer and shal I ad to their afflictions shall my hand be used to lay the yoke on them to press it hard God forbid I 'le rather study though I will not bauk any truth I 'le stand to defend what ever I am perswaded in my conscience is a truth yet I 'le study what possibly I can to ease them and to make their lives as comfortable to them as I can I know God hath given them ability and hearts to do him service and it may be as much as I Oh! why should they be hindered and discouraged in their work I 'le study what latitude there may be for them This were somewhat like Oh! this were ingenuity indeed this would savor of a good spirit indeed This would be a good testimony of your thankfulness unto God for breaking off the yokes that were upon you My brethren when our yokes are taken away or lifted up we must have regard to others as well as our selves and not think or say let them bear let their necks bear Oh no what are our necks more than theirs If God pities his people and will lift up the yoke let us do what we can to put under our hand although we bear somewhat our selves Some men they glory in imposing upon others but it is the Glory of God to take off the yoke from the Jaws of others and from their necks that 's his Glory 't is not such a glorious thing to lay yokes upon others but the glory is in lifting up the yoke from them Christ professes his yoke is easie his burden light Oh! let not ours be hard and heavy then If Christs be easie and especially in these daies of our Fasting and Prayer Oh! let us be verie careful to lift up the yoke from our brethren as much as possibly we can without sin Isa 58. 6. Is not this the Fast saith God that I have chosen To loose the bonds of wickedness to undo the heavy burdens and to let the oppressed go free and that ye break every yoke Is not this the fast that I have chosen that ye break everie yoke c. and in the 9. verse Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer Thou shalt cry and he shall say Here I am If thou take from the midst of thee the yoke Still mark how God urges this when you come to fast Is this the Fast that I require to do thus and thus no saith he but to undo the burden and to let the oppressed go free to break every yoke and again if you shall do so Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer thou shalt cry and be shall say Here I am God stands much upon this in the daies of our fasting that we lay no burdens and yokes upon our brethren but that we do possibly what we can to take off yokes that we may be able to appeal to God Lord thou knowest that I do what possibly I can and I pray that thou wouldest direct me to do any thing to make the lives of those that I beleeve to be faithful and consciencious to be comfortable to them This is not to let liberty to all licentiousness and
then the several Doctrinal Notes from them First How shall I give thee up Ephraim Or as some others reade it What shall I do to thee I am as it were at a stand what to do as the Father that hath the rod in his hand comes to correct and lets the rod fall out of his hand his affections work so strongly What shall I do As if God should say Oh! were there but any repentings were they but ever so little I would be glad of it I would take any little repentings could I but tell how to vindicate mine honor any other way I would do it Oh! what shall I do It is your foolish wilful stubornness going on in such a vile finful way that puts God to such a stand What shall I do God seems here to have his heart troubled in him much like that in Exod. 33. 5. when God was offended with the people there saith he Put off thine ornaments that I may know what to do with thee It 's a strange expression as if he should say come and fast and pray put off your ornaments and humble your selves before me that I may know what to do to you Oh! why may there not be some hope put off your ornaments if there be but any repentings and turning to me Or if you take it as it is in your books How shall I give thee up Then the scope is thus Thou art upon the very brink of destruction wrath and miserie it is prepared for thee thou art in the very mouth of ruin It 's nothing but only a giving thee up and thou art undone wrath and miserie stand waiting only for my giving thee up Oh! but how shall I do it I see thee upon the very brink of ruin thy very neck upon the block and thou now waitest for my giving up but I cannot tell how to find in my heart How shall I do it How shall I give thee up Ephraim Oh! here was a strong argument that mov'd the bowels of God Ephraim if thou wert indeed the refuse of the world I would not so much care for many thousand of them but thou art Ephraim Thou art my deer child Ephraim my deer son you know what God saith in Jer. 31. about the 18. verse How shall I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Israel As if he should say Justice calls for thee that I would deliver thee up to him thou art call'd for to be delivered up to Justice Justice plead that thou art her due but How shall I do it How shall I do it How shall I deliver thee It goes much against me to do it The Septuagint they turn the words How shall I protect thee So the old Latin And the mistake comes from a little difference in the Hebrew word so that the same radical letters in the Hebrew word that is for delivering signifies a Shield likewise To protect as with a shield And therefore they translate it so How shall I protect thee but that comes to the same thus How shall I protect such a one as thou art How shall it be for mine honor that thou shouldest be under my protection Men indeed do abuse their power they have to give protection to others you know there hath been a great abuse since the Parliament begun by protections that have been given to others but saith he How shall I do it that is I who am a holy and infinite God how shall I protect such a one as thou art How shall I protect thee Israel Israel here 's another argument indeed Israel I remember thy Father I remember that mighty Prince who wrastled with me and prevail'd and I account it my glory to be the glory of Israel and his seed What art thou the posterity of Israel of such a one so deer to me and such a Prince that heretofore prevail'd with me in prayer What art thou his posterity Oh! how shall I deliver thee up Israel Oh when God looks upon them he sees them sinful and wretched but when he looks upon what they were in reference to their forefathers How shall I give thee up Israel How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim Admah and Zeboim they were the names of two Cities that were two of the five Cities that were together with Sodom and Gomorah now four of these five Cities were destroyed by fire from Heaven for the wickedness of them and one of them only was spar'd for Lot's sake But this Admah and Zeboim were two of the Cities that the judgments of God was most terrible upon the Apostle Jude in his Epistle the 7. verse saith That they did suffer the vengance of eternal fire Now saith God here The truth is you have provoked me as much as Admah and Zeboim have done their sins were not greater than yours and there is as great wrath that belongs to you as to them but oh how shall I do it how shall I make thee as Admah and Zeboim how is it possible for me to find in my heart to yeeld to do it Hierom upon the place doth move this Question Why doth he mention Admah and Zeboim and not Sodom and Gomorah The Answer that he gives is this That Judab those Tribes they are compared in their sin to Sodom and Gomorah in Isa 1. and Ezek 16 for Judah had more means than Israel had Judah had the Temple with them and therefore their sin was the more aggravated Sodom and Gomorah they were the chief sinners and Admah and Zeboim they did but as it were follow them so he And by following their example they came to inwrap themselves in the same Judgments but yet altogether their sin was not like Sodoms and Gomorahs therefore Judah that had more means is compared to Sodom and Gomorah and the ten Tribes to Admah and Zeboim My heart is turned within me Luther hath a Note upon this according to his usual way in expressing the Grace of God to the height saith he 'T is as if it were that the heart that 's stir'd with anger for the sins of men were not the true heart of God and therefore saith he My heart is turned to me mine own heart now I have my own heart indeed when I have thoughts of peace when I had thoughts of wrath that was not as it were mine own heart sutable to that expression we have in Scripture That God calls his execution of Jugment his strange work So that 's Gods own heart that is affected with our evil and that doth even turn with mercie towards us so mine heart is come to me saith God as if it were gone before But My heart is turned within me The meaning is this As when a mans heart is much affected in love and compassion there 's the working of the Spirits and blood round about the heart and mighty motions and stirrings in the heart So saith
As Joseph you know it was his reasoning when he had as fit an opportunity to fin as almost a man could have had with his Mistris yet presently comes there this reasoning in his heart How shal I do this and fin against God Oh! there is reason it should be so with us when God hath fit opportunities to destroy us there comes the reasoning of Gods mercy into his heart so when we have our temptations to sin there should com these reasonings into our hearts Oh! how shall I do this and sin against the Lord our God Let us present al these reasonings to our souls Men wil gather reasonings for their sin and so we should gather al the reasons that possibly we can against our sins It were well my brethren if men after they have sinned would say Oh what have I done But it 's better if men before they have sinned would say How shall I do it Oh! certainly our mind are very barren that we have not upon every occasion when a temptation comes reasonings to move us against it Indeed after a sin is committed men then can think of this reasoning and the other reasoning Oh! if God should thus deal with us First deliver us up and and destroy us and then God should think of this and that what might have been to have preserved us it would have been ill for us therfore God just when the danger comes for our ruin then he thinks of all that might keep off ruin from us And so when the temptation to a sin comes then should we think of all things that might keep us from this sin How shall I give thee up Ephraim c. The last Exercise we opened unto you this verse and made some Observations from it to proceed now The next Note is this It is not the Image of God in any man to be prone to wrath to delight in wrath to be sudden in the execution of anger when God comes to execute anger he cannot do it but he must have a how shall I do it before he doth it he must make a stop proneness to anger suddenness to let out wrath it is not the Image of God in any man or woman When any of you are about to do any thing especially against your Brethren against those that you have relation to be not over passionate reason the Case first in thine own heart How shall I do this True I think such and such they are in the wrong but what good will come of it if I do thus and thus Are they not those that I have had sweet converse with and experience of their godliness would it not be more for the honor of God if I did forbear will any good come to the publick shall not I rather serve the designs of the enemies with such sharpness and bitterness will they not laugh and scorn at Religion Oh! How shall I do this Oh! when we have workings in our own thoughts as bitter as gall if before we vent them we would but put this to our selves how shall I do this with presenting all the arguments that possibly we can to stop it much good would come of it Yea Ministers when they are to preach when they have prepared to deliver something yet if there will be any tartness in it they should think how should I do this what may come of it I may vent my self but what good may come of it what glory to God what good to the Church We should make many pauses and many stops to our anger As somtimes when you are traveling abroad in the Country you come upon some steep hill you shall find that the Country men they lay here and there in several places something to stop the Current of the water for otherwise it would gore too much if it should run down swiftly but when it hath some stop it doth not do so much hurt Oh! how doth the anger of men gore deep why because it runs headily and violently down and it hath nothing to stop it Men in anger they are very full of thoughts and resolutions and continually all the reasonings of the hearts of men and women in their anger tend to nothing else but to heat their hearts more all their thoughts work that way till their hearts are made fiery hot and so they burst out and cannot stay they muse upon nothing else but that that may further their anger and displeasure And those that are barren enough in their thoughts otherwise yet are very quick in invention and wittie for the letting out of anger and wrath But this would be your wisdom had you the Image of God prevailing in you when you find anger stirring in your bosom you would rather muster up reasons that may allay your anger that may qualifie it you would muse upon those things that may serve to be a stop to it for the present as God doth here Oh! did men but do so say How shall I do this what peace and quiet might we have among us A Ninth Observation is this you see when God though he threatned very sorely and charges deeply yet How shall I do this He reasons in his own heart for waies of mercy towards his people The Note from it is this Here we have encouragement plentiful encouragement to come to God in prayer in seeking mercy notwithstanding our wretchedness and sinfulness yea encouragement for beleeving This Scripture may be a mighty help to faith in our prayers seeking of our resting upon God as thus What doth God find it hard to him to execute wrath doth God muster up all arguments that may be to stop his anger and how he may manifest goodness and mercy why then if thou hast any arguments to plead with God for mercy thou mayest come up with boldness and freedom to him he is ready to receive it for thou bringest unto him that which is exceedingly sutable to him sutable to his very heart thou bringest matter to him that is agreeable to what his heart is set upon what doest thou apprehend the displeasure of God out against thee or against the Land where God hath any relation hast thou any arguments at all in prayer to plead with God For so God gives his Creature leave to plead with him as if he were a man Oh! come I say with a free spirit come cheerfully come with encouragement for thou comest now to do that which Gods heart is full of If so be that a man could know the thoughts of other men know what thoughts their spirits are most full of and could come at that time and suggest thoughts unto them sutable to what their thoughts are upon what entertainment would they have why surely when poor sinners if they be penitent sinners shall come to God and suggest any arguments for mercy I say thou doest suggest that which the heart of God was full of and exceedingly sutable to it The same
Lord long-suffering and of great mercy forgiving iniquity and transgression c why now Lord manifest thy glory now Lord shew thy self to be a glorious God in doing what mark in the 19. verse Pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people That 's the glory that God should shew forth and manifest his power in it one would rather think that the power of God should rather be manifest in the destruction of sinners no the power of God is manifest in Mercie as well as in miserie and destruction And we find that those that come up neerest to God they are the most loving and gracious merciful hearts yet if they do but come neer to God so as possibly natural men may to have but any magnanimitie that 's a little neerer to God than a base sordid spirit the magnanimousness of of any mans spirit appears in his love and forbearance and meekness and gentleness for so we know the Heathens could say The greater any one is the more placable is his anger a generous mind not easily mov'd and so he compares the Lyon and Bears and Wolves 〈…〉 the Lyon is a magnanimous Creature therefore saith the Heathen it 's enough for to fall down before a magnanimous Lyon but for Wolves and Bears they insult over those that falls down before them So those that have the most magnanimous spirits have the most patient spirits and forgiving spirits and pardoning spirits This is as cross a Note unto a carnal heart almost as any thing I mean to one that gives way to the lusts of his passion for he thinks himself only magnanimous when he can vent his anger and were it not for the thought that he thinks he should be a fool he would forbear his anger it is not thy honor but it makes thee base in the eyes of thy servants children and wife when thou comest into thy house like a mad fool it makes them look upon thee and despise thee when they see thee thus drunken in thy passion Secondly Such are the provocations of God caused by sin that if God were like to you sinners could not be forborn as if God should say The truth is your sins were such as were not I a God it were impossible that I could bear for so it is though we think not of it the evil of sin is so great that if all the patience that were in all the men that ever was since the world began were put into one man if he knew the great evil that there is in sin he would destroy the world he would not bear if his heart were but holy as here God saith himself Thirdly It 's a good way to exercise saith in Gods mercy to look upon God as a God beyond us beyond any creature for so this is therefore exprelled to the end that the people of God might exercise faith in beholding God as a God that 's the way to help thee in thy faith wouldest thou exercise faith upon God look upon him as a God 〈…〉 do not conceive him to be as a man It 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 upon him somtimes as a compassion at man is a litle help 〈◊〉 that will not do it I suppose it would help a little some that are here suppose this Thou hadest to deal with the most merciful man that ever liv'd upon the face of the earth wouldest not thou hope then that thou mightest be sav'd if he had the dispose of thy eternal estate suppose there were a Judg that had the most relenting heart that ever was in the world and all relentings that ever were in all mens hearts were in him if this Judg had the dispose of thy eternal estate would it not help thee to know thou hast to deal with one that is infinitely above that Judg That Judg were a cruel Tyrant and Tyger in comparison of this God God is God and not man he is infinitely above man in the waies of his mercy We many times with looking upon God as our selves it makes us bold in sin first and afterwards it makes us despair in sin as thus in Psal 50. 21. Thou thoughtest I was like to thy self saith God there that is because I was patient and long-suffering towards thee thou thoughtest I was like unto a man and a man though he be a little offended you think you may please him again and so you thought I was like to your selves therefore you go on in your sins So the Devil first makes us look upon God like our selves and so we think that God hath no greater hatred to sin than we have but then turn the other side when we have once committed the sin when the Devil would tempt to despair then he makes us look to God like to our selves that 's thus I find that I could not forgive such an one if he had wronged me in such a manner and therefore they look upon God like a man nay like a corrupt man Oh! what a dishonor is this to God that because thou thy self hast a froward perverse cruel heart that thou canst not forgive therefore thou lookest upon God as if it were as hard for him to forgive as for thee My Brethren the looking upon God as a God it would help against many discouraging thoughts in poor sinners as first thus My sins are very great Men will forgive little offences but God is a God and not man and therefore great mercies are little in comparison to him A second discouraging thought is I have sinned against many offers of mercy but God is God and not a man and Gods mercy is such as brings in men that have refused the offers of Mercy And then Thirdly None is so sinful as I but God is a God and not a man and therefore he is above thee in the waies of his mercie God hath more mercy yet than ever he did manifest to any one creature in the world and though I be the vilest of all sinners yet let me look upon God as a God and not a man Fourthly I am unworthy saith the sinner of any mercy from God Indeed if you had to deal with a man it might hinder but God is a God and not a man therefore 't is not unworthiness that hinders mercy in God it is that mercy pleases him Yea But I am like to be of no use to God It 's true if you were to deal with a man he might not be pleased but God stands in no need of you or any of his creatures for he is a God and not man thou doest not honor God as a God if thou doest not cast thy soul upon his mercy as the mercy of a God If I put this unto thee I hope the glory of it will be so great as will keep it from being abused What doest thou think thy condition is grievous but doest thou think that such mercy would not serve the turn as
deliver them from violence and wrong 2 Sam. 7. 10. Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel and I will plant them that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more It 's a good work to be instrumental in this that those who live godlily and are peaceable may abide quietly in their houses and not be tossed up and down because they cannot beleeve or practice what others do This tossing such up down though it may be from a zeal for Christ yet Christ will never own it Those who walk after the Lord shall be placed in their houses They were willing to leave their houses that they might follow him and now God places them in them Trust God with your houses Resolve to follow the Lord whithersoever he goes he hath time to place his people in their houses when others who dared not trust God shal wander in darkness Saith the Lord. This must be the work of the Lord it 's only He can do it That mercy that comes beyond all means it 's the sweetest mercy No matter what the means be whether any or no so be it you have a Word of God for the thing VER 12. Ephraim compasseth me about with lyes and the house of Israel with deceit THe Lord having manifested the bowele of his tender compassion towards Ephraim the ten Tribes he comes further to shew what was that that stopt the way and course of his grace of the grace that otherwise might have been let out unto them Ephraim compasseth me about with lyes Besets me with lyes that 's the word be besets me round I am in respect of the sin of Ephraim that is of the Governors and of the house of Israel that is the People I am as it were a man beset round As a men that would have a passage such a way he goes one way and there he is stopt and another way and there he is stopt so God compares himself to such a man as if he would be going on in the waies of mercy there he is stop◠in one co 〈…〉 of sin or another and going on in another way there 〈◊〉 is stopt again Ephraim hath beset me with lyes that is with false wor ship for that 's a lye with Pretences they put fair Glosses upon things but all are but lyes he hath beset me with politick shifts of his own These did beset God yea and beset the Prophet too for so I find some turn it they think it 's spoken as in the person of the Prophet the Prophet complaining that he was beset with lies that they might prejudice his Ministry that they might do what they could to take off the power of his Ministry in their hearts they beset him with lyes with false reports of this and the other thing Upon which one hath that Note A faithful Divine a Preacher is nothing else but as it were a Center to which all lyes of falsehood do tend they all go that way 't is a great plot of the Devil to draw his lines and to let them make the Ministers of God that God uses as any Instruments of good unto his people to be as the Center of them all Thus Meisnerus in his Comment upon the place But I rather take it as spoken in the Name and Person of God Beset me with lyes i. e. They do not only seek to blind men but they would do what they could if it were possible to deceive me saith God And indeed when men seek to blind their own consciences what do they but seek what they can if it were possible to deceive God In the very act of Worship saith God they are false they do profess honor and service to God but they lye unto him even when they are worshiping of Him Many in their prayers in the solemn act of Worship they beset God with lyes Oh! how do many come into the presence of God when they are worshiping of him and there profess to God the acknowledgment of his Greatness his Glory his Majesty his Power his Sovereignity his Dominion over them and profess a great deal of the fear of the Name of God! and yet God knows it is not in their hearts it is but as a lye to God when they are worshiping God there they acknowledg their sin and judg themselves for their sin as if they were very much humbled and troubled for their sin but God knows that this is but a lye to him there is no such humiliation of their hearts before him as seems to be in their expressions before God especially when they are in company they cry to God for grace and would fain above all things in the world have his Grace but God knows 't is but a lye all their prayers are even besetting God with lyes Oh! Consider how far any of you have been guilty of this especially in praying with others according to that Scripture Psal 78. 36. They flattered him with their mouth and lyed unto him with their tongue The word that is translated flattered it signifies deceived They deceived him with their mouth Why Can God be deceived No But they did what lay in them to deceive him if it were possible that he should be deceived they would deceive God No mervail though men do deceive men so much as they do many that are of upright hearts they wonder when they hear of the falsness of mens spirits that they can be so No mervail I say when as God himself complains of being deceived by them that is They are so false and do so beset God with lyes that if it were possible he himself should be deceived That 's the first Note And then Secondly As it was here with this people besetting God with lyes Thus many do compass and beset businesses the businesses and affairs that they mannage they beset them with lyes that 's thus They plot with themselves how they may handsomly contrive a company of lyes together by a handsom putting of them together that so they may beset mens unsterstandings there is such a cunning abroad in the world I say to seek to beset the understandings of men so as men shall not know what to say to things and yet they cannot tel how to beleeve them neither do they know what to say things are so contriv'd and so set they think with themselves If such a thing shall be questioned then I have such a shift to put it off and if another thing shal be doubted of then I have such a report to make it good some fair pretence or other And thus they beset businesses with lyes and beset mens understandings But Judah yet ruleth with God and is faithful with the Saints This of Judahs ruling with God Luther Meisnerus and others do think that it hath reference unto the story that you find in 2 King 18. the
will punish Jacob according to his waies according to his doings will he recompence him THis Verse I shal presently pass over But the first part is very observable Calvin saith of it It 's a wonderful thing Did not God say That Judah rules with God and is faithful with the Saints and now saith He hath a Controversie with Judah I find some therefore would reconcile it thus and say The Lord hath a Controversie FOR Judah but that 's a little strain'd But the Lord hath a Controversie WITH Judah And there may be Four Reasons why after God had said That Judah rules with God and is faithful with the Saints that he saith He hath a Controversie with Judah The First Reason is this To shew that God doth not so look at the good of his People but he sees the evil in them too You know those passages in the 2d of Revelations where God commends such and such Churches for doing thus and thus but yet notwithsthnding I have a few things against thee I do not so observe your good but I observe your evil too My Brethren some there are that if there be any evil in men they can see no good in them this is wicked But others there are that if there be any good in them can see no evil this is too much indulgence too it is two extremities in both Secondly Yet God hath a controversie with Judah Judah hath no cause to bless her self in her waies that are good because she retain'd the true Worship of God Men are very apt to bless themselves in some waies that are not good because they did chuse some other waies that are good I mean thus That such men as imbrace the true Worship of God are right there they will have pure Ordinances and the way of God right according to the Word and because of that though there be some loosness and negligence in their waies otherwaies yet they put off conscience with this and think they are the true Worshipers of God and have the Ordinances of God in the purity and power of them and so think to swallow down all much loosness much carnality much pride much sensualness much hypocrisie and yet because they are in the way of the true Worship of God they seek to satisfie conscience with this Oh! take heed of this God may have a Controversie against you Thirdly The Lord hath a Controversie with Judah he doth express himself thus that Israel might neither think God or the Prophet partial The ten Tribes might say Doth God threaten us Is not Judah as bad as we are there not evils among Judah as well as us are we only the sinful people No saith the Prophet I acknowledg there 's much evil in Judah and therefore the Lord hath a Controversie against Judah too and Judah is not like to escape and let not this satisfie you that because others are bad therefore you may escape no they are bad and God hath a Controversie against them And this may be an useful Note to us men are very ready to put off the evils that they are guilty of with this I am not worse than others I do such a thing amiss and others do such a thing amiss as well as I and so they think to escape that way Oh! thou weak man thou vain man why wilt thou deceive thy soul with this Doest thou think that another mans evil may be an excuse to thy evil Thou art a vain man and knowest not the way of God The Fourth Note is this Therefore doth God say he hath a Controversie against Judah here to shew them how much more must the ten Tribes expect the displeasure of God If Judah who retains the true Worship of God yet for some other evils God hath a Controversie against them then what will become of Israel who have those evils and reject the true Worship of God too As if the Prophet should say your condition is far worse therefore doth the Lord say he hath a Controversie against Judah that he might aggravate the evils of Israel like that of Peter If Judgment begin at the House of God where shall the wicked and the sinner appear If so be that the Church which have the Ordinances in the purity of them yet God is displeased with them for their sin how much more will he be displeased with them who are corrupt in the Worship of God Therefore men should not bless themselves with such discourse as this Why others have evils as well as we yea but if God will punish them for their evils that have sewer and a great deal more good than thou how much more will he punish thee Oh! if those that are the dear Saints of God that worship him in truth and sincerity and they have evils among them but yet they shall not escape scot-free Oh! then what will become of thee who art a wicked and vile wretch and hast no good at all If a Moses that had done God so much service yet for one sin of passion for so it was was shut out of the Land of Cannan it was but one time that he spake unadvisedly with his lips that God shut him out and bid him speak no more to him of that matter what will become of thee that hast a passionate froward spirit and thou that never hast nor wilt do God the service that such a Servant of his hath done what will become of t 〈…〉 Oh! how â—ayest thou look to be shut out This use you must make of the sins of others and Gods dealings with them And saith he I will punish Jacob according to his waies c. There is Two Questions necessarie for the opening of this First Why the ten Tribes are call'd by the name of Jacob we never reade that they are call'd by the name of Isaac and of Abraham Now for the Answer to that it 's given thus which is a very satisfying Answer That therefore the People of God are call'd in Scripture by the name of Jacob and by the name of Israel his other name rather than by the name of Abraham and Isaac because they though godly and were the Father and Grand-father yet in Abrahams family there was wicked aswel as good likewise from Isaac's loins there came Esau aswel as Jacob but now from Jacobs loyns there came none but were of Gods Church all Jacobs Sons they are the twelve Patriarchs and therefore they are call'd by the name of Jacob rather than Abraham or Isaac and therefore when he speaks of the People of God he calls them the seed of Jacob I said not to the seed of Jacob seek ye me in vain But then Secondly Why is Jacob mentioned in this place Because the Prophet intends presently in the words that follow to bring the example of Jacob to them before he was Israel to aggravate their sin for the work of humiliation and
with in a journy or business that God set him about he had an express command of God to go and a promise of God that he would be with him in the journy it would ask some time to shew the many hard things that Jacob met withal in the journy but among other of the hard things that he met with this was a very sad one that being to go by the Land of Seer the Country of Edom where his brother Esau liv'd he sent messengers before him not being altogether without some fear that the old grudg that was in the heart of his brother still remain'd and that his brother might now have an opportunity for to satisfie his desire upon him and according as he fear'd he found it for having sent messengers to his brother they reurn again to him and bring him word that his brother was coming against him with four hundred men in a hostile way so manifesting by the manner of his coming that he did intend mischief against Iacob in Gen. 32. 6. and now upon this the heart of Iacob was much distressed so the text saith That Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed vehemently afraid and great straits was upon his spirit now being in so great straights Iacob seeks to provide for himself he did not presently conclude and say we are utterly undone but he would see what could be done so though he knew the sury of his brother yet if it were possible but to save some part of his company he would do it and so he divides them in the way of prudence as might be the best way that he conceived for the safety of any of them but though he dealt in a way of prudence for safety yet That he trusted not to but seeks unto the Lord he would go to prayer in so great a straight and extremity that he was in for so in verse 24 he had been at prayer and there he was found alone which cannot be interpreted to no purpose but that he might be waiting upon God to know his mind and to seek God And when he was alone there appeared to him in the form of a man that came out against him as an enemy and as though he would destroy him not only Esau his brother came out to destroy him but there comes out one wrastling against him as though he intended to destroy him likewise and this man that did appear as a man the truth is was no other than God himself it was Jesus Christ and so he is call'd an Angel That it was Christ appearing in the form of a man there taking humane shape it 's cleer from verse 5. for he is call'd Jehovah and the Lord of Host and you shall find in Gen. 32. that Jacob call'd the name of the place Peniel for saith he I have seen God face to face and my life is preserved so that Jacob knew before he had done he knew it was God God comes and appears against him as an enemy even at that time that this holy man Jacob was in so great straights as he was and yet Jacob though God did thus appear against him he did not sink in his heart but stir'd up all the strength that he had and wrastles even with God himself thus appearing like an enemy and prevail'd and had power at length though one would have thought that there had been enough to have sunk Jacob's spirit the distress that he was in at that time his brother coming with four hundred men ready to destroy him he left alone one comes and wrastles with him yet he had power with God This is a famous and a notable story as any we have in the old Testament And for the First that which is implied here He had power with the Angel that is with God when he came and wrastled with him in such a time of so great extremity Oh! I beseech you observe this in the first place This is Gods way with his Saints sometimes with his best and dearest Saints that when they are in the greatest dangers and in the greatest afflictions and troubles God even then comes and seems to be an enemy to them at that time for the time that God came wrastled with him and seem'd to be as an enemy to him it was in the time of the greatest extremity that one would think it's possible for a man to be in you cannot apprehend greater distresses or greater cause than there was for the distres of Jacob at this time A poor man with a few women and children and cattel and having his brother that owed him a grudg and had sought his death to come with four hundred men in an hostile way and he left alone and at this time God appears like an enemy to him this was sad a very heavie condition indeed As God did with Jacob so with Christ himself when Christ was betrayed God never appeared in outward appearance against Christ as at that time when his Disciples left him just in the night when he was to be betrayed then he was in an Agony and sweat drops of water and blood yea and when he was in the hands of his enemies and lift up to the Cross and made a decision to all the world yet then he cries My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Forsaken at that time in so great a distress Jacob in this was even a type of Gods forsaking Christ in times of such great distress And so we find in Job when he was in so great distresses yet the terrors of the Almighty were upon him And Heman with divers others that we might name 'T is a point of very great concernment to us Oh be not discouraged be not discouraged you that are the people of God if at any time you be brought into his condition for Jacob was a type of all the people of God in this case and therefore this story is of very great concernment Gods waies towards him were a resemblance of what they are like to be to others afterwards and to the end of the world namely this That the most eminent precious Saints of God must not think to be excused even from this condition but when they are brought into the greatest outward afflictions that possibly can be imagined that God even at that time should appear against them like an enemy Oh! this is the saddest condition that can be to any one that hath any acquaintance with God You shall have many poor Servants of God in affliction wil say As for these afflictions they are heavy indeed upon me my Estate gon or Husband gon or Wife gon my Friends leave me in this condition yea and it may be the hand of God is upon me in sickness and so one trouble after another Oh! but though these are heavy had I but the light of the face of God upon me it would be nothing to me had I but those comforts that once I had
in the assurance of Gods love it would not be much to me but when all these outward comforts are gone and I never saw God appearing like an enemy to me so as at this time Doth God deal thus with any of his people Am I not a Reprobate For God doth use when his People are in affliction then to appear with the light of his face to comfort and encourage them but he hath not done so to me even at this time I find God more terrible to my soul than ever yet I found him and therfore surely I am but a cast-away I make no question but some of you may know the meaning of such temptations as these are in the time of your afflictions or if you have not known the meaning of them hitherto you may come to know the meaning of them hereafter and you that have known or hereafter if you shall know what these things mean Oh! treasure up this Scripture it will be worth a world to you For the Devil wil mightily strengthen himself with this What are not you a cast-away surely God hath rejected you he would never appear against you in your afflictions if he had any love to you Or you may answer the temptation thus Yes yes I have read in the Book of God and heard that even thus God dealt with my father Jacob that was so precious Yea but was not he in some way of sin No he was in the way that God bad him go on in and yet even then when he was in so great a distress God wrastled with him never wrastled more with him than then and seem'd to come against him like an enemy and such a time as that was Oh! treasure up this that your hearts may not sink in despair in the greatest afflictions and spiritual dissertions that are both together Only this by the way He had power with God It appears that when God came thus against him to wrastle with him God intended no hurt to him it was but to stir up his strength and to prepare him for great deliverance and for choice mercies God at this time did intend to Jacob as great a mercie as ever he gave to any of the children of men in this world and that was this That he should have strength to prevail with God and as a Prince to prevail with God and that he should in this be a type of all his people hereafter that they should prevail with God that he should have his name changed and be called Israel because he was a Prince prevailing with God and in this he should be honorable to the end of the world and be set up as a type for the comfort of al the Saints to the end of the world I say it was as great a mercy as ever any meer child of man had in this world at this time when Jacob was in the greatest depth of affliction almost as you can conceive a man to be in Therefore oh remember this that it is the way of God when he doth intend the greatest mercy to any of his people sometimes to bring them into the depth of affliction and therefore do not conclude that never any was so afflicted as I have been why Jacob might have said so and yet at that time God had never greater thoughts of mercy than he had to him then and therefore remember this again when such kind of temptations work never any was so afflicted as I have been grant it yet it may be there is mercy intended for you at this time that never yet was granted to any of the children of men before 't is possible it may be so it was so with Jacob and therefore let not your faith flag He had power with God in this great distress that he was in he doth not lie down as a man discouraged but he 〈…〉 rs up what strength he had and he falls a wrastling a wrastling with this man even with God thus appearing against him as an enemy Oh! thus should the seed of Jacob do you that are the seed of Jacob for so specially your praying Christians in time of distress are call'd by the seed of Jacob I said not to the seed of Jacob seek ye me in vain They are not call'd the seed of Abraham but of Jacob because Iacob was so eminent in praying in so great extremity the seed of Iacob should do so every little opposition that comes upon a sluggish heart a heart that hath low and mean principles sinks him presently I say take a man or woman that hath but low and mean principles every little opposition presently damps his spirit and maketh him yeeld and bows him down and they are ready to say al is gone if they are but opposed a little Oh! art thou of the seed of Iacob the seed of Iacob should never think their condition to be so sad but there may be recovery Is it a great affliction that is upon me am I in great distress let me so much the more stir up my strength As I remember it was said of Alexander that when he was in a great danger saith he Now there 's a danger fit for the mind of an Alexander So doth God bring into great straights now there 's a straight fit for a gracious heart for one that is partaker of the Divine Nature to incounter with stir up therefore what strength thou hast do not say I shall never be table to overcome this difficulty do not say so for you are not in greater straights than Iacob was at this time and yet mark Iacob had power and stirs up his power It may be you have that strength that will do more than you are aware of the grace of God is mighty in the hearts of his Saints Have you never been enabled to do more than ever you thought you should have been enabled to have done he stirs up his strength he doth not lie down sullen and discouraged as it 's usual for Christians to do if God doth but afflict them and specially if he draws but the light of his face a little from them presently they lie down discouraged and will not be comforted Oh! thou doest not shew thy self to be of the seed of Iacob thou hast not the spirit of thy Father Iacob in thee By his strength he prevailed with God Strength What strength you will say He had very great bodily strength he wrastled partly with bodily strength as in Gen. 29. 8. 10. you shall find that Jacob was a very strong man of his body for the Stone of the Well that the Shepherds was fain to meet together to roul away Jacob took it and roul'd it away presently but certainly he had strength beyond his ordinary bodily strength at this time God raised a bodily strength beyond what ever he had and it 's like beyond what ever man had before God raised Sampsons bodily strength to be very great and
indeed were a notable point if one would speak of this at large and a very useful point in these times That the way to prevail with men it is to prevail with God What 's all the powers of men they are all at the dispose of God the work is done when thou hast but prevail'd with God thou heatest of great dangers that there are abroad in the world but do thou get alone in thy closet and fall a wrastling with God and be wrastling till thou feelest thy faith wrastling with God then thou mayest come down and conclude the work is done no men shal ever prevail against you that have so much interest with God these may live joyfully in the world never need fear the power and the rage of wicked men they have that within them that helps them to prevail with God and certainly man cannot prevail against them Our rough brethren have come out against us as here Esau this rough brother of Jacob came out against him and yet Jacob prevailing with God prevail'd against him And blessed be God that when our rough brethren have come enraged against us there hath been some amongst us have prevailed with God and by prevailing with God have prevailed over them and against them But though we are delivered from these rough brethren yet we have rough ones in another kind still that are against us Oh but let us carry our selves blamelesly and inoffencively towards them that yet behave themselves roughly and furiously against us and so seek to prevail with them that way in a constant carriage of innocence and blameless lives before them to convince them if it be possible of all their mistakes But above all let us seek to prevail with God and then God may turn their hearts turn the hearts of our roughest and furiousest brethren whose mouthes are so opened as they are and whose pens do go so as they do let 's prevail with God that so at length they may come and fall upon their necks as Esau did and to give them the right hand of fellowship it 's not impossible that such things may be done surely one would not have thought that they that were at such a distance as they were that they should have come so together surely we have never provoked our brethren so as Esau hath done Jacob let 's not be troubled more than God would have us but seek God and wrastle with God it 's in vain to stand wrastling with them giving ill word for ill word and pen for pen that 's not the way but wrastle with God and walk convincingly before them and so you may turn the hearts of our rough brethren and that in a little time surely it 's not more impossible to soder the spirits of brethren that seem not to be at so great a distance and so imbittered one against another it is not more impossible to soder them than it was here with God to soder the spirits of Esau and Jacob and to have such a comfortable meeting as there was at this time In this prevailing of Iacob against Esau we have a type of the Churches prevailing against all the ungodly though the Enemies may be strong and furious certainly the people of God shall prevail As before in Iacobs taking Esau by the heel there was a type that the people of God shall supplant all the wicked so in Iacob's prevailing at this time here 's a type that certainly the Churches shall prevail let men do what they will and be as bitter as they will the Iacobs shall prevail at length Mark yet further With his power he prevailed even over the Angel If you look into the Story you shall find that he did prevail but it was after he had wrastled a great while Constancie in wrastling with God will overcome at length though we do not prevail at first as Iacob did not but was wrastling all night and day broke and then he prevailed Oh! be not discouraged though you prevail not at first Oh! I have been seeking God thus long and have not prevailed but go on still you know not but that may be done in one hour that hath not been done a long time before Mark further Iacob after he was lame prevailed Iacob had been wrastling all night and got nothing then the hollow of his theigh was toucht and he was lame now surely he will be overcome shall he prevail now he that could not prevail when he was so long and strong he is not like to prevail now Oh! this is very useful and seasonable for us That the times for the Churches prevailing it is the times when they are most weake when they are most unlikely to prevail when they are lame why then is the time for them to prevail We are ready to think Oh! if we could not get it when we had so much strength is it like to be done now we have so little strength Now by this Iacob came to be more humbled when his theigh was toucht so that he was lame God uses to damp means and to bring even the sentence of death before he doth intend to bring the greatest mercies Further Iacob though he had a strong Adversary against him and he wrastled long with him and he was lame yet continuing wrastling he grew more resolute towards the latter end than he was before for you never read of Iacob so peremptory before I wil not let thee go until thou bless me and that 's one thing that 's very observable for the sad condition Iacob was in the hollow of his theigh was toucht and that likewise should have been added That the Angel would have been gone God would have been gon and have left him in that affliction but then Iacob's spirit grew up more with a greater resolution than he had before I will not let thee go except thou bless me It seems now that Iacob had more sight of him that he was God than he had before This should be our way in our dealings with God that when God brings us in the lowest condition and God seems as if he would leave us we should stir up our spirits then and be more resolute and strong than before Oh! it 's time now for the heart to bestir its self when God is ready to go away do not say God will be gone and therefore link down sullenly but it 's time for thee then to stir up all that thou hast and to act faith more then as if Jacob should say I will try yet one fall more I will not yield the cause yet certainly I must not perish as if Jacob should say it 's true all things seem against me as if I should be destroyed but it must not be saith Jacob Faith begins to stir Hath not God bid me come here have I not the Word of God for it did not God say he would do me good in this journy and though it 's true the providence of
been wrastling a great while and I can get nothing from God but that it 's likely here I must die and perish yea and that God should leave me thus as he doth that God should appear a greater enemy to me than my Brother Esau and lame me Oh! now might not this be a sign that God intends to destroy me yea God would be gone too when I am in such a strait as this is Oh! this makes him weep As a poor child when it is in straits and is crying to the mother the mother beats it and strikes it yea the mother will be gone and leave it in those straits Can you blame the child though it cry So it was here Jacob was in straits and was seeking God and God beats him and makes him cry and would be gon Oh! this doth press tears out of the eyes of Jacob Oh! what will become of me now As if Jacob should have said Were it that I should perish alone it were not so much but my Wives perish and how can mine eyes be able to see their destruction yea it may be they will be ravished before mine eyes by these rude Soldiers These kind of workings in Jacob's spirit you cannot but conceive that it must draw tears he wept before the Angel considering this his sore distressed condition And on the other side there were thoughts would make him weep too The thoughts of his Misery and the reasoning of his Faith when he considered I but surely I am in the way of God though I be in a great deal of danger I have the Promise of God I have his Covenant with me I have to deal with the Holy Blessed and Gracious God in all my waies Who knows but that my extremity may be Gods opportunity The heart of my brother it is certainly in the hand of God and all Creatures are in Gods hands too Now the actings of Faith would make one to weep aswel as of Fear and Trouble and it were well if we could weep on both sides Sometimes you roul in your thoughts all the aggravations of your afflictions and they make you weep Now can you roul in your thoughts the aggravations of Gods Goodness and Mercy and can that make you weep The end why God brought Jacob into this condition to fal a weeping before the Angel it was That he might humble him and break his heart before he gives him deliverance for it was one of the greatest honors as we intimated before that God did for Jacob that ever he did to man therfore God would bring him very low before he would raise him so high and make him fall a weeping aswel as praying before he should have the Mercy Oh! this is Gods way He will bring men very low to humble them before they shall have mercy therefore when mens hearts are high and lofty stout and hard they are not in a way of Mercy from God but when mens hearts begin to break thaw and melt and are tender then they are in a way of mercy as here So we find it often in Scripture that God intending mercy first breaks the heart and melts it by mourning and sorrowing as Josiah you know that was his condition his heart melted when he heard the Law and God sends presently a Promise of Mercy to him and in Ieremiah there the Lord promises his People That he will bring them with weeping and with supplications that shall be the way One Note or two more It becomes the most generous and magnanimous spirit to have his heart breaking and to express his heart breaking with tears before God It is an excellent thing to see a man of a brave spirit strong and ful of courage in any service of God and yet when he comes to have to deal with God to have a melting tender and soft spirit in his dealings with God If you should see now a great Captain or General that were brave and magnanimous when he was abroad in the field about any difficult work but when he comes before God in Prayer there he can weep like a child there he can mourn and lament and his heart break assoon as a child this is an excellent spirit now spirits that can turn according to what God cals them to this way or that way can be stout and hardy in a work that requires stoutness and can be soft tender and yeelding in such a work that requires such things Thus was our father Jacob Oh! to have tender hearted Captains and Generals to have couragious spirits yet broken hearted spirits to mix the work of Grace thus it is most excellent and it becomes the most bravest spirit in the world not only to fall down to prayer but to weep before the Lord some men think it 's too low a thing to fall a weeping in prayer as if it were a womanish and a childish thing Oh! it 's an argument that thy heart is carnal and base to think that it 's for want of understanding I say this is evil and it comes from much corruption in the heart for to think it either beneath a brave spirit or beneath a prudent spirit I 'le give you one example that weeping is not beneath a brave spirit this is enough and also that of David no man did shed more tears in the presence of God than David that brave Captain but to put both together I 'le set before you the example of Jesus Christ in Heb. 5. 7. the text saith That in the daies of his flesh he offered up prayers and supplications how with strong cries and tears even Jesus Christ the Son of God God blessed for ever he that was equal with the Father the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah he that had all strength and power and had all the treasures of wisdom hid in him and the fulness of the God head dwelt bodily in him and yet when he had to deal with the Father he offers up prayers with strong cries and tears Doth it become the Captain of our salvation in his seeking of God to weep know then it is not unbecoming any man or woman Are you of the seed of Jacob then when you would prevail with God labor to work your hearts even so as you may express your affections outwardly labor to do it in prayer it will help to break thy heart As a broken heart will cause outward expressions so outward expressions will be a further cause to break the heart And work thy heart by all arguments thou canst to come to that tenderness and softness that thou mayest be like the Captain of thy Salvation when thou art crying to God to cry even with tears before him and when thy heart is so broken with tears then exercise thy faith upon the prayer of Jesus Christ Now it is through the Spirit of Jesus Christ that my heart doth thus break but I do not rest upon these God forbid that I should rest upon my enlargements
of God in Angels and we know that the appearing of Angels hath struck terror into many men But now saith Paul The Angel said Fear not If it be the Angel of God whose I am and whom I serve then I need not fear yea let God muster up all his Hosts and appear to one that hath turned to him if he can say thus Whose I am and whom I serve these Hosts will say Fear not Therefore turn unto the Lord because he is the Lord of Hosts Thirdly Because God is JEHOVAH therefore turn unto the Lord. There 's a great deal of force in this Name to cause sinners to turn to him because he is Jehovah for this Name JEHOVAH hath as much terror in it to a guilty ungodly soul as we reade of in all the Book of God I say put all together that we reade in the Book of God yet if we did but throughly understand the Name Jehovah we should see as much terror in it to a guilty conscience and a sinful soul that goes on in the waies of wickedness as almost all that is mentioned of God that might be terrible As thus JEHOVAH If he be Jehovah he hath power over every thing that hath a being to torment thee with it for he hath all being in Himself al being is from him and the dispose of all therefore whatsoever thing hath any being in it this God hath the power over it to make use of it to torment thee withal Do but consider how some little creature if it be in some part of a mans body what power it hath to bring torment a little gravel in the kidneys or stone in the bladder that 's but a poor weak creature in its self but being in that place what tortor doth it bring now if a little gravel or stone hath that power to torment thee then what power hath all things in the Earth and the infinite God that hath all essence and all being and can dispose of all things as he pleases to bring pain misery and torment to a sinner It 's a very humbling consideration to a sinner And on the other side If there be any power in any thing that hath a being to bring any comfort to a man or woman it 's all in God for God hath all in him eminently As now one Creature hath power to torment in one way another in another way and so one Creature hath power to comfort us one way another another but all this is eminently in God the gravel torments one way the humor in the veins in the gout that torments another way and fire torments another way and the Sword torments after another manner and burning feaver torments in the body fire without and burning feaver within the stinging of Serpents torments after another way now all power of all things is in God Eminently the quintessence of all things is in God and therefore the power of God is able to bring all sorts of torments at one time in one thing As now suppose several herbs that have several vertues one hath a vertue in one kind another in another but if these herbs were all distill'd into one water then a drop of that water hath the same vertue and efficacy that it may be forty several herbs hath so now all creatures that have their several kind of efficacies and vertues distilled into one If I may compare this distillation unto God he hath all kind of power in himself and is able to put it forth in one instant all the power and efficacie that there is in all creatures in Heaven and Earth either to torment or to comfort us If one herb hath one sweetness and a second another and the third another the distillation of them all together how sweet will that be Now all these being in God eminently Oh what comfort is there in God than to the soul So that look either way to the Name Jehovah we may see an argument to humble us for sin the dreadfulness of the wrath of God appears in this more than in any one meditation that I know of Neither do I know any meditation that may stick upon the heart to comfort and encourage the heart to turn to God and to rejoyce in God so much as this That there 's all being in God eminently and all depending absolutely upon him therefore turn to God because he is Jehovah Thus you see the connexion of these two Further When the excellency of the Saints or glory of God is set before us we should make it an argument to turn to the Lord when both together the Exccellency of Jacob and the Excellency of God this is set as an argument to turn to the Lord Turn to me But they might say Do not we turn to God we do serve God That may be another Note That whatsoever Services men do perform to God yet if they be not in Gods way they do in the midest of them all depart from God and do not turn to him They did worship God after a fashion but God did not account that worshiping of him but departing from him therefore turn to God But turn Thou to God That is Every one of you do not stand objecting and cavelling against what I say but turn to God every one of you turn Thou to God Thou art Israel Thou art the posterity of that great prevailer with God therefore turn Thou to God That 's the Note of Observation from hence and if you lay it to heart you will find it of very great use Every one should consider what peculier arguments there are that concern him in particular to turn to God Therefore Turn thou to God O Israel There 's a great deal more reason why thou shouldest turn to God than others Oh that every one of us here in this place would but in our meditations labor to recal all those particular arguments that concern our selves that might turn us to God do not take it in the general Turn to God because he is your Creator turn to God that you may be saved this concerns all but consider what special arguments thou hast as thus Consider what special manifestations of God there hath been to thee Consider what special offers of Grace there hath been to thee Consider what special workings of the holy Ghost there hath been upon thy heart Consider what special illuminations of Gods Spirit there hath been in thee Consider of what special dangers thou hast been in Consider what special Vows and Covenants thou hast made to God and yet hast departed from him afterwards Consider what special engagements thou hast had These are but the hints that men and women may lay to heart all the arguments that may concern them especially to turn to God Turn Thou to God therefore Do not thou look upon others and think thus I do as others do yea but thou hast more reason to
among men Judgment That is Righteous Judgment among men thou canst not turn to God from thy Unrighteousness and to a Righteous God and yet still not be Righteous towards men Certainly if thou beest turn'd to God from thy Unrighteousness towards a Righteous God then thou will be turn'd likewise from thy unrighteousnes towards men and will be righteous towards them Many texts of Scripture I might have shewn you that commend this Grace of Righteousness and it 's made the great Promise to the Glorious Church when that shall be That Righteousness shall prevail there that the People shall be a Righteous People And Judgment Not only Judgment in doing no man any wrong and being righteous in dealing But thus Judgment Execute Justice against Sin manifest thy hatred against Sin by the Execution of Judgment This is the Note from thence That those who turn to God will manifest their hatred against sin by the Execution of Judgment if they be in place of Power Though in thine own cause thou maiest forbear yea thou shouldest be merciful but when Publick Manifestation of hatred against Sin requires Justice then there 's no place for Sparing when God calls thee in any Publick Place to manifest hatred against Sin then I say thou maiest not think of Sparing But you will say Oh! I must pity and shew Mercy Well If you would be merciful be merciful in your own cause Many men that will pleade for Indulgence to Malefactors yet in their own business they have no Indulgence to those that offend them It beseems a Judg to be very pitiful when he is wronged himself but it beseems him to be very righteous and just when the Publick calls him Keep MERCY and JVDGMENT Mercy is first and Judgment afterwards The Scripture makes a difference between our respect to Mercy Judgment that place in Micah The Lord hath shewen thee O man what he would have thee to do LOVE MERCY and DO JVSTICE There should be a Preheminency in Mercy Mercy must not only be shown but loved and Justice must be done And then Keep MERCY and JVDGMENT The mixture of Mercy and Judgment is very comely The Scripture doth mix them very often Psal 101. 1. I will sing of Mercy and Iudgment and Prov. 21. 21. He that followeth after Righteousness and Mercy findeth Life Righteousness and Honor. Psal 112. 4. The upright man he is full of Compassion and Righteousness Jer. 9. 24. The Lord there doth seem to glory in this in his Righteousness aswel as Mercy saith the Lord Let no man glory in the flesh but let him glory in this That he knoweth Me that I am the LORD which exercise loving kindness Iudgment and Righteousness in the Earth Let him glory in this That he knows that I am such a God this is my glory That I am both Righteous and Merciful Now for the several Rules when Mercy should be Shown and when Judgment should be Executed that would be the Use here How men should be directed to mix both these together Mercy when men offend by Infirmity when I see it 's but a weakness it is not through wilfulness Mercy then should be shown Oh that we would consider of this our brethren that sometime differ from us in Judgment in practice consider Do they appear in any of their carriages any waies to be wilful in their way can you take it upon your consciences that it is through obstinacy and through any wicked principles that they have that they go against conscience doth it not appear in all their other waies that they walk humbly and conscionably that if they be in the wrong yet it is through meer weakness that they cannot see the Truth that thou thinkest thou doest see Now thou shouldest be merciful towards them and carry not thy self in a ridged severe bitter and harsh way towards them but in a Merciful way Mercy when the offence is by infirmity And then when the offender is already sensible of his offence then Mercy Or when there may be as much good done in a fair gentle merciful carriage as in a harsh ridged carriage And then especially at that time when any man or woman begins to feel passion arise in their hearts and a spirit of revenge to stir in them above all times then is the time for mercy examin thine heart thou hast to deal with thy brother now see whether there doth not begin to arise passion and revenge in thy spirit towards him now is the time for Mercy it 's not the fit time for Judgment it 's not a fit time to give Judgment nor for thee to execute Judgment but now is the time for Mercy And then there 's the time for judgment When thou art call'd to manifest hatred against sin when the publick good requires it when you cannot be merciful to one but you must be cruel to another As in many things wherein men would be merciful the truth is the Mercy they shew to some is cruelty to others and when thou hast the least interest in a business then there 's the most like to be the time for Judgment Well Keep Mercy and Judgment Keep it not only do some acts of Mercy and Judgment but keep it Many men in some good moods observe it Oh how pitiful are they how merciful are they but come to them at another time and Oh! how ridged are they then Oh! how sowr are they how bitter how cruel how harsh are they We have found it so by experience you can say such a man Oh! what sweet converse had we together and what a sweet temper'd man he was how loving how meek how gentle how pitiful But come to him now how harsh and how rugged in his expressions and extream bitter mightily turned as if he were not the man keep Mercy keep it Doth God at any time melt thy heart and make thee apprehensive of thy need of mercy doth thy heart begin to bleed towards thy Brethen Oh! keep it keep this temper the Lord keep this in the thoughts and purposes of thy heart for ever Oh take heed of change of heart It should be the care of Christians not only to do that that is good but to keep their hearts in such a constant frame Oh that some of you would but call to mind the dales of old Was there not a time that your hearts did melt towards your brethren and had sweet converse and communion with them what 's become of those spirits now Oh! turn to that gracious sweet temper again and if ever God bring you to that temper again keep it Consider what is it that hath changed my heart what hath brought me to it now if God doth discover how thou hast lost that sweetness of thy heart Oh! labor to repent and turn to God and resolve if ever God bring me to that temper again as sometimes
through his mercy I have felt I hope through his Grace that I shall keep my self in that temper Oh how happy were it with us if when God brings our hearts into a good temper if we had but hearts to keep them in that temper keep Mercy And keep Judgment too In some acts you shall find men very just and take them in other acts and there they will be false enough But now It should be our care to be as it 's said of God in Jer. 50. 6 7. God is said there to be the habitation of Justice so it should be in the Courts of Justice there should be the habitation of Justice Perhaps sometimes in some one Cause a man may have Justice in a Court yea but if it be not so in all Causes at all times there is not the keeping of Justice Justice should be alwaies at home sometimes you may come to a Court and not find Justice at home but it 's gone abroad but it should be alwaies the habitation of Judgment And so it should be in Families and in particular Persons It may be at some times thou wert just in thy waies yea but then thou hadest not a temptation the tempration came not for unjust dealing There are some men that by a temptation are brought to such unjust dealing that if a man should have said some divers yeers ago that thou wouldest have done such things you would have been ready to think Am I a dog that I should do such things but now when a man is once engaged in any unjust way then he must go on and therefore keep Judgment It follows Keep Judgment and wait on thy God continually That 's thus Do not satisfie your selves in duties of Mercy and Judgment only but worship God For by waiting on God is meant the exercise of spiritual Graces wherein the Worship of God consists wherein we come to make God to be our God As it is not enough for men to think they worship God and yet make no conscience of the Second Table so neither is it enough for men to make conscience of the Second Table and not to worship God It may be there is som of you that are very just yea but what worship of God is there in your Families and in your own hearts Do your souls worship God and sanctifie the Name of God in all your waies Therefore this is added Turn to the Lord thy God and keep Mercy and Judgment and wait on thy God continually Wait on God The bases or foundation of waiting is Faith Beleeve there is good in God help supply here and that in God alone however things seem to be contrary let things go how they will I beleeve there is help in God alone and not in those former base waies that I have taken before that my corrupt heart hath led me into here 's help and not in the other way Secondly Waiting on God is To attend God in the use of what means God hath appointed for the attaining of such a thing that I expect from him Thirdly A looking out for Mercy I beleeve here is Mercy and no where else I attend on God for it in the use of these means and I look out for mercy Fourthly I quietly submit in the mean time though God staies long that 's to wait so as not to be discontent not to have my heart sink though God staies long Fifthly I keep in the way of seeking of God all the while That soul that doth this may be said to wait on God A turning heart to God is a heart that is a waiting heart the heart that turns truly to God is taken off from all Creature contentments so as to rest in them and looks up to God for all help and for all supply And this waiting is of very great use to those that are turning to God Consider of it Is any of you about the work of turning to God hath God begun to make a turn to any of your hearts Know that when you are turning to God you are very like to meet with a great many things that may discourage you many suggestions of the Devil and your own hearts Why should not I go back again what good have I gotten by reading and praying I get nothing by it and all will come to nothing at last Temptations are like to come thick and three-fold upon the heart of a sinner turning to God I am confident I am speaking in this to the hearts of all that knows what it is to turn unto God there was a time that thou wert departing from God and then thou wentest on quietly but ever since the time that God hath begun to turn thy heart Oh! the thick and three fold temptations of the Devil that come to thee Now this is a very seasonable exhortation turn to God and wait upon him be not discouraged not withstanding all difficulties fears temptations and discouragements from Men and Devils and thine own heart yet wait upon God and keep in his way Oh! it had been happy that this exhortation had been set home upon the spirits of many that the Lord was beginning to give a turn to their hearts not long since the Lord was beginning to turn thy heart to himself and thou mettest with some things that discouraged thee which hath turned thee quite off again Oh! had but this exhortation come seasonably then Turn to the Lord and wait upon him Oh! it had been happy for thee The Lord make it seasonable now to thee Oh! remember this text Turn to God and wait upon him Wait. Oh! there 's reason that thou shouldest wait upon God Oh! thou saiest if I had comfort and if I were sure I should be saved at last though I have discouragements from men yet if I had but comfort from God then I could be content yea but wait wait for comfort wait for peace wait for assurance God is a great God and is worthy to be waited on Men that are above others will take state upon them and they will be waited on God is great and therefore wait upon him And we are vile creatures and unworthy and therfore let us wait Beggers if they should rap and rap and you come and see it to be a begger your heart rises upon him if he beg he must wait if you be busie We are Beggers and therefore it is fit for us to wait And Thirdly God hath waited on us a long time how long did God wait upon thee it may be thou wert twenty yeers old before thou didest begin to turn to God perhaps thou wert thirty or fortie yeers old and God was waiting upon thee to be gracious all that time God was waiting for opportunity to do thee good and therefore wait thou upon God And Fourthly What we wait for it is worth our waiting If a man did beleeve there were nothing but
to their Masters much more then will the Masters themselves leap and rejoyce in the having their hearts desires fill'd They glorie in it And then Sixthly and that 's especially to be observed here That carnal hearts that get estates in sinful waies they seek to relieve their consciences that are full of guilt with the consideration of the outward comforts they do enjoy The Prophet charges them with their sin charges the guilt of their sin upon them But we are rich say they and we inherit substance Wicked men will seek to relieve their consciences their guiltie consciences in the rejoycing in their riches and in their estates and in what they have got in Isa 57. 10. you have a Scripture somewhat sutable to this Thou hast found the life of thine hand therefore thou wast not grieved It may be if a man goes on in an evil way and doth not prosper in it if God crosses him in it then he begins to bethink himself Is not this a finful way doth not God oppose me in it and then he begins to be griev'd But if he can find the life of his hand go on and he prosper and have what he desires then he will not be griev'd then his heart is hardened Wicked men will set their riches and estates against all their guiltiness and think it will countervail it I beseech you consider this Note There is no more full and sure sign of a man of the world of a worldlie man than this That he can think to relieve his conscience in the guilt of the least sin by the enjoyment of all the things of the world that he can set the good of the things of the world against the guilt of sin that he can put any thing in the world in the ballance to down weigh the least guilt of any sins here is a worldly heart here 's a man of the world a wretched heart thou doest bless thy self in a great estate thou g 〈…〉 test but hath there been no guilt at all that thou hast contracted by that estate which thou hast got Thou canst not say but some guiltiness hath been contracted yea but this contents thee there is so much gain comes by it Oh! thou art a wretched man that canst set the gain in the world to the least guilt that thou hast contracted Oh! it hath been an ill bargain riches got by guilt thou hast made I say an ill bargain for thy self thou knowest not God knowest not with whom thou hast to deal that canst set any gain by sin for to countervail the evil of that guilt that thou hast committed for the getting of that gain of thine And further Wicked men labor to satisfie their consciences with the prosperitie they are in and what they have got by their sin as they set it against their guilt so in the Seventh place They perswade themselves that God is not at least so much displeased with them as many would bear them in hand Surely if my condition were so dangerous as you would perswade me to I should not prosper so much in my way as I do I should not get riches so as I do upon this they begin to think that God is of their mind as in Psal 50. 21. Thou thoughtest I was like unto thy self we find it by experience that when men are under affliction when Gods hand is upon men then they begin to think that God doth not like of their waies but when they go on and prosper they are readie to think that God approves of their waies that they walk in There 's a notable storie concerning the Mother of Lumbard Gratian and Comestor The first the Master of the Sentences as they call them The Second the compiler of a great part of the Popes Law the Decretal Epistles the third the Author of the Scholastical Historie the best man and book of the three All famous men and all three of them were Bastards Now the Mother of them being a Whore when she came to make her confession to the Priest she could not acknowledg much evil in it and she profest she could not find her heart griev'd or troubled much about it when the Priest urged her penance and repentance for it because though it 's true that the thing was evil that she did yet that she did prosper so wel that they were three such eminent men of such great use as those were Thus it 's ordinarilie men think that it may lessen the-greatness of their sin if they get any thing by it if they prosper in their sinful way there is no such cause of trouble and grief for it The people they may laugh at me saith a covetous man but I applaud my self at home when I behold the money in the Chest so long as I see comings-in let men talk what they will I cannot beleeve that things are so bad as they report that God is so much against me but I hope God loves me These are the reasonings of a carnal heart and all because he prospers in his sin I remember it 's reported of Dionisius that when he had committed Sacriledg and had a good voyage after it saith he See what a good Navigation the Gods hath granted me you tell me of Sacriledg but I am sure I have had a good Voyage after it Oh! these are Heathenish reasonings and yet I fear they are not altogether rooted out of such as profess themselves Christians You that have good Voiages abroad observe it it may be if you meet with an ill Voiage then you begin to recollect your self What sin have I been guiltie of but now if you have a good Voiage though you have contracted much guiltiness upon your spirits while you were at Land yet prospering in your Voiage you never think of anie danger but all is well because you have a good Voiage Oh no a good Voiage is no sign that there is not guiltiness As sometimes I have told you that a painted face is no sign of a good complexion it may be it is the Curse of God upon thee that doth let thee so to prosper and if God had anie love unto thee he would not let thee to prosper so as he doth he would cross thee in thy waies that so thou mightest bethink thy self There 's another man perhaps that was as wicked as thou and yet the Lord had a love to him and he crost him in his waies so that he hath begun to bethink himself and not to be at rest till he gets the guilt of his sin done away but for thee Gods heart it seems is not yet towards thee he hath no love to thee and if he lets thee go on and still prosper in a sinful way this is from the fruit of Reprobation and certainlie there cannot be scarce a greater note of a Reprobate than for a man to prosper in a sinful way This is that we should all pray to
God to deliver us from Lord let us never prosper in a sinful way if thou feest our way be naught that we contract guiltiness upon our spirits in our way Lord let us not thrive and prosper if we do a thousand to one but we are undone for ever He said he was rich and he had found substance So he put off all that the Prophte spake I remember in Luke 12. when Christ was preaching to the Pharisees the text saith Those that were rich derided him rich covetous men they slight any thing that is said against them for they have where withal they think to relieve their consciences against all their guilt Well though thou maiest think to relieve thy conscience for the present it will not alwaies be so there is a time that conscience will speak and will not be put off with those conceits that now thou puttest it off withal The Saints they beleeve the Ward against sence and carnal hearts beleeve sence against the Word here 's the difference between a Godly man and a wicked I say one that 's Godlie and hath Faith he beleeves the Word against sence let me go on in a way that I know is Gods way though I do not prosper yet I have peace in it I do not repent me of it but a wicked man he will beleeve sence against the Word let the Word say my way is never so dangerous yet if I have experience by sence that I prosper in it that shall suffice me Yet I am rich and have got substance In all my labors they shall find no iniquity in me that were sin In all my labors That is In all that I get by my labors They shall not find in me that that is sin That is Let them search they shal not find in me that that is No as if they should say Labhor what you say To oppress cheat and cozen Who can prove it let any man prove it if he can that I do cheat or get any thing in a false way let any man dare to come and say it Is there any Law that can take hold of me They shall not find iniquity in me though there be some little matter yet there 's not any great matter not any thing that the Law of the Land can take hold of me and if my way be such as no man can take advantage against me by the Law why should I be thus condemned and cried out of as I am That 's the meaning of these words In all my labors From thence the First Note is this That evil things many times have good names The truth is That which is meant here is that which they had got by Oppression and Deceipt and they call it by the name of their Labors so Covetousness is call'd by the name of good-husbandry and following their Callings and the Art and Mystery of their Callings Many men think to put off their consciences with good words It 's but the Art of my Calling and good-husbandry and the like in all my labors Further observe It 's very hard to convince any covetous men of their iniquity Rich covetous men are much conceipred in themselves in Prov. 28. 11. The rich man is wise in his own conceipt You shall sometimes see a men that gets riches and as we say of some when we look upon their wit we wonder at their wealth and others when we look upon their wealth we wonder at their wit to get an estate they have wit only to get money but for any thing else they are ignorant poor weak men especially in matters of Religion as weak as children and yet they are wise in their own conceipts for they have got that that they see all the world runs after It 's very hard to convince covetous men of their falsness that they get any thing in a sinful way Again There is no fin that is more hard to convince a man of than the sin of Covetousness and yet the Apostle speaks in 1 Cor. 5. 11. That it 's a sin for which a man is to be cast out of the Church When almost did you ever hear of a covetous man convinc'd What example can you almost ever bring of one that hath been covetous and rich and got his estate in a false way that shal come and give glory to God and acknowledg his sin and cast up his sweet morsels again Covetousness it is a beforting sin it is a blinding sin Who shall find any iniquity in me what do I do but that I may Then Thirdly That covetous men as it 's hard to convince them so they do not love to be charged with their sin For so according to some it is Who dares charge me It is a very dangerous thing to charge a rich man of any evil for he hath his Purse by his side and can tell how to revenge himself upon you Yea Fourthly Men notoriously guilty may yet in words at least profess what they are guilty of to be an abominable thing Who shall find iniquity in me that were sin If I should be false that were a very horrible and vile thing Come to all trades-men one after another and tel them of cheating and cozening and deceiving they will scorn your words it were a wicked thing one were unworthy to live How often Trades men when they have a mind to cheat will profess That if they should cozen and cheat they were unworthy to trade any more Oh! what cauterized Consciences have many men that give up themselves to gain that make all their Godliness to consist in gain that make Mamon their God that will go so directly against their consciences Luther renders it God forbid that I should be found wicked in my actions Oh! manie that have much guiliness upon them will clap their hands upon their breasts and when you charge them you have cheated and cozened us Oh! God forbid that I should do so and yet their consciences will tell them that they have done so and will be ready to take their oaths and swear and use such curses that they never did such a thing or never had such a thing and when their Books are false wil sware that they are true Again If wicked men cannot be accused by other men then they care not If they can carry it so closely that men shall not see it then they bless themselves all is well and fair if they have cunningly contrived their wickedness that men cannot charge them Who shall find iniquity in me that were sin Well though you think your selves wel enough because men cannot accuse you and find out your sin yet God can find it out Deut. 32. 33. be sure your iniquitie will find you out God hath his time to find out iniquitie that will be sin to you and there is much between God and your consciences though men cannot charge you Oh! but if so be that
hath done for them in former times As if he should say You do not remember that I am the Lord thy God from the Land of Egypt Now you are frolick and merrie and have your hearts desires but remember there was a time when you were low enough and cried and made your moan to me in your affliction Oh! remember those daies Oh! how ordinarie is it for us in our prosperitie to forget Gods mercies in delivering of us from Affliction We have been low enough not long since but the Lord hath in great measure delivered us from our Egypt and presently assoon as God hath delivered us everie man begins to think of enriching themselves and are plotting for estates presentlie I say we have forgotten our sad condition the time of our mourning our praying Oh what disposition is there in our hearts now contrarie to what seem'd to be a while ago when we were under sore and sad afflictions New sins that we commit doth as it were occasion God to remember afresh his mercies that he hath done for us The Second Note is this When you walk unthankfully it doth occasion the fresh remembrance of Gods mercy to you God looks upon such a people that walk so vilie What are these the people that I have done such things for it's as fresh in Gods memorie to speak after the manner of men what he hath done for us And if we could have what God hath done for us afresh in our minds upon the commission of new sins it would be a mightie means to humble us And the next is Old mercies are great engagements to duty and great aggravations of our sin or neglect of duty But we have had occasion to speak of these things for merlie It follows And I will yet make thee to dwell in Tabernacles By way of Interogation some reade it thus What shall I the Lord that brought thee out of the Land of Egypt make thee to dwell in Tabernacles Shall I yet continue my wonted love to you as to make you to keep your Feast of Tabernacles still with joy as you were wont to do yeerly shall I do thus saith God Or as Calvin hath it and it 's a peculier interpretation that he hath different from all it 's as if God should say thus It is a wonderful thing that you should be so forgetful of my great mercie in bringing of you out of Egypt it is so out of your minds that I had need work over that deliverance again What shall I cast you out of your houses and bring you into captivity again and then deliver you again and bring you into the wilderness to dwell in Tabernacles again shall I go over my work again It is so much gone out of your minds and hearts as I had need to quicken up your spirits to go all over it again this is Calvins Interpretation upon this place and he commonlie hits as right as any And this Interpretation may be of verie good use to us thus Let us consider our selves that if all Gods merciful dealings towards us were to begin again if we were to go through all those straits and fears and sorrows that we have passed through our hearts would shake within us as a Marriner that hath past through dangerous Seas Oh he thinks if I were to pass over these again it would be hard and grievous Now let us consider of this if God should but put us into the same condition that we were in seven yeers ago and say you shall pass through all those straights that you have been in and you shall come into the same condition that you have been in it would be very sad to us to think of it would make our hearts quake to think of it I verily beleeve there 's scarce any of you who have been any way observant of the providence of God towards you but would be very loth to venture all again would be loth that God should be to go over with you in all those providences and yet God is the same God still and may do it yea but flesh and blood would shake at it now do not show your selves so unworthy of Gods gracious dealings with you as to put him to it to bring you into straits again to renew what he hath done unto you Thus he Many carrie the words in a meer threatning way and no otherwise I did indeed bring you from the Land of Egypt but I 'le bring you into Tabernacles again as if God should say I 'le cast you out of your brave stately Pallaces your City and Country Houses and you shall come into the wilderness again and dwell in Tents and Tabernacles Thus many But rather I think the scope and meaning of the words is a consolatory Promise whereby the holie Ghost invites them here to-Repentance as if God should say thus Though you have indeed deserved to be cast out of your dwellings you have deserved to be brought into Tents and Tabernacles in the Wildernes again yet I remember my ancient goodness towards you and my Covenant with your Father Abraham I am the same God that brought you out of the Land of Egypt and therefore return and repent and I 'le be with you in as much mercy as ever I was what ever the breaches have been for time past I 'le be as gracious to you as ever I was as you have celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles with abundance of rejoycing so I 'le continue this your prosperous estate you shall from yeer to yeer have cause to rejoyce havâ—â—ause to rejoyce in the Feast of Tabernacles For this Feast of Tabernacles it was the principal Feast of their rejoycing that they had and therefore all their Feasts were Feast of rejoycing in Lament 2. 7. They have made a noise in the House of the Lord as in the day of a solemn Feast There was Triumph and Joy in their solemn Feasts But now this Feast of Tabernacles was a special Feast of rejoycing and that you have in Deut. 23. 40 there they are commanded to rejoyce in this Feast for it was after the gathering in of their Corn and Wine in Deut. 16. 13 14. there you shall see further and in the end of the 15 verse Thou shalt surely rejoyce it is not only you may but a Command look to it that you do rejoyce in this Feast of Tabernacles so that the Feast of Tabernacles was a very joyful Feast Now saith God I am the Lord thy God from the Land of Egypt and I will yet make thee rejoyce as in the Feast of Tabernacles From hence we have these Notes First God loves to give hopes of mercy to sinners upon their repentance God loves to draw the hearts of wretched vile sinners by giving them hopes of mercie upon their repentance so you have it in 1 Sam. 12. 21 22. there they confest their sin and their special sin in asking a King
from the men of Shechem and from the house of Millo and devour Abimelech As if he should have said God will avenge this What did God make my Father an Instrument of so great good to you and do you so ill requite all his kindness and service that he did for you The Lord judg and if it be so indeed as now I charge you let this be a manifestation of Gods displeasure That fire come from Abimelech c. As if he should say Do not think that you can have peace and quiet in such kind of waies as you are in you think you have provided well for your selves in setting up of Abimelech and now you bless your selves We shal have peace and go on and be quiet Oh no the displeasure of God will go on and pursue you and there wil be a fire among your selves and it 's just with God that it should be so for this ingratitude of yours towards those that have bin so instrumental for your good The Scripture holds out this that this is one way for God to avenge himself upon a People that shall be ungrateful to such as have been instrumental for good to them that they shall have a perverse spirit mingled among themselves that when they think to provide for their own ease and peace they shall have a fire mingled among themselves so as in the conclusion to devour themselves These people were very zealous for Gideon in Judg. 8 22. when God had delivered them they came to Gideon and said unto him Rule thou over us both thou and thy son and thy son's son also they made great promises Oh how were the people affected Come Rule over us thou and thy son and thy son's son c. Oh! we were in a dangerous condition and were like to have been in a perpetual bondage under our enemies but God hath stirred up thee and blest thee and therefore thou and thy son and thy son's son shall rule over us they were mightily affectd with this mercy of God when it was fresh but presently after you shall find they were off and forgot what an Instrument of God Gideon had been unto them and required the posterity of Gideon as ill as if he had been one of their greatest enemies Oh my brethren this is a sore and grievous evil the Lord cannot endure ingratitude And thus much for the 13. Verse It follows VER 14. Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly IT 's true saith God by the Prophet I loved your Father Jacob and I have magnified my self towards his posterity in great and wonderful things which I have done for them But you have been a wretched people and provok'd me most bitterly as if he should say I have a spirit of gentleness sweetness and love as indeed there is nothing else in God if he be not provok'd If there be any anger it is from mens provoking him You have provok'd me bitterly in bitterness You have provok'd you have imbittered my Spirit against you by your sins that are bitter you make my Spirit that is so sweet of it self you have made it to be bitter The word signifies sometimes to Exalt and make high And I find Tremelius Vatablus Calvin and others translate it High places You have provoked me with the High Places so it 's true And indeed that was a special sin the sin of Idolatry that did provoke God most bitterly against them and he will come to one in the main if we take it so But it is more full to translate it according to that that the word doth signifie more properly You have provok'd me in bitternesses you have been very bitter against my Saints that would go from Samaria to worship at Ierusalem I have shewn in this story of the Prophet how bitter the ten Tribes were against any that would separate from them and go worship at the Temple you have provok'd me in that kind of bitterness you have provok'd me in that bitter sin of abusing my Prophets you have provok'd me in that ingratitude of yours towards those that I have made Instrumental for your good you have provok'd me in finning against such great mercies Oh! you have provok'd me bitterly you have for saken the living God the fountain of all good and have turned your selves to vanity you have provok'd me to anger most bitterly From whence the Notes are First That God is not angry but when he is provok'd neither should we be let us be as our Heavenly Father is saith God You have provok'd me to anger And then Secondly It is sin that provokes God it puts God to stir up his anger it puts it to tryal to see whether there be any anger in God or no in Heb. 3. 9. Your Fathers provok'd me they tryed me they would put it to tryal whether there was such anger in me yea or no. Wicked men indeed do so they hear much of the anger of God against sin and they put it to tryal they will see whether it be so or no they dare not say so in words but their actions do so Oh! it 's a dreadful evil to provoke God 1 Cor. 10. 22. Do ye provoke the Lord to jealousie are you stronger than he Can you stand it out with God Is it not folly to provoke a man that is a Superior that hath power over you and can crush you Oh wretched bold heart that darest stand it out to provoke the eyes of his Glory to provoke the holy one of Israel What to provoke him that can stamp you into Hell presently to provoke him that hath the point of the Sword of Justice at your hearts but yet this is the boldness of ungodly men a man that dares not provoke his Landlord yet will dare to provoke God My brethren it 's a great evil to provoke one another to wrath but a greater evil to provoke God to wrath in Ephes 6. 4. Parents are charged not so much as to provoke their Children to wrath And wilt thou provoke God then If we will be provoking one another let us be provoking to love and to good works as in Hebr. 10. 24. unto a kind of Acrimony of love If there be a kind of sharpness let it be that which puts us on with an eagerness of spirit to love and so provoke one another as much at you will provoke one another to love and to good works In Gal. 5. 26. Be not desirous of vain glory provoking one another Calling forth one anothers corruptions that 's the meaning of it Let there not be a desire of vain glory provoking one another calling sorth one anothers corruptions Oh! 't is an evil thing that we do call forth the corruptions of one another so Was there ever times of provoking so as there are now every man provoking one another and stirring up one another to envy wrath and malice Oh take heed
of provoking one another wonderful mischiefs have come of provoking out another What mischief do you think will come then of provoking God to anger Consider this especially you that are of passionate spirits if a Wife a Servant a Child doth any thing a mise you are presently all on fire Oh that you would have this meditation What shall I a poor worm be so soon provok'd with a fellow creature if he doth displease me O Lord what a wretch am I then that dare provoke the infinite God! What can I think my anger to be so terrible to a Child a Neighbor a Servant Oh! how terrible is the anger and wrath of an infinite God against a Creature when he is provok'd I cannot beat it whoever provokes me why should I think that the infinite God should bear with me when I provoke him Oh! that passionate men and women would have these considerations But further They provoke me bitterly Bitterly I remember Gualter hath a very good expression about this and specially speaking of the way of Idolatry provoking of God Just as if a Wife that had plaid the whore and had used many dalliances with the Whoremaster and this Wife should come to manifest respect to her own Husband in the same way of dallyance as she did with the Whoremaster before and he knew what love tricks and sports she had with him and she makes use of the same waies when she comes home to her Husband Oh what a bitter provocation would this be a Husband would not bear that Just so did this people do in the way of Idolatry in Idolatry they go a whoring to Idols and they will tender up to God himself that kind of worship that they give to their Idols Oh this is a bitter provocation The Note from whence is this That though sin of its own nature doth provoke God yet there are some sins provoke him bitterly In Heb. 3. 8. Harden not your hearts as in the day of provocation in the time of bitterness so the word is do not harden you hearts as in the provocation as in the bitterness of my spirit Oh! some things doth imbitter Gods Spirit as Hardness of heart doth imbitter God Spirit and False worship yea many times even those things wherein we think we do God a great deal of service doth imbitter Gods Spirit Oh! there 's many men that think they serve God in doing that which provokes him bitterly we know what the Scripture speaks of men that when they shall deal thus and thus with the Saints they shall think that they do God good service They may have a good intention in what they do and yet they shall provoke God bitterly Oh let us not rest in good intentions I make no question but this people did say so to the Prophet Wel whatsoever their intentions were yet God was provokt biterly by what they did And as there are some sins that are as bitter clusters as the holy Ghost speaks in Deut. 32. so God will be as bitter against those that do provoke him bitterly in Deut. 32. 24. he threatens bitter destruction Oh! for the creature to forsake God is an evil and a bitter thing in Jer. 2. 19. and it will be bitterness in the end As Abner said to Joab in 2 Sam. 2. 26. Will it not be bitterness in the end Oh those dalliances of thine will be bitterness in the end those sins of thine that are the most pleasing to thee as they are bitter to God so God will make them bitter to thee one day in Prov. 5. 4. Her end is bitter as Wormwood though the beginning is as pleasant as Sugar to you yet the holy Ghost saith that her end is as bitter as Wormwood In Jer. 4. 18. Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee and this is thy wickedness because it is bitter My Brethren we are charged in Scripture to take heed of being bitter one against another the Husband in Colos 3. 19. is charged not to be bitter against his Wife It is an evil thing when in a family there is bitterness Oh! but when the Spirit of the eternal God is bitter against a people You Wives who have such a bondage upon you and you find it evil to have such bitterness from your Husbands Oh but then look up to God is Gods Spirit sweet to you Oh! it is a blessing to have the Spirit of God sweet There is a Generation of men that hath Gods Spirit bitter towards them it 's one way whereby we provoke God bitterly by being bitter one against another in Ephes 4. 31. Let all bitterness wrath and evil speaking be put away there 's a charge of God As we would obey him in any thing we are charged to put away all bitterness anger and evil speaking Oh what a spirit of bitterness prevails among us what bitter words and speeches are there among us in Psal 64. 3. there the tongues of wicked men are said to be as Arrows They shoot their Arrows even bitter words If ever bitter words did fly like Arrows about our ears then they do at this day I verily beleeve that England never understood what bitter words meant as lately it hath known we reade in Revel 8. 11. it 's said That the third part of the waters became wormwood and men died of them because they were bitter My Brethren sometimes the third part of Sermons are Wormwood are bitter Oh! I would to God that sometimes we could not say that the third part of prayer were not bitter bitterness in prayer in writing in speaking in conferring one with another Do not you think that this provokes God bitterly yea even those men that were wont to sweeten one anothers spirits and there was a sweetness came upon one anothers spirits in their prayers and yet now what do they do but imbitter one anothers spirits so that they cannot meet together now but they come with bitter spirits one imbittering the other as if there were nothing but Gall and Wormwood among us Let me apply that Scripture in Jam. 3 11. Doth a Fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter What those that were of such sweet natures and dispositions and by grace much more sweet and now nothing but bitterness come out of such Fountains one would wonder to see mens natures so changed besides the work of grace Oh! shall out of the same Fountain come forth sweet water and bitter It follows Therefore shall be leave his blood upon him That is he shall bring his sin upon his own head Those that will be wilful in sin the blood be upon their own heads that 's the meaning Never stand excusing any more you have warning enough if you will go on in your way the blood be upon your own head you wil undo your selves and there is no help Mark the phrase He shall leave his
that inferiors should give to their Superiors to shew reverence when they speak Oh let us give this to God Psal 103. 20. Bless the Lord ye his Angels that excel in strength and do his Commandements hearkening to the voice of his Word The Angels they excel in strength the most excellent Creatures and what do they slight and disregard the Word of God Oh no they hearken to the voice of His Word they give a reverent respect to the voice of Gods Word and it infinitly beseems us when God speaks to give respect to him that 's the first Secondly Those who are in place of power over others they account it their honor not only that those under them regard what they say but that they should tremble at what they say It is a great delight that man hath to lift up himself above others and to be imperious above others we might give divers examples of men that have had great power in their hands and when any thing hath displeased them they would speak so as to make others to shake and tremble Nay not only men in great place will do it but you shall find this disposition in men that are very mean and of a very low rank yet if they have any under them they will be imperious over them as now in Families how many when they do but speak to their Wives though she be colateral and not directly under him yet how imperiously do they speak speak so as to make the house shake almost when they speak and so Servants and Children and this they account their Glory My Brethren though this be often through much distemper and pride and vanity in men to delight to make all that are under them to tremble when they speak yet this is an honor due to God and God expects it from us for the Lord is infinitely above us and we are all of us under the feet of God and at his dispose both for our present and eternal estate And it is â—it for us therefore to give regard and some reverence to God when he speaks to have an heart to tremble at his Word that 's that God looks for In Isa 66. 2. The Lord that is on high yet he looks to him that is of a poor and contrite spirit and trembleth at his Word the Word that God speaks is that that hath the dreadful Authority of God in it It is that that binds Conscience it 's that Word that if thou obeyest not will bind thee over to eternal death It becomes the greatest Monarchs in the world to have shaking and trembling hearts when God speaks Oh! who art thou that canst stand against the Voice of God when he speaks Oh bold and hard heart I say that canst stand out against Gods Voice In Psal 29. 4. The Voice of the Lord is powerful the Voice of the Lord is full of Majesty And in Hab. 3. 16 When I heard my belly trembled and my lips quivered at the Voice and I trembled in my self again This is the honor that is due to God Oh it is a comely thing to see a Congregation sit even trembling under the Word of God manifesting their hearts to be affected with the Authority and Majestie of what it is that God speaks for there 's much Majesty in the Voice of God Oh! 't is full of Majestie Again When he spake there was trembling This the Prophet mentions as a means to aggravate his sin and misery afterwards As if the Prophet should say There was a time that God did subdue the hearts of people under Ephraim so that Ephraim had a great deal of Authority over those that were under him When Ephraim spake there was trembling From whence the Note is this which Pareus hath upon the place saith he The subjection of the hearts of men unto those in Authority it is a work of God God is to have the glory of it It is from God that the hearts of multitudes shall be brought under some few so as to fear them and to receive what they speak with trembling it is from God In Josh 4. 14. On that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel and they feared him as they feared Moses Joshua before Moses dyed was but a servant to Moses and we do not reade that he was so magnified among the People they did not fear him so much No the fear was then upon Moses because Moses was in place of Authority but when Moses was taken away and Joshua was to succeed him in Authority then the Lord magnified him the Lord put a lustre upon him and the Lord caused the People to fear him as they had feared Moses It is a work of God to cause People to fear Magistrates So in Dan. 5. 19. For the Majestie be gave him that God gave the King all People and Nations and Languages trembled and feared before him It 's God that puts majestie upon Governors to make those that are under to fear It 's a very observable Scripture we have in Psal 77. 14. there it 's spoken of God that he did wonders and marvellous things What are those wonders and marvellous things If you reade you shall find among others Thou leadest thy People like a flock of Sheep by the hand of Moses and Aaron that 's reckoned among the wonders and marvellous things that God doth That he did lead his People like a flock of Sheep by the hand of Moses and Aaron that so great a multitude should be led like a flock of Sheep by the hands of two it is a wonderful work of God God is to have the glory of it it is for the maintaining of Government and Order in the World that God doth so subdue the hearts of many under few Then Fourthly When Ephraim spake trembling Though Ephraim the yonger yet when he got Authority in his hand how imperious was he And observe The meaner the beginings of men are the more imperious often-times they are when they come in place of Power none more imperious and insulting over men than such as have meaner beginings this was the yonger Brother and had power by a special providence of God not according to the ordinary common course and very often we find it that men of mean qualitie and that were inferior to others if any providences raises them above others they grow more imperious than others And then a Fifth is this which is a principal thing to be observed here a Note from the change of the condition of Ephraim when Ephraim spake trembling but after he sinned he died That men which heretofore have been of very high repute and of reverend respect so as they had much power to prevail with people that they had to do with yet by their sin they fall off from their dignity Sin will bring mens honors down though there was a time that every one reverenced him had high esteem
that have to deal in any kind of alteration in matter of Government had need be very wise in their carriage in it in respect of the people for much depends upon them When there was any alteration in Government there was trembling then mighty fears and troubles in the hearts of the people Secondly Men of Spirit they will break through difficulties if once they be resolved upon a business And when God doth intend to have a work acomplisht he will raise up men of Spirit to go through with it notwithstanding any difficulties there is in it He exalted Himself Though the Peoples spirits were very much troubled and a great deal of shaking there was throughout the Land yet he lifts up Himself he had some encouragement from the Prophet and otherwise so that he would go through When God I say hath an intent to bring a business about for this was that he might fulfil what was threatned to Solomon for his former sin And then Thirdly If men when they have been helped to go on through difficulties yet if they shal afterwards rest in their parts rest in their strength so as to forsake God and sin against him it 's just with God to leave them that they shall vanish and come to nothing He did exalt himself and prevailed in what he spake notwithstanding the trembling of the People for having got himself warm in the nest and strong in his Kingdom then he lifts up himself in another manner and forsakes God and trusts in his own strength And now he dies now God casts him off Men had need take heed though they be carried thorow many and great difficulties and by a Spirit more than ordinary they had need take heed I say that afterwards they do not walk in their own strength but walk humbly before God If they forsake God they wil die and perish That 's the First thing that Jeroboam spake Secondly When he spake when he first mentioned the business in the Alteration of Religion this it 's like caused more trembling than the other What is that Jeroboam spake That now they were not to go up to worship at Jerusalem God did not stand upon such things No they might save that long journy and so there was a Calf set up at Dan and Betbel and they must go and worship there This was a mighty alteration in the matters of Religion And surely when this was mentioned first to the People there could not but be great trembling the spirits of the godly to be sure they would tremble at such a motion they would look upon it as a most dreadful Curse of God upon the Kingdom that there should be such a change in the matters of Religion from the Truth to that which is False and even others too there was a general trembling for men have some kind of conscience of Religion and of worshiping God this was so flat against the Word that where there was but any Conscience of God they could not but have som fear they could not tel what might come of it and therefore there could not but be a very great concussion of spirit in the People of the Land to tremble at such a strange kind of thing as this was at first it was so But yet afterwards they had dead spirits that he might do with them what he would and so joyned with Jeroboam and joyned with Abab and sinned more and more From this speaking and trembling you have these Notes First That the Alteration in Religion is a very difficult business it cannot be expected but the hearts of People will stir much upon the Alteration of Religion though it be from worse to better yet the hearts of People wil stir very much at first When the Reformation was first from Popery here what a stir was there they were presently ready to take up Arms in Cornwel What adâ— was there for the Book of Common Prayer so that the King was fain to write to them That it was no other than the sum of what they had before only translated into English with some Amendments And certainly the casting out of Prelacie hath caused a great deal of trembling a great ado there is How hard it is to get but any rotten tooth out of a mans head it costs a great deal of pain and trouble Though the Warrs were undertaken for the maintainance of our Liberties as we are Subjects and Men and for the Civil-Right we have to our Religion also but yet we see that the very thoughts of any kind of change in matters of Religion whatsoever it be it causes the hearts of men to be up and shake and to be unsetled it 's a matter of great moment the change in matters of Religion and therefore requires much Prayer where it is changed though from the worse to the better If it cause trembling when it 's changed from the better to the worse it wil likewise cause trembling where it is changed from the worse to the better and therfore it requires that al the Godly should joyn al their strength together against those that would oppose their strength against it The Second is this That men of resolute spirits will go on even in the matters of Religion though it be from the better to the worse yet you shall have some men whose spirits are resolute that they will go on Oh! but you will say The People will not bear nor endure it Yea but they will venture to go on with their way and design though it be from the better to the worse but now if the change be from the worse to the better than it 's a special gift of God to give men hearts to go on notwithstanding difficulties And then in the Third place He exalted himself though there were trembling That is He did prevail in this his way in this change of Religion Jeroboam did not carry things by open violence presently it was a great while first but he carried things on by fair shews one thing after another and so he prevailed with the People This is the way to get a design and not by open violence at present And then Fourthly Then he died when he sinned in Baal Though God may suffer men to make some alteration in Religion though it be to the worse and let them prosper yet if they will grow from one degree to another in forsaking God then God comes upon them with his wrath then they die if they know not where to hold then God will not continue patient towards such a people any longer And then the Fifth thing is this That a Family or People from whence God hath withdrawn his protection and blessing is a dead carcass Then He is dead that I take to be the meaning of that in Mat. 24. 28. For wheresoever the carcass is there will the Eagles be gathered together though it 's true it 's spoken about
hath fasted to starving almost he had need be very careful what he doth when he comes to a full Table Physitians will not suffer men that have fasted long to eat much It 's that which brings many diseases in Souldiers and others because sometimes they want much and sometimes they have abundance and so they spoil themselves As we read of Saul's men that they fell upon the Cattel so as they did eat the blood they were so greedy of it Oh let us take heed of this this should be a seasonable Lesson to those that have known what emptiness hath meant in these times and now they are going into their Countries again and to enjoy their Possessions Oh let them take heed how they fal upon the comforts of the Creature greedily Oh they should rather prepare themselves before hand and season their hearts with those thoughts that may keep them from the danger that there is in fatness and when they come to their Houses and Lands and begin to stock them again they should think Oh! what were those sins of mine when I was here before in my house and enjoyed fulness how little honor had God by my fulness before Oh! let me now remember all my murmurings and repinings when God took away my estate and let me seek to make peace with God even for them In the time of my distress I cried to God then and I was afraid that I should never come to enjoy my estate again and hath God given it to me again Oh let me improve it better for his Service than ever I have done Such kind of thoughts men should have when they come to their estates again and not to fall upon them and only seek to make up all again and think of nothing else There 's a great deal of danger here God hath waies to make men cast out their sweet morsels when they regard nothing but the filling of themselves It follows And their hearts were exalted This their fulness puft them up Pride is an ordinary disease that follows fulness Saith an Ancient It 's hard to be in honor without swelling Pride is the disease of prosperity in Psal 73. 3. I saw the prosperity of the wicked and so on he describes their prosperity and in the 6. vers Therefore pride compasses them about as a chain violence covereth them as a garment and hence that caveat of the Apostle 1 Tim. 6. 17. Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded Charge them saith the Apostle for it 's usual for men that are rich that are full to be high minded Charge them First Because that these things in the world they are great things in their eyes yea they are the only good things to a carnal heart they are his happiness and therefore he blesses himself in them and that puffs him up Secondly When they enjoy fulness in the world then their lusts are satisfied then they have fewell for their lusts and their lusts grows mighty high Thirdly They can live of themselves and depend upon none and this it is that puffs them up in Psal 10. 5. speaking of proud men in prosperity They puff at their Enemies they care for no body in the world they can live of themselves others depend upon them and they depend upon none and this puffs them up Fourthly They conceive some excellency in themselves why they have more than others as if it were because they had more excellency in themselves and were more worthy than others and they are not every body but are culd out among others as the prime and chief as if there were more worth in them this puffs them up Fifthly They see all others desire what they have they see a great distance between them and others and those that are under them do highly esteem of them They call the proud happy they have many flatterers They were fill'd and their hearts were exalted not only above men but above God Psal 73. 9. They set their mouths against Heaven and their tongue walketh through the Earth speaking of wicked men in prosperity They wil speak against every one when they are high themselves scorning at the waies of God and at his Saints When is the time wherein wicked men that are of scornful spirits do scorn and speak most roughly against the people of God and the waies of God but when they are fill'd when they are at Taverns and have fill'd themselves with Wine and good Cheer then they scorn and blaspheme and set their mouths against Heaven and their tongues walk throughout the City and Country against Parliament and all their tongues are free at that time it is when they are filled Hence that Scripture in Psal 35. 16. With hypocritical mockers in feasts they gnashed upon me with their teeth in the time of their feasts when they were filled then they were mockers and then they gnashed upon me Oh abundance of evil is done by scorning and contemning at Feasts and in that respect their Wine that then they fill themselves withal may be called by the name of that in Deut. 32. 33. Their Wine is the poyson of Dragons and the cruel venem of Asps for as it fills their bodies with heat so then their spirits are fill'd with rage and mallice and especially those who were heretofore low if They come to be fill'd Their hearts are most exalted Oh! the sad examples we have of this at this day many that were not long since we know in a low and mean condition and they have gotten places they have got estates and power in their hands Oh how are their hearts exalted Would you ever have thought to have liv'd to the time to have seen such a change in their spirits as at this day how do they discover their pride now they are got up First in their estrangement towards those that they were familiar with heretofore they go aloof off from you they are fill'd and now their hearts are exalted And then Secondly their carriage is very high and lofty you must wait now if you would but speak to them Thirdly now they need no advice or counsel they were wont to communicate themselves to you and to be willing to hearken to advice and counsel yea but they are fill'd now and their hearts are exalted as if the exaltation of their estates put more wit into their heads Fourthly Now they are harsh to those that are under them they speak harshly and ruggedly and care not for any under them when they lived formerly among their neighbors then they would complain of harshness and ridgidness of others but since they are filled they are as harsh as any and so before when they were low they cryed out of oppression but when they come once to be in place themselves and be filled then they go the same waies that others go hence that in Psal 73. 8. Concerning
oppression they speak loftily If you complain of oppression you have lofty expressions from them It 's spoken of wicked men in prosperity Fifthly They shew their pride when they are filled they cannot beat contradiction now as they were wont to do they cannot endure reprehension now Again Those mercies that not long since they would have highly prized now they slight them now they are mean things And lastly All the use they make of what they do enjoy now more than before it is to get higher and higher there 's all the use they make of all Those that have bin low and mean in their estates heretofore now they begin to be filled their hearts are exalted and thus do they discover the exaltation of their hearts Oh! but this is a great and a sore evil for so 't is rebuk'd by the Prophet Oh thou that hast thy heart exalted being fill'd it is a sign thou hast a poor low spirit of thine own to be lifted up with those things that thou doest enjoy For First What low and mean things are they What are they but crums that the Master of the Familie casts to Dogs They are such things as make thee never a whit the better nor the more excellent Indeed it 's said that knowledg puffs up the heart for that puts an excellency upon the man The heart of the wicked is little worth let him have never so much prosperity Those things that thou pridest thy self in they are no other than may be the portion of a Reprobate and have been they are no other than may stand with Gods eternal hatred of thee and Gods eternal wrath against thee Yea they are such things as may come from Gods wrath and like enough they do and it 's a sign they do when thou art filled with them and thereby puft up by them it 's a sign that there 's a curs mixed with what thou hast filled thy self withal If a man comes to a Table and eats and then he swels presently upon it God be merciful to me am I poisoned saith he If thou fillest thy self and art puft up it is an argument thy prosperity is poisoned there 's the curse of God in it Had not you rather have the coursest dyet that is wholsom than the daintiest dish with poison in it Is it not better to have the Russet Coat that is not dangerous than a Velvet Coat that hath the Plague in it Thy condition if thou knewest it it may be was a great deal better before Oh that any Considerations might prick the bladders of mens spirits that are so puft up with outward prosperity Thou art les filled with spiritual good than before That that is substance thou hast lost and thou art filled with wind Ere long what thou hast must be taken away And perhaps the right to what thou daest enjoy it is but the right that a Malefactor hath to his supper before the day of his execution The evil of any one sin is a greater evil than all thy prosperitie is a good If it doth but occasion any one sin to thee it doth bring more evil upon thee than all the filling thou hast is good unto thee Thou art filled but often-times it falls out so that the very time for God to let out his wrath upon wicked men it is when they are mostfilled We have a notable Scripture for that in the 20. of Job 22 and 23. Verses In the fulness of his sufficiencie he shall be in straights It is an excellent phrase they think they have sufficient now to live of themselves but in the fulness of their sufficiency they shall be in straits and in vers 23. When he is about to fill his belly God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him And in Psal 78. 29 30. So they did eat and were filled for he gave them their hearts desire they were not estranged from their hosts but while the meat was yet in their months the wrath of God came upon them and slew the fâ—â—test of them saith the text Oh there 's no cause of lifting up thy heart because of thy fulness that thou hast for when thou art fullest then is the time of Gods hottest wrath to be let out upon thee it doth but prepare thee for slaughter How much better is it for the Beast to feed upon the Common and live then to be brought into fat Pasture and prepared for the Butcher When thou wert feeding upon the Common thou wert in a way of preservation but now thou art come into the fat pasture it is to prepare thee for slaughter be not exalted in thine own heart because of thy fulness And it may be God hath respect to others in thy fulness it 's not in regard to thee And hereafter thou mayest perhaps curse the time that ever such an estate befell thee curse the time for thy fulness Perhaps upon thy sick bed thou maiest lie and wish Oh that I had kept my shop still and been in my low condition still I had gone out of the world with a great deal less guiltiness than now I am like to go out of the world withal Oh be not exalted because thou art full Therefore have they forgotten me Proud men forget God Psal 10. 4. the wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God They have forgotten what need they had once of of me They have forgotten what cries they sent up to me what moans they made before me They have forgotten how gloriously I wrought for the helping of them They have forgotten all their Engagements to me They have forgotten to acknowledg me or sanctifie my Name in all the good they do enjoy Oh this is a sore and a great evil and yet an ordinary evil assoon as we have our turns served God is minded no more Psal 78. 42. They remembred not his hand nor the day when he delivered them from the Enemy they remembred it not Oh! it should have been in their memory to have Sanctified the Name of God in their great deliverance but when they were delivered they remembred it not Call upon me in the time of trouble and I will hear you and you shall glorifie me saith God We call upon God in the time of trouble and God hears us and delivers us but the latter part is forgotten And they do it soon too in Psal 106. 13. They soon forgot his works saith the text somtimes before the work is quite accomplish'd Oh! the Lord deliver us from this great evil shall I say Deliver us I may say Not deliver us from this evil only but out of it for it is upon us alreadie Oh! the great things that God hath don for this Land w th in this six years never since Joshua's time or Moses's time was there a story of Gods wonderful working for a people so
any wild Beasts whatsoever there is that in my wrath if you escape one wild beast another shall tear you and that 's the reason that the Bear is added to the Lyon and the Leopard because the Bear runs up a tree so much which the others do not and now he comes to all wild Beasts put them all together and my wrath is as fierce as them And this is one excellent meditation from hence That put all the dreadfulness of all creatures in the world together and all that it is in the wrath of God As put all the good things that are in all creatures together all this is in the Love and Mercy of God so put al things that any way may bring any torments or tortor to us and the quintessence of all this is in Gods wrath The wild Beasts shall tear them Lyra thinks that this Prophesie was fulfill'd when they were carried captive and in their journey many died and so they were cast into fields and devoured by wild Beasts and it 's likely it may be fulfill'd in part so as usually when Soldiers carry an Enemy captive Why if they be sick let them die and if they die throw them into a ditch there 's all they care for them and so it was with this people that the Lord though he knew them in the wilderness and his protection was over them yet now to forget them and lets them be carried into captivity and cast to wild beasts and so their carkasses was torn And some think that the expression of Gods wrath by these Beasts hath reference to the four Monarchies which God would make use of to be very terrible to his Saints In Dan. 7. you shall find the four Monarchies of the world the Babylonian the Persian the Grecian and Roman Monarchies set forth in the same manner as here the holy Ghost sets out the wrath of God against Israel for the truth is Those things that we have here in Hosea were to set forth Gods waies to his people in after-times not only when they were to be carried captive In Dan. 7. 3. there appeared four great Beasts the first li 〈…〉 Lyon by which was signified the Babylonish Empire the second like a Bear by that the Persian the third like a Leopard and that 's the Graecian for Alexander was as a Leopard exceeding swift all his exploits he did in twelve yeers he was but thirty three yeers old when he died And moreover they observe of the Leopard which hath the name from a Panther that it smels exceedingly the very body of it smels sweet above all Beasts and so it doth invite the Beasts to it and so it was said of Alexanders body that it had a sweet smell with it And then the fourth being the Roman Empire mark how that 's set out just as Gods sets out his wrath he doth not name any particular Beast but the wild Beast this is dreadful terrible and strong exceedingly and it had great iron teeth it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped the residue with the feet of it and it was diverse from al the beasts that was before it and it had ten horns you know now that that was divided into ten Kingdoms or ten sorts of Civil Governments at several times This is the Roman Empire the power of whom Antichrist was to have by both whom the Lord would exercise his people and be very terrible to his people especially those people of his that were Apostatizing people that would worship him according to their own waies God would be thus terrible to them where ever they lived under any of the former Empires they should have God either as a Lyon a Leopard a Bear or like this dreadful Creature at the last unto them Oh but you will say Why do you speak thus Or it may be people would speak thus to the Prophet Oh why do you speak of God in this terrible manner Is not our God a gracious God and a merciful God why then will you render God thus terrible Why saith the Prophet then comes in VER 9. O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help OH do not find fault with the dreadfulness of God that God appears thus dreadful to you and do not you blame the Ministers of God that they do render God in this dreadful manner before you though it 's true that God appears in a way ready to destroy you bu 〈…〉 the Lord yet is infinite holy and blessed and a God of mercy and goodness in himself O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self thou maiest thank thy self for all this 〈◊〉 many of you when you hear the terrors of God set before you perhaps your hearts rise against them and your spirits do exceedingly distast such things as those are and why do Ministers make God appear to be so terrible to people when as he is such a merciful and gracious God Oh! rather lay thine hand upon thine own heart and say God indeed is thus gracious and merciful but it 's through my wickedness that makes God appear so terrible the judgments of God are call'd strange things it 's because that God hath not such delight in the execution of wrath in appearing like a Lyon a Leopard and a Bear It 's that that pleases the heart of God to appear as a Father to do good to his people Oh! but thou hast destroyed thy self And this is a main point indeed that sinful people should charge themselves with all the evil that doth befall them they destroy themselves Oh! this it is that will be the aggravation of mens judgments another day that they are the cause of all the evils they suffer You may think to put it off to God and say Oh how dreadful is Gods Justice but God knows how to put off all upon your selves and the destruction of sinners will appear to be from themselves and God will cleer it up to all the World before Men and Angels and will cleer it up unto their Consciences The damn'd in Hell shall not be able to speak against Gods Justice at all but they shall be forced to charge themselves with all the evil that is upon them Oh! it was through this wretched and vile wicked heart of mine God was not wanting to me in any means of good but I had a rebellious heart and I have brought all this evil upon my self I have destroyed my self O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self Destroyed himself did not God in the words imme 〈…〉 〈◊〉 before say that he would meet him as a Bear that is bereaved of her Whelps and would rend the Caul of their hearts and would be as a Lyon to them and a Leopard and yet O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self Though God execute severe wrath and makes use of instruments of wrath against a people yet their destruction is to be attributed to themselves
Oh Israel thou hast destroyed thy self thou mayest thank thy self for all this The reading of the words I find to be somewhat different from what you have them in your books Calvin and many others read it It hath destroyed thee Israel And in the old English Translation wherein Beza's the Geneva Notes are there it is One hath destroyed them so the word may be read so as it must be made up with somewhat else Either One hath destroyed them or It hath destroyed them or Somewhat hath destroyed them as if God should say 't is not I that have destroyed them but as if somewhat else had done it Tremelius makes it up thus Thy King hath destroyed thee For so the words will bear to reade it to be made up with what the text and the dependance of other passages in the Prophet may help us to hath destroyed us so are the words hath what hath why your King hath dedestroyed you saith Tremelius Saith the Hebrews most of them your Calf hath destroyed you your Idols have destroyed you Aben Ezra your fained comforts hath destroyed you And Drusius he reades it Interogatively Who hath destroyed thee Your fulness of which vers 6. or your own heart and wickedness hath destroyed you The Greek thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who shall give help to the corruption of Israel so that though the words be read so diversly yet that wherein most agree it comes to the same effect as you have them in your books Your own wickedness hath destroyed you your s 〈…〉 ungodly Idelatrous living forsaking God and his 〈…〉 putting confidence in an arm of flesh that hath destroyed thee In Me is Thine Help Those words are somewhat different in the Original from what you have in your Books for there are two Inn's In Me In thy help so 't is in the Hebrew And you shal observe it that in your Books Is hath another character which notes that it is not directly according to the Original In Me in thy help Now in me saith Learned Drusius upon the text I am in thy help and thy help is in me therefore there is two Inn's In me In thy help that is I am in thine help and thine help is in me so in a way of elegancie he expresses it And it seems to be according to the intention of the holy Ghost Whatsoever help thou hast I am in it and thy help it is in me In me is thy help And Pareus he read it Against thy help and so supplies the word Thou hast rebelled against thy help Oh thou hast destroyed thy help Why Because thou hast rebelled against thy help And the words in the Original will bear this to be read against thy help But the other more full according to the general stream of Inerpreters and according to the words Thy help is wholly in me and I am wholly in thy help Thou hast destroyed thy self but thy help is wholly in me That shall suffice for the reading of the words Now for the several Truths that are to be here held forth to us out of the words First this Men would fain put off from themselves to God what evil is upon them Men naturally are loth to charge themselves with the evil that coms upon them It 's their ill-hap their ill-fortune their ill-lock or they could not help 〈◊〉 they did what they could and so think to 〈…〉 ll to God 't is for want of means for want of this or that thing that God did deny to them it 's because God put them into such and such a condition but never come to charge themselves but the Propet speaks here in a compassionat way Oh Israel saith he never stand charging it upon God thou hast destroyed thy self Secondly God knows how to turn all the evil upon our selves God knows how to right himself Though we may think to lessen our evil by putting it upon God God will turn it all upon our own heads and make it out to all the world that we were the cause of al the evils that were upon us both temporal evils and all the evil that shal come upon those that shall perish eternally it will be one of the great works at the day of Judgment To make it out to men and Angels that all the misery that comes upon the damned it is from themselves and their Consciences will acknowledg it and God wil be cleered before all it will be found that the cause of mans perdition it is not the Decree of God Gods Decree it damns none It is their Sin that damns them not the Decree The Decree of Reprobation it is but the leaving of men to be dealt withal in a way of Justice whereas saith God here 's a company I am resolved to magnifie my Grace upon to all eternity Whatsoever comes between to hinder it I am resolved that these shal be the subjects for me to exercise my Grace on toal eternity that 's Election But there are others that I wil have to a way and course of Justice they shal have what they earn and no otherwise so that the Decree is not the cause of mens damnation their sin comes in between that and their damnation so that they destroy themselv 〈…〉 Secondly It 's not the infusion of any evil into them You will say 〈…〉 n comes in between Decree and Damnation But how comes sin in Certainly not by any Infusion from God 〈…〉 t comes in by man himself man himself is the author o 〈…〉 Thirdly It is not by any coaction You will say Though sin is in men for the cause of it yet men cannot help it man cannot but sin Now to that First God made man in such a condition that he might not have sinned and though there be a necessity that man fallen cannot but sin yet it excuses not this necessity He sins as freely as if he could do otherwise Men though it 's true through their fall they cannot do that that is good they cannot but sin Eyes full of Adultry that cannot cease from sin as the Apostle saith of some yet they sin as freely as if they had power to keep from sin It 's that that pleases their wills it 's that that is sutable unto them It 's true that the Saints in Heaven they cannot but glorifie God but yet they glorifie God with freedom too they are so set in an estate of glory as they cannot sin but yet they honor God freely that is They do that that 's sutable to their own spirits in the honoring of God if so be that there be a necessity of sinning from mans fall Yea 2. From a judicial act of God in giving men over to sin yet that 's but in a way of punishment for former sins and they bring this upon themselves so still they destroy themselves Every sinner that perishes murders himself And all
that are damn'd eternally they all of them are Self murderers this is a grievous thing O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self The more there is of Self in mens destruction the more grievous is their condition It would make our hearts to pity any Fowl that should be shot with an Arrow that was feathered from her own body all the Judgments of God all the Arrows of the Almighty that come against sinners they are a it were feathered by that that comes from sinners themselves they are the cause of their own evils The moreself in sinners destruction the more hard is our condition As First When men do so bring miserie pon themselves without any temptation the less temptation the more self in any thing and some destroy themselves so it comes meerly from themselves without any temptation Secondly When mens sins are plotted sins contriv'd sins 〈…〉 he more plotting and contriving about sin the more art thou the Author of thine own evil or destruction Thirdly When men sin and yet are warn'd before-hand of their sin they are told beforehand of the evil yet still are wilful in it and will go on in it they may thank themselves for their destruction Fourthly When men notwithstanding they are often stop'd in the way of their sin and though God doth many times come in the way of his providence and in his Word to stop them in their way of sin and yet still they will go on thank thy self if thou beest undone Fifthly The more means they have to the contrary the more enlightenings they have the more drawings of the holy Ghost they have to draw them from their sin and yet still will go on Sixthly When mens sins are of that nature that they do not only deserve their destruction but they do work their destruction all sins deserves it but some sins works it as drunkenness works diseases in mens bodies brings them to Poxes and Feavers and so they destroy them their very sin destroies them and so some others might be named Seventhly When men shall presume to venture further in any danger than they can help themselves out of they think they will go but so far and so far and so they venture further than they can help themselves out of they destroy themselves Now this evil of Self destruction is so much the more grievous when men destroy themselves in things that they most bless themselves in in things that they do most seek themselves in they most glorifie themselves in I mean in which they do most glory and in which they do promise to themselves greater good if this proves to be their destruction it is so much the more grievous Oh! it is a sad thing to be a self-destroyer for what pity can there be Who will pity a man or woman that is the cause of all their own evil wilfully brings it upon themselves You will say Thank your selves who will pity you Oh! this will be the condition of all that perish Neither God nor Angels nor Saints shall pitie them neither the Father out of whose loyns they came shall pitie them nor the Mother out of whose bodie for they shall see that they have undone themselves And besides Oh the extream vexation that there will be in mens spirits when they shall be convinc'd of this when the Lord shall present to them all the means they have had and all the mercies they have enjoyed so that their consciences shall fly in their faces and tel them Oh you may thank your selves for this it was that wretched heart of thine that thou hast so talk'd of I told you of this before Oh! that pride and that hypocrisie and that Self seeking and that falsness of thine hath brought thee to all this Oh this will be an eternal vexation it will be the matter for the worm to gnaw upon in Hell hereafter Oh! that we have destroyed our selves And besides God will revenge this upon men for no man hath the power over himself thou destroyest one of Gods creatures in being a self-murderer thou shalt be punished for destroying thy self Because they have not the dispose of themselves they are Gods Creatures And here it is a greater sin for a man to murder Himself than his Father or Mother It was a Speech of Austin that way It 's a greater sin than paracide to be a self-murderer and the reason he gives is this For saith he the neerer any one is to one the greater is the sin of murdering that one As it 's a greater sin for me to murder a kinsman than a stranger It 's a greater sin to murder a brother than a kinsman more remote than yet higher a greater sin for me to murder a father then a brother but then it 's a greater sin for me to murder my self than my father Why For I am neerer my self than my father and so the 〈…〉 is greater for any one to lay violent hands upon ones self than upon another You think it a horrid thing if the Devil should come with a temptation Go and take a halter and hang up your mother that bore you or take a knife and cut your fathers throat but when you are tempted to murder your selves it is a greater sin Self-murder it is a great evil and yet all people in the world that perish are self murderers when we do but hear of a man that hangs or drowns himself we think it 's a very sad thing now when you look upon wicked men going on in the waies of sin and destruction look upon them as so many men running to drown themselves and plunge themselves into the bottomless gulf and as so many men cutting their own throats and hanging themselves for certainly so they do Then learn we to charge our selves of all the evil that is upon us do not put it off neither to God nor the Devil so much but charge our selves stil for certainly we cause more evil to our selves than all the Devils in Hell can do All the Devils in Hell could not undo us if we did not undo our selves we are ready to charge it upon wicked men or temptations of the Devil and if not so then upon God for so you do when any man or woman thinks to excuse his sin thus God knows I do what I can that 's as much as if you should say for my part I am free of any evil that comes upon me if I perish I am free I do what I can and it 's because God doth not give me grace thus you put it from your selves to God No learn to charge your selves of evil a tender heart will take even that which is the Devils to himself and a carnal heart will put off that which is from himself to the Devil Observe the difference between one that hath a tender spirit and another when any temptation of the Devil comes that are
where it was said God was the only Savior In Me is thy help In me That is Thy continued help not only help for the present but whatsoever help thou hast continued it is all in God Isa 33. 2. Be thou their Arm every morning our Salvation also in the time of trouble not only their help for the present but they need stil a continued supply and help every morning But further In Me is thine help though thou hast destroyed thy self Observe There 's no misery that man can bring himself to here in this world but there is help in God for it though thou hast destroyed thy self yet in me is thine help there may yet be help in God As if God should say I do glory in it to be an helper It is God glory to help men in miserie let it be ours It 's the glory of many men to destroy to do mischief but it 's the glory of God to be an helper Saith Luther upon the place I desire to defend thee to preserve thee this indeed is to be a God saith he To be an helper God glories in this that he is a God for this end to be an helper Oh that we could account it our glory to be helpful unto others Let us also look upon God in this his Glory and make him the Object of our Faith in times of distress let us not lie vexing and fretting under our misery b 〈…〉 â—ift up our eyes to God that is the helper let no want of means no unworthiness in us cause our hearts to sink those despairing temptations that saith to us There is no help in God they are very sinful at any time let the condition be never so bad You will say I am a wretched creature I have undone my self Well though thou hast yet such kind of thoughts as these to say There is no help in God they are wicked and sinful God accounts it his glory to help men even when they have destroyed themselves There is a time indeed when there will be no help for sinners but for the time in this world we may say as Shechaniah in Ezra 10. 2 Yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing Oh make use of that Scripture when thou seest thy self sink down even to the very gulf Oh yet there is hope in the God of Israel for this very thing Suppose my condition be worse I think than any in the world yet you know it hath not been known what God hath laid up for them that love him there is help in God Yea But whether he will help or no Do but carry it now in this notion That there is help in God and he accounts it his Glory to be an Helper he accounts it not his Glory to be a Destroyer so much no that 's his strange work but to be an Helper that 's his great Glorie And again Even at that time when men are most undone then is the time for God to help Thou hast destroyed thy self in me is thine help Oh! come and return yet there may be help for thee though thou hast destroyed thy self Thou hast destroyed thy self in Me thy help It may be in a way of aggravation of their sin and stubbornness Why doest not thou come in to me have not I alwaies been a help to thee in all times of straights and distresses You are in great miserie now I am the same that ever I was yet there 's help enough in me from whence the Note is this Those that heretofore have seen help in God and yet if now their misery grows upon them and they sink yet lower and lower they had need examin themselves throughly Surely they have shut the door against themselves for help for God is never wearie of doing good his arm is not shortened as in Isa 59. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God I beseech you mark but this there is a great difference between God and man in this thing of Helping Men that are verie kind sometimes and helpful yet at other times they will be very surly and harsh towards those that they have been very helpful to in former times and that not from any cause without but meerlie from the temper of their own hearts and the change that there is in their own spirits not because those that they have been kind to are worse now than before no but because of a froward surly harsh humor that is risen up in themselves you shall see such a difference in men that have been very sweet loving and helpful to you at some times but come to them at other times and you shall find them dogged and surly and harsh and you cannot tell what hath provok'd them no it is nothing but from a surlie distemper that is risen in their hearts Oh! thus it is with men but it is not so with God Thou hast destroyed thy self but in Me is thy help it is still I have been thy helper all thy daies and still am the same God ready to do good unto thee and to help thee And then the last thing that I would note is this The more God hath been helpful to any the greater aggravation will it be to their destruction if they be destroyed at last Thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help I have been a help alwaies I am ready to help and to do good and yet thou art undone Oh to be destroyed when God is at hand to help to perish when there is a Fountain just before us as Hagar this will be sad indeed Oh to perish in the midst of means and in the midst of mercies Oh what an aggravation will it be to mens sins another day when they are past the time of mercie to help but then to think Oh! but how gracious was God to me while I liv'd at such and such a time And so concerning our selves again from this In me is thine help It will be the aggravation of our misery if we should yet perish Oh my Brethren Consider of it What shall all the great stories and notable famous stories that we have told of Gods mighty working in helping us shall they be of no other use but to aggravate our miseries at last It would be a sad thing But to proceed VER 10. I will be thy King Where is any other that may save thee in all thy Cities and thy Judges of whom thou saidst Give me a King and Princes FIRST To speak a little to the words as you have them in your books for the words will bear them so in the Original And yet I shall shew you another reading by and by that is as sutable to the Original text as this I will be thy King What ever you do contrive plot keep never such a stir fret vex and rage I will govern you for all that I will be
and when thou art labouring for the mercy thou art as well labouring to prepare thy heart for it surely then when it comes it must be sweet indeed but when there 's no preparation before thou canst not know that it is in love We little think that we have need of preparation for mercies If indeed God should threaten some judgment we would think that we had need be prepared but certaialy there is as great need for preparation for mercies to be able to make good use of them as for afflictions to be able to bear them And this seventh Note I have likewise from Numb 11. 18. And say thou unto this people Sanctifie your selves against to morrow There 's a charge that they should sanctifie themselves against to morrow for God would give them flesh I do not find that they did do it but when God promised to give them sesh◠he bid them sanctifie themselves as if he should say If that your desires come before you have sanctified your selves it wil be in wrath not in mercy Oh therefore when as you are earnest to have your desires satisfied think thus The Lord charges thee to sanctifie thy self Oh! doest thou take care of this doest thou make it to be thy endeavor to sanctifie thy self before the mercy comes then thou maiest have comfort in it and not otherwise Eighthly When we seek greedily to have our desires satisfied but rest in the means we use and seek to be beholding to the creature only for it we do not lay the great weight upon prayer what ever it is that we enjoy and we do not get it by prayer we cannot know that it is in love When God intends a mercy from love he doth first fill the heart with the Spirit of Prayer when a mercy comes after much prayer then it 's a mercy from love When the Saints have been praying and then God hath come in with mercy Oh then they have gathered arguments of Gods love to them This I had because I sought thee as Hannah did concerning Samuel how did she rejoyce in Samuel Oh! this is the child that I prayed for saith Hannah unto Eli Oh! this is the mercy that I prayed for therefore she called her childs name Samuel one that was sought of God And so when we can call every gift we have we can call it Samuel that is a gift ask'd of God here 's a gift that 's got by prayer Whatsoever means was used yet prayer was the chief ingredient this is an argument of love But otherwise we can have no assurance that it is from love It 's true a King was not unlawful for them to desire because they had such hints in Scripture Oh but they did not so much mind them no but they come to Samuel and say Come Give us a King we do not reade that they go to God for it Such a great change of their State as that was one would think should have required divers daies in seeking of God It was a mighty change from such a Government as they had unto a new kind of Government and from a Government that was of Gods own appointment to another Government wherein now they would sute themselves according to the Nations And yet we find no daies of prayer for this and therefore it was in wrath that they had it Therefore when you would have any thing look not so much to come by it according to second causes but be much in Prayer according to the excellency of the thing that you seek for Ninthly When God gives our desires but doth not give a proportionable measure of Grace that so we might make a sanctified use of them when God gives you the shell but not the kernel surely it is not in love If your children should ask a Nut of you and you give them a Nut that hath no Kernel they wil not think if so be that you knew it that it is in any great love Truly all the good things that wicked men have they are but Shels without Kernels they are not in love The Kernel of every Blessing it is a proportionable measure of grace to use it for God You have a great desire that God should change your condition if he should change it and not give you a heart fit for that condition you had better be without that thing you have a desire that God should prosper you in such a business yea but if he doth not teach you how to abound you had been better never to have abounded Now it 's not in love for God to give any success except he gives a proportionable measure of Grace according to the success therefore that 's that which you should all examin the Lord hath altered my condition and many good things I have more than before but what Graces have I more than before what exercise of Grace what work of Grace more than before Certainly if it be in love it will be so Tenthly Surely our desires cannot be in love when God doth not only deny a proportionable measure of Grace 〈◊〉 there goes a secret curse with what we have If so be that 〈◊〉 man should be very hungry and hath a mighty desire to satisfie himself and he fals greedily upon his meat and eats it but assoon as he hath eaten it his body swels more and more till it be as big as two bodies surely he begins to think then that all is not well Lord have mercy upon me saith he he is afraid that he is poysoned So God gives you your desire and assoon as you have it you begin to swell you are bigger than you were before your hearts are proud and you can look scornfully upon others then Oh you are poysoned this is an ill satisfying of your hunger you are poysoned surely in this In Isa 10. 16. you have there a notable expression to this purpose Therefore shall the Lord the Lord of hosts send among his fat ones leanness and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire Even such things wherein there appears to be a great deal of glory such things perhaps as when your desires are satisfied in you can glory in Oh you glory in such and such a mercie such a good thing you have above others but under this glory there is a burning kindled there 's a great deal of the wrath of God in it a secret curse that goes along with it Eleventhly When we regard the satisfying of our desires so as we regard not what becoms of others sobeit we have our desires satisfied and this is from their example here Let 's have a King A King What shall become of Samuel then hath not he judged you and been faithful with you What will you shew your selves so ingrateful to him for all the good he hath done to you as to reject him and his house and family Oh! they cared not for
66 Reproach Reproach see Apostacy Reprobation Reprobation see Note Dangerous sign Restitution Why no pardon without Restitution 320 Scripture for Restitution 321 Repute Repute not to be trusted 421 Reverence We are with Reverence to hear the Lord speak 416 Rich Rich see High-minded Root What 's the immediate Root of Faith 177 Rule Rule for matter of Meditation 7 The general Rule of Worship 437 S Saints Priviledg of Israel refer to the Saints 11 Saints see Law Affliction Prosperity Satan Satan's great design 71 Sanctifie Gods Love sanctifies all things 84 Scare see Ministers Scripture What the Scripture presses much 297 Scripture see Restitution Self Wherein self appears in sin 512 Self destruction see Aggravation Sensual Sensual things see Fill. Servants Servants should love one another 76 Servants see Recreation Sign Sign see Carnal heart Similitude Similitudes what and how to be used 350 Sin Sin see Imitate Sinner A sinners duty 340 Soul Soul see Guiding Spirit Gods Spirit grieved only by the Saints 89 Spirit see Church Gods Spirit bitter to some 406 Slaves Gods Sons slaves for a time 14 Slavery God hath his time to call his sons out of Slavery ibid. Spiritual Spiritual things see Little State The State of the Saints is very secure 154 Steps The steps of Apostacy 432 Stout The Character of a stout heart 107 Stratagem Stratagem see Devils Success Success no note of a good Cause 536 Superiors Superiors should win by Love 74 Superstition Superstition see Beginning Suspense Suspence a cause of great evil 123 Swearing see Kissing the Book Sword For the Sword to be in a City a sad thing 113 T Tartness see Ministers Terror see Jehovah Terrible see God Their see Arabian Thoughts Gods Thoughts from eternity concerning his Elect 79 What thoughts we should have of outward comforts 456 Time see Slavery Tools see Iron Trading Oppression in Taading a great evil 313 Tradesmen Vnder Tradesmen to oppress is wicked 314 Tradesmen see Meditation Trembling Trembling due to God 416 Trembling see Alteration Tribes see Confidences Troubles Great troubles at the raising of Christs Kingdom 184 Truths Truths not necessary to be imposed 98 V Vanity The vanity of proudmen 445 Priests may be vanity that seem to be much for God 352 Vindicate How the Saints are to vindicate Reproaches 410 Violence see Magistrates Use The use of Reason in Religion 440 W Wait How we are to wait on God 303 Why we should wait 304 Way To be guided in our way is a fruit of Love 32 The way to Vniformity 70 A way of Holy Revenge 108 Gods waies not our waies 118 Weeping Weeping not sutable to a high Spirit 247 Wilderness Wilderness see Conduct Wind Creature-hopes are but winde 202 Wives Wives or Husbands not to be forced on Children 390 Word Word see Drawn Work Work see Chief One Work of the day of Judgment 511 World World see Honor Worship Worship see Rule Corruption Wrath Proneness to wrath not Gods Image 150 Y Yong Yong see Confident Z Zeal All men should shew Zeal 〈…〉 r God FINIS Heb. The scope of the Chapter Where the Chapter ends The cohâ—eâ—ence Obs 1. Tota Scriptura hoc praecip 〈…〉 è agit ne dubitemus sed certo speremus 〈…〉 danâ—u credamus Deum esse misericordeÌ„ benegnum patientem Luth. 〈…〉 Rom 9. 11. 12. The phrase opened Excussâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat eum qui crebâ—ò sugum parentis vel Heri excutit quamvis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ternov in 〈…〉 c. What a child Israel was Ezek. 16. 1. c. applied Wherein the love of God to Israel stood Obs 1 Jer. 12. 7. Obs 2. 〈◊〉 3. Gods ancient love to England An instance of it England the first Nation in the world that God chose for the embracing Religion by publick Authority Lucius of England is said to be the first Christian King Centur. Cent. 2. Cap. 2. Tit. de Propagation Ecclesiiae 〈◊〉 J. Balai Catal. Who also by publick Authority established Christianity about the year 169. Lucius in lucem prodit de patre coello J. B. Author primus apud Britones Religiones erat Rossaei Britania God remembers the kindness of Englands youth first love Particul persons should recal Gods antient love unto them when they were children A Rule how we may never want matter of meditation Obser 4. Obs 5. Gods waies of mercy and affliction toward Israel a type of his waies toward his people in all ages Gods love doth not find but make the person lovely Object Answ How to know whether God will love us or no Obs 6. Youth What will compleat the comfort of our lives Jer. 2. 2. How we may know whether God loved us when children Nimis serò te amami Aug. Exod. 4 22. Jer. 31. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 70. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obs 1. Priviledges of Israel refer to the Saints Malach. 3. 17. Saints therefore not under the Law Psal 89. 30 31. c. Obs 2. Jer. 2. 14. Use Obs 3. The Church one in Faith Spirit Babtism c. Eph. 4. 4 5. not in outward incorporation and visible Government Obs 4. Jer. 12. 17. Deut. 32. 10. observed Gods Sons slaves to Satan oft-times and for a season And to wicked men which is the admiration of Angels God hath his time to call them out of that slavery Obs 5. Exod. 12. 42. Applicat to England The Text as cited Mat. 2. 15 further expounded Hierom Matthew's interpretation seems strange to some * See Bucer on Matth. 28. P. 197. shewing that the Apostles allegations of Scripture were not proper unless to such as the holy Ghost enlightned to see the mystical sense of them and except we shall say that those Expositions were received things in those daies as are among the Jews now the Chaldae paraphrase expounding many places of Christ which according to the Letter have another sense and this perhaps may be the saâ—er to affirm because else it may seem the Apostles could not so well have charged the Jews with Obstinacy as Act. 13. and Chap. 28. and else where Opinions about the place in Matthew Junius in loc Paralel lib. 1. Paral. 6. Isa 2. 9. Isa 9. 6. 3. preferred so Hierom on Hos 11. 1. expounds it Exod. 12. 46. and Joh. 19. 36. compared Things accidental are under providene Great things intended of God by smal 2 Sam. 7. 14. Heb. 1. 5. compared also Obs God som way or other aims at Christin all his works which to see wil be one part of the Saints glory A similitude A fruit of Gods Love and of Christ's Spirit to understand the reach of God in Scripture A comfort to the Saints in their sufferings that they have a conformity with Jesus Christ by them Those that fly with their children The danger and length of Christs flight into Egypt The inward tentations of the parents 〈◊〉 Christ in thei 〈…〉 flight Expos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 70. 2 Cor. 5. 4. illustrated Calvin in
our servants A masters comfort 1 Sam. 18. 22 Servants should love one another Object Answ Magistrates shold govern by love 1 Chr. 28. 2. The difference betwixt the gesture language of David the Princes of these times John 2d King of Portugal The property of the Pelican A Princes pattern Timeri quà m diligi A pernitious state maxime The evils of striving otherwise than by love Why Hypocrites are hide-bound towards God The benefits of love Obs 3. Deut. 11. 13. The cords of Gods love to his people 1 Eternal Gods thoughts from eternity concerning his Elect. 2 Elective and separating Malach. 1. 2. Use 3 Free Hos 14. 4. Deut. 7. 7. discoursed 4 He gave his Son for them Which he did not for Angels 5 And Himself also This is set forth by gradation and prosopopie 6. Regards nothing else Isa 43. 4. illustrated 7 Pardoned all their sins Revel 1. 5. Gal. 2. 20. observed A representation of the love of Christ in coming to take away our sin An apt simile 8 Puts loveliness upon them 9 Loves them with the love he hath to Christ Joh. 17. 23. 10. Hence God delights in his Saints Why God does all the former things for his Saints Eph. 1. 23. illustrated by Joh. 17. 24 11 Gods love sweetens and sanctifies all A meditation for afflicted Saints 12. Gods love overcomes all our unworthiness both before after conversion which he foresaw 13 Gods love hath in it the love of all relations 14 An everlasting and unchangable love Zeph. 3. 17. Jer. 3. 13. 2 Thess 2. 16. Application 2 Cor. 5. 14. God the Element of Love 1 Joh. 4. 16. Eph. 3. 17 18 19. The rarity of the expression in Eph. 3. 19. Why Christians ar so scant in their obedience and empty in their spirits Cant. 7. 12. noted God regards nothing but love Our love should be eminent toward Christ Minus te 〈◊〉 Deus diligit qui praeter te aliquid diligit qui propter te non diliget August Confess Gods special love to Engl. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. The scope of the Text. Obs 4. Three sorts of Gods Bonds Use Niâ—â—â— durus est animus qui amore si nolebat impendere noltt rependare August Adulterous love Gifts The Spirit grieved only by the Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A meditation for a Saint about to sin Mark 14. 72. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Erupisset Beza Ovelatione capitis he covered his head as Marriners use to do Theophylact. Simile Simile Expos Luther No coÌ„mand in the Gospel without a promise Simile Obs 1 Deliverance from Oppression a great mercy Levit. 26. 13. Ezek. 34. 27. Expounded A cure for Atheistical thoughts Obs 2. To grow wanton after deliverance from yokes is very sinful Englands sin The Evils of licentiousness after deliverance 1 It hardens our Adversaries Suppression of Errors by violence no argument of the truth of Church-government Omnes licentiâ deteriores sumus 2 It obscures the work of God Psal 149. 4. enlightned 3 Deprives others of just liberty Which wil be charged on the ocasioners of it 4 It â—aâ— bring the yoke on again 5 It justly provokes men against liberty Lam. 1. 14. What use we should make of our liberty Exod. 12. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illustrated Obs 3. Oppression of others after deliverance from oppression a crying sin Deut. 28. 48. Conscience oppression the most grievous What Statesmen should consider in imposing things Object Answ Such Truths as are not of necessity not to be imposed Men of latitude in judgment A meditation for such And necessary at this time Isa 58. 6. 9. We should make the lives of Beleevers comfortable In what things we should bear with our brethren And why Use To Magistrates and Governors of families Times of Recreation to be permitted to servants 1. It would drown the memory of the superstitious Holydays 2. It would forward the sanctification of the Sabbath Expos Faciam eos edere quietè Luth. Obs 1. Use To the Rich. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 descendere ferit Obs 2. Obs 3. Use to Hard Masters Use 2. The misery of other places cy mer 1. The Text paraphrased Obs 1. Use A great mercy to be thorowly taken off from carnal props 2. Obs 2. Obs 3. Use for England Englands condition must be far worse if it think of returning Obs 4. Who the Assyrian was Isa 10. 5. 7. 12. A Character of a stout heart Obs 1. Use A way of holy revenge Obs 2. Obs 3. Use to the convicted Job 9. 4. to be observed by such An obstinate sinner worse than the Devil in some respect Jer. 3. 22. should be our example An exhortation to backsliders Jer. 4. 5. expounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 renuit fastidinit Pâ—el Obs 4. Expos 1. Caepit vulg Hierom. of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hiphil Obs 1. Jer. 18. 7 8. England Expos 2. Obs 2. Isa 34. 5. 6. Jer. â—6 1â— Use Against protractors of the War The War taken by the great The New-Model of the Army Anno 1645 1646. A blessing for those that hasten peace Obs 3. Use for Engl. How men were deceived at the begining of this war Jer. 47. 6 7. Obs A sad thing for the sword to be in a City Ioseph de Bello Iudaic. lib. 7 cap. 7. 1100000. slain in the siege at Jerusalem The mercy of God to London all this War The Butt the enemy aimed at Isa 37. 33. 34. 35. Ezek. 14. 17. Jer. 25. 15. Not only preserved but made the City of Refuge for the kingdom Expos Isa 14. 31. This the caus why London hath been so aimed at Every good patriot ought to labor the the good of London By prayer and all good endeavors Psal 55. 9. 17. explained Our own Counsels a cause of Englands lasting war Expos Comâ—det capita torum Vulg. Propter consilia eorum Pagn Ezek. 11. 2. When Parliament Army City and Kingdom wil give over their own Counsels Good intentions may be seduced A false religious and State principle Gods waies not our waies Expos Application 1. 〈…〉 England Why some were 〈◊〉 w 〈…〉 at the begining of this Reformation Why they started off again 2. Private particular persons Why these start back 1. 2 3 4 5 6. 7 8. 9. Admonition to such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suspenst sunt Calv. Parâ—us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 70. In suspence here what Applicat to England Populus meus dubitat au velit redire ad me Luth. * Populus meâ—s haesitat se convertere ad Legemmeam Chald. Paraphrase Obs The conflict of conscience corruption Suspence a caus of much evil Considerations tending to settle the unresolved about the waies of God Simile Populus meus pendebit ad reditum meum i. e. pendulus sperabit vulg Montanus Expos 2 3. 4. Obs 1. Piety raises the heart more than pride Obs 2. Obs 3. Simile Obs 4. Psa 97. 9 10. illustrated Abrahams
4. 8 9 10 11. The Ministry a magnificent gift Chrysostom how esteemd in his Ministry In choice of our habitations we shold have respect to a good Ministry Obs 3. Obs 4. Use Expos Exponit Deut in verbo similitudinem sui hoc est pingit voluntatem suam Luth. in loc Obs 1. Effectual preaching Obs 2. Pet. Martyr on John 20. See the Life of Galeaciâ—n What Similitudes should be used and how 1. 2. 3. Obs 3. Obs 4. Gilead Gilgal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 princeps 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ququam hic c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 irregular Vid. Buxtorf in Lexic Heb. Expos Note Let the Learned note Obs Expos 2. Amos contemporary with Hosea Obs 1. Expos Obs 2 Applic. to Reformers in England Expos 1. Expos 2. Dij terminalis Procession-Weeks in England Expos 3. Scope 1. Expos Iacob's mean condition Scope 2. Scope 3. A further Exposit of the Text. Iacob's flight into Syria 1. 2. Note How Isaac sent Iacob away 1 Note 2. Why sent away so meanly 1. 2. The chief reason Kindred Parents or Guardians may not force Wives or Husbands upon Children Gen. 29. 27. Expounded Note Marriage founded on consent Quest Answ What is the blessing in a married condition Which they should pray for Obs 1. Let the Nobility Gentry note Plato said all Kings came from Plow-men and all Plow-men from Kings Obs 2. Applic. 1. To Servants that are in hard service 2. To those that are out Obs 1. Obs 2. Non tam longo tempore servivit Jaacob ut haberet Socium vitae cum qua perpetuò rixaretur tanquam scholam omniuÌ„ virtutem Matrimonium cupidè ingressus est Luth. in 〈◊〉 Why Iacob served the other 7. years for R 〈…〉 Obs 3. A childs great disobedience 1. 2. 3. Cohaerance Moses his low condition Obs Reason of the Text. 1. 2. 3. Cyril Obs 1. Applied to England Obs 2. Difference of God's working for his People and for others Reas 1. 2. Use Obs 3. Obs 4. Let some note this now as others had cause to note it formerly Note The aggravations of this sin 1. 2. A perverse spirit the punishment of ingratitude Cohaerance Expos 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hithpael Exaltari Graec. Ezek. 3. 14. in Excelsis suis Calv. c. Expos 2. The particular intimation of the Text. Obs 1. Obs 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The aggravation of provoking God Wherein we may provoke Against provoking one another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A MeditatioÌ„ for passionate spirits Gualter Simile Note Obs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Provoking sins 1. 2. 3 The Spirit of God bitter to some England now more guilty of bitterness tean ever Rev. 8. 11. alluded to Aggravated Text. Expos Obs Obs Tâ—â—msire fecit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Expos Quest Answ Apostacy brings a reproach upon Gods waies * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Simile The language of the sin of an Apostat How God usually punisheth them The reproach of the wicked How tho Saints are to vindicate reproaches Expos Obs Use Iulian the Apostat The pointing of the Text. Joshua Jeroboam Chald. paraphrase Expos 1. 2. Base spirits most insolent Obs 1. Use for Inferiors We are with reverence to hear the Lord speak Obs 2. The imperiousness of some in their families Trembling due to God The posture of a CongregatioÌ„â— Expos Pareus Obs 3. Psal 77. 14. Observed Obs 4. Obs 5. Verified in 1. Magistracy 2. Ministry Note Note Simile Use for Magistrats and Ministers that have bin of Repute Revel 7. 8. Explained See Mr Mead in loc Expos in partic What Ieroboam spake to cause tremling 1. Alteration of Government Expos Obs 1. Obs 2. Note Obs 3. Use Caution Expos 2. Obs 1. Episcopacy A fit simile Obs 2. Obs 3. Obs 4. Obs 5. Mat. 24. 28. Interpreted Note Obs 6. Troja retineus Palladium inexpugabiles manebat A Caution One of Gods special Covenants with the Jews His way with them Obs 7. Ahabstime Expos Obs 1. Note Mobile vulg 〈…〉 Expol. Obs 1 An apt simile Obs 2 Obs 3. Simile Simile Obs 1. Simile Simile The steps of Apostacy 1. 2. 3. A story related by Dr. Preston 4. Common Comforts 5. 6. 7. 8. 9 Note 10. 11. 12 Difference between the Churches excomumnion and Gods Note Yong beginners Use for the Saints Obs 5. The General rule of Worship 1. 2. The beginning of superstition 1. 2. Ceremonies Popery Use to Reformers Expos Tertull. de Idolataria cap. 4. 6 7. Silver Note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dolorei terriculamenta The Cause of corruption in Gods Worship The root of that evil Hoc agitur de cultu Dei in quocessore debet quicquid est prudentiae quicquid est rationis in hominibus quicquid consilij omnes coâ—â—um sensus naÌ„ si hic tantillum fibâ— er 〈…〉 tunt nibil aliud 〈◊〉 à m Dei cultum vitiant Hic principiuÌ„ est vitè colenâ—â— Dei ut â—omines â—â—ulâ—â—ant neque permittunt sibi sapere s 〈…〉 tantum preleâ—nt aurem Deo Hic damnat quicquid arridet judicio hominum vel rationi Calv. in l c. Non-conformists The use of Reason in Religion Text. Expos Obs Isa 29. 13. Observed Fulfilled in England of la. e. Note Expos Applic. Text. Expos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 G 〈…〉 Tertull. Lactant. Just lib. 1. cap. 21. Ge-Hinnom In valle filioruÌ„ Hinnom HinnoÌ„ 〈◊〉 Nahem Genuat Rugijt from whence Gehenna * Adorare ad os Applic. Obs Use Against kissing the Book in swearing Expos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gluma palea temissima Obs * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat Foramen in Judaeâ non fueruÌ„t tables camini qualibus nos hodie ultimur sed Feuestrae superiore parte domus vel in pavicte quemadmodum bodie in Norwegiâ Sueciâ Tar 〈…〉 ov in loc Obs Use Expos 1. Obs Expos 2. Expos 3 See Luth. in Gen. 27. Expos 4. Obs Text Expos Obs What it is to know God Obs 1. Obs 2. Text Obs 1. Obs 2. Obs 3. Obs 4. Obs 5. Obs 6. The Excellency of Gods saving Quest Answ Obs 1. Obs 2. Obs 3. Obs 4. Obs 5. Expos Gods knowledge conduct of the People in the wilderness Obs 1. Use Obs 2 Obs 3. Obs 4. Obs 5. Expos Obs 1. Applic. None of the Saints worse for Affliction many for Prosperity David Text. Expos Note Prov. 23. 5. Noted What thoughts we should have about enjoying outward comforts 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9 10. 11. Note Text Difficile est esse in Honor sine Tumore Bern. Why the rich and great are apt to be high minded 1. 2. 3. 4 5. Note Psal 35. 16. Noted Deut. 32. 33. Applied Notes of the pride of some new Officers 1 2. 3 4. Psal 73. 8. Observed 5. 6. 7 Why we should not be exalted by prosperity 1. 2. 3. 4. An apt simile 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Job
God Me thinks I find all the blood as it were and my spirits so working and stir'd that I find my heart even turning up and down within me when I come to the execution of wrath And then My repentings are kindled together It is a very notable phrase Here by Repentings I take is meant those thoughts of God by which he came to do such things as men do in their repentings My repentings together That is All the thoughts that I could as it were possibly muster up that could be mustered up together for to turn my heart from the waies of Truth to the waies of Mercy they are all come up together to me saith God and being all joyned together they make a fire and have set my heart on fire As a company of brands being laid together make a great flame so all those thoughts that possibly may be any means to work my heart to good to this people they are all presented together and being come and joyned all together in one they set my heart even of a flame and mightily are stirring in my heart Oh! this is the goodness of God to his people to have all things that any way may be a motive to do good to his people to come up all together before God all in one and when they come in one there to make a fire in the very bosom of God all the reasonings as it were of my heart being joyned together for them have kindled a fire so that I cannot hold but I must needs vent my self thus How shall I give thee up Ephraim But you wil say Why doth God express himself thus God might without any more ado pardon and help or deliver why should he express himself in this manner It 's the Answer of Mr. Calvin here He doth accommodate himself saith he to our rudeness God who disdained not to take mans nature upon him disdained not to act in the person of a man who being much wronged is reasoning in himself what to do his heart is full of pity his bowels yern and he would fain find a way for mercy and when provocation of execution comes in in his mind it is as a dagger to his heart Oh! how shal I do this As if you would imagin any merciful man in the world that were put to a straight would fain have a way for mercy to save a wretched sinner God takes upon him the person as it were of this man and saith How shall I do it God doth as it were in this bring Mercy and Justice both together to plead the Case both against and for Ephraim Justice comes in and pleads Lord their Sins are great and many their Mercies have been great their Means that they have had hath been exceeding much thou hast been exceeding much thou hast been patient a long time towards them and this hath been abused their hearts are still hardened thy Name is blasphemed because of them These Arguments come up against them But now there comes up Arguments for them I but than Mercy steps up and pleads But Lord art not thou a God thou art a God These actions indeed may overcome men but shall they overcome thee And this is Ephraim Are not they thy People are they not in relation to thee are they not in Covenant with thee Spare them Lord for their for fathers sake for Abrahams sake for Israels sake who was so mighty with thee remember Lord the kindness of their youth the wonders that thou hast done heretofore for them when they were stuborn and rebellious Lord thou hast many of thine Elect among them and therefore wilt thou utterly consume them Oh! when the Lord hears these prayers of Mercy on the other hand How shall I do it I cannot do it Thus you have seen the opening of the words with the paraphrase But now for the Notes If any one of you should have any thoughts that I do not briefly pass over this Scriptur in an Expository way I may even answer you How shal I do it It were a very great burden upon one to meddle with such Scriptures as these are in an Auditory that doth desire to have something spoken to their hearts and meerly to pass it over in a meer Expository way therefore for the Notes the first Observation is this The greatness of mans sin hinders not the work of the bowels of God towards them There was none exalted him but they followed their own Counsels and did what they list yet how shall I give thee up this from the Connexion I will give you an instance and that 's a very famous one as we have in all the book of God What sins were greater than the sins of Jerusalem against Christ when he lived and yet Christ looks on Jerusalem and weeps over it weeps over it when he considered of the destruction of it Yea and mark Though Jerusalem were guilty of the Blood of Christ took away the very Life of Christ yet when Christ was risen again one of the first things that Christ doth in the 24. of Luke 47. when he was going there to Emaus Christ saith That Repentance and Remission of sins was to be preached in his Name among all Nations begining at Jerusalem Repentance and remission of sins preached to all Nations Oh! but surely Jerusalem must be left Jerusalem that did slay the Prophets and was so injurious yea Jerusalem that put Jesus Christ to death though all Nation should have Repentance and Remission of sins preached to them yet one would think Jerusalem now should be excepted No saith Christ begining at Jerusalem Jerusalem shall be the first place where I 'le have preached Repentance and Remission of sins even that Jerusalem that took away my life I 'le have preached Repentance and Remission of sins there in the very first place of all Oh! Gods mercies are beyond mans iniquities My brethren If the bowels of Gods mercies shal work toward us notwithstanding our great sins why should not the bowels of our compassions work towards our Brethren notwithstanding their infirmities why should we upon every little discontent cast off all pity and love to our Brethren What such great things in us and yet moves not God to cast us off but still How shall I cast thee off Oh! when you look upon your Brethren that once your hearts did close withal and that were as your own souls and if now you should be any instruments of evil to them you should have such reasonings as this How shall I do it I see infirmities in them I but notwithstanding my great sins God saith of me How shall I give thee up And then Secondly Why should great afflictions for God hinder your hearts working to him seeing great sins against God doth not hinder Gods heart yerning to you Why should any great afflictions for God hinder your hearts working twards him Surely if God will he merciful to us