Lord calls to contend by fire Surely the Lord doth it at this day he calleth to contend with England by fire in a most dreadful way and who knows what the end shall be That he hath a most dreadful controversy against England at this day will appear if we further take these considerations First That a people complaining of bondage heretofore yet when God offered deliverance should be so far left of God as they shall now rather be willing to make themselves and their posterity bond-slaves Surely God hath a dreadful controversy against us it were else impossible that such a thing should be in the hearts of men Men love liberty they groan under bondage We did groan but a few yeers ago and the Lord was coming to help us and yet we are now so left of God that we even turn again to our former bondage and would have our ears to be bored that we might be perpetual slaves Secondly It is not only that we wil turn again to bondage but this is out of a spirit of enmitie against the yoke of Jesus Christ This is the very ground and bottom of it in a great part of the Kingdom whatsoever yoke they have upon them they are resolved they will not have the yoke of Christ out of a spirit of enmity against the Godly party who desire and endeavor Reformation At the beginning of this Parliament when we began to have hopes of some liberty and reformation Oh what a joy was there generally in the Kindom all men agreed together but when those that were wicked and carnal began to see that their godly neighbours rejoyced that they blessed God for what was done that they had their minds now they turn out of a spirit of malice against them rather than they shall rejoyce rather than they shall have their minds we will turn back again to the bondage we were in before and we will stand and oppose that which heretofore we rejoyced in Certainly here is the very ground of so much contradiction as there is at this day They have therefore turned Malignants against that Cause which a man would wonder that ever rational men should be against But there is a spirit of malice against Christ and his Ordinances fearing a reformation they would have their lusts and they think if reformation come they should not have them with that liberty they have had here is the very reason that the Gentry and others in the country are opposite Surely God hath a controversie with us Thirdly That men should so vily desert those whom they have chosen and trusted who have been faithful those Worthies in Parliament who have ventured their lives for them basely and unworthily now to desert them it is one of the greatest judgments of God upon the hearts of men and therefore upon a nation that ever was If they complain of them now they would much more have complained of them if they had complyed suppose the Parliament had made up a patched reformation and a crazie peace that uppon any occasion we had bin in danger to have had war broken out again would not the people of the land have cried out of their unfaithfulness But now they venture themselves and labour so hard for a sound peace therefore to be deserted An unworthy generation a generation that we have cause to fear is become the generation of Gods wrath and the people of his curse People are affected according as success is we complain of those in Parliament because of some difficulties that are in the work yet if they had not done what they did they would have complained much more So of Ministers sometimes Ministers speak and stir up people because their consciences tell them they should be unfaithful to their country and to the cause of God if they did not now they cry out as they did of Luther that they are the trumpets of sedition and rebellion whereas on the other side if they should say nothing then people would have cryed out that they had betraied their Country and that they were not so faithful in their places as they should therefore people were so bad as they were Thus hard it is for God or man to please people Again That not only people should desert them but that so many of Nobles and some Members of the Parliament themselves should desert their Brethren there and joyn with Papists French and Walloons When as not long since a company of vile wretches being gathered together to fight against our brethren of Scotland and yet those vile people could not be brought to fight against them by any means But now not the vile ones but Nobles Knights and Gentry can be brought to fight against the Parliament their own Brethren Is not here a mighty hand of God against us Could this ever be if God had not a dreadful controversie against England Fourthly That men should be so blinded as to think the Protestant Religion should be maintained by an Army of Papists that the Laws and Liberty of the subject should be maintained by an Army of Delinquents and strangers yea that the King with Papists Delinquents French and Walloons should better maintain the Liberty of the Subject and the Protestant Religion than with the Parliament That people should come to beleeve this is not the hand of God upon the people of this land Are they not infinitely besotted can we think that men indued with reason should do this Surely were not the Judgment of God fearfully upon their souls it could not be beleeved that ever this should be done by people that had any rationality in them Fiftly God surely calls to contend fearfully with us in that he should suffer such an ill cause to prosper so as it hath done and to get to that height as it is It is that which is the amazement both of England and the Countries about us that such an ill cause should get so high and prosper so much as it hath done Surely the Lord is against us or else it could not have been Sixtly When there shall be such a desperate design so long a hatching drawn forth in such a season and so driven on and now breaking forth in such violence and yet men cannot see it The tract of the design is aâ— cleer as the Sun at noon day and drawn on from one step to another by comparing of one thing with another we may see it as apparantly as the light Would you not think it a besotting thing if there should be a train of Gunpouder laied along in the streets from such a place to the Parliament House to blow it up and yet that men should pass by and say they see no such thing Certainly the drawing on of the design against our Religion and State to bring us under tyranny and slavery the tract is as evident and plain as ever there was train of Gunpruder laid to such a place that men would willingly blow up and yet
men see it not Surely Gods hand is out against us Seventhly That we should have so little fruit of our prayers as we have at this day yea that God should seem to be angry with the prayers of his people This argueth a fearful controversy and in this one particular among others what prayers in England have been sent up to God for the Palsgraves children and that now instead of answering our prayers God should send two Arrows as it were out of those loins to do us mischief that it should come from them for whom England hath done so much to maintain them and sent up so many prayers to God for them and in recompence of all they should come hither to make havoke of the Kingdom Surely the hand of God is out against us Eightly That our brethren should be so spoil'd and our selves in such danger of drinking the dregs of the cup yet where are our hearts The judgment of God is upon the hearts of men that they stir not and act not like men but they see their Brethren spoild before them and in the mean time all that which keeps them quiet is only that they hope they shall be the last Gods hand is upon the hearts of men this could not be else Could one ever have thought that English men could have born this If one had told them before that there should be an Army of Papists rise up with French Walloons and Irish to spoil the Kingdom to destroy our Brethren would one have ever imagined that English men should have born it and stirred no more than they have done You talk indeed of this and that and of going forth every fourth man but all such resolutions and such great words of men do usually sink and fall down and come to nothing aâ— if men were willing and content to lay down their necks upon the block Surely the guilt of the blood of our Brethren may justly come upon us and God may have a controversie with us for suffering their blood to be spilt Ninthly That God should put so many opportunities into our hands and we neglect all those opportunities of mercy this is the hand of God against us and a fruit of his controversy with us What shall I say more That God himself should take away our opportunities that when we are nigh to deliverance that God should drive us back this is an argument of a heavy controversie indeed Numb 13. when the people were come very neer to Canaan and were even ready to take possession God was resolved against them that none but Caleb and Joshua should enter they were beaten back again now Chap. 14.33 it is said that the people when they heard this mourned greatly they saw the hand of God out against them The truth is we have been even in Canaan Oh what an opportunity God put into our hands in the West I say not we lost the opportunity but there Gods own hand shewed it self against us Bristol then might have been saved but God would not And so when we were even at our deliverance God seemed to drive us back as if he told us well I like not the business in hand for this generation I have somewhat more to say to them it may be to their young ones I may shew mercy afterward but against this generation my wrath shall be let out Surely we may be afraid in regard of the waies of Gods present administration lest this should be in Gods heart Howsoever let us consider it and mourn greatly before the Lord. God hath a controversiy with the inhabitants of the land It is no time now to have controversies one with another to be wrangling one with another for this opinion and the other opinion It is time for us now to lay down all our private controversies and fall to the making up the controversie with our God It is no time now for Brethren to strive with Brethren but to strive and wrestle with â—od in prayer If we have any strength with us let it not be spent in contending one with another but let all our strength be spent in seeking to make peace with our God It is said of the Romans that they had a Temple of Concord and none were to go to offer any further sacrifice but those that came first to offer in the Temple of Concord The Lord looks it should be so with us we should come and agrâ—e one with another lay down all our own controversies and then give up our selves as one man to this great work to make up our controversie with him If two Chickins be fighting and the Kite come neer they will leave picking one another and run to the Hen for shelter We stand picking and snarling one at another and many men that say they will do thus and thus for the publick cause but they take exception against this man and the other man and at this thing and that thing and now their private grudges come in and that draws them away and takes them off Oh let us not be picking now the Kite is coming neer let us run and shelter our selveâ— uâ—der the protection of God that cannot be but by making our peace with him As for the controversie that is this day between the King and us we can in that appeal to God that there is no just cause the King should contend with us no hurt ever intended or done by us unto him Only we desire to deliver ouâ— selves from Tyranny and slavery Our Priviledges and Libeâ—ties are deer to us they are our Right as truly as his Honor is his That which he inheriteth it was his forâ—fathers that which his forefathers his predecessors inherited it was at first from the People they set up such a family to rule and govern over them and certainly they never set it up for any other end but only for the publick good not for their misery ruin We can appeal to God that we desired nothing else but to l ve peacably and to serve God in our land enjoying only wâ—at God and nature and the Laws of our land had made our own We know the relation between him and us and the bond it is mutual and if there be any thing done now that perhaps cannot be justified by any positive explicite Law of the land let men know that yet it may be justified by the very light of Nature and by the Law of Armes It cannot be imagined but if those that ought to be the protectors of the Law should come against Law so hardly upon us that we must have recourse then to the Law and light of nature it is impossible this should be otherwise and this God himself approves Whatsoever therefore becomes of this controversy between him and us whether reconciliation or not reconciliation yet we have peace in this that what we have done in the resisting of a deluge of misery that was coming upon us if we had not done
in the time of Gods judgments Page 443 Obs 7. In time of trouble superstitious people are in greatest perplexity ibid Obs 8 It is an ill thing to have ill neighbors Page 444 Obs 9. When the wrath of God is against our neighbors we had need look to it Page 445 Question What shall we do in such times Answer 1 Humble your selves before God Page 446 Answer 2 Rise up as one man and help your brethren Page 447 Answer 3 Meet your own danger before it cometh ibid VERS IX Obs 1. The day of Gods peoples affliction is the day of their rebuke Page 448 Obs 2. God hath his set times for rebuke Page 449 Obs 3. When wicked men stand out lesser judgments they have cause to fear greater ibid Obs 4 It is a dreadful time when God so rebukes a people that he destroies them ibid 1 All the wrath that was treasured up breaks out upon them Page 450 2 All their sins comes together into Gods remembrance ibid 3 The cries of justice prevail against such men ibid 4 Mercy leaves such a people ibid 5 The Lord intends hurt to them ibid 6 All the creatures dare not own them ibid 7 All their services are rejected Page 451 Obs 5. God smites not a people with judgment before he warns them Page 452 Obs 6 When God threatens he is real in his threatnings Page 453 Obs 7 The revealing of sin before judgment aggravates both sin and judgment Page 454 1 The goodness of God is not honored ibid 2 The truth of God is not honored ibid 3 It aggravates the sin ibid Obs 8. There is a time when there shall be no help to deliver from judgment Page 455 VERS X. Obs 1 We had need pray much for Princes Page 461 Obs 2. The bounds of Religion and Law keep in obedience and keep out judgments ibid Obs 3. God punisheth according to mens sins Page 462 VERS XI Obs 1. It is a great judgment for a people to be under oppression Page 466 Obs 2. Idolaters are great oppressors Page 467 Obs 3. God hath a righteous hand in delivering men into the hands of unrighteous oppressors Page 468 Obs 4 A special cause of oppression is peoples following of false worship Page 469 Obs 5. Our giving to much to men God oftentimes punisheth by making them the greatest instruments of our misery ibid Obs 6. It is Satans course to get false worship backed with authority ibid Obs 7. Mans authority is not a sufficient warrant for us 470 Obs 8. The more willing men are to sin the greater is the sin Page 472 Obs 9. Willing obedience in evil things brings guilt upon a people Page 473 Obs 10. Commands for false worship easily prevail ibid Obs 11 It is the duty of Christians willingly to obey God Page 474 Obs 12. Bad Princes give liberty to mens lusts ibid Obs 13. Idolatry is filthy stuff ibid VERS XII Opened Page 475 Obs 1. God may be in a way of wrath against a people and yet mean while be very patient Page 480 Obs 2. God many times letteth out his wrath against a people in little things Page 481 Obs 3. When God letteth out his wrath in smal things it is contemptible to carnal hearts ibid Obs 4. Though carnal men despise Gods wrath in smal things yet it shall eat them out at last Page 482 Obs 5. God is slow in punishing ibid Obs 6. God hath secret judgments to bring upon a people ibid Use Beware of secret sins Page 483 Obs 7 Our corruptions within us breed our trouble and undoing ibid Obs 8 Gods wrath though secret many times eateth out mens spirits Page 484 Obs 9 Though others go before them yet they shall follow not long after Page 485 Obs 10 What a poor creature man is ibid Obs 11 How long God condescendeth that he may express his meaning to men Page 486 VERS XIII Obs 1 The pride of mans heart will not easily acknowledg the hand of God Page 488 Obs 2 God will force men to be sensible of his hand against them Page 489 Obs 3 Men are more subject to see their wound than their sin ibid Obs 4 Carnal hearts seek to the creature in time of straits Page 491 Obs 5 There is much guilt contracted by resting on carnal helps Page 492 1 They will infect ibid 2 They cannot pray Page 493 Obs 6 Creature comforts avail little in the day of wrath Page 495 Obs 7 Of all things men rest on for help wicked men are like to prove most helpless Page 496 VERS XIV Opened Page 498 Obs 1 When Gods lesser afflictions work not God will be most terrible Page 499 Obs 2 Our seeking out shifting waies in times of extremities provokes God Page 501 Obs 3 When God in wrath causeth war in a Kingdom than God teareth Page 502 Obs 4 God hath a righteous hand in the worst actions of men Page 504 Obs 5 The hand of God is more immediate in some judgments than in others Page 505 1 Thereby the heart is humbled Page 506 2 It is a special means to quiet the heart with patience ibid 3 The soul is the more put upon enquiry Page 507 4 It causeth the soul to receive content in nothing but God ibid VERS XV. Obs It is a heavy judgment for God to tear and then to leave a people Page 509 Text opened Page 511 Obs 1 Sin desturbs Heaven and Earth ibid Obs 2 In times of publick judgment God leaves his Majestie in Heaven to set things in order on Earth Page 512 Obs 3 Gods administrations to his people sometimes may be such as if he regarded them not ibid Obs 4 When wicked men are in perplexity then God enjoyes himself in his perfection Page 513 Obs 5 Sometimes God turns his back upon sinners till they acknowledg their sins ibid Obs 6 God humbles himself to behold what is done upon earth ibid The words explained Page 514 Obs 7 So long as men prosper in their sins they will contest with God ibid Obs 8. Affliction sanctified brings men to see and acknowledg their sins Page 515 Obs 9. It 's a sign of a hard heart not to confess when Gods hand is upon us ibid Obs 10. God will have glory from us Page 516 The words opened ibid Obs 1 It is not enough to acknowledg our sin but we must seek Gods face Page 517 Obs 2 When God leaves his people he leaves something behind which causeth the heart to seek after him Page 518 Obs 3 True repentance is not so much to seek our own ease as Gods face ibid Obs 4 Gods Ordinances and Worship are his face Page 519 Obs 5 Repenting hearts solicitous about Gods Ordinances ibid Obs 6 The worship of God is his Name and Ordinances ibid Obs 7. What good God aims at in his administrations to his people he will have it Page 520 The words opened Page 521 Quaere 1 What time doth this seeking of God refer it self unto Answered 1 When
it our consciences would have upbraided us the generation to come would have cursed us the Nations about us and our very enemies would have scorned us and derided us for our base cowardliness for our sordid spirits for an unworthy generation that should see it self and posterity sinking into misery and brought under slavery and out of base fear and sluggish litherness of spirit and effeminate softness should suffer all to be brought into bondage to the humors and lusts of a few men We can therefore with comfort and boldness stand at Gods Tribunal and plead the uprightness of our hearts and justness of our cause in this Controversie whatever becomes of it But in the controversie that God hath against us there we fall down at his feet and acknowledg our selves guilty before him yea we come with sackcloath upon our loins and ashes on our heads with ropes on our necks and plead only mercy for our lives And this is the work that we have to do in all the daies of our humiliation to seek to make an Atonement between God and our souls and the Land in regard of that dreadful controversie he hath against us Now blessed God because thou tellest us in thy word Because I WILL do this therefore prepare to meet thy God O Israel Thou threatnest hard great and sore evils and thou callest now to us because Thou wilt do this England O England prepare to meet God We come Oh that this might be our answer we come Lord and meet thee with our souls bowed towards thee with our hearts bleeding that we have provothee to cause so much bloodshed of our brethren amongst us O Lord our hearts are open to thee and with trembling spirits we cry to the Lord what wilt thou have us do If thou proceedest against us in thy controversie we are undone we are undone Oh Lord forgive Oh Lord arise and be merciful we beseech thee for by whom shall Jacob rise for he is small by whom shall the people arise by whom shall the power of godliness and thine Ordinances be maintained How happy were we think some if the controversie between the King and us were at an end that we might have peace Oh if the people were happy that were in such a case how happy the people that were at peace with the King of Heaven If the controversie between God and us were at an end we should be happie indeed The Lord and the Land is at a controversie and this controversie makes us cry out unto God but yet wo unto us here is the misery we yet keep our sins that make the controversie Jer. 35. Will the Lord reserve his anger for ever will he keep it unto the end Mark what the answer is Behold thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest Thus you have said but what is the fruit of this You have done evil as you could We in the daies of our Fasts cry Lord wilt thou reserve thine anger for ever wilt thou keep it unto the end Behold thus we speak but yet we continue to do evil as we can Isa 59.9 We looked for light saith the text but behold obscuritie for brightness but we walk in darkness we grope for the wall like the blind We indeed grope as if we had no eyes and we stumble at noon day as if it were night Men to this day are ready to cry out and say what shal we do as if the way were not cleer before us what we should do The way is cleer enough if we had hearts but we grope as if we had no eyes and we stumble at noon day as in the night In many places of the Kingdom they roar out as bears and they have cause to do so For they are miserably spoiled their wives ravished their houses plundered themselves imprisoned and for the rest of us we mourn like doves night and day and we look for judgment and there is none and for salvation but it is far from us Mark what follows For our transgressions are multiplied before thee there is the ground of al the controversie between God and us and as for our sins they testify against us and our trangressions are with us Surely my Brethren God is willing to be at peace with England again the controversy is great and sore yet we may confidently speak that the Lord is yet willing to be at peace with England and the sufferings of England go as neer the heart of God as ours Oh that we knew then what it is that is the great make-bate between God and us that we might get rid of it Would you know it 2. Sam. 20.21 saith Joab there Deliver us Sheba the son Bichri and we will depart from the Citie and go every one unto his tent If amongst us Delinquents were punished as they ought if the hearts of people were prepared to have the remainders of superstition and Idolatry cast out if they were willing to receive Jesus Christ as King among them the sound of retreat would soon be heard the controversie would soon be at an end and except this be the foundation of our peace either there will be no peace at all or it will not hold long In our raising of forces therefore to help our selves and our brethren seing we pretend we will do more than before and it is time we should if we be not a people destinated to destruction and ruine be sure we begin here let us do more than ever we did before to make up this controversie with God It is reported of Achior one of Holopherness his Captains that he counselled Holopherness to enquire first whether the Jews had offended their God before he attempted to make war against them for if they had he then assured him that that would be their ruine and he might go up and overcome them but if he could not hear that they had sinned against their God it was in vain for him to strive against them Truly it concerns us neerly to make up our peace with God that when our adversaries come out against us they may not indeed be made use of to avenge Gods quarrel upon us for then they will easily improve all their advantages this way and say indeed that they are not come out against us without the Lord Every victory they now get they are ready to please themselves in this and say that God fighteth against us and God approveth them they tell us the reason they prevail is because God is against us and so we know Rabshekah did though a foul railer yet saith he Are we come up without the Lord And the enemies of David Psalm 71.12 Mine enemies have said God hath forsaken him now persecute and take him for there is none to deliver him Thus they will be ready to say upon any occasion now the Lord hath left them now let us take them And certainly if the Lord should suffer them to prevail many of them would think
so what a controversie think you hath God against many in this Kingdom at this day How fearful is Gods controversie against some that must feel it for that blood that hath been shed in Ireland There is upon record one hundred and forty thousand that have been murdered there since the beginning of this rebellion and every body wil say it is plain murder And they whosoever they are that have had a hand in this and abetted it and strengthened the hands of the Murderers what will they be able to answer unto God Shall the blood of one righteous Abel cry loud in the ears of God and never leave crying untill it hath had vengeance and shall not the blood of one hundreth and forty thousand innocents I mean innocents in this regard in regard of the cause for which they were murdered We now in England begin to be somewhat sensible of the guilt of Murder what it is to have it lie upon a Nation In the last Declaration of the affairs of Ireland the Parliament giveth an intimation of some fear they have that possibly the guilt of the blood of King James may some way be upon US God hath a controversie for murder wheresoever it lies if it be not punished accordingly And for all that blood that hath been shed here of late where ever the cause lies God will find it out one day Oh the blood that will be upon the head of some Jer. 51.35 The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon shall the inhabitants of Zion say and my blood upon the inhabitants of Caldea shall Jerusalem say So let all Christians they may do it and they have warrant from God to do it let all Godly people in this Kingdom that have had their Husbands kill'd their Children kill'd their Apprentices kill'd their Friends kill'd in these unhappie wars let them say the violence done to my flesh be upon the Babylonish party the Popish partie and the blood that hath been shed of our husbands of our children of our servants of our friends be upon the inhabitants of Caldea the inhabitants of the Popish partie that are risen up and shed so much blood as they have done Oh how vile and cursed are mens hearts even in this thing that are so set upon their designs that to attain them they will go thorough streams of blood that lie in their way and no matter for the livâ—s of thousands of men so their lusts may be satisfied How are men vilified in this thing that their lives and bodies must go to be servicable unto the lusts of a few otherâ— Certainly God never made such a difference he never put such a distance between one man and another But now in the waies of execution of justice there we must not account the shedding of blood to be killing God hath not a â—ontroversie with a land for bloodshed in the execution of Justice nay on the contrary the Lord hath a controversie against a people when there is not shedding of blood that way Jer. 48.10 Cursed be the man that withholds his hand from blood such a case may be And 1. King 20.42 when Ahab let Benhadad go the text saith that a Prophet came to him in the name of the Lord saying Because thou hâ—st let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction therefore thy life shall go for his life and thy people for his people So when we have men in our hands whom God hath appointed to destruction who are guilty of death who have sought not the blood of some few but the massacring of a Citie if for private ends of our own we let them go God may require our lives for theirs And this is the cause it may be amongst others that there is so much bloodshed at this day amongst us because there is no execution of Justice upon offenders and God requires the blood of many for many It is true Papistâ— for their Religion are not to be put to death that we acknowledg but the Lord because he intendeth the ruin of that partie will leave them to those waies that they shall be guilty of death by the Law of the Land and by the Law of Arms and then the putting them to death in that kind is the execution of Justice and not the breach of the sixth Commandement Quest But will som say Oh killing is a grievous thing we never were acquainted with killing as we have been of lâ—te were it not better we were all at peace than that still so much blood should be shed Answ God forbid any of us should be bloody men or desire the shedding of blood No let us all labour to have peace thaâ— there may be no more bloodshed Take this speech barely considered and it is a good speech and we are all I hope of the same mind Cursed be that man I say that shall not yeild to this But certainly peace though upon hard terms it were to be desired if that peace would save blood though half our estates went for it But what if it prove that that peace we talk of should be a means of more bloodshed If you should let in such men into your City as bloody Papists French Walloons and Irish Rebels and that meerly upon their bare word that they would do you no hurt do not you think if they were once in that you would every night be in danger of massacring and would there not be much more bloodshed than yet hath been Therefore let not men say that those are bloody men that will not yeild up their throats to bloody men that will stand up to defend their brethren from being massacred but they stand up and take up Arms not to shed blood but to prevent the shedding of blood For certainly if the Citie and Country had in the beginning of these wars rose up as one man and gone into the field they might have saved abundance of blood that hath been shed Many thousands that have now lost their lives might have been preserved if you had took up Arms to more purpose sooner than you did But when every County looks to it self and the enemy goes to such a County and there sheds blood and then to another and there sheds blood and you sit still and do nothing God may require the blood of your brethren at your hands and you cannot clear your selves from being guilty of the sheding of the blood of your Brethren when you do not appear to the uttermost you are able to subdue the power of those that shed their blood We cannot see any way to keep the blood that iâ— now in our veins but by subduing the Malignant and Antichristian partie that have already tasted so much of the blood of the Saints that they are like the Country-mans dog And so those Irish Rebels that in Ireland have tasted so much blood and now are come over hither to joyn with Papists you cannot in any way of
it that God hath laid his plea against you and God laies his plea against many a man in his conscience but he nelgecting this plea of God laid against him in his Word and in his conscience he hath afterward received the sentence of death in his soul which hath sunk his heart into dispair Many a man hath had God speaking against him in his word and in his conscience I say and there hath been Gods controversie God hath been laying his plea there thou hast gone on in thy sin and at length it may be there comes the sentence of death upon thy soul that thou doest as it were feel som have said it The sentence of condemnation felt that they have felt God passing a sentence of death upon them and ever after that speech they have roared out through despair and so have died There hath been such works of God heretofore yea and many times continued that those that go against their consciences and have had Gods plea against them often they have as it were felt God passing a sentence of death upon them in this world and that hath sunk them into despair it hath been a particular day of judgment unto them they have heard as it were God speaking from his Throne this sentence upon them thou art a dead man a lost man Oh take heed of neglecting Gods pleas lest they come to judgments Judgment is against you why what is the cause You have been a snare upon Mispah and a net spread upon Tabor Mark Expos Obser God passeth not judgment but he gives the cause for it Men are rash and they will pass judgment upon such and such that they know not When you come sometimes into a Tavern or Inn or into a Shop you shall hear men railing upon such and such Ask them do you know them No What have they done they know not neither only there is a generall noise of them that such men do thus and thus disturb the peace of the Kingdom But in this they deal not righteously God he passeth nor judgment but he gives a full and sufficient cause why he doth it You have been a snare saith he on Mispah and a net spread upon Tabor There is much of the mind of God in these words Some take that first Mispah appellatively prâ—speculatione you have been a snare upon the watch for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Speculor from whence the word cometh signifies and Speculatio they take to be for those for whom they should watch over as Congregatio pro Congregâ—tiâ— Circumcisio pro Ciâ—cumcisis so Speculatio pro Custoditis As it God should charge them thuâ— You should have been Watch men you Priests and you of the Kings house but you have been a net to ensnare them you should have been Speculatores but you have been Venatores Aucupes you have been fowlers and hunters of my people Theodoret Theâ—dor hath it pro Speculatoribus that is thus you spread a net for the watchmen you superstitious Priests you house of the King and you people generally you spread a net for your faithful Watchmen if you have any Watchmen that are more watchful than others you seek to ensnare them what you can So they carry it But though this doth hint at the meaning of the words yet I think it cannot be taken from the word Mispah therefore as the word Tabor is taken properly not appellatively so I think is the word Mispah Therefore we are to remember that both Mispah and Tabor were the names of two mountains that were in the land of Israel Indeed the first signifies a Watch and the other Tabor signifies a high place and because it was a famous high mountain it is called Tabor by way of eminency Now both these Mountains Mispah and Tabor were very eminent among the people of Israel Mispah Mispah so Judg. 20.1 The children of Israel were gathered together unto the Lord in Mispah an eminent place It was that mountain where Laban and Jacob met Gen. 31.49 so some think it to be and called Mispah by Laban For saith he the Lord watch between me and â—hee when we are absent one from another That for the mountain Mispah Tabor So Tabor that was very ancient too Psal 89.12 Tabor and Hermon are joyned together Hermon was famous too as Câ—nt 4.8 Come with me from Labanon my spouse look from the tâ—p â—f Amana from the top of Shenir and Hermon Therefore it is very ill turned in your meeter in the Psalms as there are a great many ill places in the meeter in the Psalms that are not only poor kind of rime The common singing Psalms They are now much better done by Mr. Rowse that learned a pious Member of the H. of Commons in Parliament and by them Authorised for the Press but are turned against the very sense of the text against the meaning as may be shewed in many places so in that one in Psal 42.6 The little hill Hermon whereas the truth is Heâ—mon was an high and famous hill A mistake in the reading for in the reading Psalms it is I will remember thee from the land of Jordan and of the Hermonites from the hill Mister that signifies smal indeed but they make it as if Hermon and Mister were all one but the Psalm iâ— rather to be interpreted thus I wil remember thee O Jerusalem where ever I am in all quarters of the world from Jordan that was eastward from Jerusalem and Hermon that was an high mountain in the North and Missâ—r that is of the South because the mountains of the South were small As if he should say psal 42.6 illustrated whether I be East or North or South from the Teâ—â—ble I will remember Jerusalem where ever I am that the meaning of that Psalm is not as if Misser and Hermon were one and the same as if it should be turned the little hil Hermon for it was a high and famous hil joyned with Tabor that famous mountain Psalm 89. And Tabor was so famous that it was a proverbial speech among them to say As Tabor amâ—ngst the mountains It was the mountain on which Christ was tranâ—figured a most brave stately mountain every way equal Jâ—â—â—phus in his 4th book cap. 21. of the wars of the Jewâ— saith it was 30. a 3. mile and three quarters Stadiums or Furlongs high and on the top twenty Now a b Plin. lib. 2. cap. 23. Stadium is 125. paces as I remember or 625. feet and on the top it was so plain that there wa not one place of it higher than another but it lay so equal as if it had been made by the art of man And a mountain that was very fertile and full of trees a very pleasant and delightful place Now God chargeth them that they had been a snare on Mispah and a net upâ—n mâ—unt Tabor According to some these mountains are taken senechdoâ—hically that is
in the air Oh but let us rather frame our hearts to turn unto the Lord. If we will not frame God may put us into the fire again A workman you know puts the Iron into the fire because it might be framed to such a work as he would have it simile but still the iron is hard and it will not frame to his hand then he puts it into the fire again and then falleth a knocking again So the Lord hath begun to put us into the fire that we may frame our doings to turn unto him and if the fire we have been in will not bring our hearts to a framable disposition the Lord may put us into the fire again and again And let not us complain of the heat of Gods fire but rather let us complain of the unframableness of our own hearts that we do not frame our doings so as to turn unto the Lord. But yet through Gods mercy we cannot say but that there are many in Parliament many in the Assembly Parliam Assembly City Country many in the City and many in the Country that are framing themselves to turn unto the Lord and so far we are gone Let us take notice of Gods goodness therefore As. First It is one argument of a people framing themselves Notes of Framing 1. abolish what is sinful that they have abolished what is sinful It was a great plea among us first let us know what we shall have and then we will cast out this that we have This was a pleâ— fomented by the Antichristian party but certainly it was the way of God and we have cause to bless God for it that put it into the heart of the Parliament and of the Kingdom to be willing to put down and to cast out and that by a solemn Oath by lifting up hands unto the most High God whatsoever was naught The Covenant And further In that the Parliament hath called an Assembly Assembly such as I beleeve never yet was in this Nation nor scarce in any other Nation men of more gravity 2. Take advice and judgment and holiness such as they could possibly pick out and whom they thought might best direct them in the waies of God such they have chosen to help them to know what is the right way of God and they do profess that whatsoever shall be revealed to be the way of God they will walk in it That is a good frame of heart And then That the Assembly hath begun with a solemn day of humiliation 3. Humiliation to humble themselves before God that so the Lord might guide them in chusing a right way to direct those that had called them together for their assistance There was never such a work in England before that was begun with such a day of humiliation Did your Convocation Convocation ever keep such a day unto God to beg of him directions in the work Peoples discontent Let not people run away with thoughts of discontent or lay any kind of slanders and clumnies upon them because of some failings in particulars for you must know when God looks upon Kingdoms and States God looks not at particular failings of a State but at the publick work he doth not so much look at particulars as at the publick work Now that there is so much done in a publick way that there is so much framableness though there be much failing in particulars yet we have cause to bless God It is true those that would fain have a perfect Reformation they woul fain have men throughly frame themselves presently and set up all presently without any more ado Short spirits and banish all presently I suppose thiâ— cometh from a good intention from love unto Christ and his Ordinances but we must know it is not so easie to reform a whol Nation that hath been so corrupted and defiled therefore though there be not so perfect a Reformation at present yet let us bless God for what is done that there is so much framing of the doings of the Nation to turn unto the Lord and not murmur and repine because all is not done that we desire And though perhaps they may never bring the work thoroughly to the pitch we desire Though no perfection yet a foundation for posterity yet I make no question but what the Parliament and Assembly hath done will be enough to lay a foundation for another generation if they bring it not to perfection themselves Oh that the Lord would yet further frame our hearts and doings to turn unto him Hath God at any time put into your heart a framable disposition to turn unto the Lord Applic. 2 to partic persons 1. Our selves Hath God begun to make you think of your waies Hath he begun to stir fear in your hearts concerning your eternal estate Hath he wrought in you some desires to know him to attend upon him in the use of means Make much of this framable disposition for it is very much pleasing unto God God complains where it is not therefore he likes it where it is and improve it O happy had it been with many had they improved that framable disposition that God hath wrought in them Cannot you remember when sometimes you came to the word what a melting frame of spirit had you and in such an affliction you were as iron put into the fire and you know then it is in a framable disposition to be brought into any fashion and hath it not been so with you simile But what is become of this disposition Is it not worse with you now than before Have you not lost it The time was when the word wrought upon you and you have had good desires and dispositions and you have thought Oh now I hope God will turn me unto himself Now I hope I shall never be at such a pass again as I have been and thou begannest to abandon such and such a corruption This was a good frame and now if you had gone alone and sought God and Oh that the Lord would perfect this work and put it on and so improved this framable disposition it had been well with you but you have fallen upon other business and gone into company and it may be upon the next temptation you have bin overcome your hearts have been hardned Irâ—n is hâ—â—dâ—r afteâ— quenching and iron you know when it hath been once in the fire and is grown cold is more unframable than before so it is with many after they have had some workings by the Word and after some melting by affliction they have been more unframable than they were before And let us make much of it likewise in others Is there any friend or child or kinsman or acquaintance of yours brought into this framable disposition doth the Lord begin to melt them to soften their hearts Is the Lord by such a Sermon or by such an affliction beginning to
we should fall in these times yet we shall fall into the bosom of our Father and into the arms of Jesus Christ How much better is it seeing that men are like to fal to take such a course before their fall cometh that when they do fall they may fall soft fall into the bosom of their Father and into the arms of Jesus Christ and not fall in their iniquity And if we fall thus if our fall be not in our iniquity but in the cause of God and rather for our grace than for our iniquity then we may be of more use in our fall than we were in our standing As it is with the Corn simile the Corn that falls into the ground doth fructifie and is of more use when it is fallen than it was when it was in the granary Young men fallen in this war And so many godly men many young ones that are fallen within these two or three yeers but God knows it hath not been in or for their iniquity but in the Cause of God and in the exercise of their graces they are fallen but they are fallen into the arms of God and into the bosom of Christ and they are as fruitful in their fall as they were in their standing for no question but there is much fruit to be reaped from their falls and God hath a plentiful harvest for England that will come out of their falls Judah also shall fall with them Mark Exposit first Ephraim shall fall and then Judah for indeed Ephraim was first in sin the ten Tribes they first forsake the true worship of God and they brought in Judah together with them and the text saith that Judah shall fall with them This is here mentioned to aggravate Ephraims sin and the judgment of it thus Oh this shall lie heavy upon Ephraim one day that not only he hath ruined himself but he hath ruined Judah too he hath brought Judah into his sin and involved him in plagues together with himself From hence the Note is That It is a great aggravation for any one to think what misery be Obs 1 bringeth others into If God do but enlighten any ones conscience it may be Gods hand is upon thee for thy sin This is grievous Oh but together with the sin have not I by my counsel by my example by my countenance brought others into sâ—n and I have brought them into misery as well as my self It may be there be many in hell at this time that I have holpen thither It is true Gods hand is upon me I am falling and whither I shall fall I know not I see hell open and I may fall into it how ever I am afraid of this that there are some fallen into hell already of whose sin I was the cause and is it possible that I should be preserved out of it must I not follow them and fall thither too when they are already fallen thither through my wickedness You therefore that have been Company-keepers and ringleaders to wickedness and many of your companions are dead and gone without any manifestation of repentance you had need to be throughly humbled Obser 2 Further It is no plea you see for any one to say I will follow the example of others If you will follow the example of others you must perish with others Judah followeth the example of Ephraim and Judah must fall with Ephraim Obs 3 And further If Gods people even Gods people I say if they comply with wicked men Gods people suffer if they sin with others defile themselves with their pollutions they must except to fall with them in outward judgments Judah was the only people God had upon the earth and as Israel is a type of the Apostate Church so is Judah a type of the true Church yet it seems that Judah though the true Church and the only people of God that did preserve the worship of God in the greatest intirenes that was in the world yet I say Judah they did very much comply with Israel and complying with Israel in false worship they must fall with them Come out from amongst them my people lest being partakers of their sins you be partakers of their plagues too And this I make no question is the reason why so many of Gods servanâ—s fall at this day Use why so many fall in these times they have complied with the times and defiled themselves though we cannot say so of every one of them that fall in this Cause yet it is to be feared in many And it may be though we dare not determin of Gods waies for the thoughts of Gods waies in mercy are higher than our thoughts higher than the Heavens are above the Earth yet we have cause to fear that many if not most of this generation shall fall before God bringeth forth this glorious work of his in saving Zion Chap. 1. 7. and chap. 5. 5. reconcil'd But here is a difficulty In the first Chapter you heard there that God though he threatned Israel yet he saith I will have mercy upon Judah but here he saith Ephraim shall fall and Judah also shall fall with him Now for the reconciling of that we are to know that though Judah fall with Israel yet there shall be a great deal of difference in their falling Israel the ten Tribes shall fall be brought into captivity so as never to return again I mean never to return from their captivity in that way as Judah did Judah was to return again after seventy yeers so Judah fell with them Observ but they fell not as they fell Though the Saints therefore may be scourged with rods yea with scorpions as they are at this day as well as wicked men yet the Lord doth not he will not take his loving kindness from them There is yet one particular more to be observed and it is from the Hebrew particle Gam Judah also shall fall with them and I make no question but the Spirit of God holds forth this Note from it viz. That The falling of the Saints together with wicked men it is of special consideration Observ There is much in it some special matter to be considered of in the falling of Gods people together with the wicked Indeed it is that which in these daies puts us to a stand we admire at the waies of God his judgments are past finding out we must adore them in what we do not understand That the hand of God should be stretched out against wicked ones against such as have corrupted his worship by their own superstitious waies it is no mervail but that so many of his dear Saints so precious in his eyes in all Countries about should suffer such hard things and fall together with the wicked we are at a stand and we know not what it meaneth What Judah fall also with Israel when God had no other people upon the face of the earth surely there is some
than to think to have strength enough to repel them when they come Thus in general And then As Kingdoms so particular persons they should lay to heart Gods judgments neer to them As thus Dost thou see Gods hand upon thy neighbor after thee O sinner thy turn may be next what is Gods hand stretched out upon your fellow-servant upon your brother upon your deer friend after thee O sinner thou art guilty of the same sin thy turn may be next Is Gods hand out upon thy companion after thee O sinner Oh lay this to heart think with thy self my turn may come to be the next and it may soon come to be my turn The very thought of this when God hath struck some with sudden death in a fearful manner God hath sanctified this to some what thought they if God strike me next such a one is sent down for ought I know to his place I may be the next the thought I say of this hath been so setled upon the heart of some that it hath been a meâ—ns of their conversion The Lord make it so to every sinner that sees his fellow his neighbor sinner struck before him VER 9. Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke among the Tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be IN the words before you heard that the Lord by the Prophet did not only threaten war but summon the Cities of Israel Judah and Benjamin as if war were at the gates But what if troubles do come we shall do well enough they will have an end and blow over again we shall wear them out we have been delivered out of great troubles and so we may be out of these No 't is otherwise now Ephraim shall now be desolate Ephraim that is the ten Tribes shall be desolate Leshamnne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies a most stupendious thing the the hand of God shall be upon them even to amazement they shall come into desolation in the time of his rebuke in the day of his trouble The words are plain the Notes from them are these That the day of Gods peoples affliction is the day of their rebuke Obs 1 See this proved in Numb 12.14 Moses saith If her father had spit in her face should she not be ashamed When God afflicts His people he doth as it were spit in their faces and ought not they much more to be ashamed what ever that wanton generation think or say that God never chastiseth his people for sin there is nothing more frequent in Scripture than this that God chastiseth His for sin But they tell us it was in the old Testament Old Testament and herein they shew their weakness and a meer cavel but that which seems to have some shew of strength is this They tell us Obj. That it derrogates from the satisfaction of Christ But the force of this is nothing Answ for Christ satisfied for them under the Law as well as for us they were saved by the same satisfaction that we are therefore if it now derrogates from Christs satisfaction under the Gospel it did then also under the Law A second Note is God hath his set times of rebuke As they have Obs 2 their daies of sinning so God wil have his daies of correcting you have your daieâ— of prosperity now riches honor plentie in abundance but remember it may be the day of rebuke is coming 'T is good to put this very case to our selves I have mercy now both for soul and body and Oh how comfortable is it and how happy is my condition but is there not a day of rebuke coming when all these will be taken from thee and then what wilt thou do Oh my soul Isa 10.3 and what will you do in the day of visitation When wicked men stand out lesser judgments and corrections they Obs 3 have cause to fear a day of utter desolatiâ—n Ephraim had daies of lesser chastisements but slighting them God would try him no more there are times in which God wil utterly pursue sinners to destroy them not for instruction but destruction the Lord hath his houses of instruction correction and execution when the first cannot effect Gods end the third shall and yet the Lord be just and righteous for the Lord hath no need of us what is it to him if we should perish everlastingly He could have his glory from us in our damnation That is a dreadful time when the Lord comes so to rebuke a people Obs 4 as tâ— destroy them when the hand of God shall be so upon them as he is resolved never to take it off again even as it was upon Ephraim at this time I intend not to mend him but to ruine him this now is a most dreadful time For Reas 1 1. All that wrath which they have treasured up breaks in then upon them Now as wicked men treasure up wrath so doth God Rom. 2.5 Now God lets out the floudgates of His wrath against such a people Reas 2 2. Because then all a mans sins comes together into Gods remembrance Exod. 32.34 In that day I 'll visit for this saith the Lord God It may be you are for the present spared but the time is coming that God will visit and then look to it Reas 3 3. In this day the cries of justice prevails against such men I speak of wicked men mingled and intermixed with the godly In this day God will not call back His anger there are times in which God doth not stir up all His wrath as in Psal 78.38 Many times Gods anger is coming against a Nation family or person but God cals it back again but in this day of rebuke God wil not call it back again but let it forth to the uttermost Reas 4 4. Because in this day Mercy leaves such a people and wil never own them to to them any good Ezek. 7.5 An evil an only evil behold it is come But that place is most remarkable for this Ezek. 22.20 I will bring you into the fornace and there I will leave you God brings His people into great troubles sometimes but never leaves them there But there are some whom Mercy leaves and forsakes in their troubles and this is a most sad condition for by this God shews that He will have no more honor by them in their servings of Him but in their sufferings God saith thus Seeing they would not give Me My glory in a way of duty I will extract and force it from them in a way of suffering Reas 5 5. Because the Lord then intends hurt to such a people the Lord perhaps brings you out of an affliction but in that deliverance He intends your hurt and no good at all Jer. 24.9 I intend nothing but hurt to such a people in all My dealings Reas 6 Because then al Creatures leaves such an one and dares not own him God being against thee the Creatures cannot help
at Dan and Bethel but God commanded them to worship at Jerusalem now for them to disobey Gods command and rather chuse to obey Jeroboams command than suffer Jeroboams punishment was a sin of willingness in them when a man omits a duty commanded for some hardships in it he sins willingly in that omission of his The approbation and furthering Governors in that which is evil Obser 10 by a willing obedience doth bring much guilt upon people willing obedience in evil brings guilt upoÌ„ a people This people should not presently have yeilded to the Kings command but petitioned against yea suffered punishment rather than yeilded then they had done something but no sooner was the command out but they as willingly yeilded Governors they command that which perhaps is not good and they do not know it but if they see their people stand out against it they then will begin to bethink themselves there is much evil in this obedience for by this you mightily inrage them against those that cannot obey them by reason of the tenderness of their consciences I have read a story in a French History of Lewis the 11th who being about to confirm unlawful Edicts many of the Nobility came to him in their scarlet Gowns to petition him not to do it and if he would proceed that he would take their lives away for they told him they had rather die than live to see the confirmation of such unlawful Commands whereupon the King seeing their coming in such an unusual manner holds his hand and staies the prosecution of them Oh! how happy are Princes and People in such Nobility Had Ephraim done thus they had done well in it and might have had comfort from it That commands for false worship do easily prevail with people Obser 11 Witness in this Kingdom CoÌ„mands of superstitioÌ„ find obedience when King Edward would have reformed the Mass what Rebellion was there in Cornwel But whem Queen Mary set it up how did people please themselves in such abominations So in our daies what was it that a Bishop commanded but he was obeyed presently Obser 12 What a shame is it that we should not willingly obey the commands of God The duty of Christians willingly to obey God when Devils and wicked men have some that will obey them willingly How do you think to follow after God and put off all thoughts of God till you come to lie upon your death beds Our hangings off from God doth mightily hinder our comforts Object But you will say Were we but assured that they were the commands of God we would obey them Answ But if we would examin we should find that it is oft times our own unwillingness to obey the commands of God rather than any scruple we make of it There are many things in which the Scriptures are dark and not so cleer yet if things can be proved by reason and consequences Consequences from Scripture we are to obey otherwise how can we be said to obey with the obedience of faith which we are commanded Obedience of Faith Now how can we be said to obey with the obedience of faith if we must have reasons for every thing Quest But how shall we know Gods mind in matter of worship Answ In this case we are to compare things together and weigh them seriously and so get out the result and mind of God and follow that although for the present there want demonstrative reason to make it out cleer And thus much for the words so understood Expos 2 Now from the other reading of the words after the vulgar Latin Post Sordes we may observe Obs 1 That it is the way of bad Princes to give liberty to mens lusts Now surely that way which hath so much of sin in it cannot be the safe way for men to walk in Obs 2 That Idolatry is filthy stuff Therefore you that are so pleased with them and take such delight in superstitious vanities much good may you do with them for our parts that truly fear God we desire the pure Ordinances of Jesus Christ VER 12. Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth and to the house of Judah as rottenness GOD made a great difference between Judah and Israel Why Ephraim and Judah coupled but they joyned in the same waies of sin and God coupleth them in the same way of wrath Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth and to the house of Judah as rottenness Therefore Why wherefore It hath reference unto the words we spake of the last day they willingly followed the commandement Because they followed the unlawful commands of Jeroboam and his Princes Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth That for Ephraim And it is like the same cause might be for the rottenness God would be unto Judah Had they resisted the unlawful commands of those that were above them in power They thought there might have been some disturbance in the State Oh it is better for us to obey to be quiet that we may be at peace but in the mean time while they to free themselves from some disturbance and to enjoy their own quiet would obey unlawful commands the secret curse of God was upon their estates Therefore saith the Lord will I be unto Ephraim as a moth and to the house of Judah as rottenness A secret curse there was upon that peace so procured In the opening of these words and presenting the mind of God unto you in them there are these Five or Six things to be done 1. The reading of the words 2. The scope of the words what it is that God aimeth at in them 3. The reason of the difference of the expression A moth to Ephraim and rottenness to Judah 4. When this was what time this referreth to when was God a moth to Israel and rottenness unto Judah 5. How and in what respects God may be said to be a moth and rottenness to a people 6. The several observations to be drawn from it All this is necessary for the opening of this twelfth verse 1. Reading For the first then The reading of the words The Seventy reade the words a little different from this reading of ours in the English 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conturbatio ac stimulus I will be a trouble unto Ephraim and a prick unto Judah I will trouble prick goad them I will vex them The blessed God who is a rest unto His people He is a trouble a prick and goad to vex His enemies to vex the ungodly The old Latin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sicut tinea sicut putredo Munster Leo Iuda Drusius Lâ—â—her Plini and so Hiâ—rom readeth it thus Ego tanquam tinea Ephraiim I will be as a moth unto Ephraim he readeth the first as we do in our books but the second Quasi putredo domni Juda. Others as Munster Leo Juda Drusius render it
find out the meaning of a text who stand so curiously upon such inceties The meaning the meaning therfore of the words are after two daies that is although God do not come presently after two daies yet he will come mercy though it staies long yet it will come two daies in Scripture signifies a little and a short time as Numb 9.22 whether it were two daies or a month or a yeer that the cloud stayed upon the Tabernacle two daies that is when we shall be in any great extremity of pain or misery Mercer Mercer quotes R. Abrah R. Abrah Ezra filium who saies that wounds and gashes in a mans body pain and smart more at two daies end than at the first so God may let us lie in the smart of pain and sorrow two daies but in the third day mercy shall follow Interpreters generally conceive these words to have reference unto the two daies that Christ lay in the grave Christs resurectioÌ„ prophesied in this scripture and Luther saith that this is the Scripture which Paul speaks of in 1 Cor. 15.4 That Christ rose the third day according to the Scripture what Scripture why this the third day we shall live in his sight though the text Notes the confidence which repenting Israel had in Gods mercy towards them yet hath it reference also unto Christ as if they should say our straits and miseries may be great and we may lie in them a while so did Christ but he was raised the third day and so shall we Mr. Calvin Calvin saith that God gave a famous and memorable example of Israels mercy after their captivity by Christs rising from the grave and this may well be meant of Christ as that Scripture shews Hosea 11.1 When Israel was a child then I loved him and called my son out of Egypt Who would have thought that this had meant Christ but that the Scripture applies it unto Christ in Mat. 2.15 And he departed into Egypt untill the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled c. How darkly was Christ shadowed out in the old Testament as by Jonas in the Whales belly three daies Oh what cause have we to bless God who lives in the times of the Gospel where Christ is manifested so cleerly what dark and mistical intimations had they of Christ in those daies this was one of the cleerest and that of Jonas in the Whales belly When at any time God would comfort his people in distress what doth he do Christ Gods usual medium to comfort his afflicted people Luthers Object he reveals a prophesie of the Messias to come as in Isa 7.14 and in Isa 9.6 and when was this when the rod of the oppressor was broken in Zacca 9.9 and so here God having smitten wounded torn them he comes and heals them promising life and reviving to them But here now Luther makes an objection If these words had reference unto Christ they should run thus He should live in his sight not we and he answers it himself that it notes the efficacy of his resurrection Answ Ostendit fructum resurectionis Christi we are risen live in Christs resurectioÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad facies ejus not only for himself but for many others We shall live in his sight that is comfortably mortis habet vices que trahitur vita genitib before his face that is His favor shall be towards us for mercy as the turning the face away shews anger so the turning of Gods face towards us signifies favor 2. We shall see his face with comfort and reâ—oyce in the sight of it 3. We shall eye his face in acts of obedience and he will eye our duties with acceptance 4. It notes security in his presence As when we are in the presence of a King his very presence is our security and safety so we shall live in his â—â—ght that is we shall be safe in his presence The Notes from hence are Obs 1 That Gods own people may not only he smitten and wounded by God but may lie for dead in their own eyes and in the eyes of all about them for a time see it in the case of Heman Psal 88.8 14. verses Lord why castest thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from me verse 10. Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead shall the dead praise thee Ezek. 37.3 we reade there of drie bones which should be made to live and Revel 11. the witnesses shall be slain and lie dead in the streets the beast shall overcome them the generallity of those that stand for Christ shall be slain by the beast and overcome by his power Reas God works by contraries The reason of this may be because God can work about his glory by contrary means This is a great affliction yet not so great as sin is when God fetches out his glory from the afflictions of his people it costs him not so much nor so deer as when he fetcheth it out of sin now if Gods glory be so dear to him that he will suffer sin to be in the world thereby to fetch his glory out of it why should we be unwilling that God should suffer afflictions to be upon us seeing by them he fetcheth out glory to himself Exod 15.7 In the greatness of thine excellency hast thou overthrown them which rose up against thee how should God manifest his glorious power in raising them up were they never brought very low In Heaven God will manifest his glory so to us that we shall not need such dark shadows to have it set out and opened unto us as here it is Use Care to be well grounded in a cause thâ—t may suffer If this be thus take heed of drawing darker conclusions from Gods dealings than they will bear as to say the Lord hath forsaken us and God will have mercy no more upon us he hath forgotten to be gracioos or to say he hath left his cause and turned his back upon his inheritance therefore we should labor to be well informed in the grounds upon which his cause stands and is maintained and which may uphold us in the maintenance of it for know that God may put thee to the tryal and if thou art not throughly grounded thou wilt apostatize God leaves his people in that dead condition for a time the first Obs 2 day they may look for help and it may not come and the second day he may let them lie when help is look'd for and this may be after their seeking of God This people they said Come let us return unto the Lord yet what do they say after two daies he will revive us it must be some time first God is a great God and his creature must wait there is much grace exercised in an afflicted condition when the soul quietly submits to God and patiently waits upon his pleasure let his dealing be never so hard towards them God
strengthens himself In all the Scripture I know not such a short text so full for the strengthning of faith as this is and it is the special work of faith to make God to be ours in all these relations Ps 18.2 An eminent prop of faith Oh how beautiful would our praises for reviving mercies shew could we but exercise our faith thus upon all these titles of God as ours The real sight of deliverance from evil and the apprehension of Obs 6 certain mercy a coming is a strong argument to put the soul on to turn to God This people did make this use of mercy coming to them What wil God after two daies deliver and revive us Come then and let us return unto him let us not any longer stand out but come in that he may revive us and raise us up When the soul sees mercy coming it beholds God out-bidding all other temptations and over-powering all difficulties when men by sence can behold mercy coming they will then think it best to turn to God happy are those who by faith can see mercy coming a great way off and thereby are stirred up to turn to God when God lets such thoughts as these into the soul and settles them upon the spirit I am now in a very good condition well and in health for the present but where may I be within two daies I enjoy peace and have every thing that heart can desire both for necessity and delight but within a short time where may I and these be These are dreadful thoughts to consider of But on the other side to beleevers these words are very comfortable and full of sweetness I am in great extremity of misery but after two daies they will blow over then oh where shall I be in heaven in joy and blessedness for evermore at rest with my Savior dreadful are the meditations from these words to all the wicked but very sweet and comfortable to the Saints of God as any text I know This consideration made Paul over look all his afflictions 2 Cor. 4. â—7 he thus considered ' â—is true I am under great afflictions but they are but light and 't is but for a moment and what shall I have then An eternal waight of glory Therefore Christians should not be alwaies poring upon their afflictions but look up to mercy behold that which may comfort them as well as what may discourage them consider that within two daies God will raise us up again and this wil mightily raise our spirits and quel the tumults in our hearts as we should be sensible of Gods hand to be humbled for our sins the cause of it yet should we take care that we do not destroy our selves by our fears Obs 7 The apprehension of the death and resurrection of Christ is a special means to help faith in the times of the greatest afflictions Many things may help faith in this case but the consideration of Christs resurrection is the chief when the soul shall exercise faith thus I am thus and thus afflicted and in misery so was Christ and much more although he were the Son of God the first begotten of the Father and so blessed for ever he was delivered up into his enemies hands scorned persecuted and contemned nay he was crucified and put to a shameful death but my condition for the present is not thus but if it should be so it is no more than Christs was in this his great misery all his frinds forsook him which aggravates their misery which are in straits in so much that those two Disciples which went to Emmaus said We had thought that God would have delivered Israel by this man What a low condition did God bring Christ unto and yet this was the greatest work that ever was done and such a â—ork as brings God the most glory of any work in the world Christ therefore become miserable for our consolaâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 the Church ever in a lower condition than Christ himself was yet Christ was raised and delivered out of them all yea this was a special end why Christ was brought into such a low estate to be a comfort and a pattern for his Churches that may come into the same condition which he was in and seeing this is held forth unto us in a cleerer way than it was to the Jews under the Law we should make more use of it than they did was Christ so low that the wrath of God was upon him for satisfactâ—on even to death this surely was a very low condition and now is there any hope that ever he should be raised from this yea now was Gods time to shew his power and to diclare him to be his Son God be speaks his people in all their strâ—its thus Did my power raise my son in such a low estate it is able also to raise you as the Apostle argues in the 1 Cor. 15. If Christ be not risen the dead are not raised c. so from thence I also infer That the Church must rise because Christ is risen if the Church does not rise Christ is not risen and if so then our preaching is in vain and your faith is to no purpose therefore raise up your sadded spirits upon thiâ— ground wel Christ is risen and I also shall rise with him It was wont to be the salutation of the Christians in ancientt time Christ is risen tâ— antient form of salutatio among christian Christus resurrexit Christ iâ— risen so the Saints may conclude though brought very low yet that power which raised the head will in his time raise the body and make it glorious with himself And we shall live in his sight As Israel was repenting so it was beleeving Israel also Faith anâ— repentanâ—â— muâ—ually act one another and as their beleeving furthered their repentance so their repentance furthered their faith they were confident that they should live in his sight When God grants mercies to his people he would have them of Obs 1 lively spirits to be quick and vigorous and of active spiriâ—s And this is the scope of the holy Ghost in this text however the Saints may seem as dead men when wicked men prevail over them yet when God gives rest and life they shall be lively and full of spirit God loves not to see his people of a sad fullen pensive disposition when that they have matâ—er of the greatest joy in the world When God is reconciled to 〈◊〉 people his face is then towards his Obs 2 people he looks then upon them and loves them Apoâ— 22.4 And they shall see his face God doth nor deal with us as David did with his son 2 Sam. 14.24 And the King said Let him not see my face any more But if God be once reconciled all the frowns in his face are turned into smiles he is all lovely towards them Use 1 Now how incongruous a thing is it that when God smiles we should lowr be heavy
married may at the revolution of the yeer bless God for the mercies they have enjoyed in that Ordinance entred into on that day but how many are there who have little cause to remember either that or their birth day nay may they not rather with Job curse the day of their birth Suppose you should hear a voice from heaven this day that you must die and not live that this must be the last day you should live tell me then could you bless God for the day of your birth would the thoughts of it be delightful to you 'T is reported of Philip the third King of Spain Philip the 3 of Spain who lived so strictly that he never committed any gross crime never committed any known sin willingly yet when he came to die cries out Oh that I had never reigned that I had lived a private life in the wilderness that I might not have the sin to answer for not doing the good or hindering the evil which I might have done It is a sad thing when men come to die that they cannot look back with comfort to their lives spent that they have not discharged their places had Jeroboam kept his birth day in this manner there had been no evil in it but his keeping of it was only to satisfie the flesh till he himself was sick with wine in such daies Bachus and Venus have the greatest portions Obs 1 Festeval daies are usually made distempering daies daies of provocation It follows With bottels of wine This wine is like that in Deut. 32.33 Their wine is the poyson of Dragons and the cruel venime of Asps this wine of Asps it makes the spirits warm and the body sick Job knew the danger of feasting therefore when his children were a feasting he was in sacrificing They made the king drunk with wine This was the way which they took to gain the King And is not this the course which is taken now in our daies to betray the young Gentry into base filthiness This was the plot of these Priests first to make the King drunk and then they could do any thing with him could get any edict from him to serve their base ends and intentions to suppress the precise people Drunkenness is an old Court sin See how the Prophet Isa Obs 2 28.1 fills his mouth with woes and threatnings against the drunkenness of Ephraim Wo to the Crown of pride to the drunkards of Ephraim The Court the Crown of Ephraim was at Samaria A miserable thing it is that those which have the most opportunity for God should spend their time in such beastly vanities and do to their bodies and souls as Richard the third Rich. 3d to his brother drown them in a Butt of Sack Drunkards courses brings diseases Be not amongst wine-bibbers Obs 3 amongst riotous eaters of flesh Drunkennes brings diseases for the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty how many are there which carry about with them the marks of their lusts as Paul carried about him the marks of the Lord Jesus men will venture much for their lusts but if Christ call them to suffer any thing for him then they are tender and sickly but let their estates healths and credits stand in the way to hinder them in the pursuance of their desires in sin they will break through them all now a shame is it for a Christian not to do more for God than these men will do for their lusts Timothy is commanded to drink but a little wine and that for his refreshment to help nature but when men drink make sots of themselves by it what diseases doth this bring men into See Mr. Sa. Ward his wo to drunkenes as the falling sickness disfiguring their countenances making them to look more lik swine than men c. The Scripture tells us that the Saints bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost do you think that such a body as this is like to be a Temple no but rather like matter for the very sinck of hell where all filth shall be fuel for everlasting burning How canst thou answer the weakning of thy strength by this lust when God deserves all thy abilities It may be thou wilt say thou wert never dead drunk but wert thou never so distemperd as to weaken thy abilities and make thee unfit for service how sinful then is the practice of those that drink others healths till themselves are sick through excess Drunkenness is vile in any but most of all vile in Governors men of place and power Prov. 31.4 It is not for Kings to drink wine nor for Princes strong drink It is not for them and why because they are above us and how can any man endure to be under drunken beasts they are gods and how vile and abominable is it to have drunken gods The law of Carth. Therefore the Carthaginians made a Law that none of their Magistrates in the time of their Magistracie should drink any wine Obs 4 It is much more vile to make others drunk than to be drunk our selves Therefore in Esth 1.8 the drinking was according to the Law none did compel for the King had appointed to all the Officers of the house that they should do according to every mans pleasure none were compelled to drink more than they were willing you may think they express a great deal of love to you in drinking to you and pressing you to drink and when they have overcome you then will they laugh at you and make you a scorn especially if they can get you who are professors of Religion to be overtaken Therefore you had need above all men to take heed of this sin for if you fall Religion suffereth and the Name of God is evil spoken of by your means therefore Christ bids his Disciples themselves to take heed of surfeting and drunkenness Therefore you that are professors had the more need to take heed of this sin and mind this exhortation of Christ Obs 5 That drunkenness is vile at any time but especially when we pretend to praise God When God shall shew thee mercy and thou pretendest to praise him for it and then take liberty to be excessive in the creature this is most abominable we have had many daies of thanksgiving to praise God for his mercies if we have been excessive in the use of the creatures be humbled 't is an ill requital of God for his mercy It follows He stretched out his hand with the scorners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Septuagent translate this word Scorners by divers words as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First Pestilent people so in Psal 1.5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment nor sinners in the Congregation of the righteous because every scorner is a plague to the family place and town where he lives Prov. 22.10 Cast out the scorner and contention will go out yea strife and reproach shall cease Hierom translates these words