worship hath beene amongst us more then in any reformed Church we have beene a proud people we have thought our selves rich wanting nothing whereas we knew not that we were indeed wretched miserable poore blinde and naked and those who would be Angels of this Church how hath God spuâ—d them out of his mouth they are cast out as filthy they have laine upon the stomack of God and his Saints a long time they with all that belonged to their Courts have made themselves a most â—oathsome generation of men and now God is at our doore knocks cals to us to let him in that he may come and rule us that he may bring peace salvation unto us But howsoever whether Christ be admitted by the State yea or no yet let the Saints who are willing that Christ should rule over them hold on to the end the promise is even to those in Laodicea to him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne 11. â—et us encourage what we are able all our faithfull doore-keepers those who are the publicke instruments of God for our good upon whom so much of the great affayres of the kingdom under God depends And for the quickning of our hearts that we may doe all we can that this our doore of hope be not shut against us Consider further First This doore was opened to us when we began to think yea almost to conclude that all doores of hope had beene shut against England when we were ready to give up all for lost Secondly It was opened to us after much knocking by prayer If ever there were a Parliament of prayer since the world began this was and is How dreadfull then would it be to have this doore shut against us Thirdly It was opened by a mighty hand of God Josephus tells us of a doore of the Temple that used to have thirty men to open it and yet as a prognostication of some great thing to fallout it opened of its own accord This our door was more hard to be opened thousands of men could not have opened this it was the mighty work of God to doe it Fourthly It is a door that opens to the greatest mercies that ever England had how happy would England be in the happy success of this Parliament 5. It is a door that our adversaries have laboured all they can to shut by policy and by force and thorow Gods mercy yet they cannot 6. How sweet have the manifestations of God been to us in the beginnings of his goodnesse and our endeavours Canâ— 5 4. 5. My beloved put his hand at the door my bowels were moved my hands dropped myrrhe and my fingers sweet smelling myrrhe upon the handles of the locke the beginning of reformation but the hand upon the door is sweet what would the work compleated be 7. If this doore should be wholly shut against us what a miserable people should we be if these men have their wills then never expect Parliaments more or never good from Parliaments They will be the most contemptible and servile things that can be if any they will be doores to let in all misery to frame mischiefe by a law then what are we and our posterity but slaves the Popish party must yea will be gratified their designe will be effected what contempt of the Saints of Religion what hatred what persecution will then follow what horrid blasphemies how will they be hardned in all manner of wickednesse our estates our liberties our Religion are then gone yea it is like our lives and if not so so miserable would our lives be as we had better have the grave open her mouth upon us and we be shut in it then to live to see hear and feele such things as we and our friends are like to heare see and feele It would be the most horrid judgment that ever was against a nation it may be told to all the nations of the world God gave England a fair opportunity to help it self to be a most happy nation but they had no hearts they were blinded their hearts were taken from them those worthies they chose who ventured themselves for them they basely deserted and betrayed they have also vilely betrayed themselves their liberties their Religion their posterity and now are become the most miserable nation the most fearful spectacle of Gods wrath upon the face of the earth Wherefore beloved in the Lord let us make sure of Christ who is our hope and who says of himselfe that he is the door as indeed hee is to let in all mercies of God into us that whatever disappointment we have of our hopes here yet we may not be disappointed of our last hopes though it should prove that here looking for light behold darknes yet we looking for the light of Gods face eternally we may not be driven out to everlasting darknes But shall I end thus nay the close of all shal rather be the close of the 31 Psal Be of good courage and he shal strengthen your heart all ye that hope in the Lord hope yet that God will make the valley of Achor adoor of hope unto us The next words in this Scripture are words of joy She shall sing as in the dayes of her youth Was there ever a time wherein shee had cause to sing praise to God there are times coming that shall be as joyfull as ever yet times have been God hath mercy for his people he hath singing times for them The Foureteenth Lecture HOSEA 2. 15. And she shall sing there as in the dayes of her youth as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt YOu have heard formerly of the valley of Achor that God gave to his people to be a doore of hope This day you shall heare of Gods people standing singing at this door of hope Though it be but a door of hope yet at that day they shall there sing as in the days of her youth when they came up out of the land of Egypt There are six things needfull to be opened for the meaning of Gods mind here in this their singing at the door of hope First the reading of the words are to be cleared 2. The scope is to be shewed 3. What the dayes of youth that are here spoken of are is to be opened 4. What was the song that they did then sing in the dayes of their youth is to be declared 5. What cause they had to sing in this the day of their youth is to be enquired after Lastly how this is applyable to repenting Israel and what time this prophesie aâ—meth at likewise is to be manifested For the first the reading of the words you have it in your bookes they shall sing as in the dayes of their youth There are only two words that have need of opening First the word translated singing
between the name Israel and Jezreel but there is a great deale of difference in the signification for Israel is one that prevaileth with God the strength of the Lord Jezreel is one that is scattered by the Lord. Israel hath lost the honour of his name Many out-live the honour of their names and reputations These tenne Tribes are no more worthy to be called by the name of Israel their famous Progenitor but now Jezreel the scattered of the Lord. Thirdly Jezreel to shew the way that God intended to bring judgement upon these ten Tribes And what was it The way should be by scattering God would scatter them It is a speciall way of Gods bringing judgement upon a Kingdome by scattering of them We read that when Micaiah saw the destruction of Ahab and his people he had this vision I saw saith he 1 King 22. 17. all Israel scattered one from another as sheep that have no shepheard There is a two-fold scattering A scattering among our selves in wayes of division and a scattering by the Enemy one from another to flie for our lives The one part of this judgement the Lord be mercifull to us is upon us already and in this sense we may be called Jezreel Oh how is our Kingdome divided how is it scatted The Lord keepe us from the other scattering that wee be not scattered one from another by being forced to flye for our lives before the Enemy It is just with God that if wee scatter our felves sinfully by way of division that God should scatter us in his wrath to our destruction by giving us up to our Enemies If we love scattering if we delight in division we may soon have scattering enough there may soon be divisions far enough one from another 4. Call his name Jezreel to note that the Lord would scatter them even in that very place where they did most glory as they did in the valley and city of Jezreel they did much glory in that place as you shall hear afterward But God would scatter them even in that place in which they did so much boast And lastly Jezreel because the Lord would hereby shew that he would turne these conceits and apprehensions that they might have of themselves quite the contrary way As thus Jezreel it signifieth indeed scattered of the Lord but it signifieth also the seed of the Lord or sowen of the Lord and so the Jewes were ready to take the name Jezreel and would be content to own it because it signified the seed of God And hence it commeth to signifie scattered too because that seed is to be scattered when it is sown And hence it was that they might glory so much in that name Oh! they were the seed of the Lord in an abiding condition as being sowen by the hand of God himselfe No saith God you are mistaken I doe not call you Jezreel upon any such tearms because you are sowen of mee but quite the other way because you shall be scattered and come to be destroyed by me It is the usuall way of God to turne those things which men take as arguments for their comfort to their confusion Haman who made such an interpretation of the action of Esters inviting him to the banquet alone with the King the truth is the right interpretation of it had been that it was to his destruction and so here whereas they might make such an interpretation of Iezreel as that they were the seed the sowen of the Lord the true interpretation is that they are the scattered of the Lord. All these five reasons you have either in the nearenesse of the name Israel with Iezreel or otherwise in the words that follow after For yet a little while I will avenge the blood of Iezreel upon the house of Iehu and cause to cease the Kingdome of the house of Israel Here now wee come to that which is the maine in this Scripture And these foure questions are of great use and will tend much to edification 1. What is this blood of Iezreel that God will avenge 2. Why God will avenge the blood of Iezreel upon the house of Iehu 3. Why is it called the house of Iehu and Iehu alone without the addition of the name King as it is usuall in others as Hezekiah King of Iudah and such a one King of Israel but here only the house of Iehu 4. What is this little while God speaks of yet a little while The words are read I suppose ordinarily and past over as if there were little in them but you shall finde that there is much of the minde of God held out to us in them For the first then What was the blood of Jezreel that here God threatneth 〈◊〉 You may read the History of it in 2 King Chap. 9 10 11. for the way of opening the Prophets is to compare them with the Scriptures that went before read those Chapters and you shall find what this blood was It was the bloud of the house of Ahab the bloud of Iezabel the bloud of the 70. sons of Ahab whose heads the Elders of Iesreel sent to Iehu in baskets This was the bloud that was shed here in this place which God saith he will aveuge God will certainly avenge bloud and if God will avenge the bloud of Ahab he will surely avenge the bloud of Abel if the bloud of Iesabel then surely the bloud of Sarah if the bloud of Idolaters then the bloud of his Saints Oh what vengeance then doth hang over that Antichrist for all the bloud of the Saints that hath been spilt by him the scarlet whore hath dyed her selfe with this bloud yea and vengeance will come for that bloud that hath been shed of our brethrens in Ireland upon any whosoever have been instrumentals in it great or small Certainely the righteous God will not suffer that wicked and horrid work to goe unavenged even here upon the earth Let us wait a while and we may live to see that time whâ—rein 〈◊〉 shall not only be said by the voice of faith but by the voyce of sense itselfe Verily there is a God that judgeth the earth But why will God avenge the blood of Iesreel upon the house of Iehu Indeed this to an outward view at first is one of the strangest things wee have in all the book of God If you compare this place here in Hosea with other Scriptures you shall find that it is a strange thing that ever it should be said that the Lord would avenge the blood of Iesreel upon the house of Iehu For in 2 King 9. 7. you shall finde that Iehu was anointed by the Lord on purpose for that action to shedd that bloud and he had a command from God he was bidden to goe and shed it and the holy oyle was poured upon him for that end that he might shed that bloud yet now this bloud must be avenged and avenged upon the house
been only the hearing of what our brethren have suffered yet do suffer Whereas all about us is as the fiery furnace and we walk in the middest of it like the three children our garments not touched nor the smell of the fire passed on them when as we see all Countreys as Gideons fleece bewetted with the tempest of Gods wrath yea with their own blood behold we are dry aud the sun-shine of Gods mercie is upon us the blackness of the misery of our brethren is the brightnesse of our mercie I will save them It is the Lord that will save them This is an upbraiding of Israel Oh Israel you think to be saved by your owne policy you have got a fetch beyond God you are afraid that the people should go up to Jerusalem to worship therefore you have set up the two Calves to save your selves But Judah shall be saved and saved after another way Iudah need not go to such carnall setches and policies to save themselves for the Lord shall save them Though carnal hearts thinke and endeavour to save themselves onely by their own policie and carnall waies yet let Gods people know that they have a stronger means to save them then all the policie in the world So long as the wisdom the power the mercy the faithfulnesse of God is for them they need no other string to their bow but that I will save them by the Lord. VVhat is the meaning of this This by Interpreters is carried concerning Christ That God the Father promiseth to save by Christ As Dan. 9. 17. we have such an expression in prayer Now O Lord hear the prayer of thy servant for the Lords sake that is for Christs sake So here God wil save by the Lord that is by Christ A sweet lesson we have from thence viz. That the administration of Gods grace to his people is given into the hands of JESUS CHRIST It is Christ that doth save the people of God and hath saved them in all former times in all ages It is true in the merits of Christ all are saved that every one will grant as Zach. 9. 11. By the blood of thy Covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit All the prisoners of Gods people ever since the world began that have been sent out of the pit it hath been by the blood of the covenant by the merits of Christ and not onely so but Christ in the administration of all hath been the chiefe he hath been the Angel of Gods presence that hath stood up for his people in all their necessities he hath been the great Captain deliverer the Saviour of them all Let Christ then have the honour of a Soveraigne to us in regard of our salvation in outward deliverances Let us look up to him then for salvation in all our straits And if Christ was the Saviour of his people in all ages and still will be then surely those ages and places where Christ is most known and honoured may expect the greatest salvation And this is for our comfort far above all the ages that ever was since the world began Christ is most known and honoured in this age and of all places in the world here in England and amongst our countrey men and if Christ will be a Saviour of those places where he is known and honoured surely England may expect a salvation England hath had it and as England is peculiar in the way of the knowledg of Christ so England shall be peculiar in a way of Gods grace to her I will save them by the Lord their God Not your God oh Israel but their God Thus he upbraydeth the people of Israel that they had forsaken their God that Iudah had kept their God but Israel had not It is a great upbrayding of a people when it can be said of them that they have forsaken the Lord. It is a wofull thing not to have God to be our God at all that conscience can charge this upon a man that Daniel did upon Belshazzar That God in whose hand thy breath his whose are all thy ways hast thou not glorified but that conscience can charge this That God that thou hast chosen that thou hast entred into covenant withall Oh thou apostatized soule thou apostatized Nation thou hast forsaken him he is not thy God This is a sore and heavy charge indeed Again The Lord their God It seemes he is the God of Judah though Judah had many evils but not the God of Israel Those then that do not worship God in a right way God will not acknowledge himself to be worshipped by them at all The people in the wildernesse proclaimed a fast to Jehovah and yet the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 7. calleth them Idolaters and it is said they sacrificed to Idols because they worshipped God by the Calfe and not in Gods way Though we may think we worship God yet if wee doe not worship him in his own way he doth not own himself to be worshipped by us at all Again The Lord their God This could not but sting Israel that Judah should be thought to have more interest in God then Israel had It is a stinging thing to carnal hearts and much bitternesse of spirit it must needes be entertained withall that any one should but think of challenging any peculiarity of interest in God Thus they scorned at Christ Oh he trusted in God he thinketh he hath more interest in God then others now let his God come and save him I remember in the book of Martyrs we read that the Papists were much vexed against the protestants because they used to say our God and our Lord they were knowne by this speech and the Papists were inraged against them for this because they seemed to claime more interest in God then others And indeed what is the cause of the quarrel in the World against Gods people but because they thinke they claime more peculiarity and interest in God than others and this is the reason that soule-searching preaching cannot be endured because it makes a difference between the one and the other and shewes that some have an interest in God more than others Hence it is that in no places in the world mens spirits so fret against preaching as in England why because there is not such soul-examining such soule-distinguishing preaching in the World as in England Yea that is the reason of the bitternesse of one professor against another because one is a Protestant at large and the other manifesteth more power of godlinesse is more strict in his course and seemes to claime a greater share in God than the former Profession in England is a more distinguishing profession than in other places I will save them by the Lord their God God is the God of Judah still therefore God will save them So long as God is our God we need not fear our adversaries Yee
day Therefore as we read of Jeremiah Chap. 37. 18. Let my supplication saith he to the King I pray thee be accept able before thee that thou cause me not to returne to the house of Jonathan the Scribe lest I dye there So let us present our supplications to the King of heaven that wee may not be sent back to that condition we were once in that God may not strip us and leave us naked Wee have many blessings Lord do not strip us doe not strip us of all the ornaments thou hast put upon us And would you not have God strip you of your ornaments be you willing to strip your selves of your ornaments Ezod 33. 5. God calleth upon the people there Put off your Ornaments from you that I may know what to doe unto you This is true and seasonable at this time in the literall sense you are called now to strip you of your Ornaments Strip from your fingers your gold-rings now when there is neede of them perhaps one gold-ring that you have upon your finger would serve to maintain a souldier a month or five weeks or more and yet you may have the benefit of it againe afterward Strip your Cup-boards from that pompous shew of plate that was wont to be upon them It is much if you should not be willing to have your fingers stripped naked when we are in danger to have the State stript naked of all our comforts and ornaments Is it such a great matter to have your cup-board naked of plate now what if a white cloath were upon it and all that glistering shew taken away were that such a great matter now when God is about to strip us naked and set us as in the day wherein wee were borue certainly all of you that shall keep your plate now for the pompous decking and adorning of your cup-boards you cannot but be ashamed of it in these times surely you must rather keep it up in your trunkes and hutches it cannot but be both a sin and a shame to see such glistering pomp and glory in such times as these are Strip your selves of your ornaments that God strip you not and not only outwardly but strip your selves of your ornaments by your humiliation for that is the meaning of that place in Exodus Oh come and humble your selves and come now with naked hearts before the Lord open your hearts before God bring them naked and sincere before him lest he strip you and the Kingdom naked Crie unto God for mercie O Lord thou knowest what a vile heart I have had a base time-serving heart yet Lord I desire to take away all those clokes now and to rend and bring this heart naked before thee though it be a filthy heart yet open it Lord thou knowest those vile things those innovasions those superstitions those horrible wickednesses that were in danger to be let into the Church and Comman-wealth yet they were things that could goe down very well with me I could make shifts to swallow them and I had distinctions to colour them but Lord it was my base heart that I could not trust thee but now here I open it naked before thoe O Lord for these Ordinances of thine in the purity and power of them that others spake so much of they have bin things unsavory to me I had no skill in such things Thou knowest I had a neutrelizing spirit I looked which way the wind blew how just were it for thee to give me upto be of a desperate malignant spirit Now Lord I come as a naked wretched creature before thee in the shame and guilt of my sin and here I acknowledge thou maiest justly strip me naked of all the comforts of my estate and leave me in the most miserable condition that ever poor creature was left in And now my heart is open before thee doe but shew me what I shall doe and if thou doest reserve any of my estate and comforts which I have forfeited in testimony of my humiliation for my former sinnes I bring it before thee and am willing to give it up for the publique good and to prevent that evill and mischiefe that I am sure my sinnes call for for my sins cry for wrath against the Land that thou shouldst strip it naked and if all had beene such base spirits as I have beene what would have become of the Land by this time In testimonie therefore of my humiliation for my sins here I bring in this of my estate though indeed if I had not been guilty of such sins yet out of common prudence and respect to my own security I might bring some part in but here is so much the more of my estate because my conscience tells me of my former guilt And Lord for the time to come I am resolved to doe the uttermost I can for Thee and thy Cause And those Worthies that carry their lives in their hands for me God forbid that I should have the least hand in betraying them in withdrawing my hand and assistance from them Lord here I give up my self to thee and my estate I surrender it to thee in an everlasting Covenant This is to come with a naked heart indeed before the Lord. Were it not better that we should be willing to strip our selves naked then that God should doe it by violenee that God should send Souldiers into our houses to strip us naked as they have dealt with our brethren in Ireland they took not away their estates onely but all their clothes and sent them in droves as naked as ever they were borne VVee know wee have deserved the like If you will not strip your selves of your super â—â—uities God may justly by them strip you naked as ever you were born and not onely bring you into the same condition you were in but into a far worse for so he threatneth in that 28. Deut. You shall not onely be carryed backe againe into Egypt but there you shall be sold for bondâ—men and no man shall buy you they should be in a worse condition the when they were first in Egypt So if there be any of you that are willing to sell your consciences in hope of preferment Oh the other side may get power and prevaile and so out of hope to be preferred to sell your consciences you may be disappointed not only be brought into as ill but into a far worse condition perhaps though you would have sold your selves yet no bodie will buy you if the Papists corne to have the power of your bodies and estates you may misse of that preferment that you thinke of So saith Ezra Chap. 9. 14. after he had spoken of Gods mercie in giving them liberty and remitting their captivitie Shall we saith he yet continue in sin break the commandements of the Lord would he not be angry with us till we were utterly destroyed And certainly if God do not awaken the hearts of people now if God do
and all to Baal but of that before The Seventh Lecture HOSEA 2. 9. 10. Therefore will I returne and take away my corne in the time thereof and my wine in the season thereof and will recover my wooll and my flaxe given to cover their nakednesse And now I will discover her lewdnesse in the sight of her lovers and none shall deliver her out of mine hand IN the former verse Israel is accused for abusing her silver and gold c. in the service of Baal now it followes Therefore I will take away my corne in the time thereof c. if there be a therefore we must enquire wherefore it was because they did prepare their corne c. for Baal Therefore I will returne 1. What is the meaning of returning 2. What the meaning of the time and season thereof I will take away my corne in the time thereof and my wine in the season thereof 3. What that phrase imports I will recover my wooll For the first therefore I will returne that is I will change the way of my administrations toward them I will goe out of my way of mercy and turne into my way of judgement I will goe back againe I was in a way of judgement toward them and they cryed to me and I turned into a way of mercy but I will goe back againe into a way of judgement I will returne Arias Montanus hath a good note upon the place Whereas God hath heretofore bid them not to be afraid of all the tokens of the Southsayers that is when they say by Astrology some signes of death that might follow they were afraid be not afraid saith the Lord but know your corne and wine and oyle depends on me not on the second causes though second causes make against yet feare not for I will give you come and wine and oyle but now it is quite contrary though second causes promise all kind of pleâ—ty whatsoever that there shall be abundance of corne and wine and oyle yet I will take away your plenty there shall be a dearth of all things amongst you I will take away my corne in the time thereof that is first in the times of harvest just when their corne is to be taken in and in the time of their vintage I will then take it away whereas I might take it away in the seed I will let it grow till the harvest and then take it away 2. In the time when they have most need of it when they are in the greatest straits and know not what to doe without these creatures 3. In tempore suo so some In the time I have appointed though I have let them goe on and enjoy the creatures in abundance yet my time is come that I will take away all And will recover the word signifieth I will snatch it away I wil spoyle you of it and it hath reference to two things First I will recover it as out of the hands of usurpers you have my corne and woâ—l and flaxe as usurpers but I will recover them out of your hands as a man that hath his goods taken away from him usurped hee by some meanes or other recovers his goods againe so saith God you have my corne and wine and as you have carryed the matter you are but usurpers I will sue you for them you shall not enjoy them long Secondly I will recover it hath a reference to prisoners and bondslaves when the enemy shall get any of ours into their power and make them bond-slaves a greater power goes against the enemy and recovers them out of his hands and gets them again As Abraham recovered Lot and his goods Gen. 46. 14. Or as if marriners should get those gally-slaves the Turks have gotten and recover them out of their hands as if he should say these creatures of corne and wine c. they are in bondage and I will recover them out of your hands you know the creatures groane under their bondage while they are in the possession of wicked men 8. Rom. my creatures are in bondage to you and they cry to me and I will recover them out of your hands There are many precious and choice truths to be presented to you out of the words First Therefore I will c. Whence observe Though God gives mercy out of free grace without cause in our selves yet he takes not away mercy without cause there is a therefore for taking away mercy but we have many mercies given without a therefore When God takes away mercy we have cause to look into our selves to finde out a therefore but you may find out thousands of mercies that God gives to us and you shall finde never a therefore for them It is not so great a wonder that thousand thousands are in misery as that any one enjoyes mercy for misery hatha therefore in our selves for mercy there is reason only in the breast of God Secondly I will returne Sinne causeth God to change the way of his administrations towards his people Though God be in wayes of mercy yet sinne may put him out of those wayes and make him returne and go in a way of judgement agnine how much better were it for sinners to returne then that sinnne should cause God to returne Oh sinner returne out of thy evill wayes if God returne it will be a sad returne Not long since God was in wayes of judgement against us and lately he hath come into wayes of mercy and now he seemes to returne againe to his former wayes of judgement Ier. 14. 9. Why art thou as a man astonished A man astonished stands still or if he moves it is up and down as if he knew not which way to goe though we have suffered hard things wee cannot yet say God is returned but he seemes as a man astonished and knowes not which way to go Thus God is pleased of himselfe after the manner of men to speake let us cry to him that he may not turne out of his way of mercy into those sad wayes of wrath that he seems to be looking towards I will take away my corne and my wine Abuse of mercy causeth the removing of mercy 11 Zach. 17. Woe to the idoll shepheard that leaveth the flocke the sword shall be upon his arme upon his right eye his arme shall be dryed up and his right eye shall be utterly darkned Hath God given any a right hand any abilities take heed God doth not strike that right hand or right eye any quickness of parts let them take heed that thorough abuse it be not put out how many shepherds when they were young had many excellent parts great abilities but having abused them to their lusts God hath taken them away So in children there is no such way to lose your children as to abuse them if your hearts be inordinately set upon them God takes them away I will tell you of a speciall passage of providence concerning this
this was to note their hasty going out of Egypt We should not when God offereth us mercy of deliverance goe forth slowly This is our misery at this day the Lord offereth deliverance and we lye slugging on our beds and are like that foolish child the Prophet speakes of that sticks in the birth We have stuck these two yeers in the birth whereas we might have beene delivered long before this It concerns us all to consider what the cause is and to lament it before the Lord that we may make our peace with him But further In thanksgiving for a mercy we are ever to remember what we were before that mercy They must eate unleavened bread at this Feast the bread of affliction they must remember the afflictions they were in before they had this mercy whereof this Feast was a Memoriall when wee blesse God for a deliverance we must really present before our souls the sad condition we were in before we were delivered Further The speciall thing that is aimed at in the Passeover was that it should be a type of Christ who was that paschall lamb that was to take away the sinnes of the world he that was rosted in the fire of Gods wrath for our sinnes as that Lambe that was to be eaten in the Passe-over was rosted in the fire And if ever the Angell of Gods vengeance do passe over us it is thorough the blood of that Lambe sprinkled upon our hearts which was signified by the sprinkling the blood of the Lambe upon the posts of their houses In the Lords Supper we celebrate in effect the same Feast of the Passe-over they did and by this we may learne this excellent note There is little comfort in the remembrance of outward deliverances except we can see them all in Christ They were in this Feast to remember their deliverance out of Egypt but withall they were in it to have a figure and type of Christ that sweetned their remembrance that made the Feast a joyfull Feast when they could see their deliverance out of Egypt as a fruit of Christs sufferings when this Lambe that was to put them in minde of it did put them in minde likewise of Christ the paschal Lambe In all deliverances from any kinde of affliction if you would have the remembrance of them sweet unto you you must looke upon them all in the blood of Christ and so remember them and then your hearts will be inlarged to blesse God This was the Ordinance of God in the Passe-over but besides Gods Ordinance the Jews added divers other things The first thing observable that they added was earnest prayer to God for the building of the Temple which many of them observe to this day Those who writ of the customes of the Jews tell us that because the Temple is destroyed where they were to goe up thrice in the yeere to solemnize these Feasts therefore they pray so earnestly and mightily for the Temple in this manner They cry altogether to God Lord build thy temple shortly very quickly very quickly most quickly in our dayes then they go over it again Mercifull God great God kind God high God sweet God with divers other epithets Now build thy Temple quickly very quickly c. Now now now five times together â—o Euxtorfius tells us They teach us how much the Temple doth concern us Here is onely their mistake they rested in the materiall Temple they did not consider that This Temple was a type of Christ therefore as earnestly as they prayed for the building of their materiall Temple so we are to pray for the building up of the mysticall body of Christ now Lord build quickly doe not defer it even in our dayes do it A second thing they added was the manner of casting out of unleavened bread in this they observed three things their inquisition their extermination their execration first with a candle they would narrowly search every corner of the house to see if they had the least crumme of leaven if any were found they cast it out with solemnity and then they used to wish a curse upon themselves if there were any left in their houses that was not cast out This morall Observation wee may be taught from it it should be our care when we are to receive the Sacrament to make narrow inquisition to get the candle of the word and to search every corner of our hearts every faculty of the soule to see if there be no leaven in it 2. Whatsover we see to cast it out of doores And 3. to be so much set against sinne as to be willing to take a curse upon our selves if we should willingly let any knowne sin be in our hearts and to acknowledge that God might justly curse us in his Ordinance if we be false in this Thirdly they used to shew forth all their brave rich things if they had any bravery in cloathes in furniture in any good thing they would shew all at this Feast By their superstition we may learne this note that in the time of our comming before God it is fit for us to manifest his graces to exercise all those beautifull graces that the Lord hath endowed us with by the work of his Spirit for there is the riches of a Christian there is his brave cloathes and his plate all his excellencies are his graces The fourth thing they did was after the Passe-over was at an end they would fast three dayes to humble themselves for their faylings in keeping that Feast This was not Gods Institution but it was their custome and we may learne this from it though not to binde our selves to that they did too looke back to our receiving the Sacrament and to bewayle all our miscarriages I beleeve if things were examined to the quick in our receiving the Sacrament you would finde matter enough to fast and pray for the humbling your soules from your miscarriages Lastly in the Passe-over they used to reade the book of the Canticles because that booke treats especially of the conjunction of the soule with the Messiah which is sealed up especially in the Passe-over And that indeed is a speciall meditation for us when we come to the Lords Supper to meditate of our conjunction with Christ The next is the Feast of Pentecost This Feast is called also the Feast of Weekes because there were seven weekes to be reckoned and then at the end of them it was solemnly to be kept you shall finde it Levit. 23. 15. There you have the Feast of the Passe-over and in that the first day of seven and the last day of seven was solemnly kept now they were to count from the morrow after the first Sabbath seven Sabbaths that is seven weekes compleate the first Sabbath of the Passe-over was the fifteenth day of the month Abib and then the next day from that they were to count seven weeks and at the end of seven weeks was the
as if he should say thus O Lord thou hast indeed granted unto us a great mercy in delivering us out of Egypt but herein we prize thy mercie that it is in order to the bringing us to thy habitation and it will bring us at length to the mountain of thy holinesse it is not so much that were are delivered from bondage as that wee expect to bee brought to thy holy habitation Now saith the Lord you shall sing as you did then look what causes you had then to sing you shall have the same causes to sing again when I am reconciled to you The last thing for the explication is when this was fulfilled or to what time this is to be referred There are four times that this prophesie aims at and refers unto First It began in some degree to be fulfilled at their returne out of their captivity from Babylon though it is true few of the ten tribes returned yet it is clear in Scripture that many of them did then return and had the beginning of this mercy and there was joy and singing Isa 12. the whole chap. is a song blessing God for their return from the captivity Jehovah is my strength and my song he also is become my salvation c. 2. This prophecie aims at spiritual Israel so in Rom. 9. it is applied to the calling of Jew Gentile together when the Gospel was first preached Jewes and Gentiles being called home became the spiritual Israel of God then there was singing Rom. 15. 20. Again he saith rejoyce ye Gentiles with his people The third time that it refers unto is the delivery of Gods people from under the tiranny of Antichrist typified by the tiranay of the Egyptians for that the former place is very full Rev. 15. 2. there you shall observe Those that had gotten the victory over the beast and over his image and over his marke and over the number of his name stood upon a sea of glass mingled with fire having the harps of God in their hands and they sang the song of Moses the song of the Lamb saying Great marvellous are thy works Lord God almighty just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints c. In this song which I make no question but this Scripture hath reference unto there are divers things observable To take them up briefly by the way 1. That they that sung were those that had gotten victory over the beast over his image and over his mark that is a full victory not only abominating Antichrist himself but any image any character of him any thing whereby they might seem to allow of him to be owned by him 2. They stood upon a sea of glasse mingled with fire The sea of glasse I find interpreted Christian doctrine so called for the clearness of it though not so clear as afterward it should be for there is some darknes even in glass but clear in comparison of what it was before for 2 K. 25. 13. The sea was of brasse which is far thicker and darker But there was fire mingled with this sea of glass that is though they had a clearer doctrine then before yet there were many contentions in the Church through many different opinions and much division there was even amongst the godly It was a sadde condition indeed yet it is ordinary especially when Doctrines come to be first cleared to have great contentions grow in the Church among godly men It is no wonder though good men should be of different opinions yea and have some heat of spirit one against another when the light first breaks forth When men are in the dark they sit together and walk not at such a distance but when light comes it cannot be expected but there will be differences But yet mark the godly then they did not reject the doctrine because there was fire mingled with it because there was heate of contention but the Text saith they were there with their harps in their hands they were professing this doctrine and rejoycing that ever they lived to that time to have the Gospel so clearly revealed unto them And they sang the song of Moses and not only of Moses but the song of the Lamb too What was that First great and marvellous are thy works in that we see we are delivered from Antichristian bondage as the people of Israel were delivered from Egyptian bondage with a mighty hand of thine Oh it is a marvellous worke of God that wee are thus at liberty Therefore know this that whensoever the Church shall be delivered from Antichristian bondage it shall be a marvellous work of God therefore we may not be discouraged because wee meet with some difficulties by the way for wee shal never be delivered but so as it shal appear to be a wonder if we should be delivered without difficulties we should not see the marvellousness of the worke Further Iust and true are thy wayes God in that deliverance will shew the fulfilling of all his promises and he will fully satisfie the hearts of his people who have been a long time seeking him and suffering for him Whereas the adversaries because God did forbear a while in his patience and let them prosper thought there was no God in heaven that looked upon them they scorned at the fastings and prayers and faith of the Saints But though the hearts of the Saints were ready to faile yet at last they shall say Iust true are thy wayes Lord we now see all thy good word fulfilled all thy promises made good now we see it is not in vaine to seek thee it is not in vain to wait upon thee for just and true are thy wayes O thou King of Saints God will appear then to be a King of Saints He is indeed the King of the world now and the King of his Saints but he doth not appear so clearly the kingdome of Jesus Christ as King of Saints hath been much darkned in the world We have some what indeed of the Priestly and Propheticall office of Christ made known to us but very little of his kingly office but when God shall fully deliver his people then they shall magnifie Jesus Christ as the king of Saints in an especiall manner Lastly they shall say Who will not feare thee thou King of Nations As if they should say wee see now it is good to feare God wee see now God hath made a difference between him that feareth him and him that feareth him not The Angel that John saw Apoc. 14. 6 7. Flying in heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach cryes with a loud voyce Feare God and give glory to him The feare of God will be mighty upon the hearts of the Saints in those times This shall be the song of Moses that this Scripture aymeth at they shall thus sing as they did in the dayes of their youth when they came up out of the land of Egypt yea and the truth is their song
is the fruit of this This is set as the reason of the words immediately before Then shall the lame man leap as an Hart and the tongue of the dumb sing Because the Lord shall make the parched ground become a poole and the thirsty land springs of water this shall make the lame to leap as an Hart the tongue of the dumb to sing Though our tongues be dumb yet it should make us sing when we see God working good out of contraries when wee see things that of themselves tend to our ruin and would bring us to misery that are as the valley of Achor yet God working good out of them if wee have the hearts of men in us much more the hearts of Christians though we were dumb before this should make us sing Yea all this is brought in as an argument to strengthen the weak hands and the feeble knees and as a reason why those that have weake hearts should not feare because God workes good out of that which seemeth the greatest evill vers 4. Say to them that are of a fearefull heart be strong feare not and then followeth this in the 6. verse Are we in the valley of Achor a place of trouble and straits wee have cause to sing even in this valley of Achor for we have not yet been brought into any straits but God hath brought good out of them he hath turned the parched ground into a pool and the thirsty land into springs of water It is our great sin that when God calleth us to singing we are yet concluding of rejecting we are ready to think if we be brought into the valley of Achor we are presently cast off Oh no God calleth you to singing nothwithstanding you meet with difficulties Isa 49. 13. Sing O heavens saith the Text there he joyfull O earth breake forth into singing O mountaines for God hath comforted his people and will have mercy upon his afflicted But mark now the next words But Zion said the Lord hath forsaken me my God hath forgotten mee At that very time when the Lord was calling for singing even then they were concluding of rejecting Take we heed this be not our condition But take the words as then I told you as I conceived them to be the meaning of the spirit of God that this valley of Achor was some speciall mercy that God gave at first as a door of hope to further mercies he would give afterward and there they shall sing Then the observation is When the Lord is beginning with his Saints in the ways of mercy though they have not all that they would have yet it is a singing condition Though you be but yet brought into the valley of Achor and be but at the doore of hope and not entred into the door though you have not yet got the possession of all the mercy God intendeth for you yet God expects you should sing You must not stand grumbling whining complaining and murmuring at the door because you have not what you would have though God makes you wait at the door you must stand singing there It may be said of Gods mercy as of his word in Psal 119. 130. The entrance into thy word giveth light so the entrance of Gods works of mercy giveth light Psal 138. 5. Yea they shall sing in the wayes of the Lord for great is the glory of the Lord. In the ways of the Lord they shall sing though God be but in the wayes of his mercy and they have not what they would have yet they shall sing This is certainly one great reason why our doore of hope is not yet opened to us as we desire or at least that we have not that entrance that we would have at that door because we stand murmuring yea we stand quarrelling one with another at the doore whereas God expects that we should stand singing and praising his name there Though wee have not what wee desire yet let us blesse God that ever we lived to this day to see so much of God as we have done though we should never see more though the mercy we look for should be reserved for the generation that shall follow yet we have cause to blesse God while we live that we have seene and do see so much of God as we have done daily do Let us stand at our Fathers door singing and if we must sing at the foot of Zion what song shall we sing when we come to the height Ier. 31. 12. They shall come and sing in the height of Zion they shall flow to the bountifulnesse of the Lord. If there be any one with whom God is dealing in a way of mercy though you can see but a little light thorough the key-hole yet you should sing there There are many poor souls with vvhom God is beginning in very gracious ways yet because they have not their minds inlightned their hearts humbled as they desire power over corruptions abilities to performe duties as they expect they are presently ready to conclude against themselves surely the Lord will not have mercy we are rejected They think they have nothing because they have not what they vvould O unthankfull heart This is the very thing that keepeth thee under bondage because when the Lord is setting open a door of hope unto thee thou wilt not take notice of it but art presently murmuring and repining because thou hast not all that thou wouldest Wouldest thou enter in at this door and have God perfect the mercy he hath begun take notice of the beginnings and blesse God for what thou hast This would be an observation of marvey lous use to many a drooping soul if they would learne by this dayes coming hither to sing hereafter at the doore of hope Yet further They shall sing there as in the dayes of their youth It is the condition of Gods own people many times when first they enjoy liberty then to be in a singing condition but afterward to lose their joy At first indeed when Gods mercies were fresh to them in the dayes of their youth O how their hearts were taken how then they sung merrily and chearfully Moses and all the people but in processe of time it appeareth they had not kept up this singing this harmonious this melodious heart of theirs therefore God promiseth they should sing as in the dayes of their youth We finde it so in people when they first come to enjoy liberty out of bondage Church liberties Oh how they rejoyce in them how do they blesse God for them O how sweet are these mercies at their very hearts they rejoice that ever they lived to this time but within a while the flower of their youth is gone and they soone have the teats of their virginity bruised At first indeed O the sweetnesse but stay a while and you shall finde contention or scandoll arising amongst them or deadnesse of heart befalling them Oh the blessed
condition that God hath brought us to to have these liberties and ordinances according to his own way but within a while we may say as the Apostle to the Galatians Where is the blessednesse you spake of They would have pulled out their eyes for Paul What is become of all now All their beauty glory is quite damped let us take heed that when our hearts seem to be raised and mightily affected with mercies we do not soon loose our vigour heat It hath been so with England when they have had fresh mercies at first they rejoyced in them exceedingly I have read of the City of Berne when they were first delivered from Antichrist they wrote the day of their deliverance upon pillars with letters of gold Was it not so with us here in England I will only instance in that deliverance upon the fifth of November how mightily was both King and Parliament affected with it their hearts were exceedingly up then there was blessing God for their deliverance from Papists then there were prayers and thanksgivings set forth and in them this expression against Popery Whose faith is faction whose Religion is rebellion whose practice is murthering of soules and bodyes When the mercy was fresh how did their spirits worke then they profest against all kinde of Popery Reade but the Proclamation about the solemnity of that time and the expressions of the prayers then set forth and one would have thought verily then that Popery should never have prevailed in England again who would ever have thought it possible that a Popish Army should ever have had any countenance in England more Certainly if a Popish Army had been raised at that time when mens hearts were so up all the people of the land if it had been but with clubs would have risen and beaten them to pieces It is so with many young people when God first beginneth to worke upon their hearts O how are they for God! then their spirts are mightily up for Christ Psal 90. 14. O satisfie us early with thy mercies and then we shall be glad and rejoyce all the dayes of our lives It is a sweet thing when the latter part of that prayer followeth when God satisfieth young people with his mercy and that satisfaction abideth so as they rejoyce all the dayes of their lives afterward The Lord doth many times satisfie young ones with his mercy but they quickly grow dead and cold and their hearts are soone hardned and polluted and they doe not rejoyce all the dayes of their lives Another Observation that restored and recovered mercies are very sweet and precious mercies They shall sing as in the dayes of their youth They were once in a blessed sweet singing condition they had lost it but now God promiseth to recover them Iob 29. 2. O that I were as in months past as in the dayes when God preserved me when his candle shined upon my head and when by his light I warlked thorough darknesse as I was in the dayes of my youth when the secret of God was upon my Tabernacle Iob desireth this earnestly that he might have restored recovered mercies What a happy condition should I be in then saith he if it were now with me as in the dayes of my youth May not many in this place say so God hath been gracious to them in former dayes he hath given many sweet manifestations of his love many soule-ravishing communications of himself unto them but how have they lost them They may well say O that it were with us as in the dayes of our youth Oh that God would restore to us what mercy we once had what a blessed condition should we be in then But God here giveth a gracious promise that he will restore them that he will give them that which is the petition of David Psa 51. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation Lord I have lost it O that I might have it againe How happy should I be So Ps 132. 1. By the Rivers of Babylon there we sat down yea we wept there when we remembred Zion we hanged our harps upon the willowes They were in this sad condition but if one should have come to them and have said what will you say if you shall be restored againe and goe to Zion to Jerusalem againe and have songs there as much and as delightfull as before their hearts could not have held in them This mercy would be like that wine mentioned Cant. 7. 9. that is so sweet that it causeth the lips of those that are asleepe to speake If there be any life left such a mercy will raise and actuate it Psal 126. 1. 2. When the Lord turned againe the captivity of Zion our mouthes were filled with laughter and our tongues with singing when God granted them a recovered mercy As a poore prodigal that hath left his fathers house and afterward is come to beggery and misery and is under bondage is almost starved he sitteth down under a hedg wringing his hands falleth a lamenting the losse of his Fathers house and considering what comfort he had in his Fathers presence cryeth out of his folly and madnesse but if one should come and say to him what will you say if your Father should be reconciled to you and send for you home and promise to put you in as comfortable a condition as ever O how would this cause singing in his heart Thus God promiseth to his people that he would restore them to that singing condition they had lost They shall sing as in the dayes of their youth That which made this mercy so sweet was because it was a promised mercy Hence this Note Promised mercies are sweet mercies Luke 16. 61. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised up a home of salvation to us in the house of his servant David as he spake by the mouth of all his Prophets And ver 77. To performe the mercy promised there is the cause of singing Blessed be the Lord God of Israel that hath performed the mercy promised Giving out of a promise is sweet to a gracious heart it can sing then much more sweet is the promise when it cometh to be fulfilled 2 Chron. 20. 17. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord there is the promise Mark now how Jehosaphat and the people were affected with the promise And Jehosaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground and all Iudah and the Inhabitants of Ierusalem fell before the Lord worshipped the Lord. And the Levites and the child en of the Koathites the children of the Korhites shall stand up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voyce on high And ver 21. He appointed singers unto the Lord that should praise the beauty of holinesse and to say Praise the Lord for his mercy endureth for ever Jehosâ—phat had not got the promise fulfilled it was only
books should be made spears This peace is a most amiable thing and lovely in all our eyes every man desireth it and God promiseth it unto his people in many places as a most speciall fruite of his love unto them Esay 33. 10. Jerusalem shall be a quiet habitation a tabernacle that shal not be taken down And Num. 6. 25 26. The Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace the shining of Gods face appeareth in giving of peace to a Nation therefore Jer 16. 5. where God threatneth the taking away of peace marke the expression I have taken away my peace from this people saith the the Lord even loving kindnesse and mercies He doth not say I have taken away peace but I have taken away My peace and then when My peace is taken away I will even take away loving kindnesse and mercies how easie were it to let out ones selfe in large discourses in the high commendations of peace God teaches us in these days to set a high price upon it We have had a peace a long time and the Lord knowes we have not priced that mercy now we know what a sad thing it is to have war in our Gates And if this be a fruite of Gods Covenant to have peace we have cause to bewayle the breach of our Covenant Surely there is a great displeasure of God out against us this cup of blood that is prepared and powred forth and drunke in a great measure is a most dreadfull one our brethren have drunke deepe of it we have been afraid of it long since we have heard of rumours of wars and when the Cup was abroad we prayed that if it were possible it might passe from us this Cup did passe and went to our brethren in Ireland and now it is come unto us the sword hath had its circuite and now it is come amongst us and that which is come is exceeding dreadfull because our wars are not with forreign enemies but Civill wars the worst of all I have read in the Romane Chronicles that in a battell between Sylla and Marius there was a souldier by accident killed one not knowing who it was but after he was slaine he saw it was his brother presently in anguish of spirit he ran his sword into his owne bowels This we finde to be ordinary among us even brother to be against brother yea son against father of each side at this time Certainly therefore it is time for us to fall upon our knees and to be humbled before the Lord for the breach of our peace Peace is a sweet mercy therefore pitty it is that it should not be improved pitty is it that it should be abused Oh how have we abused our former peace God gave us peace before to what end That we might be edifyed and so built up in the feare of God and comfort of the holy Ghost as Acts 9. 31. it is said the Churches had rest were edifyed and did walk in the feare of God and the comforts of the holy Ghost We have not made this use of the rest God hath been pleased to afford us but we have growne wanton with our peace with this precious jewell and just it is with God to take it from us And now we doe desire peace but to what end Still ayming at this especially at this that we might have more freedome to satisfie our lusts and to make provision for the flesh that is the very ground of most mens desire of peace whereas if we did understand the true worth of peace indeed we would thinke it a very low end to desire peace onely to attaine this Ezek. 37. 26. Marke the promise that is there I will make a Covenant of peace with them it shall be an everlasting Covenant with them and I will place them and multiply them and will set my sanctuary in the middest of them for evermore Yea that is a comfortable peace to be desired indeed when God by peace shall make way to set his sanctuary amongst us If we did desire peace upon these termes we might have peace sooner then we are like to have it Againe Peace is sweet therefore pitty it is that it should be falsifyed Ps 28. 3. there are some that speake peace to their neighbours but mischiefe is in their hearts It is pitty that such a precious thing as peace should be serviceable to mens lusts that it should be pretended only to drive on a mischievous designe Peace is too good to be serviceable to mens base ends Yet further Peace is a great blessing therefore pitty it is that it should not be endeavoured for to the uttermost Yea cursed be that warre that hath not peace for the end of it it is that which ought to be as the Embleme of every souldier to have it written upon his sword Sic quaerimus Pacem even thus doe we seek peace It is a great deale better to have a war that aymes at and works peace then to have a peace that aymeâ— at and works war It is true war produceth very dreadfull effects but war that shall bring forth peace is better then peace that produceth war and the more we do commend peace the more doe wee still commend that war that tends to the bringing forth true peace rather then to seeke for a false peace that will produce most dreadfull war afterwards Peace is a great blessing from God but we must take heed we buy it not too deare we may say of this as we use to say of Gold we may buy gold toodear You will say how is it possible to buy peace at too deare a rate Yes if you give these three things for it you have but a deare bargain of it First if you sell truth for it selling any truth for peace you buy peace too deare for the least truth is better then all the kingdomes of the earth It first cost the blood of Christ and since hath beene watered by the blood of thousands of Martyrs Secondly if you shall betray those that have beene most active for the publique good onely that you may be way of complyance provide for your own particular peace this peace costs you too deare Thirdly if you for love of peace shall subject your selves to tyranny or slavery This is peace at too deare a rate and the posterity that comes after may curse that basenesse of spirit and cowardlynesse of the generation that went before that should buy peace for themselves so deare as to bring not onely themselves but their posterity under the bondage of miserable tyranny and woefull slavery It is true it is a great deale easier for a man that is striving and fighting with his enemy to lie downe then to spend his strength with fighting and striving he shal not spend so many of his spirits in the act of lying down why will he
we ary himself is it not better to lye down upon the soft grasse then to tyre himselfe in combating but if this man lye down he hath his throat cut by his enemy hath this man thinke you done wisely for himself to prevent trouble he hath lost his life If we should be so weary of present troubles as to lye downe to have our throats cut by our adversaries shall the generation to come commend either our wisdome or valor It is true when a stream runneth strong you cannot expect to stopp that streame but there will be some trouble in doing it And the truth is that war that is now oâ— foot with us though it hath much trouble in it and many of our brethren suffer many hard things by it yet let us know it is but to stop a streame of misery that was comming upon us and it is better to undergoe some difficulties in the stopping the streame then to be quiet and so let it overflow us till all be past recovery Our adversaries cry out that we are enemies to peace and they all for peace that is they would have us to be so quiet as to let them doe what they list they would faine have us so to love peace as to give up our strength to them to be irrecoverably under their power Therefore let this generation be wise for great things depend upon these present affaires of the kingdome that concerne not only their own outward comfort but the glory of God and the good of their posterity to many generations after I will breake the bow and the sword c. It is God that bringeth peace as he pleaseth it is a great blessing and it is Gods peculiar work to bring this blessing We may treat and treat about peace but untill God pleaseth to give a commission for peace it will not be If God commeth in with exceptions our treaties and our plots will never do the work I will breake the bow saith God Jer. 47. 6. O thou sword of the Lord how long will it be ere thou be quiet put up thy selfe into thy scabbard rest and be still The sword answers How can I be quiet seeing the Lord hath given me a charge against Askelon c. Till God give a commission to the sword it cannot rest and be still Job 34. 29. When he giveth quietnesse who then can make trouble and when he hideth his face who then can behold him whether it be against a nation or a man onely If he cause trouble who can make quietnesse Oh no none can It is God that is to be looked at in breaking of treaties it is God that hardneth the hearts of men that they shall not make peace untill his time come Iosh 11. 19. 20. a most remarkable text There was not saith the text a City that made peace with the children of Israel save the inhabitants of Gibeon for it was of the Lord to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battell that they might utterly be destroyed Of all the Cities in Canaan that Gods people came against though Gods hand was very remarkable in going along with them working many miracles for them yet the Text observeth that there was none that would make peace with them only Gibeon why for was of the Lord to harden their hearts to come against Israel in bat tell that they might utterly be destroyed God intended to destroy them therefore God hardened them that they should not make peace with his people God is the Prince of peace therefore he disposeth of it as he will Many devices may be in the hearts of men they have many plots and contrivances but the counsell of the Lord shall stand Psalm 29. 11. The Lord sitteth upon the floods yea the Lord sitteth King for ever The Lord will give strength to his people the Lord will blesse his people with peace That is not the peace for God to blesse his people with for which they must lay open their throats to be cut and betray his cause God need give no strength for this but Gods way is to give strength to his people and then to blesse them with peace We love peace but let us look to have our peace thorow the strength of God put those together the Lord hath promised it do you pleade this promise though we seem weak yet the Lord will give his people strength and so he will blesse his people with peace We must work our peace by improving Gods strength not thinke to get peace by a sluggish complyance a base unworthy yeelding to our adversaries Jer. 14 19. We looked for peace it seemes they were in some treaties and there is no good for healing and behold trouble all their treaties came to nothing But mark what follows ver 20. We acknowledge O Lord our wickednes the iniquity of our fathers O Lord we dwell amongst people that are set on fire we speake of peace yea when they speake of peace they have mischiefe in their hearts O Lord our wickednesse and the iniquity of our fathers is great O Lord pardon our iniquity This is the way to have peace to make up our peace with God Thirdly Thorough Reformation is the way to bring peace Mark how it riseth They shall call me no more Baali then will I break the bow when they shall break of throughly their Idolatry then will I break the bow the sword so long as they worship false gods war shall be in their gates but when they shall throughly reforme and set up my worship in that way that I wil have then will I break the bow That is the way if we could trust God for it Here is our baseness that we will not trust God in this way of peace we are ready think that reformation will bring disturbance O no reformation is the way to a thorow peace Let our wisdomes be pure and then certainly it will be peaceable We have a most excellent Scripture for this Isa 33. 20. Jerusalem is there promised to be a quiet habitation what followeth ver 22. For the Lord is our judge the Lord is our law-giver the more we entertain him as judge our lawgiver the more peace we shall have Isa 9. 7. Of his government peace there shal be no end When the government of Christ commeth then cometh peace Zach. 6. 13. He shal rule upon his throne be a Priest upon his throne the counsel of peace shal be between them both that is advance Christ in his Kingly Office as well as in his priestly Office then there shal be a counsell of peace VVhat is the reason that the counsell of peace hath not prevayled to this day We have cause to feare they have not beene set betweene both betweene the Kingly Office and Priestly Office of Christ to advance them both Esay 32. 17. 18. The works of righteousnesse shal be peace and the
with his mercy and think Oh we are in covenant with God and God hath pardoned our sins what need we care take heed of growing want on thou maist suffer fearfull things in this world Though God may save your souls yet you may be brought into as wofull a condition in your ovvn apprehensions as ever any creature was upon the earth And for England though it is true we have as many arguments of the love of God to 〈◊〉 as ever any nation had but yet who knows what this generation may suffer that hath so sullied it self with superstitious vanities We may be brought into vvefullslavery and then God may raise up unto himself another generation upon whom he will be stow the mercy intended Fourthly Those who will take their fill of delight to the flesh in a sensual use of the creature it is just with God they should be cut short be made to live meanly and basely to be made to feed with course fare with barley The Jews had their delicates before they fared deliciously now they must be sed worse then their servants and eare that which was meate for beasts How many hath God thus dealt withall who not long since had their tables furnished with the choysest sare with variety of dishes now perhaps are glad of a harley loafe for themselves and their children Again If God will not utterly destroy a people as he might but reserve mercy for them at last though they have never such a meane subsistence for the present yet they have cause to blesse God Though this here be a threatning yet there is a promise in it The people of Israel if they knew all had no cause to murmur at Gods dealing but to admire at his mercy though they had but a little barley to sustaine them And suppose God should bring us in England into a low condition so as we may be glad of a barley loafe we know famine commonly followes warre it was wont to be a phrase browne bread and the gospell is good fare and God may bring that upon us in another way then ever yet we or our fore-fathers were acquainted with but yet if the Lord do not cast us off utterly from being his people though he feed us with brown bread though we have never so mean a subsistance for the present we shall have cause to blesse his name Lastly It is the way of God to humble those he intendeth good unto to prepare them for mercy by cutting them short of these outward comforts If the Lord hath dealt so with any of you you have lived full-handed perhaps wives have brought good portions to their husbands and now they are broke and all is lost perhaps you had good friends in the Countrey many of them are plundered in their estates now you are faine to fare meanly and if you have bread for your children you think it well but consider this Is not God now humbling me and thereby preparing my heart for himself Oh blessed be God for this my condition this bread is sweeter to me then all the dishes I have had in my life VVhen you sit in your houses with your wives and children and have nothing but barley bread to feed upon have these thoughts I hope God doth this in love mercy he is making this my condition the best condition I was ever in the greatest blessing to me Verse 3. And I said unto her thou halt abide for me many dayes thou shalt not play the harlot and thou shalt not be for another man so will I also be for thee You shall not only be in such a low condition as a slave and worse then a maid servant and be sed with barley but you shall abide thus abide thus many dayes Thus they have abode these sixteene hundred yeares since Christs time besides their former captivity The Lord would have a full experience of Israel that their hearts were throroughly humbled before he would take them to mercy again There was never any people dealt more falsely with God in their humiliations then they had done before How often when they were in misery did they come with their seeming humiliation cryed for mercy and God â—â—â—wed them mercy and assoone as they were delivered they fell off againe and went after their Idols and then being in misery again they cryed to God and he delivered them and then presently to their Idols again Well saith God I will not deale so with you hereafter I will not trust you so as I have done you have beene in misery and I have delivered you when you cryed to me and then you have fallen to your sins againe but now you shall be humbled to purpose you shâ—l be â—ow many yeers in this low and meane condition and then your hearts â—â—ll be thâ—rowly broken so that when you shall returne to me againe you shall never fall from me God hath dealt so with many of you you have been in affliction God hath delivered you you have gone to your sinnes again you have been in affliction againe and he hath delivered you you have fell to your sins again and thus you have dallyed with the great God God may bring a fore long affliction upon you that you shall be so thorowly humbled that you shall never goe back againe to your sins as you have done This is the meaning abide many dayes When we would scoure purge a filthy garment thorowly we do not onely wash it but wee lay it a soaking a great while and a frosting many nights the Jews have lyne a soaking frostning many hundred yeeres this is the hardnesse of mans heart afflictions wil not work presently though many wedges be put into many blows struck upon knotty wood it stirs not some metals are long in melting yea though the fire be very hot Againe Here we see it is Gods ordinary way when he promiseth mercy to seeme to goe quite contrary to a people to seem as if he would quite destory them I will marry my self unto them in loving kindness and in mercies but yet I will let this people be above sixteen hundred yeers in this forlorne condition And so it hath been in all Gods administrations since the beginning of the world When God comes to humble sinners they must be content to be humbled Gods own time they must not out of a sudden furious humor say Lord how long I have been thus long in a sad condition I have prayed thus long Is your sadness affliction eternal Oh no a yeer or two perhaps but you have deserved eternity of misery Thou shalt abide for me many dayes thou shalt not play the harlot thou shalt not be for another man so will I also be for thee That is in all this time you must have a care of your self that you do not seek after other lovers let me have experience that you will now worship the
frame it is laborious and industrious to know the mind of God Whereas the heart of a sinner heretofore lay dead dull never stirred after God now it is in a stirting in an inquiring in a seeking way this is a signe of much good though thou hast not what thou seekest for yet be comforted in this that thou art in a seeking way Their hearts shal reâ—oyce that seeke the Lord. If thou beest seeking God in his ways though thou complainest I have beene seeking a long time but I know not the minde of God I cannot apprehend the love of God the pardon of my sins yea but the hearts of those shall rejoyce that seek the Lord if thou beest in a seeking way thou art in a saving way there is cause thou shouldst rejoyce in this that God hath brought thee into such a way They shall seeke the Lord and that not saintly but to purpose auxiously Jer. 50. 4. 5. They the children of Israel and the children of Judah when they shall be both together shall goe weeping and seeke the Lord their God and they shall aske the way to Zion with their faces thitherward Many of you come to aske questions but your hearts are not right your faces the strength of your spirits are not set to yeeld to the will of God when it is revealed to you And mark how it appeares that their faces are thitherward Come say they let us joyne our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten This is to seeke God it is not meerly to goe to a Minister and aske him a question but it is to goe with our faces with the strength of our spirits set to know the minde of God above any thing in the world and so to resolve to obey what shall be revealed to be Gods mind as to be willing to enter into a perpetual Covenant to binde our selves to yeeld to whatsoever God shal reveale When you come to a Sermon you must not come to get a little notional knowledge but come with your faces towards Christ and his truth before you come you should get alone if you be a true seeker and enter into Covenant with God that whatsoever God revealeth to be his minde you will yeeld to it obey it though you have heretofore gone against many truths revealed to be the minde of God but Lord no more now here I am ready and willing to enter into an everlasting covenant to be under the command of every truth Here is the right seeking of God They shall seeke the Lord their God their God this hath two references either to what is past or to what is to come To what is past their God that is the God who was once the God of the Jews the God of their forefathers the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob. And secondly their God that is that God that is yet ready and willing to be reconciled to them not withstanding all their sinnes Thus they shal seek the Lord their God These two references afford two excellent Observations First This prevailes much with the heart of an Apostate when he can but think what God was once unto him before he did Apostatize and what he was unto his godly parents and predecessors There was a time that I enjoyed God sweetly when I went to prayer I had blessed communion with him it is otherwise with me now I have apostatized Let this consideration catch hâ—ld upon thy heart and turn it this day Oh turne turn thou apostate soul God who was once thy God in a gracious manner is that God that thou hast vilely forsaken yea thy fathers God also Thou hast a godly father a godly grand-father remember what a blessed God he was unto them and return Secondly Their God that God that yet they may have hope to enjoy notvvithstanding all their departings from him Hence the note is this The apprehension oâ— a possibilty to obtaine mercie from the Lord is a strong means to draw the heart to returne to him when they look upon God as a God in covenant with them yet and there is nothing to the contrary but he may be their God Let this be an argument to catch hold upon the spirits of all sinners who are departed from God thou hast departed from God in a soule and vile manner but Men and Angels know nothing to the contrary but that he may be thy God for all this Let me speake to the vilest sinner that is in this place before the Lord this day thou hast indeed most desperately and wickedly sinned against God the Jews have done so Hast thou crucified Christ they have done so hast thou denied the truth and followed false waies they have done so Notwithstanding all thy wicked and evil waies seeing thou art yet alive I doe this day yet once more pronounce thee in the name of the great God that there is nothing to the contrary that either Angels or Men can possibly know but that God may be thy God and that this day God may enter into covenant with thee thou with him this night he may come in and sup with thee and thou with him there may be a blessed reconciliation between God and thee return return thou sinful soul The Third Lecture HOSEA 3. 5. And David their King and shall feare the Lord and his goodnesse in the latter dayes THat the Jews shall returne and believe in Christ is most ordinary and famous both in the words and hearts of those that are faithfull saies Augustine In this their returne and seeking God they shall seek David their King For the opening this there are these five things to be inquired into 1. Who this David was 2. Why David is rather named then any other 3. Why he is mentioned in this place 4. Why joyned with seeking Jehovah 5. Why this Epithet is added to David here David their King For the first David clearly is meant JESUS CHRIST Nothing is more manifest then that Christ is meant by the name of David sayes Augustine The Scripture is cleare in this it is usuall in the Gospel to call Christ by the name of David Compare Esay 55. 3. with Acts 13. 34. Esay 55. I will give you the sure mercies of David what are those Act. 13. that place in Isaiah is quoted and there the word is Sancta Davidis the holy things of David the holy Ghost there going according to the Translation of the Septuagint as it is usuall in the New Testament And that Psalm 16. 9. 10. where David seemes to speake in his owne person Thou wilt not leave my soul in grave nor suffer thy holy One to see corruption this is interpreted of Christ Act. 13. 36. 37. Act. 15. 16. In the Assembly the Church of Jerusalem together with messengers of the Church of Antioch James makes a speech to the Assembly tels them of a prophesie that God would raise the
people but the powers of Kings and Emperours the highest powers in the world whatsoever is lofty in the world shall be shaken when Christ comes to take the kingdom to himself the Father will set him King upon his holy hill Though the Kings of the earth set themselves and the Rulers take counsell together against the Lord against his Anoynted saying Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us he that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision then shall he speake to them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion yet have I done it though the kings of the earth and great ones of the world fret vex and rage and gather power together though they blaspheme and say he shall not raigne the Lord sitteth in heaven and laugheth at them let them do what they can and gather what strength they can oppose to the uttermost they can Yet will I set my King upon my holy hill This is acceptable news it is the joyfull voyce of the Gospel to tell you of Christs comming to raigne in the world Esay 52. 7. How beautifull upon the mountaines are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings What are those good tidings this tidings that saith unto Zion Thy Godraigneth This is the triumph of the Church Esay 33. 22. The Lord is our judge the Lord is our law-giver the Lord is our King for then shall the Churches be delivered from the oppression of all Tyrants in the world And this Kingdom of Christs shall indeed be like Davids kingdome Christ shal be David the King I might shew you the parallels in many things but I will only parallel the kingdome of Christ and of David in these two particulars First David of all the Princes that ever were was one of the most gentle he was exceeding loving and sweet unto his subjects that you shal finde 1 Chron. 28. 2. Then David the King stood up upon his feet said he are me my brethren and my people Marke how a King speaks speaking to his people he stood upon his feet and said heare me my brethren and my people Thus the kingdome of Christ is set out to us Psal 45. 4. In thy Majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meeknesse Christ shall be a most meeke King hee shall not be a bloody King to his people he shall not be a King â—â—â—ing in viòlence and harshness so as not to care for the love of his people his singer shall not be heavier then the loynes of others but he shall rule his people with all gentleness Therefore the government of Christ is set out 〈◊〉 a sheâ—he 〈…〉 leading those that are with young 〈◊〉 â—his David David and CHRIST are parallel Psal 78. 70. 71. He chose David his servant tooke him from the sheep-folds from following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people and Israel his inheritance So the Kingdome of Christ Esay 40. having spoken ver 9. of the glad tidings of the Kingdome it followeth He shall feed his flocke like a shepheard he shall gather the lambs with his arme and carry them in his bosome and shall gently leade those that are with young When Christ shal raigne he shal have great respect to the good and comfort of his people over whom heraigneth he shall not raigne over them without regard to their liberties and what may be for the comfort of their lives the good of his people and his own glory shall be put both in one Secondly David their King in regard of faithfulnesse David was exceeding faithfull to his people and therefore the mercies of God in Christ are called the sure mercies of David because David was found faithfull before the Lord. Psal 45. 4. is the Prophesie of Christs Kingdom the Text saith In thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousnesse there shall be righteousness in the Kingdome of Christ This is a blessed thing when we may confide and fully venture our estates liberties and our lives upon the promises of those who are above us VVe know how many there are about great personages to take them off from those things that they have promised though never so seriously and with never such solemne protestations to performe them I will give you a story or two remarkable for this to shew what danger people have been in when they have confided upon the promises of Princes when there have beene those about them that endeavoured to take of their hearts from performing what they had ingaged themselves to You shall finde in the life of Edward the sixth this story The King sends his Letters to London in the behalfe of the Duke of Somerset the then Protector there were divers of the Lords rose up against him thinking he did oppresse the people and they sent the same time their Letters to London for their aide and assistance hereupon there was a Common Counsell called in the City and amongst them there was one that the story saith was a wise and an honest man one George Stadlowe and he speakes thus to the Counsell I remember saith he a story written in Fabians Chronicle of the wars between Henry the third and his Barons at which time the Baronsdemanded aide of the City of London as our Lords do now and that in a rightfull cause for the good of the Common-wealth for the execution of divers good lawes against the King who would not suffer those lawes to be put in execution and the City did aide them and it came unto an open bartell and the Lords prevailed against the King and tooke the King and his sonne prisoners and upon certaine conditions the Lords restored the King his son again to their liberties amongst other conditions this was one that the King should not only grant his pardon to the Lords but also to the Citizens of London which was granted and the condition of their accommodation of peace were ratifâ—ed by act of Parliament but saith the story what followed of it was it forgotten no surely nor forgiven neither during the Kingslife the libeties of the Cities were taken away strangers were appointed to be our head governours the Citizens their bodies and goods were given away and so from one persecution to another they were most miserably afflicted Again in the history of Queen Maries time we find that Qeene Mary because there was some dispute about her comming to the Crowne at that time she went down into Suffolke to the place where the Duke that then rose up for another was most hated and she being at Framingham Castle the Suffolke men came to her and promised their â—ide upon condition that she would not attemp the alteration of Religion which her brother King Edward before had established she promised them there should be no innovation of
not give the people throughout the Kingdom a heart to stick to the Cause of the Truth and to those whom they have intrusted with their estates liberties and lives in every good way it were the heaviest judgement of God that ever was upon a Nation since the beginning of the earth it would never be paralleld that ever a people should have such an opportunity put into their hands to help themselves aud to vindicaâ—e themselves from slavery and bondage yet out of I know not what respects to betray all those that have ventured their lives for them and to have their blood shed I say it were such an example as were not to be paralleld since the beginning of the world Therefore I beseech you my brethren let us lay this to heart and the Lord make known to us all what is to be done in such a time as this that we may not be stripped naked and set as in the day wherein we were borne The Third Lecture HOSEA part of the third verse and verse 4. And make her as a wildernesse and set her like a dry land and slay her with thirst And I will not have mercy upon her children for they be the children of whoredomes IN the first part of this second Chapter wee have already shewed part of Gods threatning even to strip his people naked as in the day wherein they were borne to bring them into as low and mean a condition as ever they were in Now that which was more generally exprest the last day we have in the latter end of this third Verse more particularly set forth unto us And make her as a wildernesse and set as a dry land God would bring this people that dwelt in the land of Canaan flowing with milke and honey that were in regard of the beauty that God had put upon them excellent for beauty now to be as a wildernesse In the former Chapter you heard that the state of the Ten Tribes vvas set out by Hoseas wife her name was Gomer ad this Gomer was the daughter of Diblaim Gomer signifieth perfection and what Diblaim signifieth I told you then But now there is another signification of this Diblaim that we are to refer unto this expression of the Lord in this place that he will make her as a wildernesse for you shall finde Ezek. 6. 14. that there is mention made of a desolate countrey and a wildernesse that was towards Diblath to which this that the Prophet speaks of the mother of Gomer may seem to have reference Diblath then it appeareth was a place where there was a very desolate waste wildernesse and Gomer was the daughter of this Diblath from whence Diblaim that is Though the ten Tribes were as Gomer in regard of their beauty perfect for so they were yet she was the doughter of Diblath or Diblaim that is she came forth out of a low and meane condition and was even brought out of a wildernesse now shee shall be brought again into the same estate wherein shee was for I will set her as a wildernesse As a wildernesse The Church of God is in it selfe Gods garden a garden inclosed and so it is called Cant. 4. 12. As a garden inclosed is my sister my Spouse It is the place of Gods delight not a place for beasts to come into but inclosed they are to be kept out of it a place where very precious fruits doe grow that are very pleasing to God a place that hath the dew the showers of Gods blessing the dew of Hermon the dew that descendeth upon the mountains of Zion there God commandeth his blessing even life for evermore But now she must come to be a wildernesse For first the hedge the pale the wall of Gods protection shall be taken away from her and she shall be laid open lyable for all wilde beasts to come in and to devoure her They loved liberty and were loth to be inclosed though it were in Gods garden though it was with the pale wall of Gods protection Well seeing you will have liverty you shall have liberty and this pale and wall of my garden shall be taken away and your condition shall be like the condition of the beasts in the wildernesse Againe you shall be as a wildernesse There shall no good grow among you There was no good grew amongst you that was your sin and there shall no good grow among you that shall be your plague and punishment The blessing of God shall be taken away from you you shall not have those showers of blessing as formerly you were wont to have but you shall be as a wildernesse Jer. 17. 5. 6. Cursed be that man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and departeth from the Lord Why For he shall be as the heath in the desart and shall not see when good commeth and he shall inherite the parched places of the wildernesse in a salt land Vatablus interprets this judgement upon the hearts of Idolaters they are dry unsavory they are destitute of all spirituall good And I will set her as a dry land So the Septuagint read it I will order you so Your sinnes bring you out of order but Gods plagues order that which sin doth disdorder At a dry land This is contrary to the blessing of a godly man for he is said to be as the tree planted by the river of water The graces and comforts of Gods Spirit are compared to waters in the Scripture Psal 87. 7. All my springs are in thee All my comforts all the gifts that I have all the graces that I have are in thee But now God will set them as a dry land he will take away his gifts and take away their comforts from them and so leave them wast and desolate The Observation then from hence is That sinne is of a wasting nature sinne layeth wast Countreyes and places that people live in VVee have a most remarkable place of Scripture for that Zach. 7. 14. They laid the pleasant land desolate They who are they you shall finde it ver 12. Those that made their hearts as an Adamant stone lest they should heare the law and the words which the Lord of Hosts had sent in his spirit by the former Prophets They made the pleasant land desolaâ—e VVe cry out of those that make stripe and waste and there are actions commenced against them O let not us lay waste this pleasant land this good laud of ours this garden of the Lord. It is indeed as an Eden as a Paradise our fore-fathers have left us this our land as Gods garden let not us through our sinnes leave it to our posterities as a wildernesse and a dry land Psal 107. 34. there is a threatning that God will make a fruitfull land barren for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein Sinne hath heretofore laid wast as pleasant and fruitfull Countreys as ours Those that travell in Germanie their hearts even bleed
made they had not got the victory over their enemies but onely a promise that God would be with them presently Jehosaphat all the people fell a singing A gracious heart seeth cause enough to sing if he have got but a promise but much more when he hath got the performance If the promise of a mercy hath such sweetnesse in it what sweetnesse then hath the mercy of the promise But the promise was not only barely fulfilled but fulfilled with a high hand and that made them sing This may be another Observation When God appeareth remarkably with a high hand in delivering his people then the mercy is to be accounted a precious mercy indeed and all the people of the Lord should sing and praise him Esay 43. 19. 20. mark there when God had told of an extraordinary hand of his in a way of mercy saith he I will plant them in the wildernesse and so goeth on Then saith he shal this be that they may see and know understand consider that the hand of the Lord hath done this and the Holy One of Israel hath created it When Gods imediate hand doth a thing when it helps a people in an extraordinary way he expects that they should see and know and consider and understand together All these expressions are heaped one upon another And if any people be called to this we are at this day God hath appeared extraordinarily to us Oh that we had eyes to see Oh that we had hearts to consider and understand that we might give God the glory that is due to him The Fifteenth Lecture HOSEA 2. 15. 16. And she shall sing there as in the dayes of her youth and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt And it shall be at that day saith the Lord that thou shalt call me Ishi and shalt call me no more Baali SOme few Observations are to be added to the 15. verse Mercies that have been much sought for that have had many cryes sent up to God to obtaine when once they are granted should cause singing forth the praises of God The people of Israel cryed much before God granted them deliverance from Egypt Exodus 3. 7. I have heard their cryes saith God And God sayes here They shall sing as they did when they came out of Egypt Psal 22. 26. They shall praise the Lord that seek him The more we seek God for any mercy the more we shall praise God when we have obtained that mercy Psal 28. 6. 7. Blessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voyce of my supplication my heart trusted in him and I am helped What followeth Therefore my heart greatly rejoyceth and with my song will I praise him Because God had heard the voyce of his supplication therefore with his song he would praise him Those mercies that we get by crying unto God those are singing mercies indeed Such mercies as come to us only through a generall providence without seeking to God they are not such sweet mercies as Hannah said to Eli concerning her son whom she had got by prayer and therefore named him Samuel Sought of God As thy soul liveth this is the son this is the child that I was here praying for and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him This she spake triumphing in Gods goodnesse Mercies got by prayer may be triumphed in When you want a mercy pray much for it the more you pray for it the more you will sing when you have it and the lesse prayer went before the lesse singing will follow after Further Mercies that make way for the enjoyment of Ordinances are very sweet mercies singing mercies They shall sing as they did when they came up out of the land of Egypt Why did they sing when they came up out of the land of Egypt Because that mercy that deliverance from Egypt made way to that rich mercy of the injoyment of Gods worship in his Ordinances How doth that appear Thus Exod. 15. where they sung when they came out of Egypt ver 2. I will build him an habitation saith Moses together with the people they rejoyced in that that now they were going on in the way to build God an habitation but more ver 13. Thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation as if Moses and the Israeliâ—es should say this indeed is a great deliverance that we are delivered out of bondage but what is this but in order to a higher mercy that we looke at yet further that is guiding of thy people in thy strength to thy habitation we looke upon this present mercy of our deliverance for which we doe now sing and give thee praise but in order to the guiding of thy people to thy habitation and that in thy strength as if Moses should say Lord there will be a great many difficulties between this and our comming to enjoy thy habitation but thou wilt guide us in thy strength thy strength shall carry thy people along till it bring them to thy habitation this was that which made them sing so chearfully as they did And again v. 17. Thou shalt bring them in and plant them in the mountaine of thine inheritance in the place O Lord which thou hast made for thee to dwell in in the sanctuary O Lord which thy hands have established This was that that made them so sing So David Psa 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that I will seeke after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord to enquire in his Temple That is a choice mercy therefore all mercies that make way for that mercy are indeed sweet mercies So we should looke upon all our deliverances from outward troubles and whatsoever peace God giveth us to enjoy as sweet and comfortable in order to this mercy of enjoying Gods mountaine of living in Godâ— habitation that we may dwell there all the dayes of our life A third Observation is New mercies should renew the memory of old They shall sing as in the day when they came up out of the land of Egypt that is I will grant to them yet further mercies and that mercy that I shall grant shall renew the memory of all the former mercies they have enjoyed from me As new guilt renews the memory of former guilt so new mercies the memory of former Hath God delivered you from any danger now were you never delivered before if but when you were a childe those deliverances you now have should bring into your memory what then were So in a nation doth God grant to a nation any new mercy this new mercy should bring into the memory of that nation all the former mercies that ever that nation hath received Psal 68. 26. Blesse ye God in the congregatations even the Lord from the fountaine of Israel Not only
the meaning of that First in their captivity saith God though you shal be long in captivity and in a low condition be content do not take any other god to be marryed unto as your husband I will be content I will stay I will have no other people upon the earth but you all the while you are in captiviâ—y But how doth God abide for Israel now God hath chosen the Gentiles how theâ— doth he stay for them Yes certainly God stayes for Israel to this day thus First all the Gentiles that are called they come into God as being joyned to the people of the Jews God honoured the Jews so farre as that all the Gentiles that doe come in are to be made the Israel of God But rather further thus God abides for the people of the Iews to this day in this sense God never hath taken nor never will take to himselfe any Nation upon the earth to be a nationall Church as the Jewes were and as it is probable the Jews shall be at their calling again though God takes the Gentiles that are converted and severall Congregations to be Churches but to marry himselfe to a whole Nation in that way as the Iews were that is if a man be born of that Nation it shall be sufficient to make him a member of the Church this God did never do since the Iews rejection and never will do it till the Iews be called again though God takes Kingdomes and so in some figurative sense a Nation perhaps may be called a Church but to speak properly and strictly to be a Church so as the Iews were there is no such nationall Church nor never will be till the calling in of the Iews again then God will be marryed to that Nation in a more glorious manner then ever God abideth to this day for that glory which hee intendeth for Iesus Christ untill they come in And this I take to be a great reason why God for the present suffers his Churches to bee persecuted so much as they are herein God suffers himselfe as well as they the Church ever since Christs time hath been in a low and persecuted condition the wicked have prevailed What is the reason God abideth for this people of the Iews and hee is pleased himself to undergoe many sufferings in the mean time do you abide for me I will be content to suffer much dishonour my selfe many shall come in to Christ but yet they shal be a poor contemptible people the wicked of the world shall prevail against them shall scorn them shall contemne them so that I shall not appear to the world to be their Husband untill you be called again I shall be as it were without a wife but when the time shall come that you shall return to me then I wiâ— manifest my selfe indeed you shall be a most glorious Church and then there shall be such a full marriage between us that all the world shall acknowledge it then they shall all come and say Come behold the Bride the Lambs wife This is the scope of this Scripture from whence these Observations First Husbands should not require of their wives any thing but what they will answerably do for them God doth so here Abide for me saith hee and I will abide for you there shall be parpari like for like Many husbands will require hard things from their wives but will doe little themselves and on the other side wives expect great things from their husbands but do little themselves There must be a proportion betweene what the wife expects from the husband and what shee doth to or for her husband and so mutually 2. In our sadde condition God suffereth as well as wee This may helpe us in our sufferings we should thinke though wee suffer much God suffereth as much as we why then â—â—ould we think much the people of the Iews if they had hearts might see it now God stayes for his honour till they come in So in all the persecutions of the Church doth not Christ suffer in that the great work of Reformation doth not go on It is true we are grieved 〈◊〉 Spirit of God is grieved as well as we and suffereth as much as we God â—oth as it were abide for us and stays for his glory Wee desire it is true â—hat God would come in and manifest himselfe then we shall be happy and â—ejoyce but so long as God stays our happinesse he stays his own glory What abundance of glory doth God lose in those praises hee should have if the Reformation were presently perfected but God hath other ends God is content to stay for his prayses let us be content to stay for what we desire to have it concerns God to hasten the work as much yea farre more then it concerns us to desire it we suffer something for want of it but God suffers more 3. That people or that soul that endureth hardship a long time for God and resolveth to reserve it self for him so as if it cannot have comfort in God it will have none elsewhere may assure it selfe that God reserveth himselfe for it Certainly nothing shall take off the heart of God but there will be a blessed marriage between that soule that people and him Is there ever a poor creature here is in a sad condition God seemeth to deal hardly with it yet hee findeth in himselfe this frame of spirit well though God seem to leave me and I am thus desolate yet if I can have no comfort here I will have none elsewhere I wil be content to stay and wait no creature shal have my heart It is true I am not able to guide my selfe but I am resolved the Devil shal never guide me I am not able to do the will of God but I will never do the wil of the Devil and if God should leave me never so long nay leave me eternally I wil never have any other husband I wil rather dye a widow I wil never let out my self to any if he doe not come in and marry himself to me I wil be without comfort as long as I live Is thy heart in this frame Peace be unto thee certainly God intends thoughts of mercy to thy soule there wil certainly be a marriage betweene God and thy soule And this frame of heart where it is oh how wil it help against temptation when a poor soul is in distresse and it may be God seemeth to go off further further I have prayed long and long and yet God seems not to heare afflictions they prevail why do you pray any more why do you come and heare any more you were as good leave off at first God wil never come you were as good take your pleasure for a while you can but perish at the last This temptation many times comes very sorely upon poor distressed soules But now when the heart can answer it is true the Lord indeed seemeth to be
gone and I have cause to fear lest he should reject me but become of mee what wil yet I wil never have any other husband never any other comfort but God comfort no other peace but the peace of God and I am resolved that if I 〈◊〉 I wil perish crying for it if thou beest in this frame waiting for GOD GOD is waiting for thee in wayâ—â— of his mercy and at 〈…〉 bowels of GODS mercy will yerne towards that as the bowels of Joseph yerned towards his brethren so that he could hold no longer You know Joseph for a long time used his brethren hardly but his brethren yet behaved themseves humbly and submissively toward him and at length he could not refraine so it may be God useth thee some what hardly for a while yet do thou keep in an humble and submissive frame of spirit unto him do that which beseemeth a creature to do whatsoever God doth to thee it is fit God should exercise his absolute power over me and that I should do my duty to him do this and be sure thou art a soul that God will marry himself unto in the end Fourthly So farre as we are willing to be for God God is willing to be for us God requires that you should seek him with your whole heart Jer. 29. 13. Mark how God answereth I will rejoyce over them to doe them good yea I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soule Will you seeke God with your whole heart I will do you good saith God with my whole heart God is as willing to doe for you as you are to do for him if all the faculties of your souls work toward God all the attributes in God shall worke for your good If thy estate be wholly given up for God Gods riches shall be wholly for thee VVouldest thou know how Gods heart works toward thee do but lay thine hand upon thy own heart according to the beatings of thine heart towards God so are the workings of the heart of God toward thee thou mayest determine it thus thou canst not goe up to heaven to know it but go into thine owne heart and there thou mayest know As a man may know by the working of an engine within how the workings are abroad That is the reason that the Saints when they have had their hearts enlarged in prayer they have come to be resolved what God will do for them or for his Church as it is said of Luther when he was in prayer one time more then ordinarily earnest with God he comes down to his frinds and saith well it shall goe well with Germany all my dayes look ye to it afterward he knew what was done in heaven by what was done in his own heart We may know in a great measure what God meaneth to doe with his Churches according to the inward beatings of our own hearts Further See here the happy advantage of the Saints beyond the men of the world thus Be you for me saith God I will be for you The men of the world can say I am for the world the world is for me I am for my honour and my honor is for me I am for my whore and my whore is for me this is all their happines but now a Saint can say I am for God and God is for me Oh the goodness of God toward us that he is willing to be for us as we are for him for him alas what can we be for him we are poor worms vile creatures in our selves what can we do he hath no need of us we are bound to do all that we do It is all one as if a king should come to a poor beggar say thus poor man thou hast but little yet do what you can for me I will do what I can for you this were a mighty disproportion Alas what can the beggar do for the King If you will but use your staffe or what you have for me I will use my riches glory and all for your good saith the King to the beggar So saith God to a poore creature Be you for me and I will be for you stand for me and I will stand for you use any thing you have forme and I will use what I have for you Oh the blessed condition of the Saints who would not be for God Do not now say alas I am a poore vile and unworthy creature so were the Jews do not say I am gone a whoring from God and dealt falsely with him the Jews did so yet saith God whensoever you will be for me I will be for you It is now the great question amongst us who are you for I will put the question to you all who are you for Are your hearts wholly given up to God or are you for your lusts for the creature certainly the creature will deceive you ere long you will have no good from the creature that now you are so much for if you be not for God now hee will send you to the creature in the time of your distresse There is a time comming that every one of us shall see the need we have that God be for us let us be for God now that God may be for us then when we come to cry to him and say Oh Lord let thy mercy and goodnesse be for us he will say who were you for you were for your lusts now goe to your lusts you would have none of me before I will have none of you now Pro. 1. 26. 27. You would have none of my reproofe I also will laugh at your calamity and mock when your feare commeth Marke They would have none of Gods reproofe hee doth not say they would have none of my mercy they would have none of my grace therefore I will laugh at their destruction but they would have none of my reproofe why the reproofes of God are the bitterest the harshest things of all yet because they would have none of Gods reproofes he laughes at their destruction What shall become of them then who will have none of the riches of Gods grace offered to them in Christ The Second Lecture HOSEA 3. 4. 5. For the children of Israel shal abide many dayes without a King and without a Prince and without a sacrifice and without an image and without an Ephod and without a Teraphim Afterward shall the children of Israel returne and seek the Lord their God HEre is much privation six withouts 1. without a King 2. without a Prince 3. without a sacrifice 4. without an image 5. without an Ephod 6. without a Teraphim but the last verse makes all up They shall return and seeke the Lord their God and David their King These withouts shew the wofull confused estate that Israel was to be in for many dayes many years both in regard of their Civill and of their Church state The Civill State without a