have lost or spare to be left to ruine 3. For others but more especially for Sion for Jerusalem for the Church and people of God we should for such mercies be very importunate as these here and the Prophets and people of God elsewhere as the Prophet Isaiah 62. 1. For Sions sake will I not hold my peace and for Jerusalem's sake will I not rest untill the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness and the salvation thereof as a Lamp that burneth Here the Prophet professeth his serious purpose of an unwearied constant sollicitation of God for his Church of which Sion was a type and it is till its righteousness go forth c. And thus earnest zealous and importunate should we be for the Church and people of God we should not onely propound our desires but press and enforce them as it is said afterward of the watchmen upon the walls of Jerusalem v. 6. I have set watchmen upon thy walls O Jerusalem which shall never hold their peace day nor night and then it follows ye that make mention of the Lord or nearer the Hebrew Rememorantes Dominum vel qui reminiscimini Domini Ye that are the Lord's remembrancers or ye that mind the Lord to wit of his Church whose office it is to be still minding and solliciting him in its behalf it is a term borrowed from the manner of Princes who have certain Officers called their Remembrancers to mind them of such matters as concern the publick weal and welfare and what an honour and priviledg is it to be remembrancers to the King of Heaven and this honour have not onely his Ministers but all his people not that God is subject to forgetfulness or can forget his Church and the things that concern its weal but for his own glory and his peoples greater comfort God will have it be thus viz. that he be earnestly sollicited and sought to and these now are bid to give him no rest till he establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the Earth i. e. they must continue instant and constant in prayer be urgent and importunate with God untill he hear and put his Church into such a condition that all may praise her or for which she may become famous throughout the whole world And thus let us both Ministers and people resolve to do not to hold our peace day nor night nor keep silence nor give the Lord rest till he establish and till he make our Jerusalem a praise to the Earth Let us not onely call upon his name but stir up our selves to take hold of him let us put forth all our strength put out our selves to the utmost yet to stay him with us for wo to us if he depart from us Want of this the Prophet Isaiah complains of and acknowledges as a great sin Is 64. 6. And we all says he do fade as a leaf and our iniquities like the wind have taken us away and yet there is none v. 7. that calleth upon thy name that addresseth himself unto thee at least aright or but very few so few as that they were not as it were seen nor did appear but were hid in the multitude or if more did call upon his name yet they did not stir up themselves to take hold of God to stay him with them though he threatened Emphasis est in verbo tenendi sumptâ metaphorâ á patre irato manum ad ferulam expediente cujus manum apprehensam alius teneat conhibeátque nè feriat filium Arular in locum and was upon his departure from them or they took not hold of his hand to stay him from striking them in his anger for thou hast hid thy face from us and hast consumed us because of our iniquities And so the particle is used elsewhere or as some when thou didst hide thy face from us c. and so it is an heavy aggravation of their stupidity sluggishness and security thà t though the Lord did manifest his displeasure against them by the withdrawing the light of his countenance from them and consumed them because of their iniquities as he hath done us yet such was their stupor and sluggishness that notwithstanding they did not stir up themselves to take hold of him though he seem'd to be a going and truely not to stir up our selves at such a time does stir up the Lord the more against us such neglects do much provoke for at such times we should be more than ordinary zealous earnest and importunate sollicitors for Sion not onely proposing our desires but enforcing and pressing the same with all fervency And such let us be O let every prayer be a pleading a wrestling with strong resolution not to let him go till he return in mercy unto Sion and with a smiling and favourable countenance look upon it How earnest and sollicitous was Daniel for Jerusalem in that prayer of his Dan. 9. 3. And I set my face to the Lord God this shews his earnestness setting all other things aside to seek by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes and v. 17. Now therefore O our God hear the prayer of thy servant and his supplications Supplication differs from prayer as being a further degree of enforcing our petitions either by redoubling our suits or pressing them with arguments And cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuary for the Lord's sake i. e. shew thy grace and favour by the effects thereof in restoring thy publick worship to the people and v. 19. O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and defer not for thine own sake O my God for thy city and thy people are called by thy name here is further fervency earnestness and holy zeal in prayer uttering strong cryes So David Psal 14. 7. O that the salvation of Israel were come out of Sion or who will give the salvation of Israel c. or O that some would give it is a Non tam privatim de se cogitat quam de communi Ecclesiae salute sollicitus form and phrase of earnest wishing usual with the Hebrews and often used in Scripture elsewhere and it gives us to see how sollicitous David was for Israel's salvation he forgot himself as it were for to remember that and so should we CHAP. V. The several points of Doctrine observable from the words as more particular and as being implied Doctr. 1. We are all by nature turn'd aside and gone away from God Else what needed this being turn'd again and this is observable from the words as they respect those who were never yet turn'd and therefore are here prayed for that they may be turn'd or converted Indeed as God at first made us he was with us and we with him and our faces were unto him but now having sinned our backs are upon him and we are gone away from him and by going on in sin we go away still further from him and this the Scripture every
and true and proper center and Ps 116. 7. chief good of the Soul Return unto thy rest O my Soul c. he is our utmost and ultimate good so that the soul hath no further to go when once it is come to him but is as the stone when it is come to the earth which is its center But as for all else there is still something beyond them but nothing beyond God and therefore it was well thought of of those that resolved to go and return to their first husband for then Hosea 2. 7. was it better with them than now and if we return to him he hath promised to heal our backslidings Return ye back-sliding children and I Jer. 2 27. will heal your back-slidings pardon the backslidings past and prevent them for the future And who would not say as they behold we come come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Doctr. 3. The Lord is the God of hosts All creatures are as it were his hosts his armies under his power and at his command and absolute dispose to imploy as he pleases as souldiers under their General and the Lord hath his hosts above and his hosts beneath and all at his beck and this is a title often given to God we have it four times in this Psalm yea Zach. 1. 3. thrice in one verse Thus saith the Lord of hosts turn ye unto me saith the Lord of Hosts and I will turn unto you saith the Lord of hosts and it is an attribute that sets forth God's allmighty power soveraignty and greatness Vse 1. Let us then fear him Let all the earth fear him let all the inhabitants of the world stand Psalm 33 8. in awe of him why he is the Lord of hosts The charets of God are twenty thousand even 68. 17. thousands of Angels the Lord is among them c. Who would not fear thee O King of Nations for to thee doth it appertain c. And fear ye not me saith the Lord O thou even thou art Jerem. 10. 7-5 22. to be feared c. Psalm 76. 7. Use 2. Take we heed then how we provoke him we are no match for him Do we provoke 1 Cor. 10. 22. the Lord says the Apostle are we stronger than he can we wage war with him or carry it against him What King says our Saviour going to make war against another King sitteth 〈◊〉 â— 31. not down first and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand c. In the 2 Chron. 14. 9. we ' read there of a very great host an host of a thousand thousand and three hundred charets but how great is God's host whose are all the hosts in heaven and earth and whose charets are twenty thousand c. and therefore Ps 4. 4. stand in awe and sin not provoke him not or if we do let us not stand it out but presently Ezek. 22. 14. submit for can thine heart says God indure or can thy hands be strong in the day that I shall deal with thee Use 3. See here the way to have the creatures Tranquillus Deus tranquillat omnia at peace with us it is to have the Lord whose hosts and armies they are and who is their General at peace with us Use 4. Let his people then trust in him Ps 84. 120. O Lord of Hosts blessed is the man that trusteth in thee c. Use 5. Let this in their addresses unto him strengthen their faith and incourage their hope as to what they go to him for as it did theirs here O what cannot the Lord God of hosts do and effect for his people c. Use 6. Let this prevail with us all to repent and turn to him because he is the Lord of hosts because of his Almighty power Soveraignty and greatness And this he himself makes use of as Zach. 1. 3. an argument thereunto Therefore say unto them Quod toties repetit Propheta nomen Dei emphaticum est ut scilicet doctrina acriâ—s pungat Calvin thus saith the Lord of hosts turn ye unto me saith the Lord of Hosts and I will turn unto you saith the Lord of Hosts Surely there is much in this to back and enforce this duty that the Lord makes use of it thrice in one verse Shall we not turn when such a God commands who being the Lord of hosts is so able to save us and succour us and do us good if we do repent and turn to him or to punish and destroy us if we do not Lo it is he that formeth the mountains Amos 4. 13. that createth the wind c. the Lord the God of hosts is his name Doctr. 4. The Lord God of hosts is he and he alone that can turn a people again unto himself That can turn them at first and turn them again being turn'd aside and therefore to him and him alone do these here address themselves both for turning those that were never yet turn'd as also for turning of those again Deus converte nos aversi enim sumus à te nisi in convertas non convertemur August in locum that were turned but had gone aside Turn us again O Lord God of hosts Thus they pray as being sensible of their own and others utter disability for to turn them without the Lord and therefore they apply themselves to him conversion being no less than the work of an Allmighty power of an omnipotent God even of him who stretcheth forth the heavens and layeth the foundations of the earth whose name is the Lord God of Hosts He must first turn to us as the Church prays O turn thy self to us again Psalm 60. 1. before we can turn to him he must first turn to us by his grace and powerful operation of his Spirit before we can turn to him by repentance We can easily indeed and of our selves turn away from God we are bent and prone to this and sin and Satan and the world and every vanity can easily do this but the Lord God of hosts can onely turn us again This indeed is the great work and business of us who are Ministers to endeavour this but we can never effect this without the Lord. 2 Kings 6. 27. As that King of Israel answered the woman that cried to him for help if the Lord do not help whence shall I help thee 2 Tim. 2. 25. In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance We return and repent but grace power and ability to do it is from God Acts 11. 21. And the hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord. Paul shewed unto them of Damascus and at all places where he came that they should repent and turn to God but it was God enabled them thereto Acts 26. 20. Hence says
the onely way for people to be saved to be blessed and happy and have it well with them and because else they perish and are ruined and undone and it will certainly be ill with them for ever And hence it is that the Lord makes use of such pathetical and affectionate expressions Say unto them as I live saith the Lord I have Ezek. 33. 11. no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye dye O house of Israel How vehemently does the Lord here expostulate and press this upon them Turn ye turn ye which denotes the height and vehemency of his affection and desire how much his heart was upon it and is there not good reason for all this why they dye and are undone and perish else for why will ye dye life and death are in these things in turning or not turning to God as life is the happy effect of the one so death and damnation is the fruit of the other And is it any wonder the Lord is then so earnest and importunate when our weal or our woe when it being well or ill with us when our happiness or our misery our being saved or eternally destroyed depends upon this And hence the Lord is not content to speak it once but speaks it again calls for it twice because it was of such absolute and indispensable necessity and not a small matter nor a business of indifferency And what infinite cause have we then to bless the Lord that he should be so intent upon this so frequently and earnestly invite us to this again and again wherein our own good is so much concerned and which is of such indispensable necessity that we cannot otherwise but perish and what can we indeed do better or wherein can we be more happy than in turning to him 6. This informs us and gives us to see whence it is that God's Prophets formerly and his Ministers alate have been and still are so frequent and earnest in preaching and pressing of this why is it because so much depends on this because they know it cannot else be well with them neither can they be saved or be happy nay they know it cannot else but be ill with them and they must else perish and be undone for ever and therefore have they and do they still so much urge and press this not onely speak but cry Be ye not as your fathers unto whom Zach. 1. 4. the former Prophets have cried thus saith the Lord of hosts turn ye from your evil ways and from your evil doings c. They do not onely call but cry yea cry out proclaim so as the rather to be heard and more to be heeded they were zealous and earnest therein why because the matter was of such importance and the danger was so great if they did not hearken And hence is it that Ministers still are so pressing and importunate as to this they pray and beseech yea and if ye will not hear saith the Prophet Jeremy Jerem. 13. 7. My soul shall mourn in secret for you and mine eyes weep sore and run down with tears c. The voice of one crying in the wilderness c. Luke 3. 4. Thus the Prophets and the Apostles cryed and Jesus Christ himself he cryed John 7. 37. In the last day that great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried saying if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink O for poor sinners to come to Christ to believe on him and repent and turn to the Lord is a matter of great consequence of infinite importance not a thing of indifferency but of absolute necessity and hence Jesus Christ is so earnest and intent upon this as appears by his posture he stood up by his vehement speaking he cried he spake with a lowd voice which shewed the fervour and ardency of his Spirit So it is said of Paul that great Apostle that he shewed first unto them of Damascus and Acts 26. 20. at Jerusalem and through all the Coasts of Judea and then to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God c. It was Paul's great work and main business to have it well with all he came among his hearts desire was that they might be saved and therefore was he so intent upon this where ever he came that they might repent and turn to God as the onely soveraign way of it and as knowing it could not else be well with them Hence it was that that holy Martyr Mr. Bradford when he came to the stake cryed out so earnestly and affectionately O England England repent of thy sins repent of thy sins he knew it was the onely way of Englands weal then as it is now and therefore whatever is the zeal and fervency of God's Ministers herein so as that some it may be may think them besides themselves as some did Paul 2 Cor. 5. 13. yet this being the onely way of their being sav'd and they being else und one this gives sufficient reason and ground thereof 7. This lets us see the reason why the Church and People of God have been so fervent and frequent in their Prayers for this that God would turn them again and cause his face to shine as here in one Psalm they instance it no less than thrice v. 3. v. 7. and v. 19. and can ye blame them or was there not good reason for it when as this was the only way for them to be saved to be happy and to have it well with them and how earnest have others also been as to these as David how often and how exceeding earnestly does he beg that Psalm 119. 58. God would make his face to shine upon him and I entreated thy favour or I have earnestly besought thy face so the Dutch with my whole heart or with all my heart and good cause his very happiness and felicity consisting thereon and flowing therefrom c. Poenitentia Angelorū delectatio hilacritas gaudent societati suae restitutos esse quos in tenebris inferni ac Satanae potestate constitutos viderant Gerhard 8. This lets us see whence it is that there hath been and is still such great joy when a sinner turns to God and that both in heaven and earth as the Scripture declares Luk. 15. 7. I say unto you that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth c. and v. 10. Likewise I say unto you there is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth c. the repenting and turning though but of one sinner makes all heaven merry as it Heus tu peccator bono animo sis vides ubi de tuo gaudetur c. Tertull were it causes joy all heaven over it puts harps as it were into the Angels hands and songs into their mouths c.
life and breath and all things or if it could be Acts 17. 25. supposed that he should want any thing which yet cannot be no ten thousand times sooner may darkness be in the Sun drought in the Sea than any defect in God but suppose such a thing what supply could the fountain have from the cistern yea a broken cistern the Sea from a drop the Sun from a candle the fruitful field from the barren heath the pleasant garden from the wast wilderness all-sufficiency from indigency he who is all from such who are nothing less than nothing and vanity a whole Jsa 40. 17. world of them and yet though he hath no need at all of us that he yet meerly out of that respect he hath to our good should call upon us and invite us to seek so great things so choice mercies the transcendent excellency and indispensable necessity of which might command our seeking of them and that with all earnestness what kindness is this that God should say seek ye me seek ye my face why what can we seek better or that is more what makes heaven but this surely there 's nothing there in comparison nor in competition with this God's face his special gracious benign presence it is the heaven of heaven 4. That the great God should not onely invite us to seek these but that he should as it were indent and covenant and make as it were a contract with us if we will seek them make such and such promises to us and tell us he will do so and so for us if we will seek them yea and upon seeking of them think himself as it were obliged to us though things in themselves so excellent and of such infinite importance and of such indispensable necessity as Seek ye me and ye Amos 5. 4 6. shall live and seek the Lord and ye shall live I will save you alive I will give you your lives Ps 30. 5. 63. 3. for a prey why the Lord's favour is life yea better than life and yet says God seek ye me and ye shall live so seek ye the Lord c. it may Zepli 2. 3. be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger and if my people which are called by my name 2. Chron. 7. 14. shall humble themselves and pray and seek my Facies pro gratia quae in vultûs serenitate ad aliquem conversione cernitur face c. then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land if ye seek my face and seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you Now let Heaven and Earth Angels Matth. 6. 33. and men be astonished and stand amazed at this at this way and manner of God that he ☜ should thus as it were indent and covenant to seek such good how well may we cry out as David does in another case and is this the manner of men O Lord God do they use thus to 2 Sam. 7. 19. do or deal no so admirable is thy grace and goodness herein as it altogether exceeds man's way and manner of practice and it is peculiar to thy self alone Great ones do not use to invite and sue unto mean ones to beg great matters of them much less will they engage or covenant or make promises to them if they will seek great things no their way and manner is quite contrary A poor creature may if he beg get it may be some small matter of them but if he ask any great matter he is sent empty away this is not the way to speed but to be denied and have nothing when a poor creature begs a penny will they say ask a shilling or if he beg a shilling will they say ask twenty or if he ask twenty will they say ask as many pounds and you shall then have both no never was any such thing found among men this is onely the way and manner of God which therefore let us for ever admire and adore and withall readily and heartily imbrace and comply with for as David said in another case And what can David 2 Sam. 7. 20. say more unto thee so what can poor creatures say more to thee what can they ask or desire more that thou shouldest give them than that thou puttest them upon asking and seeking And it is that which should very much humble us that though the face and favour of God be that which is our very happiness and felicity and our chief good more than a Kingdom than a world yea many worlds were they extant yea more than heaven or earth too yet that we even we who profess our selves to be ☜ the people of God and are called by his name should be so backward for to seek it and that we should need to be bid yea to be conditioned and indented with for to seek it as you have heard O what strange kind of creatures are we and how woefully degenerate Are people backward to seek the Ruler's face or to intreat the Princes favour to seek the friendship of great ones no Solomon tells us Many Prov. 29. 26. 19. 6. seek the Ruler's favour Hebr. the face of the Ruler and Many will intreat the favour of Hoc Proyerbio inertia nostra insigniter coarguitur ut Deum principum principem non precamur c. Cartwright the Prince c. and are we backward to seek the face and favour of the great God are people backward to seek and desire life no Satan in that said truely skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life and what man is he that desireth life c. Austin brings in all sorts saying I do and I do and I do all Job 2 4. Ps 34. 12. Ego ego c. Ps 30. 5. 63. 3. desire life Why the favour of God is life yea better than life and yet we no more desire it so backward to seek it how should it humble us and stir us up the more to seek it for the future and if this be the will and command Ps 40. 8. and counsel of God let us say with David I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy law this thy law is within my heart I do readily and heartily reverence it embrace it and yeild to it and I will bless the Lord who hath given me this counsel and is this that Lord which thou wouldest have me to do Lord I will do it and thou shalt not say to me do this in vain There be many that say who will shew us any good they are for any good and who will shew us no matter who if any and but shew it we will procure it we will work it out with our own wits let us alone for that we have wit enough to compass it but Lord lift thou up upon us the
transvolantes reperiunt naturâ quae sunt usui c. Theodoret know not the judgment of the Lord. The brute creatures do by a natural instinct know and betake themselves to what is for their good and safety but my people for so they will needs be called know not the judgment of the Lord that is they heed it not at least so as to practice what the Lord out of his Word hath prescribed them for their good and safety or they do not perceive though by all marks and tokens they might what the Lord intends to bring upon them or atleast not so as by repentance to prevent it Those brute creatures indeed the Stork and the Turtle c. they when sharp weather is coming avoid it by flying where it is warmer but my people they will persist and go on as they did and rather dye and perish than alter their course and get into a better state get under the warm and comfortable beams of my favour so that this people act in a Sphere and at a rate below Brutes they were made above them but they make themselves inferiour to them God hath put them under their feet and they set them as judges above their heads O how wofully is man degenerate how wonderfully even reasonless creatures act more reasonably than they for they when the season grows ☞ sharp and the weather cold and stormy knowing if they abide where they are they are like to starve and perish with cold and hunger they change their quarters and fly to some milder and warmer Region but this people are so sottish and senseless that whatever storms of wrath and divine vengeance hang over them as ready to fall upon them and overwhelm them yet will not they change their minds nor manners nor mend their ways nor works but continue the same they were and go on to do as they did say I or do I what I will And hence says the Lord how do ye say we are wise and the Law of the Lord is with us Piscator reads it how dare you as if the Lord had said with Quomodo dicere audetis Sapientes sumus c. what face can ye say we are wise you wise away for shame say not so do not you talk of wisdom who act below Storks and Turtles c. that have not so much wit nor forecast as they but are more unreasonable and senseless than those reasonless creatures you wise when the very fowls of the air are wiser than you and you talk of the law of God that act below the dictates of the law of nature O with what shame and confusion of face for ever will this fill the faces of sinners another day when they shall see and be forced to acknowledg that though reasonable creatures yet they acted not with that reason and equity as the reasonless creatures did yea the Stork c. We all apostatized and ran away from God in Adam but in Baptism we gave up our selves to God again we sware as it were fidelity to him and yet we have gone again away from him fled from our colours and run into his and our enemies camp and as nothing is more requisite so is any thing more reasonable or equal than that we should turn back again unto him our true Lord and Master It was well said of her not onely in point of commodity but in Hos 2. 7. point of equity not onely as being profitable Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rectitudinem ejus i. e. resipiscentiam Rectum enim est ut homo de peccatis suis admonitus praesertim à Deo resipiscat Pisc but as being right and reasonable I will go and return to my first husband for then was it better with me than now So of the Prodigal Luk. 15. 18. I will arise and go to my father c. O we can never do what is just and right and equal and reasonable unless we do this turn unto God again Hence this is called man's uprightness or man's equity To shew unto man his uprightness The Hebrew is his rectitude or Job 3◠2◠rightness which Piscator retains as that he judges best understanding by this rightness of man his repentance it being most right just and equal that man being admonished and that by God himself of his sins should repent and turn to him 2. The excellency and honourableness thereof 1. In its own nature it being a grace a Gospel-saving grace and all grace is excellent 2. In its Author it being of God his work his gift 3. In its rise and root which is that precious grace of faith 4. In regard of the object and that both turn'd from and turn'd to for in repentance we turn from darkness and turn to sight from sin and Satan and turn to God Conversionem ad Deum Beza Acts 20. 21 Psal 95. 3. 1 Tim. 6. 15. hence call'd repentance towards God or as Beza renders it conversion to God and such a God a great God and a great King above all Gods the living and true God the blessed and onely potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords the Prince of the Kings of the Earth upon whose head are many Crowns the most high God possessour Gen. 14. 19 20. of heaven and earth the God of glory who is clothed with honour and majesty whose name alone is excellent and is to be praised from Ps 113. 3. the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same yea whose glorious name is exalted above Neh. 9. 5. all blessing and praise Thousand thousands minister unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stand before him Behold the Nations are Dan. 7. 10. as a drop of a Bucket and are counted as the small dust of the Ballance yea they are all before him as nothing and they are counted to him less than nothing and vanity And Lebanon is not sufficient Is 40. 15 16 17. to burn nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering And to such a God it is that we 10. 21. turn when we do indeed turn again the remnant shall return even the remnant of Jacob to the mighty God O Israel return to the Lord Hos 14. 1. Zach. 1. 3. thy God c. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts turn Acts 14. 15. ye unto me c. And we preach unto you says the Apostle that ye should turn from these vanities to the living God who made heaven and earth c. And it is said of the Thessalonians 1 Thes 1. 9. that they turned from Idols to serve the living and true God And I will arise says the Prodigal and go to my father and what a noble generous and excellent thing is that whereby we do this Turn from sin and Satan to God and such a God and our God and heavenly father turn from misery to our felicity from the great and onely true evil to the chief good
formeth the mountains c. As if a man should run Amos 4. 13. himself against a stone-wall or set his shoulder to a wall of brass The Lord wonders at this folly Do they provoke me to anger says the Lord do they not provoke themselves to the confusion Jer. 7. 19. of their own faces As if he had said what madness is this for who are like to have the worst of it am I a match for them Let the potsheards strive with the potsheards of the earth Is 45. 9. but wo to him that strives with his maker The Jer. 10. 7. King of Nations is to be feared that appertains to him not to be fought For further discovery of this madness and folly read these and other the like places 2 King 10. 4. Job 41. 8 9 10. Prov. 16. 14. Psalm 2. 1 2 3 4 c. Luk. 14. 31 32. Psal 76. 7. Job 9. 4. 5. They being fallen refuse to arise and though going on in sin they are quite out of their way every step in sin being so as the Lord hath often out of his Word told them yet they refuse to return and the Prophet Jeremiah hath long since said what such are They have refused to return therefore I said surely these are poor How poor poor in wit for he adds they are foolish but of this I have occasionally spoken before 6. They recompense evil for good and that even Deut. 30. 6. to God himself he loads them daily with his benefits and they daily load him with their sins and foolish people and unwise thus to requite the Lord c. This is such folly and madness that the Lord calls the Heavens and the Earth to bear witness of Hear O Heavens and give ear O Earth for the Lord hath spoken I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled Is 1. 2 3. Jer. 18. 20. Prov. 19. 6. Rom. 2. 4. against me The oxe knoweth his owner c. Shall evil be recompensed for good To him that giveth gifts every man is a friend or despisest thou the riches of his goodness c For which of his kindnesses do you deal thus with God 7. They are taken up and trouble themselves about trifles about small matters and in the mean time neglect matters of greatest moment as their souls and the great concerns of them as if one condemn'd to dye should be taken up about his repast and neglect to sue out his pardon or as that woman whose house being on fire hasted to fetch out the lumber but forgot the child in the cradle c. but I cannot inlarge 8. They prefer things that are base and vile before things of greatest worth and excellency as if a man should prefer dross before gold pebles before pearls dirt before diamonds who would but say such were fools and Idiots When an Heir is impleaded for an Idiot the Judge commands a Counter or an Apple together with a piece of Gold to be set before him to try which he will choose and if he choose the Counter or Apple he is cast for an Idiot a natural fool And this casts all such to be spiritual fools and Idiots who yet go on in their sins because they prefer the creature before the creatour self yea sin and Satan before God broken cisterns before the fountain of living Jer. 2. 12 13. waters emptiness and vanity before fulness and all-sufficiency Swines husks before the bread in their fathers house hell before heaven and the base sensual pleasures of sin that are but for a season before pardon of sin and the pleasures that are at God s right hand for evermore c. 9. They pretend to such an end and such a place as to heaven and happiness but never go in the way nor make use of the means that lead to it and what a silliness is that 10. Whereas they might be the Lord's freemen they suffer themselves to be the vilest slaves and vassals even of sin and Satan who seek their destruction rather than their subjection and what madness and folly is this to be at their beck and command to ride them and run them and do with them what they please to do their wills and at their will if they say go they go or come they come or do this or that they do it as the servants of the Centurion and were men themselves or in their right minds would they do this no they would suffer themselves no longer to be taken captive by such at their will In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves 2 Tim. 2. 25 26. if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth and that they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sanitate mentis recepta c. Beza may recover themselves or return to themselves the word signifies to grow sober again after drunkenness and so to be restor'd to ones senses and from the body 't is apply'd to the mind and Translatio â corporis sensu ad animum Per resipiscentiam homines antè cà ptivi Diabolo ex ejus vinculis elabuntur ita antè aegri mente sanitatem mentis recipiunt Toss when is this when sinners by repentance extricate themselves out of the snare of the Devil who before were taken captive by him at his will Thus you see and that several ways that such as still impenitently go on in their sins do not onely forget themselves but are besides themselves and as ever we would approve our selves other we must repent and turn to the Lord. Remember this says God and shew your selves men Is 46. 8. and if ever we would shew our selves men and not beasts in our right minds and not mad wise and not still out of our wits we must be sure we be such as to turn to God for till then whatever we or others may think according to what God and his Word judges we are no better yea and we shall see and say of our selves shortly as being no other we fools Wisd ◠◠accounted his life madness c. But now we see and well perceive that he was wise but we were the fools And the sinners furious reflexion upon this his own wilful folly and madnes and the woful misery he hath brought upon himself thereby is that which Divines call the worm of Conscience Oh that therefore this folly might appear to sinners now before it be too late that so getting timely cured of it they may not forever perish in it 3. Let us consider these are times of turning 1. Of sinful turning in regard of men O how strangely are many turned some to one strange opinion and way and some to another how many have turn'd away their ears from the truth and are turn'd to fables to vain 1 Tim. 6. 5. janglings to dotings about questions to perverse disputes c. and this is all the turn of many and others are turn'd but it is
you out of the house of servants c. and Have I been a wilderness to Israel a land of darkness c. O with what confusion will this fill the hearts of such another day All says the Prophet Jeremy that forsake Jer. 17. 13. thee shall be ashamed and therefore how good is it for us as to draw neer to God so to keep still with him if we know when we are well for whither should we go from him 1 Joh. 2. 28. And now little children abide in him that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed at his coming CHAP. XVI To prove God by turning unto him again AND let us now by such a turning as this but prove God and see if he will not bless us and do us good There is indeed an unlawful Deut. 6. 16. proving of God which is call'd a tempting of him and forbidden but this of proving God in doing our duty and in returning to him he puts his people upon Bring you says he all Mal. 3. 10. the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in mine house and prove me now herewith saith the Lord of hosts if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room to receive it c. i. e. Do you but return to me as he exhorts them more generally v. 7. and do your duty and try me therewith if I will not bless and prosper you And what wonderful condescension is here that the great God even the Lord of Hosts Dignatio stupenda should call upon such as we are to prove him to make as it were an experiment upon him and as if he should say Do it but this one year and ☜ if it do hold on if not afterwards do as you please O that the great God should condescend so low as to deal with such as we are in so familiar a way as not onely to prescribe a remedy for our relief but invite us withall to prove his goodness and faithfulness therein and that with a kind of oath if I will not which is Promission confirmatur juramento Si non aperuero c. non ero deus c. Pisc O immensam nullis nec Angelorum nec hominum linguis satis depraedicandam clementiam O vero nos miseros si tantam dei gratiam contemnimus ipsi tergum obvertentes c. Winkelm in locum to be supplied with something else as let me not else be believ'd hereafter or I will not be God c. with reverence be it spoken and what admiration in the highest degree does this call for and let not only men on earth but all the Angels in Heaven forever admire and adore this so wonderful condescension that the great God should thus put himself upon the proof and tryal and that by such as we are and that with an oath if he do not what he promises if we do but what he commads and who indeed have ever thus prov'd him and have not still found him merciful yea and faithful in his promise The Lord appeals to Jehoiakim as concerning the experience his good father Josiah upon tryal had had of his goodness and bounty upon his obedience of his commands causing it to be well with him when he did well Shalt thou reign says God because Jer. 22. 15 16. thou closest thy self in Cedar that is dost thou think as the Dutch expound it to make thy Kingdom strong and lasting against the threatnings of God because of thy stately and brave Cedar buildings Did not thy father eat and drink that is live quietly and comfortably and do judgment and justice and then it was well with him v. 16. He judged the cause of the poor and needy and then it was well with him c. As if God had said I do appeal to thee was it not thus and did he not thus prove it to be but v. 17. Thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness and but for to shed innocent bloud and for oppression and for violence to do it Sad that the eyes and heart of so great a person should not be but for such things no better imployed and how could such a one expect it should be well with him So may God say search the Scriptures turn over those sacred Records and see if you can find there any that ever turned to God and it was not well with them that ever truly repented and repented that they repented or were sorry that they turned from their sins to me or with whom it was not far better with than before O what exceeding joy and wonderful sweet peace of conscience have they had upon their turning from their evil ways that they would not have been without for a world And here I might produce several instances as concerning Israel Ephraim Niniveh and others so the prodigal he upon coming to himself resolves by returning to his father to prove his clemency and how does he find it exceeding great for it is said that when he was yet a great way off his Luk. 15. 17 18 20. c. father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him c. And indeed never was there yet Nation people or person that did prove God so as unfeignedly to turn to him but found him very gracious Remember Job 4. 7. I pray thee says Eliphaz to Job who ever perished being innocent or where were the righteous cut off So who ever perisht being truely penitent or when or where was a returning sinner cut off no never any such finally perisht let any produce an instance if they can The word of the Lord is tried it is upon good Psal 18. 30. 12. 6. proof found to be most true without the least dross of deceit And thus Jesus Christ is said to be a tried stone i. e. upon tryal found most firm and precious fit and fully sufficient to bear up all that build upon him and thus he is a stone of proof as we say armour of proof i. e. a stone throughly prov'd that will certainly stay by and stay up all that by faith rest and rely upon him amidst whatever storms may make head against them and that while others fickle stays and refuges of lies which they fondly relied on are swept away And thus God as to his goodness and faithfulness which he manifests to such as truly turn to him is a well tried and experienc'd God and so will ever be as hath been heard so shall it be seen and as it hath been told so shall it be found and much more Indeed the Lord proves us and that several ways sometimes one way sometimes another sometimes with health and prosperity and sometimes with sickness and adversity c. But what pitiful sorry creatures do we upon tryal shew our selves to be and how