5. They loathing Manna had fiery Serpents sent Vers 22. Sion King of the Amorites coms out against them and fights Vers 33. Og King of Bason fights against them Chap. 22. Then Balac sends to curse them Numb 25. The People committed whoredom with the Daughters of Moab upon which a plague and went to the sacrifice of their gods at Baal-Peor upon which all the Heads of the People which joyned to Baal-Peor were hung up before the Lord. Numb 31. They war with Midian slay their five Kings destroy their Cities Women Children Flocks Thirty two thousand Women that had not known Man they take captive And in this war they had not lost one man Vers 29. Now 1. From their sin that God knew and yet destroyed them not for it Observe mans wickedness and Gods goodness 2. From the provision God made for them Observe First It 's a great mercy for God to know a man in time of distress This is Gods way Men know in prosperity But let us make God our friend he wil be a friend otherwise than men will be Let not us be dejected in times of trouble that 's the time for God to know thee be willing to follow God in any estate Gods knowing of us in distress is a mighty engagement Let us look back to the times when we were in trouble Let us know Gods Cause when it suffers and know our Brethren when they suffer Gods knowledg is operative and working It does us good Our knowledg of God should be so too To sin against our knowledg of God is evil but to sin against Gods knowing of us is worse VER 6. According to their Pasture so were they filled they were filled and their heart was exalted therefore have they forgotten me YOU have formerly heard the gracious providence of God towards his people while they were in the wilderness I knew them in the wilderness in the Land of great drought God glories much and mentions often the care over and goodness to his people in the wilderness when they had got out of the wilderness into the Land of Canaan where there were much Pastures they thought themselves to be well now they could live of themselves they could provide for themselves and so they liv'd to themselves and in a little time destroyed themselves the truth is they were in a worse condition then than when they were in the wilderness for saith he According to your Pastures so you were filled and then you forgot me and therefore I 'le be as a Lyon to you and as a Leopard and a Bear We do not hear such terrible things against them when they were in the wilderness I knew them in the wilderness but now it 's otherwise From the connexion note first It 's better to want the comforts of the creature and to have Gods care and protection than to have abundance of the creature and to live of our selves We do not love a depending life but it 's safest many have more of Gods presence with them and protection over them when they are in the wilderness when they are in adversity than they have when they come into prosperity when they come to enjoy abundance of the creatures God knows them when they are in afflictions and they knew God but when they come into prosperity God doth neither know them so much nor they know God so much Examin I beseech you when you were low any of you say had you not more of Gods presence with you then than you have now did not God know you more then did not you know God more then had not you more sweet communion in those times than now you have Oh! God made you know him by gracious visitations of his Spirit and there were gracious workings of your spirit towards him Are not you grown flat dead and drossie and carnal now more than before do not you seek greedily after the world to fill your selves and do not you begin to be exalted in your own hearts do not you begin to be puft up have you none of your friends so If you know but any of your friends that when they were lower than now they are knew God better than now they do and God knew them and there was more sweet converse between God and them than now there is put them in mind of this text I knew them in the wilderness in the Land of great drought but now according to their Pastures they are filled and their hearts are exalted and they have forgotten me God deliver them from the remaining part of the text I 'le be a Lyon and a Leopard and Bear to them to tear them You seldom find in Scripture any of Gods Saints worse for afflictions give me any one example for my part I know not one in all the Book of God that came worse out of an affliction than when they went in But I can tell you of many even of Gods dear people that came worse out of prosperity than when they came in therefore it 's observable in 2 Chron. 17. 3. it 's spoken in commendation of Jeboshaphat it 's said that Jeboshaphat walked in the first waies of David his Father David his Father at first was in an afflicted estate afterwards in a more prosperous estate he was hunted like a Partridg at first but when he came to prosperity his waies were not so good therefore the holy Ghost doth put a commendation upon his first waies rather than upon his after waies I fear it may be said so of some that their first waies when they were low were a great deal better than their after waies This for the connexion According to their Pastures so were they filled According to the fatness and riches of the Land when they came into it they were filled they fell upon whatsoever sensual content they could enjoy to the uttermost according to what means they had for to satisfie the flesh According to their Pastures They would improve all the means and opportunities they had for to give content to the flesh so that they were filled Thus you see men that love to live in the satisfaction of the flesh up to the height of their means according to all means that they have to satisfie the flesh this way or the other way they will be sure to have satisfaction if it be to be had therefore you shall see men that have estates they please the flesh to the uttermost they can think of if they go abroad and see any thing that may give content to the flesh they resolve to have it if they can when they come home According to all the means that they have so they will have the flesh satisfied Oh! how happy were men if they were so wise for their souls if according to the means of grace we sought to fill our souls Oh how doth the Lord lead us in green Pastures and yet what
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
deliver them still And so they hang in expectation of Gods coming to them So they make the word that is here translated Backsliding to be a returning a returning of God They would have me to return first And so I confess the word hath something in it that signifies Returning But those that are skilful in the tongues say It is not used in a good sense but in an evil it 's rather a going from than a returning But yet as the old Latin hath it The hope for Gods returning and that things may be well is the cause of the hardening of many hearts in the waies of sin they hang as it were in the Air thinking that it may be well with them and that things may not prove so bad as they hear But cursed is that hope of comfort that hath nothing else to ground upon but only that it may be things are not so bad as they hear out of the Word But it follows Though they called them to the most High yet none at all would exalt him Though they called them That is The Prophets and Messengers of God called them unto the most High they wanted not means in the Ministry of the Word they were called to the Most High that is to God Now that God is The Most High we have spoken to in Chap. 7. Vers 16. there he hath the title of THE MOST HIGH You who are highest look upon God as above you know that God looks upon you and all men that are lifted up in the pride of their own hearts as infinitly below him God is the most high Well but They called them out unto the most high that is They called them in the Ministry of the Word First That they might know him that is the most high that they might know him to be the Infinit Supream High Glorious Majestie that they might know the infinite distance that there is between God and the Creature and that they might know him to be the Highest end of all things so as to work after him as the most high Then Secondly That they might acknowledge him that they might thus fear him that they might worship him that they might love him and trust in him as the most high God That they might submit their wills to him whose will is supream above all and especially in matters of worship They called them to the most high that they might come to have this high God to be theirs to enjoy him to be their portion thus the Prophets call'd them to the most high Whereas their hearts were dâ—ossie and low and base they minded only the satisfying of their flesh and having their wills one upon another their hearts hung down to their devised worship though the thing it was sutable to their publick ends and it was great wisdom for them so to do yet God would not own that but did dispise that worship of theirs that they thought to honor him withal and the Prophets therefore called them from these base drossie things called them to the most high God The Note of Observation First Mens hearts they sink down to low and mean things naturally unworthy of their souls unworthy of that excellent nature that they are indued withal men indeed have swelling hearts in their base sinful way but this is their disease this swelling I say the heart of man wants a true elevating principle the knowledg of the most high would raise them up higher than their pride can do the pride of man raises mans heart yea but that 's their disease but the knowledg of the most high would raise them up higher than their pride but sin wheresoever it is it doth debase mans nature Secondly It 's the end of the Ministry of the Word to call men to the most high God to call after men that have their hearts groveling after low and base things that they might come up to the most high God to know him to fear him to worship him and to enjoy the most high God to be their portion Have not you found this fruit of the Ministry of the Word in your hearts calling you many a time to the most high God Have not those things sounded in your ears that have called you from vain things that your hearts were upon telling you of the high God that you have to deal withal in all your waies who will have to deal with you to all eternity I make no question but many of your consciences have found this have found a word darted into your hearts that hath called you from low base things to the high and blessed God And then Thirdly It is a great and a sore evil to stop our ears against the calls to the most high God against the calls of the word that calls you to the most high God I say to stop our ears against this is a sore and a dreadful evil What not answer to Gods call Doth God call you and you not answer to him We say to a child Your father calls you or to a servant your master calls you will you not answer Oh! to shut our ears against the call to the most high God is a dreadful thing it will lie heavie upon thee one day those calls thou hadest in thine ears will prove to be terrors in thine heart Certainly though thou lettest go the calls of the Word to the most high God remember this one Note The calls that thou hadest to the high God being neglected by thee will prove terrors in thine heart poor creature what is it that thou listens to what invitations doth take thy heart that the calling to the most high cannot overcome thee And then Fourthly Their hearts are in suspence though they called them to the most high From the connexion of these two we have this Note That the calling to the most high God is a special means to cause those that are in a suspence to come in to a full resolution In Psal 97. 9. Thou Lord art high above all the earth thou art exalted far above all Gods What follows in the 10. verse Ye that love the Lord hate evil God is a high God above all Gods hate evil then set your selves against evil be resolved in the waies of God for when you are called to the most high by this you come to see how infinitely worthy God is of all glory from you you may see by this what infinite good there is in this God and that there is infinite power in this God to avenge himself of you if you neglect his call therefore there is a mighty deal of force to cause resolution In the 7. of Acts we have a notable speech of Stephen concerning Abraham Abraham was called from his fathers house and it cannot be imagined but that Abraham had many thoughts to keep his heart in suspence when he was called from his kindred and al the contentment and comfort he
there were mighty stirrings in Gods heart pleadings of Justice and pleadings of Mercy but Gods mercy overcomes gets the day as it were Mercie triumphs over Justice The Observations When we have stirrings between Mercy and Wrath the stirrings of Mercy should rather prevail the bent of our hearts should rather be in them When we have workings this way and that way which is the most benign side the arguments had need be very much the stronger for wrath than for Mercie If the arguments have any equality or neer any equalitie in them certainly the arguments for mercie should prevail they do so with Gods heart Oh! be you like God in this And then Secondly When there are stirrings with God and temptations to draw to sin the stirrings for God likewise should prevail Have not you found it thus many times in your selves you have had stirrings in your hearts to such and such duties and at the same time there hath been temptations coming to such and such sins now I put it to your Consciences as in the Name of God Cannot you tell divers times how the temptations to sin hath got the day you have been rather carried from God to your base sinful lusts and your Conscience hath been overcom Conscience hath pul'd and drawings of the Spirit have been very powerful but yet temptations have been more powerful and you have gone that way Oh! be ashamed of this that it should ever be said That at such a time there were stirrings with Conscience and Temptations Temptations and Conscience stirring together yet that Temptation should overcome Conscience Thirdly Gods mercies do not free his People from all fruits of displeasure But I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger And my brethren this is not meant meerly of the times of the Law for this anger of God upon them is to this very day But yet it is not fierceness of anger like that of Adamah and Zeboim There are no question among them the elect Ones of God at this day God wil not have this called the fierceness of anger So 't is displeasure 't is captivity long captivity They are a reproach and a by-word to the world and yet not fierceness of anger Our discontented hearts are ready to call every little affliction fierceness of anger Oh! how fierce is God if we suffer any little And indeed did we but know what anger our sins deserve we would learn not to call every affliction that is upon us no nor our greatest afflictions fierceness of anger Fourthly We should acknowledge mercy though we suffer hard things If yet we be not utterly not everlastingly cast off acknowledge Mercy it is Mercy my Repentings kindled I will not execute fierceness of anger Why Because they were not as Admah and Zeboim Learn we all this This day whatsoever afflictions are upon me though it may be you are ready to say Such afflictions are upon me as upon none we are ready to think our afflictions to be the greatest of all yea but bless God that thou hast not fire from heaven to consume thee and thy family for this might have been thy portion this fierceness of Anger I will not return to destroy Ephraim God here compares himself to a Captain that comes with his Soldiers unto a Town I suppose many of you in this place may easily come to understand the meaning of this word by what they have seen and felt themselves Soldiers come to a Town and there they pillage it and away they go and so the poor people think Soldiers have been here and I hope we shall do well enough now and think all 's over It may be within a month or two after the same Soldiers come again and utterly ruin the place and strip them of all But now saith God I will not return to destroy Ephraim that is Though I lay my hand upon them and afflict them and take away many comforts from them yet when I have done that there I 'le leave I will not come back again with a purpose utterly to ruin them This I might do I might return upon them with one evil upon another but I will not do so From whence note There is no cause that sinners should be secure when some evil is upon them to think this is all now they know the worst No God may justly return upon them again and again If thou turnest not to God under thy affliction God may justly return upon thee to ruin thee Indeed if thy afflictions were such as hath caused thy heart to return to God thou maiest then hope that God wil not return upon thee but if so be thou behav'st thy self frowardly under thy afflictions I say thou maiest justly expect that God should return upon thee But Secondly God is very gracious to his people when evil is upon them he will not ad and ad till he utterly destroy them but he will forbear that he might have some subject for his Mercie he will not contend for ever For I am God saith he and not man Here 's an argument that is very full I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger for I am God and not a man Before God took upon him the person of a man in those yernings of his bowels that is When he would express his mercie mark there God would come in the most familier way to make us know the meaning of his mercy but when he comes to speak of Anger there he would have us know that he is not like to a man in way of Anger in the way of Mercie saith he if there be the most merciful man upon earth know that I am like him but when I come to anger I am not like man in the way of anger God is verie desirous that we understand fully his heart in the waies of his mercy but when he speaks of the execution of his wrath I will not do that why For I am a God and not a Man And mark the strength of this expression the difference between God and Man in the point of the execution of wrath you will find it very useful to you First for the opening of it and then for the several Observations to be drawn from it As first Man is of a weak spirit not able to rule his anger Man if he be but a little heat with anger it 's turn'd into rage and there 's no rule at all but I am not man saith God I am God I am no man 't is not with me thus I am not of a weak spirit I am able to rule my anger in Nahum 1. 6. the Lords anger there is said to be furious but I find the word in the Original The Lord of anger so Montanus turns it a God that 's able to rule his anger and expresses it in the midst of the expression of his greatest wrath I am God and not Man Man the word is not Adam but
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
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
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
for all the godly partie flying from the rage of the Sword great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in this City preserved by the Lord Except it had been preserved by the Lord the Watch-men certainly had watch'd in vain It follows And shall cousume his branches and devour them The Branches that is The Towns and Villages about the City for the Cities in a Kingdom are like the Root or the Bodie of a Tree and the Villages or the Towns are as the Branches of the Tree and here 's threatned both Citie and Branches And this Citie hath been as a great Body of a Tree that hath sent out juice and sap and succor to all the Towns and Villages in the Kingdom When the Sword is upon the Citie there is little hope that the Villages shall escape Isa 14. 31. Howl O gaie Cry O City thou whol Palestina art dissolved When the City cries then whol Palestina is dissolved no mervail then though there hath been such plotting in this City by making divisions besides other treacherous and villanous waies to spoil this City to bring the Sword upon it What laboring hath there been to betray us one plot upon another assoon as one is broke presently another and all against this Citie Oh! what a pleasant sight would it have been to our Adversaries to have seen this City in confusion wallowing in its own blood But the more there is depending upon this Citie the more careful should all that love peace and the welfare of the Kingdom labor for the good of this Citie everie one should labor for the peace of it that it may be a Citie compacted with unitie within its self that all that are godly and faithful may joyn in one that every one may bear the infirmities of his Brother that there may be no grating upon one anothers Spirits no exasperation no stirrings up violence one against another especially against those that are gracious and peaceable The more plotting and falsness and treacherie there is against this Citie the more should we be faithful and labor for the good of it yea and the more should we encrease our prayers for it You have a notable Scripture in Psal 55. 9. I have seen violence and strife in the City day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof mischief also and sorrow are in midst of it What then in the 17. verse Evening and morning and at noon will I pray and cry aloud and he shall hear my voice What saith the Psalmist I have seen violence and strife in the Citie yea and deceit and guile do not depart from their streets What shall I do then Evening and morning and at noon will I pray We complain of contentions and divisions and strifes in the Citie and that there are so many plots and treacheries against the Citie Oh! let not us only talk of these things but encrease our prayers in the frequencie and fervency of them Oh! let there be no family but let there be praying to God in the family Evening and Morning at least and if you prayed twice a day before then thrice a day now because of the strife in the City and the treachery and deceipt that is here and the Lord wil hear our voice and he concludes the Psalm thus Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their daies but I will trust in the Lord. Let them be never so bloody minded and desire to imbrue the City in blood yet saith the text The bloudy and deceiptful man shall not live out half his daies but I will trust in the Lord. Because of their own Counsels The Evil Folly and Danger of mens own Counsels we have spoken to in the 10th Chapter 6th Verse They shall be ashamed of their own Counsels Now only a word of that in reference unto the abiding of the Sword upon them The Sword hath abode upon us divers years the wisest amongst us did not think the Sword would have continued so long as it hath don And yet who can tel when there will be an end of these things Among other evils certainly this evil of our own Counsels is a great evil that hath made the Sword to abide upon us Every man follows his own Counsel one man for his friend and another for his friend Mens own Counsels both in Parliament in City in the Army in the Country throughout the Kingdom hath been a great cause of the abiding of the Sword so long a time upon us Their own Counsels The old Latin hath it Shall eat up or destroy their heads those men that had heads amongst them that seem'd to be the wisest the chief Heads that were the wisest and most full of Counsel they were the cause of the continuance of this evil upon them So Montanus hath it Their Counsellors And so Vatablus Because of those that put them upon those Counsels were the cause of the abiding of the Sword in Ezek. 11. 2. Jaazaniah and Pelatiah These are men that give evil Counsels in the City God hath an eye upon them upon such as give evil Counsel in the City as the men that are causes of the evil that is upon the City There is nothing more useful in troublesom times than Counsel if set aright and nothing more dangerous in troublesom times than Counsel if it be wrong The Lord deliver us both Parliament Army City and Kingdom from their own Counsels This wil ever be men will ever follow their own Counsels till they be taken off from their own designs their own ends till they can trust God with his work and be willing to be swallowed up in the Publick Squint-eyed and selvish Counsel will destroy us if God be not infinitly merciful unto us yea and it may be there are some that have good aims for God and yet in their Counsels they may be led aside by carnal principles As for instance only in this own thing That there is no such way for the furtherance of the Kingdom of Christ but by the corespondancy of it with the Kingdoms of the world Certainly this Counsel is very dangerous in such times as these are this principle upon which many that have good intentions do go they desire the furtherance of the Kingdom of Christ they can â—ppeal to God of the sincerity of their hearts and their â—earts are sincere in their desires of the furtherance of the â—ingdom of Christ and they think this principle is a very good one That the best way to further it is to do that that may stand with peace in a way of corespondanâ—y w th the Kingdoms of the world it wil be the best way 〈◊〉 set it up and if they did not think that were the best â—ay to set up the Kingdom of Christ they would not do i 〈…〉 But certainly they are mistaken in their Counsels hâ—e For as the Kingdom of Christ is not
great evil thou canst have little comfort in the enjoyment of thy desires for this is the meaning of the Prophet as if he should say Israel rules but how did they get and maintain their rule it was in false sinful waies It may be thou hast thy will over thy brother yea but thou hast it in a sinful way thou blessest thy self in that thou hast thy will but thou hast little cause if thou knewest all Israel did not rule with God Luther upon the place saith Papist dare not venture to i 〈…〉 the true Doctrine for fear their Rule should be lost so 't is in many people they are afraid of the loss of their Rule if they should entertain the true waies of Gods Worship they think that the true waies of Gods Worship cannot stand with their Ruling and Power and therefore they had rather have their Rule and Power and let the true Worship of God go Thus it was with Israel Or thus Judah yet rules with God That is Judah continuing in a right way of Worship and doth so reform as he rules in an honorable condition Judah rules with God Judah reforming as he doth why Judah rules with God is in an honorable condition To serve God is to Reign the Kingdom that serves God reigns indeed yea that man or woman that serves God reigns It 's an honorable thing to serve God the Lord Christ hath made us Kings unto his Father because the service of God is so honorable Judah rules with God This saies Meisnerus and others hath reference to Hezekiahs notable Reformation and Victory thereupon over the Assyrians of which 2 King 18. c. The old Latin hath it they translate Ruling with God thus He doth descend or come down as a witness with God so they render it And indeed the difference though it may seem to be very much in our English tongue yet in the Hebrew the letters that are for ruling with God and for coming down to be a witness for God there is very little difference it is in the pointing not in the Hebrew letters Ribera maintains this reading and hath these two meditations hinted from that reading first others they leave the true Worship of God but Judah continues and so witnesses for God God hath never been without some witnesse to his Truth And in evil times when others do forsake God and his worship then for people to be willing to venture and appear any way to witness for God is a very honorable thing Oh! 't is a blessed thing to be a witness to the Truth therefore was I born saith Christ that I might bare witness to the truth for those that are faithful and upright in evil times they are Gods witnesses That 's his first Note And then Secondly He descends that is he is content to be in a lower condition so be it he may witness for God though Israel be in a more flourishing condition and we be kept low it 's no great 〈◊〉 so be it we may be Gods Witnesses thus doth a gracious heart I indeed see others in the world they are brave and have the countenance of the times and have all things according to the desires of the flesh here but we are kept low it 's no matter so be it we may but witness for God let others take the outward glory and bravery of the world let us be witnesses with our God It followâ— And is faithful with the Saints He is faithful that is he continues in the right Government God would have him and in his true Worship To forsake the true Worship and Government God hath appointed is unfaithfulness And cleaving to it 〈…〉 lly through much difficulties and suffering is a special p 〈…〉 of faithfulness 't is an evil not to be 〈◊〉 with the State in Civil 〈◊〉 but not to be 〈◊〉 with God in matters of Religion is a greater evil Again God hath a 〈…〉 to a S 〈…〉 faithfulness with him in point of Worship though there may be many evils otherwise yet if they be 〈◊〉 â—o him in point of Worship God hath a special eye to that Lastly 〈…〉 in good it is not faithfulness only to profess good but to continue in our profession Judah is faithful with the Saints I find divers learned men to take this to be an Eâ—â—ll age of the number and reade for with the Saints with the Holy One for we may find such examples in Scripture that the plural number is used sometimes for the singular as I 'le give you an instance in this very word how the Saints is used for the Holy One for God himself in Joshua 24. 19. For be is a Holy God The word that is translated Holy there is in the plural number as here and yet it must be understood and read in the singular He is a holy God and so faithful with the holy God so some reade it But to take it as you find it in your books Faithful with the Saints that is with Abraham Isaac and with Jacob with Moses with the Prophets with the Forefathers he doth continue faithful with them Or Secondly Faithful with such as are sanctified the true Priests of God that God had sanctified to himself faithful with the Sanctified Ones whereas Jeroboam took off the lower sort of the people and made Priests to God Judah he would have no other Priests but the Sanctified Ones of God Thirdly He 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faithful with the people of God for all of Israel that were holy that were godly that were the Saints that were not detain'd by some special hand of God as much as they could they went from the ten Tribes and went to Judah to the true Worship of God now Judah entertain'd them and used them well and were faithful to them But on the contrary Israel the ten Tribes they were unfaithful by using the Saints of God evilly that would worship God according to Gods own way they were cruel and oppressing and unfaithful to them but Judah was faithful towards such imbracing and encouraging of them For us to go on in faithfulness though we have none to joyn with it is a commendation and the waies of God are excellent whether any or no do joyn with us in them But it is a great encouragement to be faithful with the Saints that is to go on in those waies that we see the Saints go on in and â—o joyn with the Saints of God with such as are the choice Saints of God to joyn with them that 's a great â—ncouragement it strengthens the people of God in their way very much Faithful with the Saints Oh! 't is good to be with the Saints to be with a few of the Saints a great deal better than to be with abundance of the men of the world Judah is faithful with the Saints You should look more at the example of a few Saints than
only against them and make it appear that that 's the work of their spirits meerly to oppose them and not under such a pretence to make other things that yet they cannot make appear to be false to make them appear to be odious and monstruous meerly by shufling them together among such horrible and damnable lyes That 's for false Doctrine And then secondly Thy encrease lyes and desolation that is lyes against the Prophets of God against the Saints and against the Waies of God And certainly there was never the like multiplying as there is at this day in this sense too men carry their multiplying glasses along with them up and down at first a lye it 's like a stone in the water you know a stone first cast in makes a little circle and then that another and that another and every one greater than another And so it is with many lyes at first they appear not so great but that makes another and that another and that another and so they grow greater and greater and that exceedingly there 's many waies of multiplying and encreasing lyes First by carrying about reports and so make one lye to become many And then a Second way is by misreporting of reports that is by putting reports into another dress according to what men themselves apprehend and that which is a truth when it comes to be examined nakedly yet they will being put into another dress and such and such things laid together in another way than they were at first they will seem to be very false This is a way of multiplying lyes Thirdly by adding to reports every man according to his spirit draws consequences and when he hath drawn them he makes them to be part of the report and so makes it to be the Original as if it were the Original whenas it is but the Comment and so lyes comes to be multiplied Fourthly by inventing new ones they come to encrease and multiply because such and such falshoods will not do the feat more shall then be added to them Fifthly they encrease and multiply by maintaining lyes by lyes as if men be engaged once in a business they must defend themselves If once they have misreported a thing there 's no help for it but now it must be defended one way or other somewhat must be done to defend it as 't is many times so in your servants a Servant hath done a thing amiss well this Servant seeks to cover it by a lye and when once he hath told one he must tell a great many more to defend that one and thus it is with men And truly my Brethren seeing that this Scripture doth so by providence come in our way let me speak thus much to you from it It is one of the strangest things that ever was in the world that there should be such strange reports of things that are matters of fact yea that one Godly man or company of men should say one thing and others that we think Godly men should say quite contrary and both in matters of fact I say 't is that which would make men stand amazed as much as ever any thing that fell out in any age to consider of it for there is no sin that is more against the ingenuity of a gracious heart than a deliberate lye to speak against a mans knowledg and against a mans conscience this sin is against the ingenuity of a gracious heart as much as any sin and yet even such as we think to be godly and gracious even reporting so quite cross what shall we say to this Austin hath such an expression of his to a friend that writ to him about the telling of an officious lye he answers him again No he must not tell a lye no not to save the whol world Now what a difference is there in the hearts of men in these daies Truly I do not know a greater temptation to Atheism at this day than this is for what will men think There 's such Religious men speak thus and others that we account as Religious as they speak quite contrary Is there any Religion in the world We see so much contradicting one against another surely one side must be false It 's that that I am verily perswaded is the cause of much Atheism amongst us and if God be not pleased to prevent one way or other it will open a wide door to Atheism in the Nation But therefore those that would fain get this stumbling block to be remov'd and do not rejoyce at it as some do some there are that rejoyces at these things there 's nothing more pleasing to them when they meet together whereas they should be matter for our humiliation we should mourn for them to see how God is dishonored this way and what abundance of hurt is like to come to souls by this means But now therefore a little to quiet our hearts so as we may not be endanger to turn Atheists by it let us consider from whence this comes that so many lyes should be encreased and multiplied For First Consider though one saith this thing is so and the other faith it 's quite contrary yea but it may be that both sides do report according to their own apprehensions of things and apprehending things in a different way having divers principles both of them may think they are in the Truth and yet one may contradict the other because they may speak according to their apprehensions on both sides for it is very much according to the principles of ones spirit in any thing especially if a business hath many things depending on it and there are many circumstances to be laid together then according to mens apprehensions and their principles â—hey will lay things together so as may best sute their principles and others will say things together so as may best sute their principles and so both of them may think they are in the Truth and contradict one another and yet neither of them speak against their consciences this possibly I say may even be among good men And then sometimes the reason of contradiction it is because men do not speak from their own knowledg but they are ready to speak from others and are so confident in others whomsoever men love when they see men to be of their side and way they are very confident in their rports and so speak it not from being Eye-witnesses themselves and so they may come to contradict one another and not go against their own consciences Reports are cross one to another and this is the evil indeed of giving credit to reports and of running away too suddenly with them But though it be an evil in men yet it comes not from this of speaking against their consciences And then a Third cause it may come from this That when men report they do not report all Reports are cross one to another
God seems to work against me but yet the Word of God works for me and I will try whether shall prevail Gods Word or Gods Providence thus Jacob wrastles I will not let thee go as if he should say I have the Word for what I do and God hath bound himself by Covenant and so long though Heaven and Earth meet together although I see my brother coming against me and God departing from me and all threatning ruin yet I will beleeve still that there is mercy for me This was Jacobs last turn as I may so say as the trying as it were the last fall in this his wrastling in opposing the Word that he had with the Work of God towards him And this is a Note of very great use in al our conditions let us not lay so much weight upon any Work of God as upon the Word of God let us build upon the Word rather than fear the Works for it hath been the usual way of God when he hath given out a Word that his Works have seem'd to go quite cross as not only in our father Jacob but even in our father Abraham What was the Word of God to Abraham There was two promises by God made to Abraham one was this That he would bring him into a Land that flowed with milk and hony And a second That he would make his seed as the Stars in the Firmament Wel here was Gods Word But how was Gods Work The very next thing that you hear of him he was carried into Canaan after he had left all his friends and was ready to starve presently now the word is Thou shalt be brought into a Land that flows with milk and bony and assoon as ever he comes into that Land he was ready to starve Here 's a Land indeed And then a second Promise of having his seed as the Stars of Heaven Abraham was twenty five yeers after this before he had any one child of the Promise and he grew old and also his wife Well he had at length one and God commands him to kill that one to sacrifice that one But what a work is here how quite contrary to the Word Well he was saved and Isaac is forty yeers before he marries here 's sixty five yeers gone from the promise and there 's but even one of his seed that must be as the Stars of Heaven at length Isaac marries and he was twenty yeers without a child here 's eighty five yeers and but only one birth from him yea and after that the story will make it out that Jacob was above fourscore yeers before he married and had any children there 's between eight and nine score yeers gone and here 's but only Isaac and Jacob. How doth the Work of God seem against his Word in appearance It 's the way of God and therefore let us never trouble our selves about Gods Works he came indeed afterwards with his Works and fulfilled his Word to the uttermost but for the present it seem'd to be against it Oh! lay up this as a lesson you will have use of it many and many a time It follows With his strength he prevailed Prevailing at last will recompence all our strivings Jacob was fully recompenced here he speaks in a way of recompence of Jacob after his striving Oh! it was a hard wrastling I but he prevail'd at length And so it will be with all the people of God let them go on and wrastle and though things be hard for the present when mercy comes it wil pay for all Oh! thou wilt hereafter see no cause of repenting that ever thou did est continue in this wrastling with God Oh! thou wilt see cause to bless God blessed be God that kept up my heart all this while Oh! God knows that many times it was ready to sink and if I had left off what had become of me I had lost the mercy that now I find but I continued through Gods mercy and now he is come he is come at length Prevailing recompences all our labor and trouble in seeking Well he prevail'd but what 's this to this people of Israel Thus this was to shew the base degenerateness of this people as if he should say Oh! of what a brave spirit was your Father Jacob but you you are a base people you basely subject your selves to Heathens to Idols your father was of a brave spirit indeed and would not have subjected himself to any creature in the world yea he would wrastle with God himself when he had his Word for it Oh! but it is otherwise with Jacob's posterity you can crouch to every base thing you will crouch to the humors of men in the Worship of God and do any thing to save your skin saith he you are unworthy to be counted of the posterity of Jacob that 's the meaning of the Prophet here Jacob's posterity indeed they should be prevailers upon the world above temptations it 's unseemly for one of the seed of Iacob to yeeld to the base lusts and the humors of men what shall we yeeld to a base lust when Iacob would not yeeld to the Almighty but prevail'd with him are we of the seed of Iacob now Oh! we are of low mean spirits led aside of every vanity and overcome with every difficulty But how did he prevail in what way did he put forth this his strength It follows VER 4. He wept and he made supplication THis weeping of Jacob is not recorded in the History of Genesis nor in all the Book of God but only here his supplication is recorded but not his weeping therefore his weeping was had either from hand to hand by way of tradition it was known that when he wrastled so with the Angel he prevailed or otherwise by Revelation but certain it was that he wept when he did wrastle There are many ridiculous conceits of the Jews and some old Writers about this they say it was the Angel that fell a weeping and prayed Jacob to let him alone thus they carry it But to take it generally as our Divines do that Jacob wept and made supplication and so prevailed with God Iacob's heart was prest in the condition that he was in and so prest that it caused tears to bubble from him and no mervail though tears came from him his heart could not but be full for when he came to think thus with himself What after I have served such a hard service under Laban my Uncle and God bad me come away from him which I took to be such a great mercy from God to deliver me yet how soon was I presently in danger of my life even my Uncle Laban pursuing of me and God delivered me there And must I now fall into the hand of my Brother is the day come for him now to have his rage upon me I see little other likelihood his strength is great and God himself appears against me and I have
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
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
indeed the Devils rather than his own he presently charges his own heart Oh! what a wretched vile heart have I when as it may not be it but meer suggestions and temptations of the Devil and not the steam and filth of his heart but he doth judg his heart from those temptations and thinks it is nothing but the uncleanness and filthiness of his heart but you shall have another man that hath a most filthy wicked heart and there comes most abominable steams which break forth into filthy diseases and though it comes altogether from himself yet saith he Oh the temptations of the Devil doth leade me aside and I cannot tell how to resist him it 's from temptations it 's from thy self from that wicked unclean heart of thine and were there no Devils in Hell at all thou hast the seeds of all sin in thy heart it 's from thy uncleanness Oh! Let 's learn to be afraid of our selves and to pray to God to be delivered from our selves Better to be given up to the Devil than to ones self You know the incestuous person was delivered up to Satan but it was for the destruction of the flesh and the saving of his soul but when one is given up to himself it is for the damning of his soul then that 's no way for to save ones self to be given up to himself Thou hast destroyed thy self And my Brethren we have cause to think of this point very seriously in another notion in respect of the Kingdom and Nation certainly if ever this Kingdom be destroyed it must needs be written for the Generations to come Here 's a Kingdom a Nation that hath destroyed its self Certainly we cannot say 't is from God if we perish what God will do with us we know not but truly this we may plainlie see That if God leaves us but a little more to our selves we are in a very fair way to destroy our selves and that after God hath wrought so for us God hath wrought like a God for us but we how do we deal for our selves like men shall we say Oh no like brute-beasts if men mad men men that are appointed to destruction If we be destroyed it will be the saddest storie that ever was in the world against a people if so be that at length we should perish after God hath done so much for us truly now God hath wrought like a God to deliver us from our common Enemies God had need to work as much for us like a God to deliver us from our selves great hath the works of God been in delīvering of us from the rage of those that we thought intended to destroy us and surely did Well now God hath done such works if God should say Well I have done my work I have delivered you from those you were afraid of and now I will leave you to your selves Oh! we had cause to fall upon our faces and say O Lord do not so for it had been better that they had destroyed us For if thou shouldest leave us to our selves our destruction would be a more bitter destruction Do not we see how fast we run towards destruction being but a little left to our selves what a perverse spirit is there now among our selves We say sometimes of the Prelates Oh the hand of God is against them how they brought themselves into a snare Now they may stand and look upon us and even laugh almost at us and say Well let them alone as we speak of some Give them line enough and they will quickly hang themselves Let them alone and they will fall out one with another and destroy one another they will quickly ruin themselves if they be let alone Oh we have as much experience of the vanitie of mens hearts and the follie and pride and hypocrisie and stoutness and frowardness of mens hearts as ever there was experience since the world began Who could ever have thought this five or six yeers ago if this could have been presented as it were in a Map unto us Oh you shall be in great dangers you shall have mighty enemies rise and readie to swallow you up but I will appear and work for you I will put forth my glorie the right hand of my power and excellencie shall appear for you and when all this is done You shall undo your selves and out of your own selves shall be your ruin even from those that you trusted in much and those that you much applauded they shall be cause of the evil yea And even you that now think your hearts are so right and have said Oh! If God would but deliver us how we would magnifie his Name you shall be the cause of the evil of the Kingdom Had any said so of some that we have cause to have our hearts shake within us when we think as the Prophet did of Hazael you shall do thus and thus they would have been readie to answer you What are we dogs are we dead dogs that we should do such things Well the Lord deliver us from our selves In Me is Thy Help We can easily destroy our selves but can we save our selves A Child can break a Glass that all the men in the Country cannot make it up again Everie fool may do mischief to himself yea and to others but can he help 't is God onlie that is the help of his People 't is not means that help but God yea 't is that that God doth much glorie in To be accounted the cause of all good he would have all evil cast upon men but al good from Himself even present good and eternal good he would have attributed to himself In the reading of this Scripture I find a very strange Expression of one Commenting upon it that one would think had some knowledg of the freeness of Gods Grace and Goodness and yet a Jesuit In me is thy help Hence it follows saith he That Predestination Vocation and Grace do not come from the foresight of the Merits of those that are Predestinated but from Gods Predestinating Calling Preventing with his Grace These things are the help of God even from the mouth of a Jesuit we have this acknowledging sometimes in their Writings and when they are serious that neither Predestination nor Vocation nor Grace comes from any forefight of what man would do but only from Gods Predistinating Calling Preventing with his Grace and this is the help of God all good it is in God both for the present and our eternal good It was a speech of Augustin God doth many good things in a man that a man doth not himself but there are other things that God works in man but saith he Though he works them 〈◊〉 him and man doth them yet it is God that doth them This point we must not speak at large to but pase it presently for we met with that before in the Prophesie
reade the story in Samuel when God did but thunder from Heaven Oh! then we have sinned and when they were under oppression then Hosea could speak freelie and plainlie to them Where is your King and where are these men Men will not hear so long as they do not suffer If men be once set upon a way and have their Estates about them and countenance from great ones speak what you will against their way they will not hear you but let these men smart for their way and find by experience the evil of it then you may speak to them and say Do you think now that it was wiselie done that that you were so eager upon do you think you dealt well for your selves Oh then they will be readie to say I confess I did not think so seriouslie of those things before I lookt onlie upon that that appeared for the present and now after-wit is bought although it be dear I see cause now to repent of what I have done My Brethren Surelie Kings and Nobles are great blessings of God when they are good you see I have not strain'd in the least thing but held forth to you what the scope of the place is Let none go away and say that I enveighed against Kings or Nobles certainlie in themselves they are great blessings of God and we must acknowledg it fitting to have a difference between man and man It 's a slander that is upon a sort of people As if they would have all things to lie Level and one to have as much horer as the other God forbid we should have such a thought Let us give honor to those whom God would have honored and never envy nor grutch at their honor if God pleases to send those that are good I say they may be great Instruments of great blessings of God to us But now mark the verie next words that follow in the Eleventh Verse They would have a King VER 11. I gave them a King in mine anger and took him away in my wrath THEY were readie to say Why do you thus blame us for our eager desire Did not God approve of it God himself was content we should have one God himself chose our first King Saul and he appointed Samuel to anoint him And if you understand it of the other King Jeroboam for so Interpreters go they might say and Jeroboam also Did not God foretel by the Prophet that Jeroboam should have ten Tribes and did not the Man of God tell us that this was from the Lord and therefore why should you so much upbraid us about our Kings it is the mind and will og God that we should have them The answer of the Prophet is It 's true God did give you a King and God did appoint Samuel to anoint him and God did foretel that Jeroboam should be King over the ten Tribes Yea but it was in his anger he gave you one indeed but it was in his anger you were so set upon it that you would have one if you will take him saith God and take him with all that shall follow after so that it was as one speaks rather from an angry God than from a God that was intreated by them in a way of Prayer There are many exceeding useful Observations here which time will not give leave to go through all even from the first part I gave them a King in mine Anger Saul and Jeroboam was given in anger those primarily as a punishment of their sin Saul was given as a punishment of their sin in rejecting Samuel and in their disobedience to Samuel and the way of Government that they had then And Jeroboam was given as a punishment of their sin of Idolatry that was committed in Solomon's time as also of their Rebellion and Apostacie And yet it 's said that God did it The First Note may be this That God may have a hand in things wherein men sin exceedingly They sin'd in geting a King they sin'd exceedingly in setting up Jeroboam and yet God hath such a hand in it as he saith he gave them these things I remember Mr Calvin hath an excellent Note upon this very Scripture And I rather name it because the Adversaries would cast that aspersion on him That he held that God was the author of sin Saith he From this place we learn That God doth so exercise his judgments that whatsoever evil there is it is to be ascribed to men whatsoever good to himself God seems to direct this work wholly to his own Providence from hence let us learn soberly to admire the secret Judgments of God neither let us imitate those impure dogs Impure dogs what are they that do therefore grin and bark at God because they cannot understand how God doth use wicked men Because they understand not this they conclude that God is the cause of sin He cals them the impure dogs because they understand not how God doth work in making use of wicked men that God is the author and cause of sin His spirit was was much against this and therefore it was an extream slander upon him as if he should hold such an opinion That 's the first God may have an hand in things wherein men sin extreamly and yet he remain holy Secondly Things that are very evil yet may 〈…〉 esent success It was a very evil thing for them to desire a King at this time and likewise for the People to rend from the house of David yet both of them had success according to their own desire Let us learn for ever not to judge of the goodness of a thing by the success of it Say some I 'le warrant you we will have this and if they get what they desire they think God approves of it They may desire a thing and be set upon it and though much be said to the contrary yet they may drive on their designs and prosper in it But this is no argument that God owns it as good never judge of things by success And then the Third point and that wil require some time indeed to speak to and that is That Gods gifts are not alwaies in love I gave them a King saith he but in mine anger Gods gifts are not alwaies in love no they are in anger many times Reade but the 11. of Numbers 18. 20. you shall find there of God giving people their desires He lets them have them but how Say thou unto the People Sanctifie your selves against to morrow and ye shal eat flesh for ye have wept in the ears of the Lord saying Who shall give us flesh to eat Therefore the Lord will give you flesh You have wept and cried saying Who shal give us flesh The Lord wil give you flesh And ye shall not eat one day nor two daies nor five daies neither ten daies nor twenty daies but a whol month shal you eat it til it comes out at your
their Judges generally were good and guided them in Gods waies but the Kings did not so For the Kings of Israel were none of them good from the beginning of them to the end Oh unthankful wretches that they are so eager to have another condition never minding nor blessing God for what they had forgetful of all the good that ever they had Samuel could appeal to them Whose Ox or Ass have I taken he judged righteously in his judgment But they forget all Gods goodness and mercy towards them and must now be in another condition Oh! consider of this you that desire new conditions be not you unthankful for what you have had if you be so eager to have more so as to forget what you have had if God should send you more your case is like to be worse than now it is If one should go and take meat to eat befor he hath digested what he eat before he hath fill'd his stomach but there comes new dishes to the Table that pleases his pallate and he falls upon that and eats more and more but that doth not nourish him but turns to evil humors and so doth him hurt but if he would stay till he hath digested what he hath eaten before then he might eat and have good nourishment And you that would fain have more and more have you digested what you have had are you thankful for what you have had hath God had the glory of what you have had before then if God gives you any thing you may have comfort to your souls that it comes out of love Further When men desire new things out of distrust of God and make such conclusions of unbeleef Surely if God should not grant such and such things unto them then they are lost and undone and there 's no way in the world to help them and their desires are put on by distrust Whereas my Brethren Gracious desires are put on by faith it 's the prayer of Faith that doth â—ood it is Faith that doth inflame gracious desires that are sent up to God they are sent up by the strength of Faith and not the strength of Vnbeleef It is the strength of Vnbeleef that makes the desires of people so strong as they are as thus These people desir'd a King Why because they could not trust God to have but only Judges as they had before Samuel was an old man his sons were naught and they see themselves in a hard condition yea but now seeing God had nor spoken to them about a new Government they should have had it from God if they had it at all God should chuse them one but they thought that they must have one to go before them in their Battels or else their Battels would miscarry and they saw the Princes of the earth they went before their Subjects in their Battels and therefore they would be like unto them and durst not trust God in that way that they were in before and therefore it was in wrath that God gave them their desires Yet further If when God changes our condition we bring the sins of our old condition into our new we can have no comfort then that it is out of love our care should be when our condition is changed Oh but what were the fins of my former condition what were the sins of my afflicted my low condition let me take heed that I do not bring those corruptions into my new condition And then lastly If we seek to attain our desires by unlawful means certainly that is curs'd If God doth let us prosper in waies that are unlawful in themselves we cannot beleeve that what we enjoy comes out of love but out of wrath I was the willinger to enlarge this Point because of the great usefulness of it Now then by way of Corallary by all that hath been said First Learn we then from hence To take-heed that we quiet our selves in our desires be not too earnest in your desires remember that Scripture 1 Cor. 10. 6. Now these things were our ensamples to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted It hath reference even to their lusting for their Quails it was call'd lusting after evil things though the things themselves were good yet because of the way of their lusting it made them evil to them these are for our ensample because we should not lust so as they lusted Oh! when you reade but that 11. of Numb and the 78. Psal and there find how they lusted after evil things and how the wrath of God came upon them when they had their desires satisfied let these be ensamples for us that we take heed of lusting so And so when we reade of their desires so after a King and what they met withal when they had him I say it should teach us so far to moderate our desires as to labor to regulate them by the Word of God and not be headie in them but to order them according to the mind of God And then the Second is this Let us by all that hath been said learn to prepare our hearts for what we have and to seek proportionable grace for any thing that we do desire Treasure up this lesson when thou wouldest have a mercie from God Oh seek proportionable grace and prepare for the mercie Thirdly learn this Lesson Be not too much exalted when thou hast thy desires satisfied Me thinks this Point might be as a prick to prick the bladders of the pride of mens hearts Oh! take heed though you have prospered according to your desires Saul prospered a great while and yet it was in wrath Certainly there 's no great matter to be expected from such things as we may have in Gods wrath and therefore no cause to be exalted Fourthly Learn from hence Never to draw any arguments of Gods love by satisfying your desires in outward things It is a vain conceit of people to think thus God loves me why because I have desired such and such things and God hath given them to me If a man were to go and chuse a Wife if he knew her face were painted would he conclude Surely here 's one of an excellent complexion No he would rather suspect it truly the argument is as good That this womans complexion and the constitution of her body is whole and good as that argument that my condition is good because God satisfies me in my desires Fifthly draw this consequence likewise Learn never to envie at any men that have their lusts satisfied there 's little cause that you should envie them If you should see a man that loves Wine and you knew it were poisoned And a man that hath a Sattin Sute and you know it hath the Plague in it there were no cause of envying such a man a Leather Sute were a great deal better God satisfies men many times but it is in
eyes and was heard to speak these words I come I come I come and so gave up the ghost It had been much to be wished that the Author had been more concise brief in som Amplifications which though they were al exceeding useful yet they have deprived us of his Preaching and compleating both the former Sermon and the rest of the Prophesie But God was pleased for our sin no doubt to deprive us of that Mediator like Instrument between the divided Godly Parties of this Nation and of the further mind of the Holy-Ghost which be had revealed to this his Servant touching the Scope and Vse of this Prophesie in these daies God took him away in the strength of his Parts and Graces that he might not lose in the reputation of his Ministry or Piety as some have before their death Also though we cannot affirm as one of Josiah That he was taken away Ne malitia mutaret intellectum ipsius lest the evil of the time should have wrought upon his temper yet we may say as another doth He was taken away from the evil to come Moreover It is not an unuseful Note that the Preface to the Tigurine Bible hath whereof the inference is That whilst in some weighty point we labor for great exactness and preparation we are either disabled by our diligence or prevented by our tardiness and delay whereas moderat preparation seasonably applied might be more useful to the Church than such exactness so deferred Which is not spoken to reflect any thing on our reverend Author but to admonish others ut maturens Now among other arguments good Reader to commend this Excellent piece This is one That it hath been brought to thy hand through several Elements having been in danger part of it to be rotted in the Earth where it was buried part of it to be consumed in the Fire wherewith much of the Town where it was flamed part of it to be lost in by holes where it was hidden in the midst of Enemies Make special use therefore of what is come as it were through fire unto thee for that end to use the Prefacers words before Mr Cartwright's Answer to the Rhem. Test And if thou find that fruit the Supervisor did in preparing it for thee thou wilt not repent thy pains or peny Farewel FINIS AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE OF THE Eleventh Twelfth and Thirteenth CHAPTERS of the Prophesie of HOSEA A Abuse ABuse of Instruments of Deliverence a great evil Page 399 Affliction None of the Saints worse for affliction 453 Afflictions sometimes deepest when greatest Mercy is intended 231 Affliction see Difference Afflicted Wee may be sorely afflicted in doing Gods Commands 227 Aggravation The aggravation of provoking God 403 An aggravation of self destruction 513 Alteration Alteration of Government causeth Trembling 422 Anceston Ancestors see Mean condition Free-Grace Anger Anger see Difference The Effects of Anger 151 Apostats Apostats see Folly Apostats to return again 340 Apostacy Apostacy see Language Punishment Steps Apostacy brings a reproach on Gods waies 408 Arabian Arabian why taken for a Thief 310 Aright How to conceive aright of God 274 Armies Gods Armies 271 Astrologer Astrologer see Chaldean Awaking Saints need awaking before Reformation 185 B Baal-zephon Baal zephon what 30 Baptism Baptism see Church Base Base spirits most insolent 415 Beast Beast see Mark Beginning The Beginning of Superstition Ceremonies and Popery 437 Bethel Bethel see Jacob Bitterness Bitterness see England Blessing What 's the blessing in a married condition 392 Blessing see Peace Bonds Gods Bonds what 30 Blows To be forced by blows is to be drawn like a beast 57 C Canaanite Canaanite Why it signifies a Merchant 310 Carnal It 's mercy to be taken off from carnal props 104 Carnal heart see Difference A sore sign of a carnal heart 326 Cause The cause of corruption in Gods Worship 439 Caution A Caution concerning Earthly Kings 523 Chief The Chief work of the Ministry 177 Chaldean Chaldean why taken from an Astrologer 310 Child Child see Israel A Childs great disobedience Children How we may know whether God loved us when we were children 10 Christ God hath an eye to Christ in all he doth 19 Christians Christians see Love Church The Church one in Faith Spirit Baptism and visible Government 13 Comfort Comfort see Lives Comfort of a dying person 130 Common Comforts common to Hypocrites 433 Command Command see Promise Company Company heats whether it be goâ—d or evil 164 Confident Yong beginners not to be too confident 33 Confident men sink lowest if disappointed 201 Confidences The confidences of the ten Tribes 525 Congregation Congregation see Posture Conduct Gods Conduct of his people through the Wilderness 450 Conscience The conflict of conscience and corruption 122 Conscience oppression the most grievous 98 Convince Convince see Ministers It 's hard to convince men when they have their desires that it is not in love 539 Conviction Conviction see Parents Convert A true Convert what 333 Cords Cords of a man what 43 Correction Correction see Parents Covenant Covenant see Jews Covetousness Covetousness hard to be convinced 331 D Day Day of Judgment see Mercy Dangerous A dangerous sign of Reprobation 544 Deceiptful dealers Deceiptful dealers see Excuses Decree Decree what it is 511 The Decree of Election ibid. Gods Decree damns none ib. Devils The Devils Stratagem 175 An obstinate sinner worse than the Devil 109 Deliverance Deliverance from oppression a great mercy 92 Difference Difference between Spiritual and Temporal blessings 557 Difference between a carnal and gracious heart 329 556 Difference between the Churches and Gods Excommunication 436 Difference between God and man in point of anger 169 Difference in the Saints from others in time of affliction 308 Difference of Gods working for his people and for others 399 Disappointed Disappointed see Conceited and Confident Disobedience Disobedient see Child Drawn To be drawn by the Word is to be drawn like 〈◊〉 man 57 Doctrine Doctrine see False Drowsie A Drowsie spirit a great evil 133 Duty Duty see Ministers Dying Dying see Comfort E East Wind The East wind why hurtful 202 Effects Effects see Anger Effectual Effectual preaching what 349 Elect Elect see Thoughts Election Election see Decree Element God the Element of Love 85 England Gods ancient love to Engl. 6 England the first Nation that imbraced the Christian Religion ibid. God remembers the kindness of England's youth ibid. Publick love gone out of England 72 Gods special love to England Englands sin 93 Procession weeks in England 355 Englands bitterness aggravated 407 England see Instances Encouragement Encouragement to saith and prayer 151 Error Mens error in judging others 213 Evil Evil of licenciousness after deliverance 94 Men excuse their evil by their good 214 Evil of deceipt in Trading 315 Evil see Suspense Drowsie Company Excellency Excellency of the Name JEHOVAH 293 Excellency of Gods saving 449 Exalted We should not be exalted by prosperity and why 462 Excommunication