just and equal duty and it brings us into a right state into a right frame sets us at rights and till then our state is wretched crooked and wrong nothing is at rights for how should things be right with us whiles our hearts and ways are not right with God but when that which is so right is shewn to man and shewn powerfully and effectually so as to embrace and do what is made known and shewn Then it follows v. 26. He shall pray unto God and he will be favourable unto him and he shall see his face with joy c. The Lord is very gracious and of a very kind nature and disposition he has always in himself a rich storehouse of kindness and mercy and then he gives it forth Come and let us return unto the Lord Hosea 6. 1. and then v. 2. we shall live in his fight or in or before his face live and enjoy his love and favour the life of our lives He looketh upon men and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was Job 23. 27 28. right and it profited me not that is if any truely repent what then his life shall see the light he shall live in the light of God's countenance Thus the Lord waits to be gracious he waits for our repentings and turnings to him that he may be gracious and while we retard our repentings and turnings to him we retard his grace and favour from our selves There is indeed a previous preventing grace and favour of God a first shining of God's face and breaking forth of Gratiam qui invenit apud Deum ab eâ primum inventus est quia eam nemo quaerit quem ea prius non quaesierit admiserit Rivet Conditio ad gratiam recipiendam requisita nonponitur in nobis nisi per gratiā praevenientem Pareus the light of his countenance as in the conversion of a sinner which I hinted before when God puts a stop to a poor sinner and gives him to repent and turn to him then is a time of love and then God causes his face to shine when he says to the sinner even in his bloud live but then after this previous preventing favour and grace there is more grace second Acts as it were and renewed manifestations we upon our repenting and turning to God being put into such an estate as in which he owns us and delights in us and is gracious to us How gracious was the Lord to Peter upon his repenting and turning again he was gracious to him before Luke 22. 61. And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter c. and how gracious after Mark 16. 7. tell his disciples and Peter c. And so to Ephraim upon repenting and turning how abundantly did God manifest his grace and favour how lovingly and meltingly and tenderly does he speak of him Jer. 31. 18 19 20. Is Ephraim my dear son c. My bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy on him And so the Prodigal upon his returning how does the father meet him and falls on his neck and kisses him 2. Then that is removed which interposes between us and God's favour and hinders the Luke 15. 17 18 19 20 c. shinings of his face I mean our sins for they and onely they do this Is 59. 2. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you therefore when we are turned again from our sins to God his face must needs shine What should hinder when the clouds are dispell'd and scattered the Sun appears and its light breaks forth Vse 1. Blessed and thrice happy are they then whom the Lord hath turned again to himself for unto them he hath and will more and more be gracious and manifest his favour and cause his face to shine Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causelt to approach to thee c. Ps 65. 4. For he shares in that and partakes of that which is man's happiness and renders him blessed as appears in that form which the Lord prescribes of blessing the children of Israel Numb 6. 22 23 c. and this makes his present state and condition so comfortable one day of a repenting sinner and so of a sinner that is reconciled to God and to whom he vouchsases his favour being more comfortable than a thousand years of another man that is in continual fear of death and judgment Vse 2. As ever then we would make it out indeed to our own souls that we have any clear evidence or comfortable demonstration of God's favour of his love and the light of his countenance let us never rest 'till we find our selves to be indeed such that the Lord hath turn'd again to himself and then he hath and will cause his face to shine David prays Ps 86. 17. Shew me a token for good and here 's a token for good indeed for the chief good the greatest good God's favour which is life yea better than life Saving conversion is ever a sure sign of divine affection and of a work of grace upon the heart of a souls having found favour in God's eyes our being turned unto God clearly evidences his Si conversi fuerimus per poenitentiam ille omnium placatissimus benignissimus convertentes ad se recipiet Musc having in favour turn'd to us and that he will more and more so turn to us And therefore how earnest and sollicitous should we be for that which gives us so clear an evidence and sure demonstration of so great a good even of the favour of God but never let any bear themselves up with what is consistent with God's hatred and with wrath and eternal death as the honours and profits and pleasures of the world are which men may wallow in the fulness of and yet be under divine frowns and which for the most part are cast upon the worst and vilest of men and upon those whom God's soul abhors which made the very heathens contemn them In hoc coenum in has sordes Seneca being cast upon such dunghils But saving conversion is ever an effect of and followed with divine smiles and on such the Lord God of hosts hath and will more and more cause his face to shine CHAP. V. The main chief and principal point of Doctrine observable from the words DOctr 6. The onely way for a people to be saved it is for God to turn them again and cause his face to shine That is as hath been open'd and explain'd for God to convert them from their sins to himself and his ways and to vouchsafe them his favour to be gracious and propitious to them in his son this is the onely way of a peoples weal it consists in their sound conversion to God and in their finding grace and favour with God in their being turn'd again unto him and in his turning unto them as the Lord expresses it Thus saith
none among them to call and invite them to better but suffer'd them to walk in their own ways and to go to hell in their Acts 14. 16. Idolatries God did not manifest his will to to them as he did to the Jews and thus the old Translation has it God regarded not Dutch reads it overlooked or disrespected lightly and slightly past them by his eye was not upon them for good so as to provide for them and send amongst them those that should call and invite them to repentance as he does now The word is the same that is used Acts 6. 1. and it signifies to despise neglect look over or besides because their widows were neglected So that to have an eye upon a place or person it being to manifest kindness and respect this winking seems to be Psal 33. 18. 34. 15. opposed to favour rather than justice viz. that God disregarded them overlooking them or besides them and not at them in mercy And de Dieu upon the place shews that it signifies God's anger and displeasure against them and therefore hid the means of salvation from them so that here not onely is God's command of repentance made known but the goodness of God in pressing the same c. And truly it is very sad in this sense for God to look over or look besides a place or people not so to regard times and shew that care of them and respect towards them as to send those among them that should call and invite them to repentance But England has nothing to charge God with as to this if this be to manifest respect to a people never had Nation clearer nor fuller demonstrations thereof then we have had And this sense and interpretation of the words does best agree with the sequel but now commandeth all men every where to repent and therein manifests more grace and favour he does not now leave nor let men alone to go on in their sins and walk in their own ways as formerly but many are now sent forth to call and invite them to repentance to reclaim sinners and to reduce wandering prodigals crying Turn ye turn ye and return return Repentance and remission of sins is now preached in Christ's name and many shew here and there and where ever they come that men should repent and turn to God c. So that now the great God does not onely command all men every where to repent but the holy Ghost specifies it here as a choice mercy and singular favour and priviledg that he does so and that beyond what he vouchsafed to former ages and the times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men every where to repent and truly next to true repentance and saving conversion it self this is the choicest mercy and greatest and highest priviledg that God can betrust a place or people with and this is the clearest and amplest demonstration of God's regard and respect to times that he can give for God to send his messengers up and down here and there in his name to command and invite and call upon people to repent and turn to God to cry as those Prophets of old Thus saith the Lord of hosts turn ye now from your evil ways Zach 1. 4. and from your evil doings c. and Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye dy and as that blessed Martyr Repent O England repent repent this is the fruit of God's compassion 2 Chr. 36. 15. on a people and in this the tender mercy of Luk. 1. 77 78 79 God yea the very bowels of his mercy do break forth and display themselves and to despise and reject such mercy to kick against such bowels causes the wrath of the Lord to arise against a people till there is no remedy for if says 2 Chron. 36. 16 17. Christ I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin that is in comparison their sin Joh. 15. 22. had not been so grievous as now it is but they might have had some excuse because of their ignorance but now they have no cloak or pretence for their sin Thus that the great and most high God commands us to repent not only should his soveraign authority therein awe us and have a strong influence upon us to obey but the regard and respect also which therein he manifests to us and the care which he shews he has therein of our souls and this is here subjoyned as one reason why he now commands all men every where to repent v. 31. because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judg the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance to all men in that he hath raised him from the dead There is a day of judgment set a great and terrible day in which God will judg the world and he hath given assurance thereof to all men and now God would have it well with men at that day that they might be found then in peace and that it might be a day of refreshing to them and to that end he now commands them all every where to repent and to turn to him without which he knows it will be a sad day to them a day of perdition and destruction and therefore is he still long-suffering towards us not from slackness but from a willingness that none of us should perish but that we should all come to repentance and so be saved And what a great mercy and singular kindness is it that God has put us into a capacity of finding good by repentance by giving his Son to shed his bloud and to lay down his life for our sins without which all our repentance could have avail'd us nothing And shall not now God's authority nor clemency his soveraignty nor sweetness in commanding us to repent prevail with us but shall we despise both his greatness and his goodness his Majesty and his mercy what will this be but after our hardness and impenitent Rom. 2. 5. hearts to treasure up to our selves wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God 2. There is a necessity as a way and means of our happiness and 2. Necessitas medii Nisi agnitis peccatis seriâ cordis contritione pungamini verâ fide á deo irato ad eum propitium in filio placatum conversi fueritis vitamque emendáveritis omnes simul peribitis Winckel weal as that without which it cannot be but we must perish and this Jesus Christ himself who is the Amen the faithful and true witness yea truth it self hath twice averred Luk. 13. 3 5. I tell you nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish And again I tell you nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish I tell you who know full well who shall be saved and came to save that except you repent
Ephraim Surely after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote on my thigh c. Jer. 31. 19. So Lam. 5. 21. Turn thou us unto thee O Lord and we shall be turned c. Use 1. See what folly then it is to procrastinate and put off repentance as if it was in our own power to repent and turn when we pleased whereas it is in God's power alone and therefore as the holy Ghost saith to day if you Heb. â— 7 8. will hear his voice harden not your hearts c. Vse 2. Let this make us the more careful how we turn aside from God because though we of our selves can turn away from him he onely can turn us again to him Use 3. As ever then we would that our selves or ours should be turn'd again let us apply our selves to him as these do here turn us again O Lord God of Hosts I have gone astray says Ps 119. 176. David like a lost sheep seek thy servant c. We can lose our selves but we must have recourse to God to reduce us and fetch us home O Lord I know the way of man is not in himself it is not Jer. 10. 23. in man that walketh to direct his steps and therefore let us cry with Ephraim Turn thou me O Jer. 3. 18. Lord and I shall be turned c. Vse 4. Then when we are turned again see here to whom to ascribe it and to whom to give the praise and glory of it even to the Lord God of hosts It is his work he has done it and none else but he could do it and therefore let him have the glory of it alone Doctr. 5. When the Lord turns a people again to himself he causes his face to shine He manifests his favour and shews himself gracious and propitious for these two are here joyned together Turn us again O Lord God of Hosts cause thy face to shine And this latter may be considered either as the efficient or as that which as an effect follows upon the former or as both So that when the Lord turns a people or a person to himself 1. he does cause his face to shine and 2. when he has turn'd a people again to himself he will cause his face to shine that is he will more and more cause it to shine more and more manifest his favour and to both these I shall speak something briefly 1. He then does cause his face to shine when he turns them again to himself he then remembers them with the favour that he bears Cùm convertit faciem suam Deus ad nos nos respiciâ— tum ad eum convertimur to his people and lifts up upon them the light of his countenance saving conversion being a blessed effect and happy fruit thereof and it being his special favour and grace that puts him upon it I will heal saith the Lord their back-slidings Hosea 14. 4. and whence will he do it what puts him Poenitentia est effectus gratiae fluentis à dilectione Dei in filio Dei fundatâ Pareus in locum upon it his love I will love them freely for his anger is turned away from him We are bid to seek God's face to seek his favour and such have found it and the Lord hath dealt very graciously with them but it is not thus as to the things of the world they in their very quintessence and though in their greatest confluence do not simply of themselves speak God's love and favour no but for all them though in never so great abundance men may be under God's frowns and have none of his favour but hatred and abhorrence for God's heart here does not always go along with his hand God's giving hand and his gracious favourable accepting hand are two distinct things and so is his permissive and his promissive approving Providence Men Ex largitate non ex promisso may have Quails and wrath the daintiest viands and vengeance coin and the curse heap Num. 11. 33. Psalm 33. 7. up wealth and worldly treasures have more than heart could wish and yet be under God's sorest Zach. 1. 15. displeasure I am very sore displeased with the Irâ magnâ irascor heathen that are at ease God's bringing these things abundantly into mens hands is no argument nor intimation of the love of his heart The tabernacles of Robbers prosper and they that Job 12. 6. provoke God are secure into whose hand God bringeth abundantly Ps 73. 12. Behold these are the ungodly who prosper in the world they increase in riches c. and yet such whom God hates and abhors Psalm 12. 5. But the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth and Psalm 5. 5. Thou hatest all workers of iniquity and God is angry with the wicked every day Ps 7. 11. So that these things are no sign of God's favour neither in any or all of them does his face shine or is the light of his countenance lift up but now saving conversion and God's turning of a man again to himself this ever speaks God's favour and the shine of his face and the lifting up upon him the light of his countenance and though such a one may have but little of these things in his hand this is a sure intimation to him of the love of God's heart and this makes the little though it be never so little that such a one hath better than Boni nunquam in statu malo nam illis vel ipsa mala vertuntur in bonum mali contra nunquam in statu bono quia iis vel ipsa bona vertuntur in malum Gryâ—â—ous the riches of many wicked Ps 37. 16. for better says Solomon is a dinner of herbs where love is than a stalled Oxe and hatred therewith Prov. 15. 17. And this makes it that it can never be ill with a godly man how little soever he have of these things because he has still God's love and that it can never be well with a wikced man how much soever he has of these things because he has ever God's hatred therewith and the evil things of the one being turn'd into good and the good things of the other being turn'd into evil Ps 25. 10. Rom. 8. 28. Ps 69. 22. Pro. 1. 32. 2. The Lord will cause his face to shine yea more and more to shine on a people or person that he turns again to himself For 1. it is his promise so to do to be gracious and to manifest his favour to such Job 33. 23. If there be a messenger with him an interpreter one of a thousand to shew unto man his uprightness the Hebrew his rectitude that is what is right and straight viz. to repent and turn to God Dutch read it to declare unto man his right duty as indeed conversion and true turning to God it is our duty and it is a right
31. 23. God was a terrour to me and by reason of his highness I could not endure So for God to frown or hide his face from a people or a person and set it against them must needs be the way for a people to be destroyed and to have it ill with them and to be miserable as the Scripture abundantly evidences For we are Psal 90. 7 11. consumed by thine anger and by thy wrath are we troubled who knoweth the power of thine anger even according to thy fear so is thy wrath When he giveth quietness who then can make trouble Job 34. 29. and when he hideth his face who then can behold him whether it be against a Nation or against a man onely The Lord said I will hide my face from them I will see what their end shall be O Deut. 32 20. how sad how dismal must their end be that the Lord hides his face from and that his soul has no pleasure in Surely the world is not so sad without the Sun the earth without rain the body without the soul as the soul without God and his favour and as all mercies then go so all judgments then break in I will set my face against them they shall go out from one fire and Ezek. 15. 7. another fire shall devour them c. And I will Deut. 31. 17. hide my face from them and they shall be devoured and many evils and troubles shall befall them c. 4. If this be the only way for a people to be saved and everlastingly saved then are there but few which are like to be saved why because there are but few who are turned again and on whom God causes his face to shine but are rather under his frowns and displeasure And 1 Joh. 5. 19. we know that we are of God and the whole world lieth in wickedness that is the most and greatest part of the world the whole unregenerate world lieth in wickedness is not turned from it but continues in it and is under the power and command of it and set upon it and so like to perish for ever in it Thus the greatest part of the world is in a perishing condition because they persist in sin Many walk says the Apostle but they so walked as that he could not tell of them without weeping for in stead of turning to God they made their belly their God and in Phil. 3. 18 19. stead of turning from that which was matter of shame they rather gloried in it and what could the end of such be but destruction And this is like to be the end of most because they turn not to God nor his ways from which they have turn'd aside and gone astray The Lord looked Psalm 14. 2. down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God for these are they and onely they that God regards and looks after But what report does God give of the matter it follows v. 3. They are all gone aside or turn'd away from God and his ways gone out of the way of holiness and happiness they are altogether become filthy there is none that doth good no not one that is very few none by nature and few are brought to do it by grace My people are bent Hos 11. 7. to back-sliding from me though they called them to the most high none at all would exalt him They who the Prophets for this is their great Subintelligendum est Prophetae Zanch. work to call people to the most high to seek and turn and conform to him to devote themselves to him whom yet he being so high and glorious in himself hath no need of but sends his Prophets to do this for their own advantage viz. that coming of from such poor mean low and base things they should come to him who is the most high but yet though they called them to the most High and that with greatest importunity and upon every opportunity yet none at all would exalt him or but very few Non aspirant ad Deum hoc sit uno consensu quasiomnes conspirassent in unâ â— eâdem malitiâ Calv in locum none in comparison and so most people though God be the most High yet in not turning to him nor seeking of him they do not exalt him but rather debase him preferring mean and contemptible things before him to which turning away and turning aside from him they betake themselves to The wicked through the pride of Psal â—0 4. his countenance will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts He will seek after vanity and leasing and so exalt these but not after God There be many that say who will shew us 4. 6. any good but few mind or regard or look after the chief good God and his favour and the light of his countenance none saith where is Job 35. 10. God my maker c. They hold fast deceit they Jerem. 8. 5 6. refuse to return I hearkned and heard but they spake not aright no man repented him of his wickedness saying what have I done every one turned to his course as the horse rusheth into the battel Thus most people live in a neglect of God they refuse to turn to him or to seek him or his face and so most are like to perish and be destroyed for ever 5. If this be the onely way for a people to be saved this then gives us to see the true reason and ground why the Lord is so exceeding earnest and intent upon this and does so often and earnestly call and invite people to this and press upon them this that they would turn again unto him and seek him and his face and favour Why it is because this is the very way and the onely way for them to be saved and is not there then good cause for it that he should be so earnest as the Scripture indeed every where declares him to be O how often does the Lord there call upon people to turn unto him and to seek him and his face Yet return again unto me Jer. 3. 1. v. 12. 14. saith the Lord and return thou back-fliding Israel and Turn O back sliding Children c. So I have sent also unto you all my servants the Jer. 35. 15. Prophets rising up early and sending them saying Return ye now every man from his evill way c. And Thus saith the Lord to the house of Amos 5. 4 6. Is 55. 6. Israel seek ye me and ye shall live and seek the Lord and ye shall live and seek ye the Lord while he may be found c. And seek the Lord Psalm 105. 4. and his strength seek his face evermore c. And so I might give you multitudes of places more which let us see how earnest and intent the Lord is upon this and it is because this is
Israel and thus bless the house of Aaron yea thus bless us all both small and great Let this blessing O Lord be upon high and low rich and poor mighty and mean upon Prince and people upon Court and City and Countrey upon our Metropolis our chief and Mother-city yea and upon all her Daughters our other Cities and upon the whole Nation yea the three Nations and then shall we be blessed indeed yea Psal 115. 15. the blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth Thus though we cannot turn our selves we may yet pray unto God to turn us and intreat his favour the want whereof as aggravating their sin the Prophet Daniel confesses and bewails All this evill is come upon us yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God that Dan. 9. 1◠we might turn from our iniquities c. They could not turn of themselves but they might have prayed to God for grace to turn CHAP. XI The second Branch of Exhortation to adde to our Prayers our Endeavours ANd let us not onely pray but earnestly endeavour after this not onely beseech it but strenuously pursue it and follow after it let us joyn to our prayers our pains and to our desires our labour care and industry setting about it and setting our selves seriously to it and laying out our selves to the utmost for the attaining of it that we may be converted and turn'd again from our sins to God and that he may cause his face to shine on us In all labour says Solomon Prov. 14. 23. there is profit but the talk of the lips tendeth onely to penury that is nothing comes of that As the door turneth upon his hinges so doth 26. 14. the slothful upon his bed that is because of his sloath he is still where he was and hangs where he did comes not off and this is his undoing The desire of the sloathful killeth him for his Prov. 21. 25. hands refuse to labour Many wish well to themselves Immoritur optando nihil operatur non utitur mediis quibus potiri optatis queat c. Remus in locum and they say they do desire grace but refuse to labour and this kills them for grace is not had with wishing If ever we would be savingly converted we must not onely wish and desire it but labour and strive after it we must up and be doing use diligence The want of this the Lord complains of concerning that people as the cause of their ruine They will not frame Hos 5. 4. their doings to turn unto their God c. not so much as set about it nor set themselves to it nor see what they can doe They will not so much as endeavour and bend their course that way Non adjicient studia sua ut convertantur ad Deum suum Video me operam ludere quia mihi negotium est potiùs cum brutis animalibus vel cum saxis quà m cum hominibus c. Calvin in locum nor shew their good will nor make use of these means which tend towards it not do what they can do and might and therefore I do by my Prophets but spend my labour in vain and I have to do as it were but with beasts and stones rather than men Indeed I am their God by profession and I have shewn my self so by the care I have had of them and the many good offices I have done for them and yet though I am their God and the fountain and well-spring of all their good and their happiness is to turn to me yet they will not so much as once frame their doings to turn unto me And this is an heavy aggravation of peoples impenitency and leaves them altogether inexcusable when they will not endeavour nor so much as make use of the means as in reference to so great a concern not do what they might do we are not able indeed to turn our selves no conversion is too great a work and lies beyond our line and we should get a due sense thereof so as to drive us to God for help but yet we may endeavour it and attempt something as in reference to it something we may do but what you will say may we do and what would you have us for to do I shall shew you in several particulars 1. Attend constantly on the ministery of the Word wait still upon God in his ways and in the use of those means he hath instituted appointed and set apart to be instrumental as to that great work of turning you again to himself and of bringing you into favour and recovering again his face Do as those impotent folk they could not indeed heal themselves yea but they could and did lie at the Pool waiting for the moving John 5. 3. of the waters that they might be healed Get there still where Christ walks and where he works as Zacheus he got up into a tree in the Luke 19. 4. way where Christ was to pass and who knows but Christ may look upon thee as he did upon him and it may be a time of love and he may say to thee though in thy bloud live and bring saving conversion salvation home to thy soul It is good being in God's ways how many hath he savingly and graciously met there and his power hath been present to heal them to convert and save them The very work and business that he sends his Ministers about it is as he told Paul when he had converted him from a Persecutor to be a Preacher and as you have heard to open sinners eyes and to turn them from darkness to Acts 26. 18. light and from the power of Satan unto God c. And how many thousands of souls are there who have experienc'd this and for whom it hath been effected by their means and why may it not be effected for thee also The word is called a word of grace a converting word and wait on it for God to make it so to thy soul Of his own will says the Apostle begat he us by the James 1. 18. word of truth and why by the same word may he not beget thee if thou attend upon it God sends his Ministers to help people in this great work And a Vision appeared to Paul in the night Acts 16. 9. there stood a man of Macedonia and prayed him saying come over into Macedonia and help us Now be sure then to be there where he vouchsafeth such help which is the best help and better a thousand times than the having such come that might help you in other matters as in your estates and in matters of the world though it was to compass never so much of it And how sad must their condition then needs be and how inexcusable will they be found at that great day who refuse this help who carelesly neglect or despise the Ministery appointed for so blessed an end how deservedly and
harlot with many Lovers yet return again to me says the Lord. A man will hardly entertain a servant that seeks to him in his old age that refus'd his service all his life before and Nulla poenitentia seria est unquam nimis sera Ambr. how should God and yet he will if sincere and true But though true repentance be never too late yet late repentance is seldom true for mens sins then rather leave them than they their Pecoata ipsos deserunt non ipsi peccata c. Ambros sins and such a cessation from sin is not repentance for sin and therefore take we heed of delays whereby we do more strengthen sin harden our own hearts and give Satan stronger hold and fuller possession Had we a thorn in our foot or a mote in our eye would we delay to get them out and is not the guilt of sin worse in the soul Certainly a man had better lie under the weight of all the mountains in the world than under the guilt of one sin we are bid not to withold good from the owners thereof Say not to thy neighbour go and come again Prov. 3. 27 28. and to morrow I will give when thou hast it by thee And shall we still withdraw or withhold our selves from God whose own we are in many respects and who when he comes to us comes but for his own and shall we detain still from him what is his own which we do while we still refuse to turn to God and lock up our selves as it were in the Devil's hold But let us remember we are the Lords we are bought with a price and he is not onely our owner but our Creatour and Benefactour and 't is well for us we have so good an owner and so kind a Lord and let us not then withhold our selves a moment longer from him but yeild our selves to him for is there any safety but under his wings any happiness but in his presence any peace without his pardon c or can we be holy and happy too soon blessed too soon pardoned too soon in the love in the heart of God too soon under the shines of his face in the light of his countenance too soon free Libertas bonum inestimabile Nulli benè venditur auro and from under the vassalage of sin and Satan too soon especially freedom being so desireable and such an inestimable good Who would not be sui juris free The Rabbins have a saying that if the heavens were parchment and the Sea ink it could not sufficiently contain the praises of liberty how much less of spiritual liberty of being made free from sin so as to become servants to God and have our fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life to be freed Nec beliua saevior ulla quà m servi rabies c. from his slavery who is a slave himself and no slavery to the service of a slave It was Canaan's curse that he should be a servant of servants Gen. 9. 25. and are not our sins the very gangrenes and plague-sores of our souls the utter enemies of our peace safety and felicity which still distemper and disquiet us and shall these be retain'd still or can they too soon be abandoned 9. Let it be daily constant and continual for we daily sin continually transgress and therefore are still to be daily acting repentance and there being still sin and corruption in us we are still daily and continually to be turning from it to the contrary good we daily wash our hands Quia semper peccamus semper poenitentiam agere dehemus Hier. and clense our houses and so let us by repentance our hearts of those daily infirmities we fall into We are still letting in sin and therefore by repentance should be still pumping it out This might occasion that saying of Tertullian that he was born to nothing else but repentancè for we having brought upon our selves a miserable necessity of sinning daily and continually what can we be more born to than to Dominus dicendo poenitentiam agite omnem vitam fidelium poenitentiam esse voluit Luther be repenting daily and continually 10. Let it be more and more increasing and persevering to the end not onely our daily course but 'till we have finished our course not resting in this that we were once turn'd but still daily more and more turning from all iniquity and practising the contrary duties of Christianity If conversion be good certainly the more the better and the fullest is best we should get more and more chang'd and turn'd into the Lord's image from glory to glory c. and every day get 2 Cor. 3. 18. nearer heaven and salvation then other It is said of Julius Caesar whose warlick exploits were so Nilque putans factum dum quod super esset agendum famous that he still went forward thinking nothing done as it were while any thing was yet to be done So let us with Paul forgetting Phil. 3. 13. those things behind reach forth to what is yet before take we heed of Apostacy from God and 2 Pet. 2. 22. his ways and having known the way of righteousness of turning from the holy commandement to the crooked ways of sin for what was this but to bring as it were an evil report upon God and his ways and to make as if his ways were not such as the Scripture declares them to be yea and as if the ways of sin were better and to be preferr'd before them for having try'd both such as more eligible turn to the other again what a dreadful thing is it to bring as it were an evil report upon God and his ways It is said of those that brought but an evil report up on the Numb 14. 37. land that they died by the plague before the Lord but what will become of those who bring as it were an evil report upon the Lord himself and his ways and make as if there was iniquity in him and hence says the Lord what iniquity have your fathers found in me c. and O my Jer. 2. 5. people what I have done to thee and wherein have I wearied thee testify against me As if the Micah 6. 3. c. Lord had said you make as if I had done so and so unto you but what have I done plead the cause with me what have you to lay to my charge or object speak and I will answer I am willing to submit my ways to scanning and to bring my proceedings with you to a tryal For your better conviction put in your Bill of complaint against me c. O the wonderful condescension of the great God to poor sinners as if he had said Your own consciences which I appeal to cannot but say that I never dealt ill with you but on the contrary well with you for I brought you up out of the land of Egypt and redeemed
of their Prayer so the great importance excellency and necessity of the things prayed for that they were infinitely concern'd in them and that the want of them as to their being saved could not be dispens'd with namely God's turning them again to himself and causing his face to shine So that these words are not onely the burden but the very beauty and blessing of the Psalm It s very marrow and sweetness consists and is concentred in them and hence do they so often repeat them not knowing how to be denied what is contained in them viz. God's turning them again and causing his face to shine but beg them again and again and make them their fixed petition and importunate prayer in which prayer take notice of these three things 1. The person whom they direct their prayer to and that is God to whom alone all prayer is to be directed and him they stile here the Lord God of Hosts and so though their case was dark and seem'd even desperate yet looking to God's power as being the Lord God of Hosts this gives them light and hope of relief for what is or can be too hard for him to do 2. The subject matter of their prayer and that is 1. that God would turn them again and 2. cause his face to shine and then 3. we have here the blessed fruit and happy effect which they promise to themselves upon audience and that is that they shall be saved Turn us again O Lord God of Hosts cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved This prayer is but short but exceeding sweet the words few but very full For we have contained in them 1. The great Gospel-blessing and that of Jesus being raised up by his Father which is the turning of us away from our iniquities Act. 3. 26. Vnto you first God having raised up his son Jesus sent him to bless you but how in turning away every one of you from his iniquities 2. We have contain'd in them man's chief happiness and his true and onely felicity viz. God's favour the light of his countenance for God to cause his face to shine 3. Man's being saved which is very comprehensive and does denote not onely freedom from Enemies and evils of all sorts though that most properly but fruition also of all good CHAP. II. The Explication of the Words Turn us again or convert us i. e. from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Converte nos our sins and iniquities to thy self from our own wayes which have not been good to thine from which we have turned aside and gone astray And well do they begin and continue so earnest for this for as all our misery did at first and does still come in by our Apostacy and turnings aside and turning away from God so our happiness cannot be recovered again but in our returns to him Look as that was and is the very spring and foundation of all our woe so this of our weal and in all our miseries and calamities the very first step to our cure and recovery begins here and hence is it that the Church and people of God are here so urgent upon this again and again yea and hence is this held forth as the great business and design of Christ in suffering for our sins that he might bring us to God for otherwise we could never have been brought again to be happy 1 Pet. 3. 18. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God c. This turning again may refer either to those of them that were never as yet turned or to those who being once turn'd had in some measure at least turn'd again aside made some defection as indeed the best are very prone to do Hos 11. 7. My people are bent to backsliding from me and Exod. 32. 8. They have turn'd aside quickly out of the way c. And thus they here beg of God to turn them again and to heal their backslidings and though this is and ought to be our endeavour yet it being God's work as unable to turn themselves they apply themselves to him and this turn we ought to endeavour and to pray for still more and more it being the work and business of our whole lives to turn to God more and more the last step of repentance being the first step of Glory and the last step of turning the first step of triumphing Some indeed do render this turn us again return us or restore us recover us i. e. say they from our Captivity to our former state c. And many go this way but surely it is more than such a turning that the Church here is so importunate for viz. a spiritual and gracious Kimchi idem esse dicit quod dirige corda nostra ad te hanc lectionem our rejicere mus non apparu it â—lla ratio Musc turn a saving conversion a turning from sin to God that God would make them true Penitents sound converts new men they pray for amendment as the very essence of repentance and without this what would the other signifie or avail or what true comfort could it afford to have their outward condition turn'd and hearts unturn'd or how unless they were turned by repentance could they ever expect that the Lord should shew them the evidence of his favour and besides as to their recovery from their present miseries and calamities that they had prayed for in other verses in this Psalm and in praying for these first they therein take the readiest and most effectual course for the other and therefore this turning here again we are mainly and chiefly to understand of turning to God by repentance as we find the same word elsewhere understood and taken as Lament 5. 21. Turn thou us unto thee O Lord c. and Jer. 31. 18. Turn thou me and I shall be turned c. and so frequently elsewhere the same word is made use of and thus several Expositors carry it and this says a Learned Interpreter is the special petition here insisted upon that God by giving repentance would reclaim them from their Apostacy and grant the evidence of his favour unto them and so deliver and save them So that Repentance Reconciliation and Salvation is that which is here prayed for that God would turn their hearts by unfeigned repentance that so they might be fit for deliverance O Lord God of Hosts Thus they stile God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dominus Deus exercituum and under this notion eye him and consider him the more to strengthen their faith and hope as concerning the things they prayed for and for gaining the more firm assurance of obtaining them In the 3. v. they pray O God in the 7. O God of Hosts and then here in this verse O Lord God of Hosts Thus by degrees they rise higher and higher and get more and more ground for the strengthning of their faith What
Psalm 14. 3. 58. 3. Rom. 3. 12. Isa 53. 6. where holds forth and hence by nature we are said to be without God in the world Ephes 2. 12. and Christ is said to suffer for sins upon this account to bring us to God 1 Pet. 3. 18. yea and this the Scripture holds forth as the great Luke 1. 17. Acts 26. 18 19 20. work of his Ministers to turn people to him And now briefly by way of Application Use 1. This it speaks our sin that we are and do still turn aside and go away from God forsake him thou hast forsaken me saith the Lord thou art gone backward c. they have Jr. 15. 16. 2. 27. Is 1. 4. turn'd their back unto me and not their face And what a slighting is this of God and what scorn and contempt does it put upon him for it is an action of scorn and disdain among men to turn the back upon one and to offer scorn and contempt to God for a poor vile creature to turn the back upon him whom the Angels adore Daniel 7. 10. Matth. 18. 10. and to behold whose face it is their highest honour and felicity Our sinfulness and great iniquity herein will the better appear if we do but consider these three things 1. What a God it is that we have and do thus forsake and turn aside and go away from As 1. the living God Jer. 10. 10. c. yea the fountain of living waters Jer. 2. 13. the very spring and sole and soveraign Author and original of all true happiness help comfort and support here and of eternal life and felicity hereafter and this is such an evil as the Lord calls the very Heavens to be astonish'd at Jerem. 2. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 horrere horrescere horâ—â—re Be agonish'd O ye heavens at this and be horribly afraid properly let the hair stand straight up that is be horribly afraid or terribly afrighted with horrour and great fear because in extremity of horrour the hair does shew it by standing as it were straight up through great fear And if the heavens are called upon to be thus horribly affrighted because of this how much more should sinners be so who have done and do this it follows and be ye desolate saith the Lord that is by withdrawing or by the loss of your Heavenly light and why all this v. 13. for my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and hewed them out cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water 2. A great God yea and a great King above Psalm 95. 3. 145. 3. all Gods whose greatness is unsearchable and for him to be turn'd aside from and to turn our backs upon and so to be despised how sad must this needs be I am small says David and despised Psalm 119. 141. and Matth. 18. 10. Take heed says our Saviour ye despise not one of these little ones but for such as we to despise a God so infinitely great O how sinful is it 3. A glorious God yea the God of Glory the father of glory one who is cloathed with Majesty and glory Psal 104. 1. he whom the Angels adore and before whom the Devils are forced to tremble and such a God to be forsaken 4. A good God abundant yea infinite in goodness for how great is his goodness and how great is his beauty Zach. 9. 17. Yea goodness it self and good to all having made them preserving them and continually providing for them and so the God to whom they are so infinirely and so many wayes ingaged and obliged 5. The blessed God yea blessed for ever Rom. 1. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shaddai is as much as who is sufficient or all-sufficient having in himself and for others an abundant sufficiency 6. An all sufficient God as he told Abraham Gen. 17. 1. The Lord appeared to Abraham and said unto him I am the Almighty God or God All-sufficient walk before me and be thou perfect that is upright sincere The word in the Hebrew which we render Almighty signifies not onely one that hath great power yea all power but also one that hath an all-sufficiency in himself and that both for himself Qui sibi suffici nullius indigens omnibus creaturis omnis boni existens fons sufficientia Pareus and others and thus the Lord is such a God as does everlastingly independently and unchangeably possess an infinite all-sufficiency in himself and for himself and a full and overflowing all-sufficiency for the creature So that there is no need nor any cause to go from him for any good no there is more need to go from the Sea for water from the Sun for light from the Sea shore for sand from the fire for heat Psalm 84. 11. For the Lord God is a Sun and shield the Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly And God is able to make all grace abound towards you that ye always having all-suffficiency in all things may abound to every good work 2 Cor. 9. 8. Some derive the Hebrew Shaddai from Shad a dug or breast it being he indeed that suckles feeds and provides for all creatures c. And O how easily and quickly can that full Ocean fill such poor empty scanty vessels as we are and now to forsake and turn aside and depart from such a God how evil a thing is it and how sad must it needs be Paul complains of the turning away of some from him and forsaking him 2 Tim. 1. 15. 4. 10 16. but what is it then to turn away and forsake God and such a God we may well cry out with the Prophet Jeremy 17. 13. O Lord the hope of Israel all that forsake thee shall be ashamed and they that depart from thee shall be written in the earth because they have forsaken the Lord the fountain of living waters 2. The sinfulness of this will the more appear if we do but consider that this forsaking of God and turning aside and going away from him is without cause and without all colour of true reason or ground as the Scripture does most pathetically express it as Jer. 2. 5. What iniquity says the Lord have your Fathers found in me that they are gone far from me and have walked after vanity and are become vain As if the Lord had said What cause or ground have I given you or what colour of reason can ye pretend that you should thus go away from me if you have any alledg it produce it And v. 31. Have I says the Lord been a wilderness to Israel a land of Darkness c. No what he was to them and did for them he tels them v. 6 7. so Micah 6. 3. O my people what have I done unto thee and wherein have I wearied thee testifie against me c. Surely darkness may sooner proceed
from him 1. There being no iniquity in him nor ever any injury done unto us by him What iniquity have your fathers Jer. 2. 5. Micah 6. 3. found in me O my people what have I done unto thee wherein have I wearied thee c. 2. There being no want of any good in him so that there is no need to go from him he being all-sufficient hence the Lord reasons the case with David when he had revolted and tels him I did so and so for thee and I gave such and such things to thee and if that had been too little 2 Sam. 12. 7. says the Lord I would moreover have given thee such and such things and wherefore then hast thou despised the commandement of the Lord c. what cause or ground was there for it what hast thou to say or what canst thou alledge So we find that the children of Israel disobeying the voice of the Lord the Angel of the Lord that is the Son of God he pleads with them I have done so and so for you why then Judges 2. 4. have ye done this and there being no true cause nor ground for it they answer with tears for it is said that they lift up their voice and wept 3. Can we mend or better our selves and who would change but for the better But to be sure if we go from God it will be for the worse When many that profest themselves the disciples of Christ went back and Christ said to John 6. 68. the twelve Will ye also go away you know what Simon Peter answered the Lord To whom should we go thou hast the words of eternal life As if he had said Lord where can we mend our selves to whom shall we go to be better This was the Argument that Samuel made use of to keep the people from turning aside to follow the Lord. And turn ye not aside for then should you go after 1 Sam. 12. 21. vain things which cannot profit nor deliver for they are vain It is as if a man for warmth should go from the Sun to the shade or for water from the fountain to the broken cistern or from the spring to the puddle or as if a man for fresh air should leave the open field and sweet refreshing gales in a garden to go to a smoaky cottage But my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit and they Jer. 2. 11. are gone far from me and walked after vanity Will a man leave the pleasant cooling snow of Jer. 18. 14. mount Lebanon for a dry bare rock of of the field or shall the cool flowing waters be forsaken 4. Let 's consider what respect God has for such as abide with him and turn not aside from him Noah was upright in his generation and Gen. 6. 8. walked with God when all flesh had corrupted their way and it is said Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. So my servant Caleb because Numb 14. 24 he had another spirit with him and hath followed me fully him will I bring into the Land c. And ye are they says Christ which have continued Luke 22. 28 29. with me in my temptations and I appoint unto you a kingdom c. Rev. 3. 5. 5. What a comfort will this be in the evil day and at the hour of death if we have not turned back from God as it has been to the people of God formerly Ps 44. 17 18 19. Job 23. 11 12. and Is 38. 3. c. 6. The Lord doth not turn away our prayers nor himself nor his mercy from us and why Psal 66. 20. Jer. 32. 40. should we turn away from him yea he hath made an everlasting covenant with us that he will not turn away from us to do us good c. 7. If ever he do turn away from us for a time it is not till we first turn away from him He is first in coming but last in going he is ever with us while we are with him as the Prophet told Asa 2 Chron. 15. 2. but if we forsake him and turn away from him he will turn away from us yea against us as the Church complains Lam. 3. 3. Surely against me is he turned he turneth his hand against me all the day 2. Let us be 1. vigilant and very circumspect else if we be careless negligent and secure we shall be in great danger to miscarry 1 Cor. 10. 12. wherefore let him that thinketh he stands take heed lest he fall None are likelier to fall than such as are most self confident and secure and therefore let us carry a holy jealousie continually over our selves how many caveats have we in Scripture to this purpose Matth. 26. 41. Luke 21. 36. Heb. 3. 12. c. 3. Let us be much in prayer that the Lord would keep us for if he leave us we shall soon Jude 24. leave him Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling c. he alone is able and therefore we must watch and pray both c. 4. Let us remember and urge the Lord with his promise viz. that he will put his fear in our Jer. 32. 40. 3. 19. hearts that we shall not depart from him and that we shall not turn away from him 5. Let us exhort one another daily c. This the Apostle prescribes as a good help to keep us from departing from God Take heed brethren Hebr. 3. 12 13. lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God but exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin and Heb. 10. 25. Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together but exhorting one another c. 6. Let us in the strength of Christ and begging help of God take up strong settled and sincere resolutions of heart to cleave to the Lord and to continue and abide with him who ever turn aside from him as Joshua but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord this that Joshua 24. 15. good man Barnabas exhorted those to that believed and turned to the Lord that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. And when Acts 11. 23. at any time we have or do turn aside as we are very prone to do let us never rest till we return again as these here how earnest are they upon this they thrice importune Turn us again c. O should not a people return to their God the spouse to her husband children to their father The Prodigal as soon as ever he came to himself Luke 15. 17 18. he resolves I will arise and go to my father Turn O back-sliding children saith the Lord Jer. 3. 14. why for I am married unto you And it can never be well with us indeed till we do this he being the rest
Zach. 1. 3. the Lord of Hosts turn ye unto me and I will turn unto you For them to turn to him repentingly and for him to turn to them graciously these two do the work as to their weale they turn all evil away from them and set all good a coming towards them the sanctifying grace of God renewing and his accepting grace graciously receiving the sincerity of a peoples repentance and the serenity of God's countenance the effectual working of God's grace and the favourable shining of his face this is the very way for a people to be saved and this I shall illustrate in several particulars 1. This is the right way the true and proper way for a people to be sav'd It is said of Ezra 8. 21. Ezra that he proclaimed a fast c. to seek of the Lord a right way for them and their little ones and all their substance and here 's that right way indeed for us and ours and others for all for our little ones and all our substance for all we have or enjoy and if the Lord delight in us as Joshua and Caleb said of the Land of Numb 14. 8. Canaan he will bring us into this way which he who is just and right yea the most upright prescribes and surely were we our selves and in our right minds we would betake our selves to this as the onely right way of all our weal and happiness 2. It is a sure soveraign way a prevalent way an effectual way it never fails nor falls short and that let a peoples present state and condition be what it will seem it never so sad and desperate yet if the Lord do but turn them again and cause his face to shine they shall be saved yea they cannot but be saved as these undoubtedly here do promise to themselves 3. It is an experienc'd way a well prov'd and tried way a way that hath many probatum est's upon it for never was there people or person that God did indeed turn to himself and cause his face to shine upon but they were saved Niniveh that great city was within 40 days to have been destroyed But God seeing their works Jonah 3. 3. â—â— that they turn'd from their evil way he repented of the evil that he had said he would do unto them and he did it not and although the children of Israel forsaking the Lord and serving other Gods the Lord tels them that he would deliver them no more but bids them go and cry unto the Gods that they had chosen c. yet they Judg. 10. 13 14 15 16. putting away the strange Gods from among them and serving the Lord his soul was grieved for their misery And what an ill case do we find Israel to be in 2 Chron. 15. 3. it is said that for a long season they had been without the true God and without a teaching Priest and without Law and yet v. 4. when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord and sought him he was found of them So God hearing Ephraim to bemoan himself Jer. 31. 18 19 20. 21. and to repent his bowels are troubled for him or earns towards him as the mothers towards her child and now I will surely says the Lord have mercy on him and now he must think of and prepare for his return Set thee up way-marks c. So in Hosea 14. the Lord there bids Israel take with them words and turn Hosea 14. 1 2 to the Lord and say unto him take away all iniquity and receive us graciously and then they resolve so will we render the calves of our lips that is the spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving and such indeed shall have cause for it cannot but be well with them Thus whatever proofs whatever assays have been made in this kind whether formerly or lately they have done they have been found effectual as to a peoples being saved and never was it yet known that ever a people or a person truly turning again unto God and being graciously received of him did miscarry let any produce an instance if they can Look as he being wise in heart and mighty in strength none ever hardned Job 9. 4. themselves against him and prosper'd so he being great in kindness and rich in mercy none ever turn'd to him but were saved 4. This is the way to be saved in mercy so to be saved as to be blest with Salvation as the Lord promises to his people as concerning peace Psalm 29. 11. that he will bless them therewith It is one thing to have peace and salvation and deliverance and mercies and another thing to be blest with them and to have them in mercy and as mercies and this latter is the greater many have these but few are blest with these but when God so saves a people as to turn them again and cause his face to shine then they are sav'd in mercy so as to be blest with their being saved I speak now of temporal salvation then in love to their souls God delivers them as it is said of Hezekiah Is 38. 17. And they are not so saved as afterward to be destroyed as it is said of the people that the Jude 4. Lord sav'd out of the land of Egypt that afterward he destroyed them that believed not 5. This is the way to be sav'd universally and that in a threesold respect 1. which way soever we take or understand being saved For this word saved is very comprehensive and of large extent denoting not onely the privative part of happiness though that most properly as freedom from enemies and evils of all sorts but the positive also as the fruition of all good and hence is it here variously read and rendred we read it we shall be saved others blessed happy or it shall be well with us and all things Servabimur salvi erimus beati verè felices omnia nobis feliciter cedent vivemus regnabimus nec ullo bono destitueemur shall happily succeed to us or we shall be safe and secure and in a good case and condition we shall live and raign and want no good thing And now which way soever we take or understand it or which way soever we read or render it this here reaches and takes in all and all follow upon this God's turning us again and causing his face to shine and when he is pleas'd to do this to vouchsafe these we may write under it what ever we will that tends indeed to our weal and makes for our good 2. This is the way to have all saved Kingdom saved Nation saved Church saved Court saved City saved Countrey saved Towns Families persons our selves ours others our relations our little ones to have bodies saved souls religion lives liberties estates gospel or whatever else is neer or dear to us 3. This is the way to be saved with all manner and kinds of salvation and from all
Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and return and I will heal your back-slidings So Turn to the Lord your Joel 2. 13 14. God for he is gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and who knoweth if he will return and repent and leave a blessing behind him c. And Let the wicked forsake his way Isaiah 55. 7 8. and the unrighteous his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy on Nemo se curandum praebeat qui contemptui non compassioni se medico suo putat futurum him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon for my thoughts are not your thoughts c. And so in many places besides and also in the New Testament the promise of grace and pardon and salvation is propounded as the great motive and means and cause of Repentance i. e. as apprehended and received and how can that be but by faith Repent ye for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand and Repent ye and be converted Matth. 3. 2. 4. 17. that your sins may be blotted out c. And hence true repentance may be thus described that it is An Evangelical or Gospel-saving grace whereby a believing sinner or a sinner upon the apprehension and perswasion of the mercy of Acts 3. 19. God in Christ to such as are penitent so grieves and humbles himself for his sins as that he turns from them to the Lord for where there are nothing but apprehensions of wrath and displeasure there can be no true saving Evangelical conversion 4. It must be such a turning as hath joyn'd with it shame and even confusion of face for what the sinner turns from for what he hath been and done for the sins he hath committed And thus it was with Ephraim when he repented and turn'd to God indeed as himself acknowledges Surely after that I was turned I repented that Jer. 31. 19. is God working in me by a spirit of conversion I also cooperated by and with his grace having a lively sorrow for my sin and a striving after newness of life and now my heart was in another frame and my life in another way then before And after I was instructed saw and understood and consider'd how it was with me what I had been and what I had done I smote upon my thigh I was much moov'd troubled and griev'd and not onely so but I was ashamed yea confounded Thus it was when he was turn'd and repented indeed because says he I did bear the reproach of my youth of those sins and excesses and miscarriages of my youth these much dear'd me and exceedingly sham'd me as they will do others when they come to repent indeed O that sin and Satan and the world and vanity should have the prime and flower of their age and the best and first of their days and that in their very strength and vigour when they were best able to do him service they should do him least nay be unserviceable and serve the Devil and their lusts And what a shameful thing is this and how can the sinner but blush when he comes to be sensible of it Pudor est affectus qui nascitur ob aliquam turpitudinem c. P. Martyr Shame and confusion of face is that which arises from doing shameful things from doing what is unworthy unseemly vile even against common principles so from doing that of which comes no fruit or benefit but hurt rather as also from having hopes frustrated c. and all these fall in with sin What a vile and unworthy thing is it that God should be left for the creature the fountain of living waters for broken cisterns that can hold no water that happiness it self should be forsaken for misery all sufficiency for indigency and vanity and the Lord of life and glory for vile lusts and leasing c. There is a natural affection of shame which appears in the countenance by blushing when any thing is done amiss and is to be cherisht especially in young ones so as to be as a bridle to keep off from what is matter of shame so it grow not to excess but then there is a holy and gracious shame which is a concomitant of Repentance and conversion causing trouble and grief and debasing of the soul before God and this hath been still found among true Converts Thus Ezra 9. 6. Ezra I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee my God c. So the Lord tells Jerusalem Then shalt thou remember thy wayes and be ashamed Ezek. 16. 61. 36. 31. c. And ye shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities c. And this Sancti viri semper dolent erubescunt de admissis peccatis Pet. Martyr hath such an affinity with repentance that it is sometimes put for Repentance What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed that is whereof ye now repent and from which ye are converted for the end of those things is death and therefore well might they be ashamed of such things in which not onely there was no profit but which tended to so much hurt even to their own ruine and destruction And thus it is with all true converts however before they bore themselves up and set a good face on their sins yet now being enlightned and come to themselves and their right minds they are ashamed And if this be to repent and be converted how few Converts are there in these days and how far are such from it who go on in their sins without shame which is an heavy aggravation of them It is best not to do what is matter of shame but having done it not to be ashamed doubles it and it is that the Lord much complains of Thou had'st a whores forehead thou refusedst to he ashamed And Jerem. 3. 3. 6. 15. were they ashamed when they had committed abominatoon nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they blush they would not blush and at length they were so hardened they could not blush This the Lord complains of again Jer. 8. 12. and again in Isaiah 3. 9. The shew of their countenance doth witness against them and they declare their sin as Sodom they hide it not they are bold brazen-fac'd impudent Illum ego periisse dico cui periit pudor Salust they care not who sees or knows their sin they glory even in their shame And this is too too much the guise of England this day which does so much aggravate our sin and augment our guilt and is exceeding sad and bodes exceeding ill Our filthiness as was said of Jerusalem Lament 1. 9. is in our skirts it is not hid but open obvious apparent and I have not found it says the Jerem. 2. 34. Lord by secret search or by digging
the onely way for people to be saved to be blessed and happy and have it well with them and because else they perish and are ruined and undone and it will certainly be ill with them for ever And hence it is that the Lord makes use of such pathetical and affectionate expressions Say unto them as I live saith the Lord I have Ezek. 33. 11. no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye dye O house of Israel How vehemently does the Lord here expostulate and press this upon them Turn ye turn ye which denotes the height and vehemency of his affection and desire how much his heart was upon it and is there not good reason for all this why they dye and are undone and perish else for why will ye dye life and death are in these things in turning or not turning to God as life is the happy effect of the one so death and damnation is the fruit of the other And is it any wonder the Lord is then so earnest and importunate when our weal or our woe when it being well or ill with us when our happiness or our misery our being saved or eternally destroyed depends upon this And hence the Lord is not content to speak it once but speaks it again calls for it twice because it was of such absolute and indispensable necessity and not a small matter nor a business of indifferency And what infinite cause have we then to bless the Lord that he should be so intent upon this so frequently and earnestly invite us to this again and again wherein our own good is so much concerned and which is of such indispensable necessity that we cannot otherwise but perish and what can we indeed do better or wherein can we be more happy than in turning to him 6. This informs us and gives us to see whence it is that God's Prophets formerly and his Ministers alate have been and still are so frequent and earnest in preaching and pressing of this why is it because so much depends on this because they know it cannot else be well with them neither can they be saved or be happy nay they know it cannot else but be ill with them and they must else perish and be undone for ever and therefore have they and do they still so much urge and press this not onely speak but cry Be ye not as your fathers unto whom Zach. 1. 4. the former Prophets have cried thus saith the Lord of hosts turn ye from your evil ways and from your evil doings c. They do not onely call but cry yea cry out proclaim so as the rather to be heard and more to be heeded they were zealous and earnest therein why because the matter was of such importance and the danger was so great if they did not hearken And hence is it that Ministers still are so pressing and importunate as to this they pray and beseech yea and if ye will not hear saith the Prophet Jeremy Jerem. 13. 7. My soul shall mourn in secret for you and mine eyes weep sore and run down with tears c. The voice of one crying in the wilderness c. Luke 3. 4. Thus the Prophets and the Apostles cryed and Jesus Christ himself he cryed John 7. 37. In the last day that great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried saying if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink O for poor sinners to come to Christ to believe on him and repent and turn to the Lord is a matter of great consequence of infinite importance not a thing of indifferency but of absolute necessity and hence Jesus Christ is so earnest and intent upon this as appears by his posture he stood up by his vehement speaking he cried he spake with a lowd voice which shewed the fervour and ardency of his Spirit So it is said of Paul that great Apostle that he shewed first unto them of Damascus and Acts 26. 20. at Jerusalem and through all the Coasts of Judea and then to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God c. It was Paul's great work and main business to have it well with all he came among his hearts desire was that they might be saved and therefore was he so intent upon this where ever he came that they might repent and turn to God as the onely soveraign way of it and as knowing it could not else be well with them Hence it was that that holy Martyr Mr. Bradford when he came to the stake cryed out so earnestly and affectionately O England England repent of thy sins repent of thy sins he knew it was the onely way of Englands weal then as it is now and therefore whatever is the zeal and fervency of God's Ministers herein so as that some it may be may think them besides themselves as some did Paul 2 Cor. 5. 13. yet this being the onely way of their being sav'd and they being else und one this gives sufficient reason and ground thereof 7. This lets us see the reason why the Church and People of God have been so fervent and frequent in their Prayers for this that God would turn them again and cause his face to shine as here in one Psalm they instance it no less than thrice v. 3. v. 7. and v. 19. and can ye blame them or was there not good reason for it when as this was the only way for them to be saved to be happy and to have it well with them and how earnest have others also been as to these as David how often and how exceeding earnestly does he beg that Psalm 119. 58. God would make his face to shine upon him and I entreated thy favour or I have earnestly besought thy face so the Dutch with my whole heart or with all my heart and good cause his very happiness and felicity consisting thereon and flowing therefrom c. Poenitentia Angelorū delectatio hilacritas gaudent societati suae restitutos esse quos in tenebris inferni ac Satanae potestate constitutos viderant Gerhard 8. This lets us see whence it is that there hath been and is still such great joy when a sinner turns to God and that both in heaven and earth as the Scripture declares Luk. 15. 7. I say unto you that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth c. and v. 10. Likewise I say unto you there is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth c. the repenting and turning though but of one sinner makes all heaven merry as it Heus tu peccator bono animo sis vides ubi de tuo gaudetur c. Tertull were it causes joy all heaven over it puts harps as it were into the Angels hands and songs into their mouths c.
deem them why because Singulare beneficium cruce quasi spinis occludi viam peccandi God makes use of them many times to further and help forward this blessed turn and this being the onely way for sinners to be saved and to have it well with them this speaks well of afflictions Thus Manasseh who was so grievous a 2 Chron. 33. 12. sinner yet being in affliction he sought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly c. and Luk. 15. â—7 18. when the prodigal suffered hardship and was ready to perish with hunger then he resolv'd to arise and go to his father and when God hedged up Israel's way with thorns sent troubles and Hosea 2. 6 7. distresses upon them then she resolves to go and return to her first husband not as if they effected this of themselves but by the Spirits working in them and by them But whiles sinners live in jollity and prosperity and have no troubles nor changes they never think of changing their way nor returning to God and thus the prosperity of fools destroys them whereas adversity might be Prov. 1. 32. a means to save them but by the other they are hardened and encouraged to go on still in a course of sin without returning Because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed Eccles 8. 11. Psalm 73. 5 6. 50 21. therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil They are not in trouble as other men therefore pride compasses them about c. These things hast thou done and I kept silence Psal â—0 21. thou thoughtest I was such a one altogether as thy self So Thou art wearied in the Is 57. 10. See also Ps 55. 19. Jer. 5. 28. 22. 21. c. greatness of thy way yet saidst thou not there is no hope and why thou hast found the life of thine hand therefore thou wast not grieved that is thou hast found comfort by the Assyrians and they promise to strengthen thy hand with help and therefore thou art incouraged to go on still in thy way and therefore 't is a great mercy to such for God to afflict them and give them trouble and grief that so the ways of sin may be wearisome and troublesome and so they may think of returning from them when in some measure they feel the weight and burden of them and happy affliction that works to conversion happy troubles that further a sinner's peace by furthering his turning to God and putting a stop to him in his sins that cause sinners to seek the Lord whom before they forgot and lived without And how may this help to sweeten and alleviate the bitterness of afflictions and though bitter yet render them better than the sweetest pleasures of sin Blessed is the man whom thou châ—stenest O Lord and Ps 94. 12. teachest him out of thy Law c. Blessed blacks that are a means to turn us white and happy darks that are a means to turn us to light But 2 Chron. 15. 4 Is 26. 16. when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord c. Lord in trouble have they visited thee c. In their affliction they will seek â—e verly c. Hos 5. 15. But while sinners go in 〈◊〉 their greatest affliction and punishment is not to 〈◊〉 afflicted their greatest crosâ— and 〈…〉 crost for such are like to go on still in their sins And thus that which many sinners count their greatest felicity to prosper and be without trouble and affliction in their evil ways they go on in it is their greatest misery and that which they count their greatest priviledg is their greatest plague and proves their greatest detriment there being nothing sadder than a sinner prospering in an evil course and God not afflicting him and thus the Lord threatens it I will not punish your daughters when they commit Hos 4. 14. whoredom nor your spouses when they commit adultery c. And this is the greatest punishment the forest wrath the highest displeasure the furnace is heated here seven times hotter than ordinary for such are like to go on to commit whoredome and adultery still God withholding those punishments whereby they might be restrain'd and letting them go on without controule to their own utter confusion and destruction not taking any more pains with them by corrections to restrain their courses in sin but letting them go on still in the full career of their lusts and be as vile as they will and this is the heaviest judgment and argues the hottest displeasure it is next door to hell and such are within one step of being as miserable as they Vis indignantis Dèi terribilem vocem audire c. Orig. can be Wilt thou says one hear the terrible voice of a provoked God hear it here I will not punish c. So v. 17. and Matth. 15. 15. Bernard calls it a mercy more cruel than all Misericordia omni indignatione crudelior indignation a killing courtesie a cut-throat kindness yet how many are ready to bless themselves and think it a fine world to go on in their own ways without trouble whereas there cannot a greater plague befall them which made Luther cry strike Lord strike spare not and Feri Domine feri c. Jeremiah 10. 24. O Lord correct me but with judgment c. And this makes afflictions a great priviledge a choice mercy when they further our repentance and make us change our purpose and resolve to turn to God CHAP. X. The second Vse of the point in general by way of Exhortation and first to seek this by Prayer THE onely way for a people to be saved Use 2. of Exhortation is it for God to turn them again and cause his face to shine O as ever then we would be saved saved our selves or have others saved ours saved the Kingdom saved Church saved City countrey towns families friends relations little ones bodies souls religion lives liberties estates Gospel or whatever else is near or dear to us and as ever we would be sav'd indeed sav'd to purpose sav'd in mercy so as to be blessed and happy in being sav'd and have it well with us and all happily succeed to us here and be everlastingly saved hereafter let us all in the name and fear of God be exhorted excited and stirred up to seek this beseech this earnestly to intreat and importune this O that the Lord God of hosts would turn us again and cause his face to shine let this be our frequent and our fervent our often and our earnest prayer unto him and let us continue thus praying asking seeking begging beseeching intreating importuning knocking 'till the Lord is pleased to give us a gracious answer let us resolve with Jacob not to let him go except he thus bless us for nothing can avail us as to our happiness as to our weal as to the having
onely asleep but dead and yet quickened and not onely dark but darkness it self in the abstract and yet made light in the Lord. If sinners indeed had never heard of any great sinners that God had turned again from their sins to himself or that it was not better with them then than before when they served their lusts they might have the more plea but there are many presidents in sacred Writ and if with mourning and humiliation thou turnest with them thou shalt be happy with them We find in the 15. of Luke that the Prodigal there went a great way off from his father he took his journey not into some neer adjacent parts but into a far countrey and there he spends all makes himself a meer bankrupt so that he falls to feed Swine and feeds on the husks that the Swine did eat and yet could not have his belly full of them neither and yet this Prodigal he is brought to himself and brought home again to his father and there he is kist and embrac'd and has the best his fathers house can afford How exceeding far had Manasseh turn'd away from God yea how exceedingly had he turn'd against him we scarce read of any that ever did worse read 2 Chron. 33. from the 1. v. to the 10. 2 Kings 21. from the 1. v. to the 17. It is said he used inchantments and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards and wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger he made his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom c. and yet Manasseh is made a Convert and turn'd again to the Lord the Lord he turns to Manasseh and turns Manasseh again to himself So what a persecutor was Paul he breathed out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord c. Acts 9. 1 2. yea as himself says he was exceedingly mad against them Acts 26. 11. and yet this persecutor is turned to be a Preacher and to prosecute what he formerly sought to destroy Mary Magdalene had seven Devils lodging Numerus certus pro incerto in her that is many and yet Jesus Christ casts them all out and makes that heart where so many Devils had lodged fit for himself to lodg in who had the seven Spirits of God and she who had been so vile and miserable he appears Mark 16. 9. first to and makes the first witness of his resurrection And such were some of you what 1 Cor. 6. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haeceratis quilibet such kind of things he does not say such men or women but such kind of things as if the Apostle knew not how to stile them nor what to call them and therefore he puts it in the Neuter Gender such kind of things O they were sad and strange kind of things indeed and yet of such kind of things God makes something of yea makes blessed things of but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God It matters not much whither or from whence we are fallen if the Lord undertake but to raise us nor whither we are wandered or Junius before his conversion is said to be an Atheist but afterward became very pious stiled the Glory of Leyden where we are wilder'd if he undertake but to reduce us nor how far we are turned aside or turned away if he undertake but to turn us again no matter what is the sickness if he be but the Physician and undertakes the cure he can do good of any one be it who it will that is very encouraging to poor sinners which he said to Paul 2 Cor. 12. 7. My grace is sufficient for thee it is sufficient for the greatest of sinners his accepting grace is sufficient and his sanctifying renewing grace is sufficient one is sufficient against all our unworthiness and the other is sufficient against all our uncapableness and unfitness one is sufficient to put God upon doing what is to be done and the other is sufficient for to do it one as to motive the other as to efficacy he can make dry bones live and is Ezek. 37. 5 6 7. Matth. 3. 9. able of stones to raise children to Abraham he can change condition and disposition pardon and purge justifie and sanctifie yea do every thing and perform all things And therefore let all even such as have turn'd farthest aside from God be encouraged to go unto God and to call upon him and cry unto him to perform all things for them for all things are of him and to Psal 57. 2. perform this for them to turn them again and cause his face to shine Say Lord thou commandest us to turn O do thou make us to turn it is thy precept that we should turn Lord according to thy promise give us grace for to turn Turn us and we shall be turned convert us and we shall be converted we have turned aside after the world and vanity and sin yea after Satan but O turn us again to thy self we have turned aside to our own ways and after our own lusts but O turn us again to thee and thy ways thou sayest Return ye back-sliding children and I Jerem. 3. 22. will heal your back slidings and Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God that thou mayest cause us and inable us to return for the way of man is not in himself it is not in man Jer. 10. 23. that walketh to direct his steps turn us therefore and we shall be turned and thou who givest us space to repent give us grace to repent and to turn to thee and that with a true hearty real and universal turn Lord every thing within us is turned from thee and is averse to thee yea is turned against thee and therefore do thou by thy grace cause all to turn again to thee mind will heart affections all within us and all without us that so we may not be half but whole Converts and our conversion may not be partial but total and universal of the whole man and from all evill and to all that is good Salvation is said to belong unto the Lord and his blessing Psal 3. 8. to be upon his people and let us beg that the Lord would thus save us and not onely us our selves but others also ours his people and that this blessing may be upon us all the blessing of turning us all again to himself and of causing his face to shine the blessing of saving conversion and of Divine favour and affection that the Lord would thus save and bless the Nation this Kingdom Church State Cities Towns Families houses hearts even with the great Gospel-blessing of Jesus Christ raised from the Acts 3. 26. dead in turning us all from our sins and iniquities to himself Lord thus bless the house of
without hurt and though six and seven troubles throng us not any the least evil toucheth Job 5. 19. Ps 25. 10. us but all the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth Thus when we turn to God with a holy turn God turns to us with a gracious turn and when God turns to us all good is afloat towards us and all evil is ebbing and hastening from us all in heaven and earth will become turned for our good Deut. 30. 3. The Lord tells Israel that if they shall return to the Lord their God then the Lord their God will turn their captivity and have compassion on them and will return c. But let me a little more particularly and distinctly hold forth some of the benefits of this turn 1. This is the great blessing of the Gospel even the blessing that Jesus Christ himself being raised up and exalted by his father is sent to bless with in the preaching and dispensing thereof Vnto you first God having raised up his son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every Acts â— 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 si vos converteritis c. So Syriack and Arabick c. one of you from his iniquities Some indeed read it if you turn or every one of you turning c. and so make being blest an argument and motive to turn And this is a true and a good sense that when we turn away from our iniquities though not by any strength of our own that then Jesus Christ will bless us But first Jesus Christ must bless us in turning us before he bless us being turn'd and therefore others render it as here in turning you as declaring the way and manner how Christ blesses and this agrees well with the word bless for iniquity being that alone which brings the curse the onely way to be blest must needs be to be turned from it and while people are not turned from their sins but still go on impenitently in them they cannot be blest Thus conversion is the great Gospel-blessing and the way to be further yea for ever blest and it prevents the curse which else we cannot evade And he shall turn the heart of the fathers c. Least I come and smite the earth with a curse Mas 4. 6. 2. Upon this follows that great and glorious and inestimable mercy and priviledg of pardon that mercy of mercies which makes 〈◊〉 and the want of which makes hell yea which if not enjoy'd every thing else as one expresses it even our very boards and beds and fields and houses are but as an hell to us David having been for a while under the sense of God's cispleasure for his sins but feeling at length the Sun-shine of God's favour breaking forth through the clouds upon him in this mercy O how jowfully does he break out and how admiringly does he speak of the blessedness of those who partake of so great a mercy of so glorious a priviledg Blessed is he whose transgression Ps 32. 1 2. is forgiven whose sin is covered that is by the Lord for man must not cover it but acknowledg it Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity c. Blessed or as others O blessed O happy or O the blessednesses or O welfares the man it is a joyful acclamation for such a man's felicity Dutch read it right happy or happy indeed he is so indeed whose transgression is forgiven c. We have here in several words the same benefit repeated because of the greatness of it and though here is Autology yet not Tautology for these several Metaphorical expressions are wonderfully comfortable 1. Sin is a burden and the first word signifies an easing or taking away and blessed is he that is eased of such a burden 2. Sin is most loathsome and filthy in the sight of God and he is of purer eyes that he can behold or look on it but with utter detestation and abhorrence and the second word notes a covering of it and aâ—â—â—tting it out of his sight contrary to that Thou hast set our iniquities before thee our secret sins in the light of thy countenance To set us our selves there is our happiness but to set our sins there is our wo and misery and there cannot be a greater And cover not their Neh. 4. 5. iniquity c. 3. Sin is a debt and the third notes a not imputing or reckoning it and what a blessed thing is pardon that does all this does sin trouble as a burden pardon eases and takes it off as loathsom pardon covers it as a debt pardon does not impute it and this follows upon repentance this priviledg of remission upon the grace of conversion not as the cause of it but as the way and order in which God will have it to behad And hence we find them joyned together Luke 24. 47. And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name c. Acts 5. 3. To give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sin c. And be Joh. 12. 40. converted and I should heal them Mark has it c. 4. v. 12. And their sins should be forgiven them which is the souls healing That 's a full place Acts 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. The former of these words repent seems to import conviction and contrition the latter conversion and amendment one repentance of sin or for sin the other repentance from sin And this is to repent indeed to do both to bewaile what we have committed and not go on still to commit what we have bewail'd and what follows upon this the Deleta non ut non sint sed ut non imputentur propter imputatam sponsoris nostri obedientiam Tossan blotting out of our sins that your sins may be blotted out that is pardoned our sins are in Scripture compared unto debts and these are registred as it were in God's book and there stand upon record and now the Apostle tells them that if they did repent and were converted these debts should be blotted out God's Metaphora sumpta à creditoribus qui debita vel interveniente satisfactione vel gratis remissa delent book cross'd all scores quit and that hand-writing which was against them should be cancell'd which is so choice a priviledg and mercy of mercies that this if there was no more might seem motive enough to put people upon repenting and turning to God that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall come from the presence of the Lord. There are by the way times of refreshing or cooling as the Greek hath it to come to the people of God after the heat of their afflictions and persecutions here compar'd to fire As there 1 Pet. 4. 12. remains a rest for the
you shall not be saved but perish none indeed are saved for it but for me and my merits sake nor can any be saved without it Had Jesus Christ shed Seas of bloud he would never yet save a sinner that he does not bring to repent of his sins The Father and Son never agreed nor resolv'd upon saving man in an absolute illimited way but in such a way and order as in a way of repenting and believing not as if there was Quamvis Christus millies mortem obiisset nullus tamen impoenitens peccatorum condonationem ex illius morte consequetur nec quemvis alium fructum percipiet Deutus any merit or causality in repentance but as the way and condition without which though not the cause for which remission of sins and salvation cannot be obtained Thus Repentance is necessary not onely as God's command but also as a way means and order that God has ordained for remission and salvation so that though there is no causality dignity or merit in our repentance yet it is of that nature that the holy Ghost must necessarily work it in all those who are partakers of them so as to qualifie for them so that either we must repent or Aut poenitendum aut pereundum perish turn or dye be converted or destroyed either this must be done or we undone for ever Ezek. 18. 30. If indeed we repent and turn from our transgressions then the Lord hath told us iniquity 33. 11. shall not be our ruine though it tends to our ruine but unless we repent and turn it will inevitably be so If we still persist and live and lie Si divinae miserationes nequeunt nos allectare tum judica Dei nos terreant in our sins we shall then certainly dye in our sins and perish in our sins Hence says the Lord Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye dye O house of Israel implying that 'till we do turn from our evil ways we say in effect we will dye For the turning away of the simple shall Prov. 1. 31. 11. 19. slay them and he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death If thou warn the wicked and he turn not from his wickedness he shall dye in Ezek. 3. 19. his iniquity Either we must be turned to God here or separated from him for ever hereafter either be converted or for ever excluded the Kingdom of Heaven and turn'd into hell Verily I say unto you except ye be converted c. ye Matth. 18. 2. shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven If Tertullian therefore thou be backward in thoughts of repentance be forward in thoughts of hell c. for we must turn or for ever burn in hell Thus conversion is necessary as a means to life and happiness so that as life is a necessary consequent of conversion so death is an inevitable fruit and effect of the neglect of it so that I may say to you as Moses sometimes said to that people See I here set before you this day life and good death and evil life and all manner of good if you obey and repent and turn to the Lord but death and all manner of evil if ye refuse and I call Deut. 30. 15. heaven and earth to record this day against you that I have set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore choose life that ye may live Why life and death are the greatest and forciblest arguments in the world what will not a man give or do for life Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life And death is the most formidable of evils call'd the King of terrours we use to say such a man is as earnest and intent upon a thing as if life and death depended upon it Why truly life or death depend upon our turning or not turning to God life and death are in these things and accordingly such should our prayers and cares and indeavours be in and about the same 5. The gratefulness and acceptableness of it unto God how pleasing welcom and delightful it is to him when a sinner does indeed repent and turn to God! O with what joy and singular complacency does the Lord speak of Ephraim as turning from his Idolatries and not going on as he had done to provoke him and wrong himself Ephraim shall say what have I any more to Hos 14. 8. do with Idols I have heard him and observ'd him and that with a great deal of joy and delight as that I am glad of and rejoyce in So I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself Jer. 31. 18 19. c. that is bewailing his sins the Hebrew is hearing I have heard him that is attentively pleasingly delightfully so as to take special notice of him and to have a singular regard to him and now his bowels are troubled for him and he will surely have mercy on him As God has a singular hatred and abhorrence of sin so Quemadmodum Deus summo odio habet peccatum ita quoque summe hominis poenirentia delectatur per quam à summo malo ad summum bonum convertitur Gerh. he cannot but be much pleased with repentance by which the sinner turns from it to himself from the chief evil to the chief good and it being that wherein his own glory and the sinners good is so much concern'd For thereby God is honoured Jesus Christ sees of the travel of his soul and is satisfied the Spirit ceases to be grieved as formerly sin is pardoned God's favour recover'd Satan defeated and the soul saved how well was God pleased with Josiah his heart being tender and he humbling himself before 2 Chr. 34. 27. God which he twice mentions as being much taken therewith And so Manasseh though so great a sinner yet repenting what respect had God to him yea so acceptable is this to God that he had respect to it even in Ahab so far as temporally to reward it though hypocritical the more to encourage to that which is true And the acceptableness of this to God does further appear by his earnest invitings to it longings after it waitings for it bearing so long with sinners as in reference to it his readiness to receive sinners upon the first discoveries of it and pardoning the hainousest sins upon it Psal 51. 17. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise and what is a broken heart but a penitent heart an heart kindly melted humbled and in bitterness for sin and this now is the sacrifice of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sacrificia Dei God 1. Of God to denote its singular excellency it being usual in the Hebrew to set out the excellency of a thing by the addition of the name of God as the mountains and Cedars of God c. 2. It is called the
sacrifices of God in the plural number as denoting the peculiar gratefulness and singular acceptableness of this above all other There were many sacrifices under the Law but none of them all so pleasing as this nor any without this this is the sacrifice of sacrifices and this God will not despise But is that all no there is more intended than spoken the meaning is Thou wilt highly esteem and account thereof it is the most acceptable It is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 endearedst frame under heaven not onely above all sacrifices but above all meer moral performances and Pharisaical duties and perfections this made the poor Publican accepted when the proud Pharisee was rejected The spirit is the best of man and a kindly broken spirit is the best of spirits for such a spirit is ever a believing spirit they shall look upon Christ c. Zach. 12. 10. there 's faith and mourn for him there 's repentance and faith wonderfully pleases God as highly honouring his Son whom he so delights in for it makes to him and leans upon him and clasps fast to him as its peculiar object it goes into the presence of God with him and presents and urges him and him alone and his righteousness and satisfaction for acceptation and propitiation of its sins counting all but loss for the excellency of the knowledg of him and this exceedingly pleases the father that his Son so dear to him should be thus honoured in the Souls having recourse to him and relying on him and such a soul seals to the truth of what the Word says as concerning the greatness of God the vileness of sin and the excellency usefulness and all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ and the Lord cannot but have choice thoughts and an high esteem of such a frame The heaven he says is his throne and the earth is his footstool c. but Is 66. 1 2. to him will he look that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembles at his Word that is not only with a look of bare intuition but dear affection and gracious acceptation yea such a one is the very home and habitation of God himself though so high and holy For thus says 57. 15. the high and lofty one that inhabits eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place there 's one of his dwellings with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones there 's his other It is not said the Angels shall dwell with him or grace and peace and joy onely though these are sweet companions but God himself and where God dwels all good dwells there dwels light life joy peace comfort happiness yea heaven it self and how acceptable must he needs be to God whom he thus honours 6. The comfortableness of it to our selves not onely to others but to our own souls It is very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iniquitas molestia quae laborem afflictionem parit observable that as the same word that signifies iniquity signifies also pain and sorrow as occasioning the same and as being that whereof comes trouble grief misery and at last confusion and hence some render it painful iniquity or sorrowful sin so the same word in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doluit consolationem invenit that signifies to repent and mourn for sin signifies also to comfort and the reason may be this because such repenting and mourning is the way to comfort and true comfort arises out of Verus poenitens de peccatis dolet de dolore gaudet it and follows upon it Worldly sorrow indeed and joy are contraries but not godly for these effect and help one the other or 2. the reason may be because there is joy even in such sorrow and not onely does comfort follow it but accompany it The true penitent grieves for his sins and rejoyceth for his grief certainly there is an hundred times more true comfort in the sorrow of a truly repenting sinner than there is in all the mirth of a sinner who yet goes on in his sins how refreshing are April showers to the earth and so and much more are true penitential tears to the soul they do not only moisten and mellow the soul as it were for the reception of the word but occasion mirth Musick sounds sweetest upon the waters and sweetest is that joy that accompanies such mourning All true mirth is from a rectitude and right frame of the soul from a being well set and dispos'd as that word implies made use of by the Apostle James for being merry Is any merry the Greek is is any of a good or James 5. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aequo animo est aliquis right mind or well dispos'd is he right set or hung as we say implying that all true mirth ariseth thence and now then and only then that we repent and turn to God are our minds and hearts right and in a right frame or rightly hung or dispos'd And therefore this must needs render our state comfortable indeed when hearts are at rights and ways at rights and besides we are then turn'd to the God of all comfort to the Sun of all refreshings and the fountain of all consolations and therefore can no more want comfort than such as turn to the Sun light or to the fountain water or to the fire heat and as such sorrow is accompanied with joy so shall it be turn'd and end in joy Blessed are they that mourn for they shall Matth. 5. 4. be comforted that is with a godly sorrow for sin they that sow in such tears shall be sure to Psal 126. 5 6. reap in joy and they who so go forth weeping bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again rejoicing bringing their sheaves with them And then such have infinite cause matter and ground of joy as being blest as having Gods favour pardon of sin audience of prayer inheritance among them that are sanctified c. yea over such God himself rejoiceth with joy Zeph. 3. 17. Psal 71. 21. lia 61. 2 3. â—â—b 38. 26. c. Yea rests in his love and joyes over them with singing and shall comfort them on every side Such Jesus Christ himself was anointed to comfort and to them belong the promises of comfort â—sa 65. 13. and what cause and ground then have such to rejoice and again to rejoice Yea to shout for joy but till sinners repent and turn to God they have nothing to do with joy neither have they any true cause or ground for it but we may well say of their laughter it is mad and â—celes 2. 2. of their mirth what doth it such rejoice as are in a state of perdition and in the very gall of bitterness and whose portion in the state they are in is nothing but wrath and death and
he hath set first our bodies as it were a fire and then afterwards our houses and estates This he expects and shall we still frustrate his expectation shall he count upon it in vain and when for our own weal what may we think then but that he will frustrate ours and while we look for peace no good come Jer. 14. 19. and for a time of healing but behold trouble 7. This is that which the want of is the great matter and ground of God's complaint and of his controversy with and against a people not so much their departures as their refusals to return This is that which roles so much in his thoughts as that he knows not how as it were to digest it to do evil is bad but still to persist in it that is saddest and worst of all How often does the Lord complain of this five times at Amos 4. 5 6 8 c. least in one chapter that though he had sent Hos 7. 9 10 Is 1. 4 5. 9. 13. such and such judgments among them yet had they not return'd unto him and so in many other places besides We are ready indeed to Jer. 5. 3. 8. 4 5. 6. 28 29. c. complain of God's punishments but he of our impenitency and his matter of complaint is the saddest impenitency under judgments being a thousand times worse than the judgments themselves and sinners not returning far more sinful than all their sins besides And let not the Lord then still have cause of this sad complaint against us after such a multiplicity of rods that he hath scorged us with alate for what height of defection will that argue and how greatly will it incense his displeasure 8. Not turning to God when he smites puts him upon greater severities yea makes him resolve Lev. 26. 18. 21. 29. upon final ruine How often does he threaten See also Ps 7. 12 13. in Leviticus that if they would not reform he would yet punish them seven times more and Is 9. 12 13 14. Ezek. 24. 12 13. Job 9. 4. Prov. 11. 21. c. bring seven times more plagues upon them yea he tells them they should eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters sad meat but God will overcome when he judges and the stoutest sinners must not think to carry it against him But God Psal 68. 21. will wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such a one that goes on still in his trespasses Those in Amos for all those judgments inflicted on them not returning unto the Lord he resolves therefore thus will I do unto thee Amos 4. 12. what why worse than ever I have done yet I will take a severer course and come with my last and heaviest stroke or the Lord hereby Duriùs nunc tecum agam quia cogit me tua obstinatio ultimam poenam infligam absque ulla mitigatione c. Calv. in locum would the better as some think decipher out to them the dreadfulness of this stroke it being such as could not be exprest and therefore wraps it up in silence and leaves it to them to think what it might be Thus it is not so much sinning but persisting still in sin and that notwithstanding God's judgments that brings final ruine this seals the stone of destruction upon nations and persons And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds c. Seeing thou our God hast punisht us less than our iniquities deserve Ezra 9. 13 14. and hast given such deliverance as this should we again break thy commandements c. wouldst not thou be angry with us 'till thou hast consumed us so that there shall be no remnant nor escpaing When winds sent to fan and clense lie without success then must be expected a dry wind from the wilderness not to fan Jer. 4. 11. nor to clense but utterly to lay wast and for God to resolve that his eye shall not spare neither will he have pity but to say as he did of those Jews cast them out of my sight and let them go forth such as are for death to death and such as are for Jer. 15. 1 2. the sword to the sword c. This brought final ruine upon Israel and after upon Jerusalem and so hath done upon other nations as Germany which Brentius expounding upon Is 9. 12 13. foretold And how can we think but it will bring the same upon England unless we speedily return It was a notable speech of a friend in a letter out of New England to one here Our hearts are full of fears for Old England and that which makes us fear most it is that God's visitations bring forth no better fruit than increase of sin we may fear lest that God should visit seven times more the Lord give repentance and turning to God that God may in mercy turn to his people c. And how can it be otherwise this being the great end of God in all his judgments whether publick or private to reduce people to himself and for God to lose his end and smite in vain how sad is it and it being also a magnifying of the creature that he will debate with Job 7. 17 18. it which Job admires that he should condescend so low as not onely to speak but strike and so make use of all ways and means to reclaim And Amos 4. 6. I also have given you cleanness of teeth and want of bread c. as if the Lord had said And in that also I have not been wanting neither in words nor blows neither by speaking nor smiting and to have all slighted and nothing regarded And besides this it is God's last remedy he speaks once and again yea often and when that will not do he strikes and that with gentler and then severer strokes but when these will not do he rejects moreover God then in a more special manner commanding sinners to return And if they be bound in fetters and holden in cords of Job 36. 8 10. affliction then he commandeth that they return from iniquity c. and yet they not returning what does it argue but stubborness and rebellion and what is it but to contemn God and his rod as if we car'd not what he did in the world yea what is it but to bid as it were open defiance to heaven or as if we bid him do his worst and God knows not how as it were to bear such any longer they are such a burthen to him and therefore resolves to ease himself of them Ah I will ease me of mine Adversaries Is 1. 24. c. this makes sin rebellion and out of measure sinful when though God afflicts sinners will still hold fast their sins and though they cannot hold fast other things as their health strength estates liberties relations outward comforts yet they will hold fast them and not let them go whatever
noble and ignoble for are we not all turn'd away from God and is it not every ones concern to live and be happy and be sav'd or is it onely poor and mean ones concern and besides with God there is no respect of persons but Rom. 2. 11. 1 Pet. 1. 17. he being the absolute and soveraign Lord over all all are alike bound to own his authority and obey his commands of which this is one of the chief but now commandeth all men every where to repent and such by reason of God's bounty Act. 17. 30. have greater obligation to this duty than others so as to be exemplary else the greater is their sin and the greater will be their punishment and Majora beneficia majora flagitia majora supplicia death will shortly level all so that though now there be difference of men as to these things here as there is as one well expresses it of Counters while the Merchants account lasteth some standing for pence some pounds some hundreds some thousands and so of Players while on the Stage some going for rich some for poor some for Princes some for Peasants c. and so of Trees while growing in the Forrest some being Oaks some Elms some Brambles c. yet when the account is over the play ended the trees cut down especially burnt to ashes there will be no difference at all no more will there be after death and when all shall appear before God c. And therefore how should all attend this and apply themselves to it to their utmost Christ says be zealous and repent and surely Rev. 3. 19. had we any zeal for our own and the Nation 's good we would repent and O that England unfeignedly repenting and turning to God might at length become an example and monument of God's goodness to all such as shall do so both to the Nations abroad to the generations yet to come at home that so all in England might see how gracious the Lord is to such and we might have cause to make our boast of him Lo this is our God we have return'd to him and he hath sav'd us and we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation and let others come and do as we have done and they shall prove God to be the same in his goodness as we have that whereas it Jer. 7. 12. was said before Go to London as sometimes to Shiloh and see what I did for the wickedness thereof what a sweeping plague and after that a dreadful fire I sent among them so it may be said now God and see upon their turning again unto me what my goodness hath been to them and what blessings I have multiplied upon them and how graciously I have turn'd to them And truly but in such a way to expect God's goodness it is but to tempt him yea to provoke him and how dreadfully does the Lord express himself against such when a sinner shall bless himself Deut. 29. 18 19 20 c. in his heart and say he shall have peace though he walk in the imagination of his heart to adde drunkenness to thirst the Lord will not spare such a one but his anger shall smoak against him and all the curses in God's book shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven c. And if we in stead of turning to God shall by going on in our sins still provoke him what can we expect but that his soul should loath us and that he should even utterly forsake us and cast us out of his presence which Jer. 23 33. c. he threatens as the sorest burden and though we build statelier and fairer houses that he should say of us as sometimes of Edom They shall build but I will throw down c. and they Mal. 1. 4. shall labour but for the fire as some render that Hab. 2. 13. Behold is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire or for the fire so that what they build shall be consumed Pro igne Iun. Pisc c. by the fire and hath it not been so as concerning some houses already and was it not of the Lord of hosts by his determinate counsel and as an act of his righteous judgment that when so famous a City was on fire they who laboured to quench it laboured in that sense but as it were in the fire that is to no purpose and wearied themselves for very vanity And if we shall still persist in our sins how justly may we fear that all that is reedified may be but for the fire again or that some heavier judgment may yet befall us which may reach not onely to our houses and estates but our very limbs and lives But if we shall indeed turn again to God and he be pleased but to cause his face to shine what a famous renowned City may we not yet then expect to see even a City sought out or sought to or after that is exceeding desirable and Isa 62. 12. not forsaken and not only a safe but a quiet habitation a tabernacle that shall not be taken down c. when it shall become a City of truth and righteousness a faithful City and righteousness lodge in the midst thereof and holiness written upon it to the Lord then shall that song be sung indeed we have a strong City Salvation 26. 1. will God appoint for walls and bulwarks c yea then will he own it as his rest and his rest shall be glorious and upon all the glory shall be a 11. 10. Psal 46. 4. defence and there is a river the streams whereof shall then make it glad even the special gracious protecting presence of the most High and whereas it was said before this is the City to be visited that is with woes and plagues now it shall be said this is the City to be blessed to be honoured to be visited but with loving 85. 9. c. kindness and tender mercies and then shall glory dwell in our land and the Lord shall give that which is good and mercy and truth shall meet together and righteousness and peace kiss each other yea mercy shall surely then as the Psalmist expresses it be built up forever that is 89. 2. remain and abide upon us and ours forever one pile of mercy as it were upon another till the building be compleated till it reach to heaven to that building of God that house not made with hands eternal in the heavens Thus the work of mercy being begun shall be carried on as when the foundation of some famous structure is laid by some able skilful artificer to which it seems an illusion so will God not leave this blessed pile half finnished but perfect and compleat the same Thus we have built up houses but then God himself will build up mercy and that shall uphold us and our